Ryuji knelt in the cold, devoid of movement. His mind became distant, listening to the echoes of water and blood dropping around him, weaving into a peculiar melody that soothed his aching body.

    ''The time feels so obscure.''

    Because of his body''s resilience, Ryuji braced himself for the aggression by regulating his regeneration and rage.

    With his unique healing ability, he had the power to dictate the pace of his healing, effectively defending against his adversaries'' unrelenting assaults. Now they left. He devoted all 120 rage points to damage reduction and healing.

    Crack!

    The sound of bones adjusting, meat rejoined, and flesh healing filled the wet room, adding to the melody and forming a beautiful concerto depicting Ryuji''s resilience.

    "Ugh... My teeth ache..."

    An intense pain filled his jaw as it cracked, and then a burning pain grew within his gums before his remaining teeth all started falling out with a small tap, creating ripples in the small goopy puddle of water and blood.

    "Argh, shit!" Ryuji felt like his tongue tore off as his gums throbbed. The feeling of emptiness spread through his mouth.

    He couldn''t believe it.

    For a moment, he felt a sense of despair, and then his inner calm spread. His tongue slipped over his gums to feel new teeth pushing through his gums, sharp, harder than titanium. His canines had transformed into small, pure white fangs.

    The changes didn''t end there. He felt his mouth changing like his tongue was being stretched out. Soon, it lengthened out to 16cm outside his lips. The pure red tongue was muscular and filled with power. It was thin, long, and extremely flexible.

    ''What''s happening?''

    ''We are being born. Finally, the mana in this world allowed me to be reborn! Thanks to those idiots beating me so badly!''

    The demonic thoughts in his heart seemed to hold all the answers—rather, Ryuji felt that his two sides merged in a slow process. He felt this was how he was supposed to be from the start.

    Ryuji''s eyes became a beautiful blue, completely transformed. They shone like gems, a dark blue that was crystal clear.

    ''So this is who I was supposed to be?'' Ryuji tried to see the truth in the voice. He looked in the murky puddle to find his eyes became bright even in this dark room—the kobold tattoo only allowed him to see the figures as if using a night vision lens.

    Yet now, he could see the details of everything in their true colours.

    "I never knew my mother''s eyes would be so beautiful..." Ryuji felt all his concerns and doubts fade the moment he saw his new sapphire blue iris, identical to his mother''s, piercing and filling with a mystical beauty that removed the effect of his sharp gaze.

    "Mother, who were you?"

    ''Why is my voice different... It''s like those deep and sexy radio voices!''

    Tap!

    Tap!!

    Thankfully, Ryuji''s reborn body held her with ease. Otherwise, he might have let her drop into the nasty bloody pool filled with many disgusting flesh, organs, and blood from his former self.

    Yumiko''s light frame clung to his neck, suffocating him. But Ryuji didn''t care, as he smelled her warm and fruity fragrance.

    "Ryuji, Ryuji, Ryuji! Ryuji!!!! RYUJI!!"

    Tears ran down Ryuji''s neck as Yumiko cried. Her claws and fangs grazed his body as her thick tail lashed wildly in the air.

    "He-he''s still alive, master Alan! Ryuji is fine!!"

    What amused Ryuji was that the most shocked were the two guards, who looked at him with stunned eyes.

    "How!?"

    "We crushed his teeth! How, this monster!"

    Alan took action, grasping his longsword—he smashed the pommel into the jaw of the first deadbeat before his body twisted with elegance, smashing the other''s teeth before snatching the key as he watched the two men fall onto their backs in agony.

    "Keep a lookout for me, Yumiko! I am getting him out of here! If someone stops us, beat them without mercy!"

    Ryuji listened to Alan''s words in surprise and thanks while Yumiko nodded and sniffed Ryuji''s chest.

    She seemed to look at his eyes with a strange look but didn''t ask questions while her hands stroked his body, measuring and looking for wounds, her nose constantly sniffing as if to confirm it was him.

    ''This cute fox is confused.''

    "Ryuji?"

    "Yeah, what''s wrong, Yumiko?"

    "N-Nothing... you just seem different."

    "Do you like it?" Ryuji leaned towards her cheek, watching Alan unfasten his chains with a jangle. He kissed Yumiko''s cheek and sniffed her neck in return.

    "Ryuji is always my Ryuji..." Yumiko''s soft hands clasped his cheeks tightly—her eyes focused on him as if in a trance. "Beautiful, like gemstones..."

    "Nothing is more beautiful than my little shadow fox."

    "Hmmp~!"

    "Yo-You have the eyes of a beast... your voice is so sexy now, and you feel so dangerous!" Yumiko''s face glowed red, but her smile and constant marking told Ryuji that she liked this change.

    "Can you two stop flirting while I am here trying to bust you out? Although it is a lovely pairing, I feel awkward here!"

    Alan coughed while opening the final chain, his lips curling into a sarcastic smile.