An arm reached out of wreckage, followed by the rest of the body.

"Fuck me, that was one hell of a task.It would have taken months or even years if not for the left side of my body."

Telfer shuddered as he thought about being starving to death within the wreckage. While finding his way up, Telfer found that his left arm and leg was stronger compared to the rest of his body, making his escape much easier. Telfer pointed his middle finger and the wreckage and shouted, "Fuck you!" As Telfer prepared to leave the scene, he heard some growling coming from his left side. It appeared that Telfer's recent proclaimation of victory had drawn some attention to himself. Telfer spun around and found a stray dog approaching him. The dog eyed Telfer with a mad glint in its eyes as it circled him as if it was hunting Telfer. The dog was wounded all over and drooling, which intimidated Telfer even more.

"Shoo, go away!" Telfer swept his hand at it while backing up.

All of a sudden, the dog lunged at Telfer and latched onto his arm, sinking its teeth into his arm, threatening to rip his arm off.

"Shit, get off me you stupid son of a bitch!"

Telfer shouted at the dog while pushing the dog away with his right arm.

*Snap*

The dog had cleanly ripped off Telfer's arm and started to gnaw on it.

"ARGHHHH! THIS FUCKING SON OF A BITCH! GIVE ME BACK MY ARM!" Telfer yelled at the dog while clutching what little was left of his left arm. While Telfer rolled around on the ground in agony, the dog seemed to have stopped moving.

The dog went limp and collapsed onto the ground. Telfer looked up and saw what was left of his left arm start to... move? It wasn't very obvious, but it seemed to be crawling towards the dog. Telfer sat up immediately.

What the fuck is happening? How is my arm moving by itself?

Suddenly, the dog started convulsing and widened its mouth, swallowing the arm whole. The dog started whining and Telfer saw the terror in its eyes. Suddenly, an arm burst out of the dog's back. Pieces of flesh and a fountain of blood erupted from the dog. Telfer leapt back in horror as the dog whined pitifully and collapsed a few seconds later. Just as Telfer was going confirm the dog's death, the dog and the pieces of flesh came together to form a blue lump that merged with the arm that was left behind.

What the fuck?

It was as if his arm had absorbed the dog. All that was left was his left arm lying on the ground and the drops of blood as evidence that he had just witnessed what happened. Telfer stood up and walked over to the arm. He picked it up and noticed that it was normal, there were no wounds on it. As Telfer held the arm up, the arm started to grow some unknown strand which then attached itself to his left shoulder. In one swift motion, the arm was then pulled towards his shoulder, effectively reattaching itself. Telfer was stunned for a moment, before moving his left arm. It was completely normal. Telfer tried to transform it and it did.

"System, display my stats..." Telfer said absentmindedly as he stared at his left arm.

A window popped up

Status Window Titles: None Name: Telfer Berkley Age: 12 Race: Ghoul Gender: Male Alignment: ??? Stats Health: 100/100 Heath regen.: ??/min Energy: 30/50 Energy Regen.: 1/min Strength: 5 Agility: 5 Dexterity: 6 Stamina: 4 Intelligence: 4 Wisdom: 3

"So I have completely recovered after that fight...System, why is my health regen still unknown and what happened to my left arm?"

"In reply to Host's question, Host's health regen is dependent on recovery of number of ghoul cells. Number of ghoul cells the Host can absorb in one minute is subject to different cicrumstances and hence is not quantifiable. Number of ghoul cells in Host's left arm has slightly increased from before due to absorption from external sources."

So my left arm converted the dog entirely into ghoul cells? Telfer thought and widened his eyes in shock.

"System, do ghouls normally convert external sources into ghoul cells and can you find out what percentage of my body is now made up of ghoul cells?"

"In reply to Host's question, ghouls move instinctively towards living beings to consume their flesh and spread the virus. Causing convertion of normal cells into ghoul cells in external sources is normal. However, Host exhibits above average regeneration due to ability to convert and absorb ghoul cells. 70% of Host's body is now made up of ghoul cells. Percentage is subject to change as percentage will increase by 2% everyday."

"Fuck. So I effectively have 2 weeks to live..." Telfer swore under his breath.

However, the System was not done yet.

"Host can control spreading of ghoul cells by restraining cells to various parts of Host's body. " the cold electronic voice rang out.

