Demon Hunter: I have a red gourd

Chapter 29 Shapeshifter

People have many different names for shapeshifters. Witchers often call them mimics, while ordinary people call them shapechangers, doppelgangers, mimics, and so on.

Most shapeshifters are quite disgusted by these nicknames and prefer to call themselves "shapeshifters".

Ivan looked down at the soft mud on the ground, and his mind quickly flashed through the records about shapeshifters that he had read in books.

These mysterious, ancient creatures are described in detail in the books of the Caer Sirens. The origins of these doppelgangers are murky, with sorcerers believing them to be manifestations of natural laws or the product of ancient magic gone awry. Whatever the truth, they have existed longer than elves, dwarves, and humans.

Shapeshifters are born with amazing mimicry abilities. They can observe a target for a period of time and then perfectly imitate their appearance, voice, and even habits. This imitation even includes clothing and belongings, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the real and the fake.

But the book also mentions the limitations of their transformation: shapeshifters cannot transform into creatures that are too different from their weight or size. In other words, they can only transform into creatures of similar size to themselves, and cannot transform into tall giants or short earth spirits.

What makes shapeshifters both feared and hated is their incredible ability to replicate the thoughts and minds of their targets.

A shapeshifter can not only mimic the target's voice, thoughts, and behavior, but can even copy its specialized skills and hidden memories. This ability, seemingly mimicking the target's "soul essence," has sparked significant controversy in religious and philosophical circles. It seems to prove the unity of body and soul, undermining the church's long-held belief in the separation of body and soul.

Because of this, shapeshifters were once hunted on a large scale. The Church regarded them as heretics and launched one purge after another over the centuries. Once a shapeshifter was discovered, they would be burned at the stake without any explanation.

Therefore, the number of shapeshifters has dropped sharply and they are almost disappearing from the stage of history.

Ivan had long suspected Trico was a shapeshifter. A shapeshifter's ability to mimic itself was an innate gift, unrelated to magic, and therefore his witcher badge had no effect on it.

Although Silver cannot harm Doppelgangers, contact with them will force them to reveal their true form. This is probably the real reason why Trico always claims to hate Silver.

Ivan was surprised that Trico, a shapeshifter, dared to travel across continents and conduct business under disguise. Such behavior, if exposed, would be a sure death. That's why Ivan called him incredibly audacious.

"Trico, change back to normal." Ivan stared at the pair of yellow eyes in the mud on the ground. "If anyone else walks into this room and sees you like this, they'll be in big trouble."

The mud on the ground began to slowly wriggle, as if an invisible force was pushing it to reshape itself. Initially, it was just tiny ripples that spread out, then began to straighten and lengthen, gradually outlining a vague outline.

A pair of short, thick arms took shape first, followed by a round body and short legs. Then came the details - a red nose, thick eyebrows, and a slightly cunning face.

A moment later, the familiar halfling figure reappeared in front of Ivan.

However, Trico had already lost his previous relaxed composure. His legs were shaking, barely supporting his body. His drunkenness had clearly worn off, and he was probably deeply regretting his rash behavior.

"Witcher, are you going to kill me? Or take me to the church to claim the bounty?"

"If I really had that intention, I wouldn't have knocked these people unconscious." Ivan handed Trico a glass of water, signaling him to calm down. "Don't worry, when they wake up, they'll have completely forgotten everything that happened. No one except you and me will know your true identity."

"Ivan, why are you helping me?" Trico breathed a sigh of relief and slumped in his chair.

"You're a generous employer and haven't done anything to harm others. Why should I kill you?" Ivan's tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp. "But there's something you need to tell me. Is the halfling whose identity you replaced dead? Did you do this?"

"Of course he's still alive," Trico replied quickly. "The halfling I imitated is called Dandy Biberwit, and he's in very good health. We had some misunderstandings in the past, but with the help of a white-haired witcher, we've sorted them out, and now we're good friends."

"In the eyes of humans, halflings all look the same, so after our mutual discussion, I imitated Dandy's appearance, claiming to be Dandy's cousin, and assisted him in managing the Chamber of Commerce. This is a good thing for both of us."

"Honestly, Dandy's business talent is really disappointing. But I'm passionate about business. With my help, the Biberwit family, which used to only be able to do small business selling cattle and sheep, can now engage in international trade."

He paused and gave a slightly shy smile. "Actually, my real name is Trico Langrevinck Letotte. My friends call me 'Dudu'. Ivan, you're a good man, you can call me that, too."

"So it's you, 'Dudu', that's right." Ivan was completely relieved after hearing this name.

Although his teacher had taught him that the shapeshifters were essentially kind by nature, and that although they could imitate the thoughts of others, they could only imitate the kind parts. If they touched upon the malice in the thoughts of others, they would feel very uncomfortable.

They transform themselves and hide their identities just to protect themselves in this world. To avoid the Church's suppression, they even transform into wild beasts and wander in the wilderness with the beasts, living and eating with them.

But who can be 100% sure that this is just an exception?

Now that you know his name, it's no problem. "Dudu," he's an old acquaintance. In the game, he risked his life to help Geralt a lot. He's definitely a friend you can trust.

From Dudu's perspective, Ivan, who had been tense just now, suddenly relaxed. Although he was a little confused, he knew that he was out of danger.

　Thank you for the reward from Forever Rainy Season. Thank you very much.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)