Reincarnated With The Degenerate System

'Argh, this is getting annoying,' I scratched my head.

Why bother overthinking? I wasn't the genius type to begin with.

Sticking to my usual self made more sense— a guy who mostly followed whatever desire pulled him next.

If there was one thing nagging at me, it was the urge to experience it again with Agnes. A woman like her was rare, and her regenerative abilities opened up far more possibilities than I could count.

Frankly, I felt disappointed that I hadn't taken full advantage of every holes in her body.

Not wanting to dwell on that regret, my eyes turned to the glowing text hovering in front of me.

After all, what better way to move on than to spot a new upgrade waiting to be claimed?

[Host, congratulations for unlocking Metamorphosis: Wolf]

[Would you like to incorporate it into your Shadow Energy?]

That was an easy yes—no question about it.

Nothing seemed different at first. Instead, a new card appeared in front of me.

Reading it, I realized I could transform into a werewolf at will for ten minutes.

Unlike the original form, which threw me into a full berserk frenzy, this one let me maintain control over my body

'Let's see how cool this card is.'

Testing it, I activated the card.

A strange stretching sensation ran through my body, muscles tightening and bones adjusting, but it was more odd than painful.

My limbs felt longer, stronger, coiling with energy under my skin. My jaw shifted forward, teeth sharper than before.

This time, there was no fur. Darkness erupted from my pores like smoke made solid, writhing tendrils that clung to me. They twisted and shifted, forming a shadowy pelt, hiding and revealing my new form in constant motion.

I looked like a wolf made entirely of living shadow, every movement fluid and kinetic.

Turning to the mirror, I took in my new form. My eyes were still green, but now they had thin vertical slits, making them look sharp and alert.

My hands stretched out, fingers tipped with black claws that seemed to absorb the light around them. They looked dangerous, but smart—like I could control every move, not just attack blindly.

I straightened, standing tall at seven feet. The hunched, beastly posture of was gone.

This was no rampaging monster. I was a predator walking on two legs, every movement controlled, every thought clear. Muscles rippled beneath the skin—chest, abs, neck—all perfectly defined.

Strength flowed through me like a river of power. A simple flex of my fist compressed the air, and I could feel the weight of mountains in my grip. .

But the true amazing part came when I imagined my spear in my hands. My claws retracted slightly, and the familiar connection returned.

I could channel my shadow energy, wield the spear, and stay in this form all at the same time.

Not only that, but since the werewolf form amplified my base body, I am now way stronger than the simulation.

"Nice… system, can you tell me how much stronger this is compared to my base? Better yet, give me data," I asked, though I didn't really expect an answer. My system had always been too lazy to provide stats or levels before.

[Affirmative, host. You now had enough authority to access that information.]

'Wait? What? Why didn't you say that sooner.'

[Host never asked.]

[DING!]

[This information was based on the strongest beings you met so far, host. That meant the Demon Woman and the Monkey God.]

===============

<Base Form>

Physiques: A Rank

Energy :A Rank

Intellect: C Rank

Will Power: A Rank

<Shadow Wolf Form>

Physiques: S Rank

Energy : S Rank

Intellect: D Rank

Will Power: A Rank

===============

Seeing my stats, I immediately noticed my intellect had dropped in this transformed state.

It was a direct insult, especially since my base intelligence wasn't high to begin with. No wonder I always ended up following my other head.

However, not everything was bad. Most of my attributes showed S ranks—though they looked less impressive because the system's baseline were the godlike beings I met before.

Comparing the system's S rank to the Seeker Association's S rank was like comparing a sedan to a sports car. Both had four wheels, but one was way more effective in picking up gold diggers.

With everything settled, I turned back to my human form. All my clothes were shredded, so I made a mental note to get a flexible under suit that could withstand my transformations.

It would be embarrassing to end up a street flasher after ten minutes.

I also timed how long it would be before I could transform again—exactly twenty minutes. On top of that, I felt weaker once it ended—a debuff I would need to factor into any fight.

Leaving the panic room, I shook off the lingering tension from my transformation. It was already late, and I promised Aunt Ellie I would take care of her tonight.

Just as I reached the door, one of the maids appeared. She looked nervous, hands clasped in front of her.

"Master Ace," she said carefully. "Mistress Ellie asked me to let you know she won't be around tonight. She had to go to her parents' place for an important matter… and she took Miss Ella with her too."

I did tell everyone not to bother me, no matter what—but what could be important enough to make her skip our fun time?

'It must be something personal… she would have warned me if it was dangerous,' I muttered to myself, my attention shifting to the maid.

She was also pretty, with warm brown eyes and matching hair. Her body was more developed than Alice's, which was a bonus. Still, she was far from Ellie and couldn't compare to Agnes—but I wasn't exactly picky.

What was her name again? Ah, right—Sophie. A good name. Unfortunately, she would probably stay a background character in my eyes. Then again, if her performance turned out impressive, I might reconsider.

"You'll do for tonight," I said, guiding her hand as I opened the door to the bedroom.