The Warden of The Witches

Chapter 69:

Physical Transformation

In the warden office, Aiden stood upright before a full-length mirror, gazing at his uniformed reflection.

In the next moment, his face transformed strangely, like a ball of kneaded rubber. When it resettled, his features had undergone a significant change.

With a face now resembling the original but more delicate, hair rapidly lengthening into shoulder-length locks, and his body becoming slender with graceful curves, the mirrored image unmistakably presented a female figure.

"I see..... It's becoming clear," Aiden thought, observing his altered self in the mirror.

This was the shape-shifting ability Evangeline had obtained through a demonic pact.

In the end, he was unable to find someone willing to accept Evangeline ability, and had to taken it upon himself.

Though it might appear self-serving to others, Aiden, at least, felt justified in his decision.

Considering the approval of this proposal by the Inquisition Bureau, extracting Evangeline ability can indeed significantly reduced the perceived threat she posed to the judiciary. This, in turn, favored her chances of release in the future.

Even within the confines of the prison, Evangeline, the "Tainted Blood Reaper," remained a substantial hazard.

It's not just Melusine who orchestrating the prior riot, but there was the looming possibility of other underworld forces seeking to exploit her assassin talents.

Diminishing Evangeline capabilities through this peaceful means was advantageous not only for the prison but also for law enforcement agencies eager to mitigate the risks she posed.

After obtaining this ability from Evangeline, Aiden conducted some simple experiments. While he had gathered information from Melusine and Evangeline herself, practical experience always revealed the true extent of things.

From his current understanding, this so-called shape-shifting ability primarily focused on bodily transformation rather than mere disguise.

He couldn't intricately transform into a specific person but could alter aspects such as physique, height, weight, and apparent age based on his original body. The most extreme change allowed was a gender transformation.

He could sculpt himself into a muscular figure without exercising, become an overweight individual with excess fat, or a thin, almost skeletal like appearance.

Reverting to childhood or rapidly aging into a frail elderly person was also within his capabilities. And now, as seen, he could transform into a female version of himself.

During these physical changes, facial features adapted to the altered physique, achieving a certain degree of disguise for those unaware of his ability.

For instance, if pursued, he could transform outside the enemy's field of vision into an old woman or a child, making recognition challenging for the average person.

However, If the opponent possessed prior knowledge of his abilities and had a discerning eye for faces, recognizing the altered physique wouldn't prove challenging.

In the past, when Evangeline operated as an assassin, she consistently wore a mask. However, merely changing physique was sufficient to seriously disrupt investigations and pursuits.

However, this ability, despite its effective disguise, proved most convenient for flexible adjustments to his own body rather than impersonation.

First of all, this ability can used as an emergency measure for simple physical injuries.

For instance, crucial stab wounds or bullet penetrations could undergo temporary closure and hemostasis through bodily transformation. It also allowed for the somewhat resetting and temporary fixation of uncomplicated fractures and dislocations.

Of course, the essential distinction from self-healing remainedthe injuries treated with emergency bodily transformation persisted unless promptly medically addressed. If the ability was lifted, the damages would revert to their original state.

Moreover, altering his physique allowed Aiden to adjust his body's condition to some extent. For instance, transforming into a tall and robust man would activate a "Tank Mode," enhancing his body strength and muscle power, but dulling sensory perception and reaction speed.

Conversely, assuming the form of a child or a slender figure would initiate a contrasting "Scout Mode." Despite diminished strength, visual acuity, hearing, and reaction speed would all see improvement.

While As an elderly person, although the physical abilities would experience an overall decline, the mental stability would increase. Transforming into this state can swiftly calmed him down when facing panic or mental disturbances.

Regarding gender transformation, it proved effective in swiftly dispelling enchantment states.

Of course, this skill had a cooldown period. The maximum duration for a single transformation was approximately two hours. Beyond this limit, like muscular fatigue, the body couldn't transform for a short period, necessitating an extended rest for recovery.

Overall, it's a quite practical skill.

If there's any drawback...

"It's quite painful," Aiden touched his face. During the transformation, there's a needle-like pain in the changing parts of the body. It's bearable but enough to discourage casual experimentation.

No wonder the cost of this ability is the loss of sense of pain; it's somewhat fitting.

Aiden looked down and subconsciously rubbed his face.

However, self-touching felt as unremarkable as scratching an itch he gave himself.

So, he lost interest.

Just then, the office door was knocked.

"Come in," Aiden straightened up and instinctively called.

Only when a female voice spoke did he realize something was offhis appearance had changed now.

Veronica, coming to report, hesitated for a moment upon hearing the voice. However, upon hearing "come in," her hand moved before her thoughts, habitually pushing the door open.

Then, she and the female version of Aiden locked eyes. They stared in silence for two seconds, and Veronica closed the door again.

Why is there a woman in the office, who looks somewhat like the chief, wearing the warden's uniform?

Veronica was caught in contemplation, tangled in thoughts.

Although she knew Aiden had obtained Evangeline ability, she didn't have detailed information about the power. She hadn't considered it yet, feeling a myriad of question marks hovering above her head.

No, it must be her improper way of opening the door that led to a momentary confusion.

She composed herself, took a deep breath, and then reopened the door.

There, she saw Aiden sitting at his desk as usual, immersed in handling documents.

Aiden paused his actions, lifted his face nonchalantly, and looked over. "Veronica, anything you need?"

His expression was calm, his gaze steady, as if nothing had happened moments ago.

Veronica, with a bewildered expression, saluted. "There's a fight in the cafeteria... I came to report to you."