"Let's see, if I can control the transformation, I should be able to restrain it the same way. Stay in my left arm?"

Telfer felt his left arm grow heavier and longer. It started to turn blue as well. It became increasingly difficult to restrain his left arm but Telfer kept pushing it. He wanted to see to what extent he could restrain it. All of sudden, Telfer found himself tipping over. When he looked down, Telfer had...lost his left leg? Telfer sat up and allowed his body to go back to normal. He noted how his leg grew back just fine.

"So I can physically control the location of the cells to restrain the spread..."

Telfer tried once more and stopped just before his leg started to disappear. He swung his left arm a few times and found that everything was normal.

"Maybe my arm is stronger."

Telfer punched the ground with his left arm and left a deep crater in the ground. Telfer stared at the crater on the ground and asked, "System, how deep is this crater?"

"In reply to Host's question, the crater is 5 metres deep and 2 metres wide. Host's left arm has been strengthened by ghoul cells, resulting in greater damage done by Host's punch."

"Did absorbing the dog allow me to become stronger? Maybe becoming the strongest isn't a dream." Telfer mumbled as he looked back and forth his arm and the crater.

Telfer sighed and started walking towards the Vestak Slum area, where his new home was located. However, he failed to notice a hooded person eyeing him as he walked away.

After 3 hours or so, Telfer located his home after much difficulty even with the help of his memories. The lack of basic living conditions such as access to food and a proper sewer system in the Vestak Slum area led to unhygenic living conditions and the spread of many diseases. Many of the slum dwellers fell sick and passed away on a regular basis. It was a miracle that the past owner had lived to the age of 12.

"This is it, I guess..."

Telfer looked despondently at his home, a small shack made of scrap materials. Telfer walked into the shack and glanced around. The shack was pretty bare, except for a table and bed. The only source of light was a small window, no gap, in front of the table.

"Time to sleep..."

Telfer yawned and fell onto the bed. Believing that he could now earn a well-deserved rest after the day's events, Telfer was starting to fall asleep but immediately sat up upon hearing footsteps. Before Telfer could react, a hand had reached out and pulled him up by the hair before throwing him against a wall. Telfer's body slumped onto the floor but the unknown assailant was not done yet. When Telfer tried to open his eyes, all he saw was a flurry of punches and kicks headed his way.

"STOP! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?" Telfer yelled at the attacker as he curled up to protect himself.

The punches and kicks stopped immediately.

"So this is how you speak to your father huh? I guess you aren't grateful for the past 12 years then you son of a bitch. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND DIE THEN!" Telfer's attacker yelled in anger.

Telfer looked up and saw a table headed his way.

*WHAM*

Telfer felt like his head was spinning. He tried to get up on his feet but he was getting lifted up into the air at his throat. Telfer tried to escape with his all his might but to no avail. He hissed at his assailant, "Your gonna fucking pay for that you pig." Telfer raised his left arm and dug his nail's into his assailant's arm. The assailant let go of him immediately and Telfer crumpled onto the floor.

"THAT FUCKING HURT! IM GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Telfer's assailant roared at him as he looked at the scratch that Telfer had left him. It was at this moment that Telfer got a good look at his father. Bloodshot eyes and cracked yellow teeth. A potbelly that had grown from his frequent trips to the bar. He looked like a monster to Telfer as he snarled and roared, spitting saliva everywhere. Telfer's father reached out for his throat once more. Telfer scrambled back while restraining his cells into his left foot. Right before his father reached him, Telfer struck him squarely in the chest with his left foot.

*SPLAT*

Blood started pouring out of the hole in his father's chest. Telfer's father fell to his knees with a thud.

"Why...please don't kill me..."

Telfer's father coughed up blood while gasping.

Telfer walked over and looked at his father in the eye.

"Think about what you have done for me in the past 12 years. In hell that is."

Telfer stuck his left hand into the cavity.

Any second now...

All of a sudden, Telfer's father froze and started shuddering, before becoming a blue lump. Telfer absorbed the lump, feeling much better.

"I have done you a favour now..."

Telfer looked up and whispered silently.

Before Telfer could think any further, he heard a knock on the door. Telfer scrambled to his feet immediately and was greeted with a hooded person clapping for him.

"Magnificient! And also very interesting! I shall call you assassin 150! From now on, your life belongs to me. Unless you want scientists to cut you open?"

The next thing that Telfer saw was a fist.