Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Silas headed back to the area where the students had gathered, with Angelica walking quietly beside him. Her shoulders were slumped, and she looked pale, but she kept pace. Once they arrived, Silas approached a healer, gently guiding Angelica forward. Without a word, he handed her over to the healer, his expression stoic but his gaze betraying concern. With Angelica in good hands, he turned and made his way to Vic, whose face was shadowed by a worried frown.

"Hey, man. What happened to her?" Vic asked as his eyes shifted briefly to Angelica, now surrounded by the healers tending to her.

"Some guy who had a grudge against me decided to target her first," Silas replied, his tone low to keep others from overhearing. "But don't worry, he's been dealt with." His voice carried a quiet, ominous edge as though he dared anyone else to try the same.

Vic nodded grimly. "Something similar went down here. Just like I predicted, Billy attacked. I managed to take him out, but Zoey got caught in the crossfire and got hurt. The healers said she'll be fine, though, so there's no need to worry," he added, clapping Silas lightly on the shoulder.

Silas's expression didn't shift. Zoey's condition was of no concern to him. He had known her for less than ten minutes, and in that brief time, he'd already formed an unflattering opinion. She was someone who evaluated others solely based on their power level—a shallow opportunist. No, Zoey's well-being didn't matter to him. The only one he was truly worried about was Angelica, and hearing the healers confirm that she would recover had been a relief.

Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice. "So," Sebastian called out as he approached, hands stuffed into his pockets. "After what happened today, do you still think of me as a spy or an enemy?"

Vic exhaled a long sigh, casting a sidelong glance at Silas before answering. "He helped me a lot during the fight. Honestly, I think he's cool."

Silas turned his gaze to Sebastian, scrutinizing him for a long moment. Suspicion lingered in his eyes, but he finally relented. "Alright, then," he muttered. "I guess I'll stop treating you like some kind of creep."

Sebastian smirked faintly, though he didn't press the matter further.

Moments later, Klaus arrived, accompanied by Osborne. His commanding presence immediately drew the attention of everyone around him. Without hesitation, Klaus barked out an order to the staff. "Power up the portal!"

The hum of machinery filled the air as the portal activated, its blue light flickering and swirling before stabilizing into a shimmering, circular gate.

"Alright, move out!" Klaus ordered, his voice ringing with authority. The students began stepping into the portal in groups, vanishing instantly as they passed through.

Silas and his group moved closer, waiting for their turn. As the last of the other students disappeared, Vic was the first from their group to step through. He vanished in the blink of an eye, followed by David, then Sebastian.

When Silas stepped forward to follow, he suddenly felt a firm hand grab his arm. The unexpected touch froze him in place, and before he could turn to see who it was, the person leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"What are you hiding, kiddo?"

The voice was cold, laced with quiet menace. Before Silas could react, the person shoved him forward, propelling him into the portal. The blue light enveloped him, and he vanished.

In less than a second, Silas emerged in a vast hall, his heart racing from the cryptic encounter.

'What the hell was that about?' he thought, his mind swirling with confusion and unease. He hadn't seen the person's face, but the voice was unmistakable. It was Klaus.

The sound of the portal activating again drew Silas's attention. He turned to see Klaus stepping through. Their eyes met briefly, and Klaus smirked before turning and strolling out of the hall, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Silas clenched his jaw, his thoughts spiraling. 'He knows something… but how? I've been careful—haven't I?' The cold sweat trickling down his face betrayed the fear gnawing at him.

'This is bad. If Klaus finds out… it's over.' Silas swallowed hard. Klaus's reputation preceded him; he wasn't the type to keep secrets, especially ones this dangerous. If Klaus uncovered the truth, he'd go straight to the higher-ups. Silas's mind raced, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.

'No. I can't let panic take over.' He took a shaky breath, forcing himself to think rationally. 'He only suspects something—he doesn't know for sure. As long as I stay careful and keep getting stronger, I'll be prepared if things go south. When the time comes, I'll be powerful enough to fight my way out if I have to.'

A booming voice snapped Silas out of his thoughts.

"Each group, step forward and submit the valuable body parts you've collected. We'll record them, and scores will be announced!"

The staff member's authoritative tone echoed through the hall, and the students began lining up. Silas shook off his unease, knowing that for now, he had to focus on the immediate task at hand. Still, Klaus's smirk lingered in his mind, a silent reminder of the danger that loomed closer with every passing moment.

"Well, this is all we managed to accumulate from those Gobtants," Vic muttered with a frown as he opened the pouch in his hand and peered inside.

"Here. This is what… I mean, what Angelica collected from the Gobtants she killed," Silas said, pulling out a brown pouch significantly larger than the one Vic was holding.

