Next on Vale's task list was earnestly working to develop other new worker Traits. Not just evolve their current ones.

Now that he knew blacksmithing was one, he was near certain there was a leatherworking, tailoring, engineering, and maybe even a cooking one!

Vale got to work designing the rooms he'd need for each dedication. Though their construction would only begin in earnest after their current missions were completed.

They'd been hard at work over the last two weeks and had nearly finished the first rooms Vale had assigned them to hollow out. In fact, Vale and his Champions each now had their own private room!

Well, there wasn't much in each room. Yet, at least.

His room had an elevated stone platform that worked as a bed, [Cold Pillow], and his new blanket made from the dead invader's robe.

Though at least Vale's had something in it…

The others had nothing at all. Toy's room was the only one that had any sort of a door, the streamers that no longer covered the entrance to the long hallway, because it had been expanded, being transferred to the entrance to her room.

Next was the room that was to be the new core room. Nothing was in it right now, and it wasn't too spacious, but the initial design was complete. This was also where Ximena had been tucked away.

What was spacious, however, was the training room, which was nearing its completion in a few minutes. One more corner to dig out, and then Vale's Legion would finally have a proper place to spar.

Speaking of his Legion…

Vale needed to beef up their numbers fast so he could begin the assault on Liora, Ophelia's village, before they got any stronger.

At the same time, he should work on empowering himself, especially so after learning that the more Aether he got, the stronger his workers and warriors got. So, he was being pressed to gain as much Aether as possible as quickly as possible.

Level 8 would be risky at this point, but manageable. If completed, it would award 160 Aether — a huge boon.

On the other hand, Salome no longer needing Aether allowed her to hunt and provide for Vale without concern for herself. The risk of Level 8 could wait until it became more manageable.

Not to mention, with each shard he gained, he'd feel a little safer being left behind while the main force attacked the village.

But, there was something Vale could do besides gaining Aether for a boost in power…

It was time to attempt growing his shapeshifting beyond 'Rudimentary.'

Vale, sitting on his 'bed' of stone, summoned the description of his Trait and read over it carefully.

[Rudimentary Shapeshifter] - [Your understanding of passion has led you toward a mastery of the body in pursuit of becoming the ultimate being of pleasure who can cater to anyone's desires.]

It was time to put all of his realizations together into one understanding.

Mainly, drawing together all of the different definitions of 'the body.'

First and foremost, his vessel. In other words, the flesh and blood his soul was riding around in.

It was modeled after a typical human's body, but there were some stark contrasts, such as his inability to pass waste, no physical limiters, and his ability to handle the immense strain of any kind beyond the pinnacle of what a mundane human body could.

Next was the soul — the immaterial make-up of a person.

The concept had been thrown around so much in front of Vale that it started to seem much more a reality than an idea.

Going off of that…

It was time to find out what it was and what it was in relation to the body.

As he'd already ruminated upon, his body was no longer his as it was back on Terra — his soul had transmigrated, not his body. The pivotal law theory Mias explained supported that much.

Therefore, his soul was not a part of the body, but simply contained within. Or maybe the soul was the body and body alone, and everything else was extraneous.

Vale had to choose a route of logic to follow and decided on the former.

It made more sense to him.

Thinking of it that way…

'Ah… I see.'

Salome had told him that his base form was still the same and must be adhered to, but the succubus was still at the same rudimentary stage as he was. Why was he going to listen to and follow her interpretation?

When thinking about the soul in comparison to the body…

The soul didn't need to be constrained within a 'human' form, but that was simply the form it inhabited.

Meaning there was no reason to adhere to the original form.

His body had already been proven to be inhuman despite the resemblance; so what was the point in trying to maintain that resemblance when altering his form?

Well, there was one thing he worried about…

The brain.

Vale's brain still seemed to be the driving force in all thought and motor control; his brain, his mind, still recognized his body as human and only human; it only knew how to cope with and control a body with a human likeness.

If he were to shapeshift into a different form, like adding claws, to Vale, who'd been in a human form all of his life, it would look and feel odd and unnatural. Something that shouldn't be — something his mind rejected as it wasn't 'him.'

Yet, shapeshifting wasn't mimicry; it was change.

True shapeshifting wasn't donning claws for a moment, but truly growing claws and becoming part of his form.

In essence, to reach his next step in the ascension of his Trait, he needed his mind to recognize a change as part of his vessel for real; his soul would accept and inhabit the form once harmony was found, but it was his mind that was the problem.

In fact, if his mind recognized his body once shapeshifted, then it shouldn't take any Aether to sustain a completed form at all.

Pushing this concept further…

There was no reason his form had to remain the same size.

Sure, he could use the natural Aether around him to create a form, but he could also remove it. In theory, he could make himself smaller, as it would be just a change in the shape of the vessel that housed his soul.

Vale held up his right hand and stared into his palm.

Then, he focused intently and imagined the Aether pooling around and forming his hands into claws much like Awilix's; yet, nothing had changed from before, and he still had to somewhat consciously keep Aether flowing through it to keep it activated.

However…

'These claws mine…'

Vale began to gaslight himself.

'They are not a new part of me. But a part of me that has changed.'

Each word he thought made more and more sense.

'Once form takes hold. It has already become true.'

There was no reason for his mind to treat his claws as foreign.

'My fingers can be steel, my nails titanium… and they will still be mine.'

'My body may be lost from fresh and blood, but never lost from mortality.'

'A shape is just a means to an end.'

'An end which I choose.'

'I choose my confines, my soul resides in, not the other way around. And once tethered, a construct becomes set and true.'

'That is the meaning of shapeshifting.'

[Congratulations!]

[Your Trait [Rudimentary Shapeshifter] has evolved into [Intermediate Shapeshifter]!]

Vale held a proud smile as he stared at his hand, which held the formed claw, yet it no longer required any strain to maintain. In fact, zero Aether was being expended in maintaining its form.

It had become a part of his vessel — his construct.

Vale willed it, and with minimal Aether expenditure, his hand changed back to the way it was before.

But to Vale, this wasn't a reversion, just another change.

If he decided to form the claws again, it would simply be his main form.

'Still…'

If this realization was only worthy of 'intermediate,' then what the hell understanding would it take to achieve mastery?

Well, there was something that Vale had yet to truly change, function. That would most definitely be key in obtaining the next step. Beyond that, he'd only been focusing on 'the body' within the Trait when there were other phrases to be dissected.

'But, other than myself…'

What about Salome?

Was Vale going to share his findings with her? Or leave it up to the succubus herself?

Would the succubus even be able to advance with her mind still stuck in perpetual hatred?

After all, the form could only be truly changed under a sound mind… yet her mind was consumed by hatred.

In other words, for Salome to be able to change a form and have her mind recognize it, she would have to first shed the hatred that once defined her. For only a mind that accepted itself could ever accept a new shape as truly its own — a mind which hated its own form would never be able to recognize another.

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