Chương 26: Level up!!

Everyone was left agape as they witnessed the unfolding scene. Zephyr, who was on the brink of delivering a fatal blow to Emery, had everyone in shock. It was common knowledge that Zephyr was the weakest among them, having only received his abilities the previous day when the last group of students, a band of slaves, arrived. Yet, there he was, showcasing a remarkable feat and even attempting to take a life.

"Wow, is he some hidden powerhouse from a wealthy family or something?" a voice emerged from the crowd.

"I doubt it. The last group consisted of slaves, as were the two groups before them. He could be a formidable slave," another speculated.

"He was about to commit murder right here, the scoundrel."

"He might be a seasoned killer."

"Yeah, seems like it."

As words circulated among the crowd, ranging from amazement at Zephyr's strength to anger at his attempted act of violence, the tension in the room was palpable.

The rocky hand that had gripped the katana and prevented it from slicing Emery's head off belonged to Jared himself. Without his intervention, the outcome could have been catastrophic, a fact acknowledged by both the spectators and Emery herself.

"The match is over. You win," Jared declared, releasing his hold on the katana.

"Hmm!" Zephyr grunted in frustration. He had been consumed by the desire to end Emery's life in that moment, heedless of the consequences. However, Jared's timely intervention had thwarted his intentions.

"Well, okay," Zephyr replied with a creepy smile as he returned his katana to its sheath. Despite the match ending prematurely, Zephyr had already achieved his objective. It appeared that victory didn't necessarily require defeating or killing his opponents like the zombies; he just had to let them submit.

[Quest complete]

[Exp: 100/100]

Level up!

<Level: 2> [0/200exp]

[Congratulations on leveling up. Would you like to evolve?]

[Yes/no]

'What! The system wants me to evolve. Oh my, I didn't expect this,' Zephyr thought, feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty. On one hand, he was eager to level up and become more powerful, especially if the system was urging him to evolve. However, he hesitated to make a decision on the spot. Evolving in front of everyone wasn't ideal, and he still needed to understand the system better before proceeding.

'System, can I postpone the evolution?' Zephyr inquired, seeking clarification.

[Yes, you can. However, there may be side effects.]

'I'll worry about that later. Just do it,' Zephyr decided, opting to delay the evolution for the time being.

[Evolution paused for a maximum of 10 hours.]

Emery trembled as she reflected on the near-fatal encounter. 'In the process of that attack, I had used my wind ability to try to slow it down a bit, but that was only for two seconds before Jared caught it. But what if I hadn't done that? My head would have been rolling on the ground at this moment.'

[Inspect]

[Name: Jared Mark]

[Race: Human]

[Ability: Earth]

[Vitality: 99%]

[Threat: Yellow]

'He has an earth ability like Browny,' Zephyr thought, noting the similarity to another individual he knew. However, what surprised him more was Jared's threat level.

'A yellow threat. By my calculations, it's closer to red, which means he's quite dangerous. I should be careful,' Zephyr concluded, recognizing the potential danger Jared posed.

"Okay, everyone, let's continue the match," Jared announced, signaling for the crowd to disperse and the matches to resume.

"What's their problem?" Zephyr wondered, noticing the mixed reactions from the spectators—some filled with hate, while others with excitement. Unfazed, Zephyr simply watched the remainder of the matches, observing the other students as they continued to fight.

As the sun began to set and the afternoon passed, Jared eventually declared the end of the combat class. Zephyr exited the dojo and made his way back to his room. Other students dispersed to train and prepare for the missions they would undertake in about six days to become full-fledged champions.

"This must be the side effects the system warned about," Zephyr muttered, examining his right hand as his skin began to peel off like bananas. The sensation was painful, but Zephyr gritted his teeth and endured it, at least for the time being.

"I don't think I can make it to my room," Zephyr admitted, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. The sun was already setting, casting an orange glow across the sky.

"Ahh!" Zephyr cried out as the pain intensified, becoming increasingly unbearable. He struggled to continue moving.

"My time's almost up, just an hour," Zephyr realized, feeling the urgency of the situation.

[Warning, if the evolution isn't activated soon, the host may die]

the system's warning rang in Zephyr's mind, adding to his sense of urgency.

"Alright then," Zephyr muttered, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby. Spotting a secluded passageway between two buildings, he hurried inside. The urgency of the situation compelled him to act quickly.

[Congratulations on leveling up. Would you like to evolve?]

[Yes/No]

"Yes, already, you damn system!" Zephyr shouted in frustration, the pain intensifying with each passing moment. Little did he know what would come next.

[The evolving of the host has now begun...]

As the notification appeared, a sudden sharp pain struck Zephyr in the stomach, causing him to collapse to his knees.

"Ahhh!" Zephyr screamed out, biting down hard on his teeth to stifle the sound. The pain was excruciating, so intense that it threatened to overwhelm him. Only his strong willpower prevented him from losing consciousness.

In that harrowing moment, Zephyr's skin flayed from his flesh, each strip peeling away with a visceral surrender to gravity. Crimson droplets patterned the earth beneath him, a stark contrast to the relentless metamorphosis. His muscles tore asunder, only to be reborn from the agony—each new fiber thrumming with a strength that defied its predecessor.

Unbeknownst to Zephyr, his eyes had become a uniform, haunting red—a window to the torment within. His screams, a cacophony of voices, clawed their way out in a symphony of terror, reminiscent of a chilling scene from a forgotten horror film.

As his skin shed and reformed, mirroring the relentless cycle of his muscle fibers, the ordeal etched itself into an hour of unyielding pain. Zephyr clenched his jaw, teeth grinding against each other, a bulwark against the screams that threatened to betray his presence. Gradually, his eyes reclaimed their natural hue, and the timbre of his voice settled into a new, unfamiliar cadence.

Zephyr lay flat on the floor, utterly exhausted from the grueling evolution process.

[Evolution completed. Congratulations, you've acquired the Gene of a vampire, becoming one of them.]

[Vampire skill unlocked.]

[Choose one skill from the following vampire skills:

<Skill> [Compulsion]

<Skill> [Blood aura control]

<Skill> [Flash step]

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