Vic's frown flipped into a wide grin as he grabbed the pouch. When he glanced inside, his eyes widened in disbelief.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Way to go, guys." He clapped a hand on Silas's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "With this, we'll definitely be on top."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sebastian interjected. "Just looking at the stuff in those pouches, I can tell the Realm's god body part isn't there. As long as another group has it, they'll stay ahead of us. Unless you've got, like, twenty of those fangs and eyes hidden in there," he added, crossing his arms.

Vic sighed in defeat. "Fine. Let's just submit it and see what score we get. Worst case, we finish at the bottom and retake the test." With a resigned shrug, he turned and began heading toward the staff in charge of collecting and recording submissions.

"Please submit your items," one of the staff members said respectfully as Vic approached, leading the group.

Without a word, Vic nodded and poured the collected Gobtant parts onto the counter.

"You've got to be kidding me. That's all you've got?" A mocking voice rang out from the line beside them.

The speaker was a boy with spiky, pitch-black hair resembling a hedgehog's quills. He sported shiny nose rings and three on his lower lip. His skin was ghostly pale, almost corpse-like, and his hands were covered in black tattoos. This was Niragi, a name well-known around the academy.

"Maybe if you'd teamed up with us instead of hanging out with those losers, you might've done better. Honestly, I still don't get why someone as strong as you hangs out with nobodies like them," Niragi sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Just shut up and focus on your team, mate," Vic replied, his tone calm yet firm. "I believe my group will score high and finish on top."

"Haha! That's the joke of the century!" Niragi laughed, running a hand through his spiky hair. "My group—and a couple of others—have at least one valuable body part from the Realm's god. You'd need twenty more Gobtant parts just to get close to us."

"Will this be enough?" Silas's voice cut through the air, silencing Niragi. All eyes turned to him as he pulled out yet another pouch and handed it to Vic. Even Niragi's arrogant smirk faltered.

Vic took the pouch, his expression a mix of shock and awe. "Where did this come from?" he whispered.

"Got it off the guy who attacked me and Angelica… Osborne," Silas replied quietly.

Vic's lips curled into a sly smile as he passed the pouch to the staff without further delay.

---

Hours passed before the results were announced. As expected, Niragi's group took first place. The second spot went to a team led by Kimberly, a Grade 4 student known for her exceptional skills. Silas's group secured third place—the cutoff for passing the test.

The group exchanged relieved glances. The goal had been to make the top three, and they had succeeded.

"Well, I'm heading to the cafeteria," Vic announced, leaving with David and Sebastian in tow.

Silas, however, opted to return to his dorm. His room, a chaotic mess, greeted him as he stepped inside. Ignoring the disorder, he sank onto his bed and summoned his system's interface.

---

**[Name: Silas Griswold]**

- **[Race: Mutant]**

- **[Evolution Tier: Tier 3 Soul Devourer]**

- **[Level: 70]**

- **[Health: 100/100]**

- **[Soul Points: 200/200]**

- **[Soul Reserve: 100/100]**

---

**Attribute Panel:**

- **Strength:** 50

- **Speed:** 39

- **Reflex:** 39

- **Agility:** 44

- **Intelligence:** 30

- **Available Attribute Points:** 65

---

**Skill Panel:**

- **Lightning Dash (LVL 3):** Boosts speed for 4 seconds. Costs 10 soul points.

- **Soul Claws (LVL 3):** Extends claws from fingertips. Costs 1 soul point.

- **Soul Control (LVL 2):** Manipulates beings with souls, akin to telekinesis but limited to living things.

- **Soul Jab (LVL 1):** Channels soul energy into a punch, lethal to lower grades and capable of halving higher-grade opponents' health.

---

**Arsenal:**

- **Grade 3 Chest and Leg Armor**

- **Grade 4 Sycrax Blade**

- **Grade 5 Soul Reaper Scythe**

- **Grade 5 Dagger**

- **Ghost Mask and Outfit**

---

---

Meanwhile…

Inside the headquarters of the Aqua Blazing Guild, Roxy strolled down a dimly lit hallway. Her boots echoed with each step until she reached a room. Pushing the door open, she entered and glanced around, her expression unreadable.

Tapping a tiny round device in her ear, she spoke. "I take it you're already on Earth."

"Do not delay, Roxy," a deep voice boomed through the device. "Get the job done. Bring the host back home."

"Yes, my Lord," Roxy replied, bowing her head before the connection cut off.

"'"

A/N: Golden Tickets and Gifts are my motivation...Give me more motivation (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

A Castle equals 15 extra chapters.