Chapter 658: Metamorphosis

"Haa.... haaa..."

The white lump began squishing and moulding itself as it hovered in the air.

First, it had a humanoid appearance, and then wings were formed behind it. Afterwards, details such as colours, clothes, shoes, etc., began manifesting.

Beruel's long, silver-coloured hair flowed behind him, and his handsome face appeared, bearing no resemblance to his previously sickly form.

His appearance was that of pure royalty—with a sceptre, a crown, and a royal garb that told of his status as king.

A king without a kingdom—but a king nonetheless.

His clothes were gold and purple, and he donned classy black shoes. Once every detail of himself was settled, his wings finally took full bloom.

Gold, silver, purple, and shades of black. All four colours formed beautifully large wings that told of Beruel's magnificence.

"Haaa... finally. It's been so long."

Beruel opened his eyes and greeted the world around him as he grinned widely—now in his new body as a genuine youthful Elf.

"I feel so alive!" His voice echoed throughout the vast room.

"Hahahahaha! I'm so happy it worked. Amazing, isn't it?" Ana excitedly yelled, jumping around with her little body.

It brought her indescribable joy to see how successful her experiment was. Even though she'd had help from Kuzon, this was still ground-breaking for the young girl. It was the transfer of life.

A height she had never reached before.

"So, this is Aether. This power coursing through me... it flows so freely within my body. It's resonating so well with my soul." Beruel's tone was shivering, almost as though he was experiencing overwhelming pleasure.

"Stop acting weird, old man." Ana sighed. "Stay in one place. I want to observe you some more."

Beruel didn't seem to hear Ana, though. He simply flew around in his smaller body, enjoying the freedom that had been deprived of him for so long.

"Hahahaha!" His sparkly multi-coloured eyes took in the world around him, and they were filled with such life and wonder—unlike his old self.

Speaking of his elderly body...

"Gross. Was this really how I looked like? Thank goodness I didn't keep any mirrors around."

... The Fairy King was utterly repulsed by the ugliness of his old body. Fortunately, he no longer had any attachments to the shrivelled husk that had previously been his body.

"I finally understand the appeal of body switching. I feel brand new, honestly. All my organs—internal and external—feel so fresh. Haaa..."

The best part was the nature of his body's material. It was fluid and solid at the same time. He could become whatever he wanted. The possibilities were endless.

All in all, Beruel was happy. However, more than that, he was thankful.

"You have my gratitude, Ana. Your actions have disproved yet another one of my biases." Beruel swiftly approached Ana, gently touching her hand. Though with his small size, the whole thing simply looked funny.

"Haha, you're welcome."

"I should have seen it before. With you and Jane around, I suppose some females aren't inferior to males. Haha!"

Veins appeared all over Ana's face, but she controlled herself since the newly invigorated Fairy King didn't know any better.

Plus, Kuzon patted her shoulder from behind.

"All in all, it was a successful procedure. How badass is that?" The young Midas grinned with optimism.

"Y-yeah. You're right."

It was amazing how the whole scenario had started, and how they were all seemingly allies now.

'It's amazing... this change.'

"I owe you my life, young Midas. Thank you." Beruel proceeded to touch Kuzon's shoulders while donning a sincere smile.

"No problem."

"It's a tragedy what happened back then. I certainly hope you get the justice you seek."

"I'm not looking for justice, Beruel." Kuzon stepped away from the Fairy King, detaching the latter's hold on his shoulder.

"I want revenge. It's that simple."

Despite how distracted Ana was with observing Beruel's body—observing every detail to ensure that it was perfectly suited for use, she couldn't ignore Kuzon's dark statement.

She slowly approached him with a hesitant expression. They had been apart for very long, so Ana couldn't say she completely knew Kuzon. Even during the times they had spoken together in the past, she'd hardly known anything about him. Still...

... Their short time together had convinced Ana that they shared a bond. Perhaps it was friendship, or maybe it was something more. Regardless, she didn't like the creeping darkness that seemed to shroud Kuzon and his past.

As well as the fact that she didn't know about any of it.

"I still don't know what happened to you in the past, Kuzon. What exactly went down?" Ana's voice was low and uncharacteristically calm.

While her eyes were filled with curiosity, she made sure to tame her impulses and instead addressed Kuzon gently. From the little she knew, his entire family, no, his whole race had been destroyed. The matter was a sensitive one, to say the least.

"I don't like talking about it." Kuzon's response was cold, and understandably so.

Ana knew she couldn't be selfish and demand that he spill everything to her. Even if she decided to be adamant, he could easily refuse. Besides, Kuzon had helped her a great deal already. Not only had he been the one to convince Beruel, but he had assisted in the process.

'He didn't have to, but he still helped me.'

Ana appreciated Kuzon's efforts, and all his support, which was exactly why she couldn't just be silent when her friend was hurting. His past, whatever it was, seemed to be his major motivation.

And the fact that he found it unsavoury to discuss meant it had to be very terrible.

'Should I just bring it up another time? Yeah, maybe that's for the best.'

Kuzon had to be tired from using his abilities a lot. He didn't show any signs of exhaustion, but Ana knew how much he had exerted himself. They had experienced enough drama for the day.

"Kuzon, I—"

"Well, would you look at this? Looks like a nice gathering..." A mysterious voice suddenly pierced the air.

No one had sensed anyone or anything before the manifestation of the sound, and the moment it emerged, a figure appeared out of nowhere.

He was floating directly outside Beruel's chambers. His face—especially his smile—closely resembled Kuzon's, and his golden hair floated behind him.

With a sudden appearance and overwhelming pressure, this entity caused the initially lively trio to stop dead in their tracks and watch in shock, surprise, and horror.

"... You don't mind if I join in, do you?"

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[A/N]

Take a wild guess at who our newcomer is. Come on, just try to get the answer!