Day two started early. No overnight surprises though I did notice that the spilled noodles were gone when I went to make my third batch.
I really should have packed some trailmix or something. I wasn't starving but I was definitely hungry, lots of activity on minimal resources would do that.
Which is why I decided to dedicate the day entirely to meditation.
Yes... meditating... on how to be so angry I spontaneously sprouted tentacles or something. Yozi magic is best magic.
I decided to do it in my little brass hedge which I ran to the other day, in for a penny in for a pound, and in the event the PRT decided they needed to firebomb the place or something, I might as well minimize the area of containment.
There didn't seem to be any spread on examination however. I mean one day wasn't much to go on but I could clearly see some of the larger plants that had been 'half converted' with no sign of the changes noticeably effecting it.
I did however note that the ground had become a much darker flavor of earth, harder as well, with a sharp sandy grit to it; volcanic basalt.
Shit I really hoped I wasn't accidentally yoziforming Earth Bet doing this. My anima was pretty much guaranteed to continue to do so any time I used it.
I decided to just leave an anonymous tip at the end of my little stint in the woods. They'd put two and two together pretty easily but hopefully some aspect of the Unwritten rules would apply... You were supposed to let people get away after a certain point, right?
...
Anyway that was a problem for future Malfean. Current awesome training Malfean had other stuff to worry about.
Like how to rage himself up some laser eyes!
~Didn't we already-~
I had a dream gods' damn it! A dream of setting people who annoyed me on fire with my mind!
~I think everyone has that dream~
But I might be able to make it a reality!
~This is true!~
And with that I focused entirely on flaring my anima, being angry, and focusing on trying to weave both into my flesh.
That... actually sort of worked out.
I didn't immediately learn the charm, but there was a sort of... trick to it. I could pull my anima closer the more I let the anger within me simmer, it would pull tightly until the shadow of the dragons claws imposed themselves over my own arms, it's scales my flesh.
At once I knew how to approach this. It wasn't a matter of hulking out. The mutations didn't just spring from my flesh, they rose from my soul. My anima, the embodiment of that soul was the key.
You'd think just standing there staring at my arm or sitting with eyes closed focused entirely on my breathing and the respiration of my essence would be boring but honestly the time really flew. I was making progress, real visible progress and that was more then enough to motivate me through anything!
Unfortunately my excitement tainted the whole 'zen of wrath' thing I had going and that set me back a few steps.
Only a handful, I recovered myself swiftly but it was clear that the charm would not just fall into my lap like the Hardened Devil Body technique had. I'd have to fight for this power.
Well fight by meditating, but the point still stood.
When the night came I was far to interested to quit and head back, I focused my efforts fully grabbing at my anima and forcing it back into my flesh in an endless cycle of the energy bursting loose from it's use and my will tugging it back into place.
My skin darkened.
The light around me quickly found itself met by a light from within.
And then, as the dawn broke I found myself changed...
Because I was covered in a thick, rune engraved, brass carapace.
My eyebrow twitched, my fingers curled, and giving into temptation I let out a unfettered roar of rage and frustration.
I'd learned the wrong charm!