Chapter 28: Gene unlocked

The room exuded a warm ambiance, thanks to the rugged floor and the muted portraits hanging on the walls. Seated there was a man in a black suit, his expression as indifferent as if the world's end wouldn't faze him. His hair was short and black, his eyes dark and unreadable. This man was none other than Principal John Thrust of Orchid Academy, known for his ruthless reputation. Whispers around the academy told of his lone return from a battle with over a hundred humans, a war that left him the sole survivor but emotionally scarred, never to show his feelings again.

Principal John was lost in thought, gazing at the ceiling, reflecting on his tumultuous past, when a knock interrupted his reverie.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," he called out in a calm voice, straightening himself in his chair.

The door swung open, revealing a woman with striking blue hair, her expression etched with concern.

"What seems to be the problem, Miss Marrow?" Principal John inquired, his face betraying no interest, which seemed odd for a man in his mid-forties. Jade, a student and the principal's personal assistant, was the gatekeeper to all information reaching him. Her presence indicated urgency.

"I've just been informed by the night patrol that a student has been found dead on the academy grounds," Jade reported, causing a brief flicker of surprise on John's face before it settled back into indifference.

"Hmm, we've had our share of deaths here, likely a newcomer unable to withstand the power bestowed upon them," Principal John mused dismissively. To him, it was the natural order: the strong thrive, the weak perish.

Jade's thoughts seethed with anger at his callousness. Yet, she pressed on, certain the next piece of news would capture his attention.

"The student's death was due to blood loss, with no visible injuries except for two small puncture marks on the neck. It suggests a supernatural presence at the academy, possibly a vampire," Jade reported, her voice laced with concern.

"A vampire? That complicates things," Principal John mused, his interest piqued. He pondered how such a creature could have infiltrated the academy, given the rigorous testing of students upon entry.

"Keep this quiet for now, Miss Jade. We're sending the students on a mission in three days, and we can't have them spooked by rumors of a vampire attack. I'll handle it," he instructed, maintaining a facade of calm.

Once Jade had departed, Principal John reached for the telephone, dialed swiftly, and waited for the connection.

"We have a situation—a student has died within the academy. Suppress the news; we can't afford panic before the mission. We need the students focused for our reputation's sake. Conduct a discreet investigation and eliminate the threat," he ordered, then hung up without another word. His concern wasn't for the fallen student, but for preserving the strong who could uphold the academy's reputation.

...

Zephyr stood before the mirror, his features now strikingly handsome. His friends, Jack and Browny, were curious about his sudden transformation. "How did you become so handsome overnight?" they asked. Zephyr shrugged, "I don't know," leaving them to wonder if it was just a quirk of puberty enhancing his looks.

In the privacy of their bathroom, with its shower and toilet at opposite ends, Zephyr pondered his strength. "I may be a vampire, but I'm not as powerful as before. I'm just above a fledgling supernatural. Yet, with my new abilities—blood aura control and shadow enhancement—I could rival a minor supernatural," he thought, assessing his progress. He knew he needed a solid foundation to handle his growing power.

Attributes:

Strength: 15

Speed: 15

Stamina: 15

Status Point: 1

With each level up, the host gains a status point to allocate to an attribute.

"Hmm, I'll add one point to stamina," Zephyr decided. The system had always helped him grow stronger, fulfilling its promise. But he couldn't help wondering what it wanted in return—a mystery he was determined to solve.

+1 Stamina

Stamina: 16

Choosing to boost his stamina was strategic; his shadow enhancement and blood aura control required energy and endurance. With increased stamina, he'd last longer in battle. His recent evolution had already boosted his attributes by five, making him feel significantly stronger.

As Zephyr prepared to leave the bathroom and clear his vision of the system's interface, a red glow caught his eye—a notification.

[Gene Unlocked]

Zephyr gasped as the Gene Feature flickered to life on his screen.

[Gene]

Vampire Gene

[Skill: Blood Aura Control]

Werewolf Gene [Transform]

Skill: [Locked]

Undead Gene [Transform]

Skill: Create Family

[Family: 0/0]

"What in the world…" Zephyr muttered, his eyes widening. The screen listed races of great power, rulers of the supernatural and the dark realm. He knew of his vampire heritage, having evolved to this state, but the revelation of werewolf and undead genes within him was staggering. A tribrid, a blend of three potent lineages, was unheard of.

Once, as the shadow lord and vampire king, Zephyr had deemed hybrids—beings born from two different species—as abominations. Such unions were feared by the kings for their potential power, a threat to their rule. In a ruthless campaign, Zephyr and his fellow rulers exterminated these hybrids.

But now, Zephyr faced the truth that he was more than a vampire or even a hybrid; he carried a third lineage, that of the werewolves.

"It explains my unique appearance," he thought. The werewolf gene remained locked, inaccessible to him, while his undead abilities were strangely active. "But how?"

Zephyr rummaged through his inventory, but the Zombie's crystal was nowhere to be found. All that lay before him was the ability book and the katana from combat class—a weapon he had chosen to keep secret from the others. While his classmates had returned their weapons, Zephyr cleverly concealed his within his inventory. The blade stirred memories of a bygone era when he reigned as the vampire king Leagon, wielding a sword that had ended countless lives in battle.

The undead crystal he had secured from the test had vanished.

[To unlock the gene, acquire a werewolf's crystal.]

"Ah, that makes sense," Zephyr mused. A system notification had just informed him that to unlock the werewolf gene, he must obtain a werewolf's crystal, which meant defeating a werewolf and claiming its crystal. It dawned on him that the system must have claimed the undead crystal to activate his undead gene, partially transforming him into an undead being.

Now that his preparations were complete, Zephyr stepped out of the bathroom. A new day beckoned, and he had just three days to amplify his powers before the missions commenced. Unsure of what awaited him beyond the academy walls, Zephyr was determined to be ready, armed with a plan to enhance his strength swiftly.

"What's happening here?" Zephyr inquired, an eyebrow arched in curiosity as he noticed Jack fiddling with an odd metallic box. "What is that?"

*****