Shapeshifting

After the five giant Mutants arrived one after another and then left, Yuri stood where he was and let out a soft breath. "There are still too few of us."

He had never forgotten his true identity. He was one of the Mutants, and more than that, he was their leader. Guiding his people toward prosperity and revival was not only his duty, but his responsibility.

"Arctic..."

Captain America popsicle?

The corners of Yuri's mouth lifted. I really only wanted to dig my people out. If I accidentally dug up some star-spangled man, then it really was an accident!

"Caw—!"

Birds in the sky were so much faster than creatures swimming in the water or running on land. The giant bird plunged into the sea, swam dozens of meters underwater, then burst back out through the surface.

Yuri wrapped an arm around its slender neck and used the dozens of tubes extending from his back to tease the few feathers atop its head like fingers. "Had enough to eat?"

"Caw!"

"Then let's get started!"

The giant bird obediently crouched down. Its bright eyes brimmed with delight, though a trace of nervousness lurked within them. Every evolution made it much stronger, but the pain of the process was nothing to dismiss.

Yuri waved his hand, sending out several black metal spheres. They had once trapped Makkari, who possessed Super Speed, in Iraq. But these little gadgets, which he had found in Phastos's home after killing him, clearly had more than just that one function.

They could gather energy, store things, restrain, release energy, and alter gravity... There was no doubt about it: these were Phastos's greatest creations!

Streams of invisible dark energy were absorbed without pause by the black spheres floating in midair. After being converted, all the wisps of brilliant golden energy, tinged with the aura of life, were absorbed by Yuri, who stood in the middle of the formation.

But Yuri wasn't the energy's final destination. After he brought it all together, the Life Energy gathered in his body flowed through the tubes, which had expanded to the thickness of a finger, and into the giant bird.

"Caw—!!!"

The giant bird trembled all over with pain, but with its leader before it, it didn't dare make a single move.

Its red, blue, and green feathers fell away one by one. Its bones and muscles made a chilling grinding sound, and a pink mist of blood sprayed from the 128,000 pores across its body. Then its frame began to shrink at a visible speed...

Ajak's power was far more than just healing injuries. From the moment Yuri obtained it, he had sensed, somehow, that he could alter any living creature. Wherever his Life Energy reached, he could even conjure a new organ out of thin air!

Thank goodness his first, entirely uncertain attempt at modification had been a perfect success. All five of his subordinates had gained tremendous improvements in one area or another.

This was nothing like healing or recovery. It was more like a combination of several Celestial abilities!

As he mused, the transformation of the giant bird was nearing its end. The red, green, and blue hues on its skin slowly faded, replaced by the smooth, fair skin of a human. Hair, facial features, limbs, internal organs, curves...

Yuri withdrew the tubes and took out the oversized coat he had prepared earlier, draping it over the nude woman. "From now on, your name is Vanax Ambrosius. Got it?"

"Vanax Ambrosius!"

The woman repeated the name, then curiously opened and closed the coat. "Master, is this what a human body looks like?"

Yuri helped zip up the coat, fastened the buttons, and shoved a portable computer into her hands before kicking her aside without hesitation. "If you're done, go study the basics of human society. Next!"

Vanax—Phoenix!

Shack—shark!

Tiger—tiger!

Cheetah—cheetah!

Kate—cat!

Before the first rays of sunlight fell on Free America, Yuri returned to Ancestor's Handicraft Shop with five of his people, all now in human form. They would need at least a week of basic education, and Yuri himself was the only teacher available.

"First: from now on, call me 'boss' instead of 'master'!"

"Wait!"

Vanax raised her right hand, slender as a green onion. "So, Boss, are you going to pay us? The internet says a boss who doesn't pay wages doesn't deserve to be called a boss!"

Yuri's face darkened. "Doesn't deserve"? So you think being a boss is better than being a master, huh?

"Second: if anyone asks where you came from, say I found you at the Refugee Detention Center!"

"Wait!"

Vanax hadn't gotten an answer to her first question, but that didn't stop her from eagerly asking the second. "Can't we say we woke up in an ice cave? Boss, I remember you were on top of me at the time!"

"No!"

Yuri glanced around. The other four were listening attentively and showed no sign of asking any bizarre questions.

He shot Vanax a suspicious look. Did I give her too little energy while her brain was developing?

"Third: learn to control your powers. Learn to suppress your violent tempers and bloodthirsty instincts! This is human society. If you accidentally kill someone, we'll all be in a lot of trouble!"

"Wait!"

Vanax had gotten an answer to her second question, so she asked her third with even greater enthusiasm. "If accidentally killing someone gets us in trouble, what about killing someone on purpose?"

Yuri fought to suppress his violent temper and bloodthirsty instincts. He was almost unable to control his urge to leap up and kill her. "I mean, no killing people! You stupid bird!"

"Oh!"

Vanax nodded emphatically, not feeling the least bit insulted. She lined up with her four companions again and stared at Yuri with bright eyes, waiting for him to announce a fourth rule.

Yuri fell silent for a moment, then waved his hand and used the steel beams on the second floor to build four beds. "Everyone except Vanax, pick one."

"What about me? What about me?"

Vanax eyed the four beds with great interest. The internet had said that if you put a spring mattress on one, then got under the covers, nobody outside would be able to see you at all!

She wondered what it would be like with two people...

Vanax gazed at Yuri with her beautiful eyes, waiting for his answer.

Yuri gave a soft sigh and turned toward the third floor. This silly bird was just too silly. He was afraid her silliness might rub off on the other four members of his elite team. "Come with me. You'll stay with me on the third floor."

"Okay!"

Vanax jumped up excitedly. Her thick blue-green hair, surrounding an already none-too-bright head, smacked hard against the ceiling.

She didn't even glance at the four iron beds she had been so envious of a moment ago. Instead, she scampered after Yuri up to the third floor. What good was a spring mattress? Could it be as comfortable as sleeping in the boss's arms?

The four left on the second floor watched Vanax disappear around the corner. Shack discreetly glanced at Kate, the only woman among the four, and said as if to himself, "The boss is definitely going to mate with her."

At that, Kate plopped down on a bed by the window. She pulled out her portable computer and put on a convincing show of studying.

The other three exchanged glances, picked their beds, and sat down quietly. They too pulled out their portable computers, but secretly pricked up their ears, hoping to hear some sounds from upstairs that everyone could enjoy.