Ram's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed another person waking up in a nearby bed. Seizing the chance, he spoke softly, hoping to gather some information.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ram asked quietly, his eyes darting to the door to make sure the guards weren't listening.
The other person, a young man with a mixture of confusion and fear, nodded cautiously. "I think so... but I don't remember how I got here."
Ram leaned in closer, lowering his voice even more. "Do you know anything about the Shadow Society? They're the ones who brought us here."
At the mention of the Shadow Society, the young man's eyes widened in fear. "The Shadow Society? They're behind this? I've heard rumors about them... nothing good. What do they want with us?"
Ram's heart raced, hopeful. "You've heard of them? Then, do you know anything about the Mind Shadow Parasite?"
Before the young man could answer, a menacing guard with a heavy sword slung across his back interrupted. His voice dripped with warning, "Shut it, or you'll regret it."
Both Ram and the young man fell silent. Ram slumped back, frustration bubbling inside him.
His hopes of getting information had been dashed, and now he had no choice but to wait.
Glancing at the guard, Ram felt a sudden urge to check his attribute panel on the man. Focusing on his thoughts, a detailed panel appeared before him.
[ Name: L7B21]
[ Age: 13/47]
[ Race: Human/Semi-Mechanical]
[ Profession: Bio-Mechanical Soldier]
[ Level: Tire -3]
[ Physique: 57.2]
[ Spirit: 3.6]
[Technology: Low-Level Mechanical Fire (Pseudo), Bio-Engineered Enhancements]
[ Description: Bio-Engineered human warrior, infused with the power of low-level Mechanical Fire (Pseudo), transformed into a semi-mechanical being with traces of both mechanical life and blood life, superior strength, agility, and endurance. Though retaining the essence of their former self, they cannot advance on their own unless a high-level Mechanical Fire is used.]
[ Status: Distorted (37%)]
Ram stared at the panel, processing the information. This guard wasn't fully human anymore. His name was more like a serial number: L7B21.
The "Human/Semi-Mechanical" race and the Bio-Mechanical Soldier profession confirmed that the guard had been altered in some horrifying way.
Ram had read about these types of experiments in old documents, but this was the first time he'd encountered one.
The guard's lifespan, only 47 years, caught his attention. He had only 23 years left to live, assuming he wasn't killed before then.
The process of becoming a Bio-Mechanical Soldier clearly had a cost. Most of his lifespan had likely been consumed during the transformation.
The Mechanical Fire that powered him was a pseudo version, meaning he couldn't improve or advance unless he found a higher-level source.
Ram shuddered. The transformation process must have been brutal.
Mechanical Fire, as he understood, was a dangerous ability that stemmed from gods capable of transforming living tissue into mechanical tissue.
The result was a being that was part man, part machine, with enhanced strength and agility but at the cost of lifespan.
Bones are reinforced and infused with metallic properties, enhancing strength and durability.
Skin is partial metallization, providing enhanced protection against conventional weaponry while retaining flexibility and mobility.
What stunned him was the fact that he was only 13 years old, yet he appeared older than that.
Within the depths of the subject's brain, the Mechanical Fire also forges a bionic combat smart chip.
This chip integrates seamlessly with the neural network, augmenting cognitive functions and granting access to advance technological capabilities.
Next, his eyes narrowed when he looked at the Distorted (37%) status. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but it should be significant.
Perhaps the guard was unstable, either physically or mentally. "Maybe that's something I can use to my advantage," Ram thought, trying to stay hopeful.
Meanwhile, Ram felt his Recovery talent quietly working in the background, slowly healing his injuries and restoring his energy.
Feeling stronger than before, Ram sat up, flexing his muscles.
His 'Recovery' ability had acted more swiftly than expected, not only returning him to full health but also making him feel even more energized.
That's when he noticed a small change on his attribute panel—there was a +1 next to his health bar.
"Status" Ram recited in his mind wanting to check his status page. And a holographic window with details appeared in front of him.
[ Name: Ram]
[ Health: 100/100 (+1)]
[ Spiritual Power: 84/100]
"What's this?" Ram muttered, staring at the +1 next to his health bar. It wasn't something he had seen before.
He concentrated on the status, trying to figure out what it meant.
The +1 seemed to indicate extra health that he could store beyond his maximum, like a buffer. "Does this mean I can store extra health and use it later?"
As he pondered this, the implications hit him. If his Recovery talent allowed him to regenerate more health than his maximum, he could accumulate extra points every day.
"If I'm right, I can build up an extra reserve of 1,440 health points and Spiritual Power every day," Ram realized. "In one week, that's over 10,000 points of extra health and spiritual power. This is huge."
He grinned. His Recovery talent was much more powerful than he'd thought.
Not only did it restore his health and spiritual energy, but it also allowed him to store more, giving him a huge advantage in long-term battles or survival situations.
But he couldn't celebrate yet. Ram still had to figure out how to escape the Shadow Society's grasp. His Spiritual Planter skills were still at Level 1, and he needed to grow stronger.
He also needed more information about the Mind Shadow Parasite inside him. As it stood, the parasite was dormant, but he had no idea what would happen when it woke up.
"The first step is to figure out how to gain experience and level up," Ram thought.
If his Recovery talent was this powerful, who knew what else his Spiritual Planter profession could unlock?
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