Chapter 3: A Rude(r) Awakening
…...
My consciousness managed to return in the depths of a human-shaped pit, but it looks like my body sustained some pretty heavy in that fall. Damn those crazy zealots! May all their workers go on strike when they repair that tower!
… I know, not exactly the most damning curse around, but they didn't give me much to work it. Actually, since when did I become so childish?
'Speaking of repairs, Core, what's our status?'
< Multiple compound fractures in all limbs, three ruptured organs, heart laceration inducing cardiac arrest, general concussion, and paralysis. Biological form effectively deceased. Estimate recovery time to be 3 hours. No damage to Cores. >
< Warning: personality assimilation incomplete-- additional samples required. Certain emotions implemented, but overall emotional age comparable to a six or seven year old human. Anomalous behavior should be expected. >
'Alright, keep the Scanning Core active for potential threats. I should look like death itself, but that doesn't mean they won't come to finish the job. In the meantime, focus on restoring neural pathways'
Ugh… I really need to improve my strength if freaks like those are running around. I doubt they could easily end me, but the two I've assimilated so far are nothing compared to the humans that just tried to kill me. How the hell did they become so powerful? Unless there's something seriously wrong with the archives, humans were not like that when I was created. But if I can hunt one of them down… The only troublesome part will be not dying in the process.
Of course, humans aren't the only lifeforms I can assimilate… I'm sure there's some beast around here capable of threatening them whilst simultaneously lacking the ability to bury me in lightbeams of destruction. The last detail being particularly high on my list.
As nerve function to my legs is restored, there's a sharp, biting pain on my left calf, and what parts of my body that can jerk to see the interloper. Standing over my leg in a domineering fashion, ruthlessly feasting on my broken flesh and blood like a beast from the depths of hell, is… A chicken. Granted, it's a rainbow-colored chicken with a dragon tail, but still… A mutant chicken?! Eating an ancient biological superweapon?!?! Haahhh… I think I'm beginning to understand humor; at least, the irony bit.
As the chicken-thing sees my head turning to face it, it startles and jumps back before looking at me curiously. As in, the "What are you, and how are you not dead?" type of curiosity.
"Ku-kuuuu~?"
It vocalizes as it points its beak at my leg, makes eye contact, and points again.
"Are you… trying to ask if you can eat me?!?!"
"Kuu~!!"
Great, at least this flesh-hungry fowl seems to understand common language. I swear, nothing in this world is going surprise me anymore. At least this monster is more considerate than the humans I've met so far, but...
"No!! Who even answers yes to that?!?!"
The creature's neck droops at that, letting out a dejected "kukuku~kweh…" as it waddles away. What's this… What's this feeling in my chest? Hearing that dejected warbling hurt.
< Information: Emotion is likely sympathy. Humans would find such behavior endearing, triggering protective instincts >
"Wait… Err… It's just biomass I need, not this body in particular… If you can kill a beast around here and bring me the corpse, I'll leave part of this body to eat."
Damnit, I was created to end nations, and here I am feeding the chickens. Literally. This is definitely that girl's personality coming out. Why did she have to like cute things...
The chicken-thing seems confused for a moment, but it enthusiastically nods before heading out into the nearby forest. The cliff casts a long shadow over the already dark forest, so I'm glad I'm not the one going out at nightfall.
Might as well make preparations in the meantime...
'AI Core, design an eye that's more sensitive to light and responds to near infrared.`
> Acknowledged. Using Human Eye as template. Estimated time to completion of [Nightvision]: 2 hours
...
A couple hours later, my newfound dragon-chicken companion returns, dragging a wolf-beast about ten times its size. It proudly struts around a bit before dumping the fully-dead wolf atop my half-dead body. Really, this bird needs to get some bedside manner…
I begin the assimilating the wolf like before, taking care to integrate with the beast's entire body and store any extra biomass for the future. Curiously, this beast has something resembling my own Cores, albeit primitive in comparison. It seems to absorb and compress the ambient radiation, allowing it to be released and converted to bursts of strength or speed. The abilities that mage-woman displayed should follow the same principles, but I can't even begin to imagine just how more advanced their Cores are.
'Cores, begin regeneration of my new physique, and apply the Nightvision mutation in the process;
< Damage to physique minimal, cause of death unknown. Should complete within minutes. >
As I integrate with the wolf, the dragon-chicken gingerly pokes around the remains of my old body… wait, no, it's only poking at the parts I enhanced when I was trying to escape. Did this thing develop a taste for Chimera?
… This could be problematic. I should probably assimilate it like the wolf and be done with it, but that girl's remnant personality would never forgive me. Yes. That's definitely the reason. Chimeras have no need of cute animals.
Really, human emotions are so troublesome.
A couple minutes pass, and I've finally integrated with the wolf's body. This thing is strong! Its muscles aren't that different from the two dead humans, so that's probably the result of the strange core it had. I try sprinting to test out its physical abilities, only to reach the edge of the clearing in seconds, several times faster than a sprinting human.
After a bit more testing, I set off into the forest, but the wolf's keen hearing picks up the sound of tiny feet behind me. It can't be… Tell me it's not…
"Kuu~!"
… Huh, this wolf's body must have been damaged worse than I thought. Auditory hallucinations are pretty serious. I'll have to be more careful next time I regenerate.
"Kuu! Ku! Kuuuuu…"
Ignoring the sound of two tiny, flightless wings flapping wildly behind me, my trek through the forest continues, until… My legs? Why aren't they resp-
< Warning: foreign energy encroachment, unknown nature. Symptom: paralysis >
A quick glance tells me that paralysis isn't all that's going on. The wolf's leg have begun to turn an odd shade of grey, almost like… stone?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone