Chapter 6: Surrounded by Monsters
Instead of shying away from this unknown magical screen, Azura decided to learn it.
Explain adaptation points for me.
Although he doesn't know how to control this magical screen, he decides to try and ask his question through his mind. Now that he already knows how to summon it— he should learn how to control it.
Unexpectedly, his method works as a smaller screen appears in his vision.
[Adaptation points serve as one of many currencies within the System. It's a special currency that allows Your Majesty to upgrade and fortify existing skills or talents, thereby evolving the targeted abilities into a higher version—substantially boosting their output potency. A means to circumvent the arduous process of training and swiftly attain mastery over any abilities through Your Majesty's mutated gene]
Reading this explanation, Azura's eyes throbbed as he was not prepared for this.
I know that I'm a university student, but can you please make it more easily understandable?
[Please dictate the meaning of 'university student']
Young learner? Apprentice? Can you understand those ones?
[No lower intelligence level than a young apprentice is stored inside the System's database]
Are you fucking mocking me? Just make it simpler!
[Understood. Processing new lower-intelligence category to match Your Majesty's level...]
[Moronic Life Form category has been created!]
[Processing...]
[Adaptation points are like special coins that make Your Majesty a genius]
Even though he was becoming more and more sure that the System was mocking him, Azura didn't fret and side with his inner peace. He proceeded to check the new description before he nodded in understanding.
Azura wastes no time to open the status window by pressing the mark on his chest.
He could do it through his clothes, so that's a relief.
Shifting his attention to the talent section, Superhuman Body and Mystic Sense were listed.
On the way to the university, Azura had already assessed his talents and discovered that the 'Superhuman Body' bestowed him with an extraordinary physique, while 'Mystic Sense' gave him the ability to detect nearby Supernatural creatures.
Even though it was straightforward, there was one part that he didn't understand.
Both skills said that it would get stronger when his sanity gets lower.
He didn't have the time to check its actual effect, or even whether they were real or not.
But he planned on doing it later tonight.
Clicking on the plus button right beside the Superhuman Body talent, a notice appeared.
[Upgrading the Superhuman Body costs 100 Adaptation Points]
[Insufficient Adaptation Points to proceed!]
So it's not enough, huh... I guess I'll try and accumulate it right now to prepare for tonight.
Refocusing back to the professor, he started mimicking the professor's words while he was teaching the class. Azura tried asking the System how to get Adaptation Points, but it only answered with a simple word, imitation.
Due to that, he could only stick to the method that worked at first.
It didn't take long for him to gather 100 Adaptation Points, only a little over ten minutes.
Hmm... I didn't get any more points from imitating longer sentences that the professor said—even different tonality didn't gain me more results. Imitation, huh? I guess maybe I should use his gestures too.
Pausing for a moment, Azura decided to imitate the professor's hand gestures.
He did it while also doing his speech whisperingly.
[You have obtained 20 Adaptation Points]
"Oh! Now we're talking, I get doubled from only imitating his voice!" Azura smiled.
Just when he was about to do more, trying to see whether there was a limit to how much he could gain from imitating the professor, a chuckling voice coming from his right startled him, "What are you doing, Azura? Are you that annoyed by what the professor said earlier?"
"E- Eh?" Azura turned and was greeted by a greyish-green-haired woman, a classmate.
She is Isadora, a unique name many say, and she's the class primadonna.
Even in the scope of the entire university, her beauty was renowned, and she possessed the charm that endeared her to everyone, a girl with a perpetual fairy-like smile that could easily captivate anyone who crossed her path.
But then again, Azura never talked to her due to how popular she was.
It sounded like a drag, knowing that he would draw attention to himself by talking to her.
Staying away from her is the best course of action.
"Ah- Don't mind me, I'm just being silly," Azura smiled back, before averting his gaze away.
He decided to cut the conversation short.
Aside from wanting to keep his peaceful life, he was also embarrassed. She must've seen him mimicking the professor. He thought that he was alone, but Isadora was beside him—and he must've looked stupid earlier.
"Can I borrow a pen? I forgot mine" Isadora suddenly asked.
Not giving it much thought, Azura took a pen from his bag and gave it to her.
However, when she gave her thanks and took the pen, Azura's eyes widened when he could see a light humming green aura on the surface of her skin. It manifests only when Isadora is very close to him and disappears when she pulls away.
Am I seeing it right...?
Keeping his eyes fixed on Isadora, he decided to double-check and extend out his hand.
Upon seeing his hand near her face, Isadora raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry, you've got something in your hair. Let me get it for you," Azura offered, pretending to take something stuck on her silky, lustrous locks. Isadora remained silent, allowing him to do whatever, though a faint blush graced her cheeks.
On the other hand, Azura had his eyes widened in utter shock.
[Grade D Fairy gene is detected!]
I'm not seeing things, this is my Mystic Sense. Isadora, she... she's a fucking monster?!
Ring!!
The bell rang right after he realized that Isadora was a monster.
Her doll-like appearance and beauty led Azura's mind to venture into the realm of extremes, envisioning her transformation into the grotesque creature he had encountered the previous night—even though a fairy shouldn't look that scary.
Nevertheless, the mere thought caused him to swallow hard.
I better steer clear from her, for my own safety.
Getting up from his seat, Azura quickly strapped his bag and darted to leave the classroom.
On the other hand, Isadora looked at his back with squinted eyes.
"I've never felt like this. His scent... it's very tantalizing" Isadora mused, smacking her lips.
Leaving the classroom in haste, Azura quickly ran to the next classroom without looking back as his mind was racing with thoughts. Initially, he believed that monsters existed because of the incident last night, but he never thought that there would be one so close.
Man, what a luck! There has to be one in my classroom, doesn't it?
Occupied in his thoughts, Azura accidentally bumped into someone and fell to the ground.
He groaned in pain as he hit the floor face-first.
Rubbing his throbbing nose, he pivoted with the intention of apologizing to the individual he had inadvertently struck—only to find himself face-to-face with the worst guy to bump into, forcing him to curse inwardly for his bad luck.
"Oh...? It's the Orphan" the guy, Matthew said with a daunting smirk.
Throughout Azura's high school and even university life, Matthew was always there to haunt him. He really likes to bully Azura even though Azura did nothing but apologize. But maybe it was because of that, Matthew perceived him as a pushover.
"I think you need to sell your eyes since you don't use it anyway. Rather than wasting it, you should sell it and help your brother" Matthew continued, laughing in ridicule followed by his two other goons beside him.
Getting back to his feet, Azura bowed deeply, "I'm sorry, I will try to be careful next time,"
"Hey, I gave you solid advice," Matthew clicked his tongue in displeasure and grabbed him by the hair, pulling his head up. "Aren't you being too arrogant, Orphan? Aren't you supposed to say something after getting generous advice from me?"
Swallowing his pride, Azura intended to comply, "Than-"
But before he could finish his sentence, his pupils dilated in surprise once again.
[Grade D Zombie gene is detected!]
W- What...? Another one?!
Matthew's eyes turned sharp when he saw Azura looking at him attentively.
"What? Are you going to do something?" He barked angrily.
However, rather than offering a response, Azura's gaze dropped to the floor. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he confronted another monster standing before him. Unlike Isadora, a Fairy, Matthew was a Zombie—a true monstrosity in appearance.
Everybody knows what a Zombie is, and Azura is not an exception.
Grabbing him by the collar, Matthew bore his gaze into Azura's eyes, "I'm talking to you!"
So strong... His grip is so strong.
Clenching his jaw tightly, Azura's expression darkens.
"I'm sorry!" He yelled and pushed Matthew away before he made a run for it out of fear.
A few seconds is all it takes for Azura to disappear into the corner.
On the other hand, Matthew looked at the running Azura with an evident frown on his face.
He seemed to be shocked by something that left him speechless, rooted on his spot as if a nail was pinning his feet into the ground, 'I really gripped him tightly, I didn't hold back—so how did Orphan push me away? Also... what was that scent coming off of him?'
Eventually, the classes were finished and it was already night.
Azura sat on the opposite side of Isadora throughout the remaining class.
Despite the knowledge that Isadora and Matthew were Hyrbids, as the book suggested, and the fact that he himself was not a Human anymore, this encounter still marked Azura's first experience with such a being after knowing them.
It was only natural for him to feel apprehensive in their presence.
Because of that, he decided that he would need to quickly learn to adapt to his new body.
Experimenting with his new body is the thing he needs, which is why he is now at the park—a place where students rarely visit. Since it was already night too, students had likely gone home, leaving the area deserted for his explorations.
Taking out the black book from his bag, he decided to start with this.
Seated on the bend, Azura follows the instructions outlined in the book to do the technique, in an attempt to absorb this so-called dark mana. But as he did that, he looked at his hands and sprung up in disbelief, "What the fuck?!"
"I doubted my affinity for dark mana, but this... I never imagined it would manifest like this!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone