The morning sun slowly shone into Ryo's room, waking him gradually as he stretched out and felt the burdens of the last two days weigh down on him. Suddenly, a voice from the system rang in his mind.
System (Cold Voice):
Dormant Trait Merge Possible. Do you want to merge?
Ryo blinked in surprise. He didn't know what this latent ability was, but something about it seemed significant. Without hesitation, he responded mentally.
Ryo (Thoughts):
Yes.
System (Cold Voice):
Merging. understood.
Ryo instantly experienced an electrical shock surge through his body, and he gasped as an unfamiliar electrical flow ran through him. The feeling only lasted for a moment, but it made him feel. different.
He quickly consulted his Status Window, hoping to catch sight of the consequences of whatever had occurred. His thoughts were still reeling from yesterday, his new powers, and his interactions with Selena. But today, there was something more urgent: his Status Window.
Ryo's instinct was to grab it, mentally ordering the system to show him his stats. When the window came into view, he couldn't help but see the updates. His heart skipped a beat. The abilities that he had unlocked—Draconic and Vampiric—were now thoroughly listed, and new skills had been added. He gazed at the screen in disbelief.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Ryo Takashi
Race: Human (????)
Title(s): The Accidental Supreme, The Banished One, The One Who Returned from Dead
Level: 31
Abilities:
Limitless Regression: Regress upon death, refining decisions and power.
Paradox Physique: A body that transcends mortality, evolving endlessly.
Infinite Regeneration: Heals instantly from any injury, near-immortal.
Blood Rampage: Strength and speed increase when bloodlust is triggered.
Blood Weaponry: Manipulate blood to form weapons.
Hemokinesis: Control blood flow in self and others.
Regeneration Boost: Vampiric regeneration at an enhanced rate.
Blood Puppetry: Take temporary control over weakened enemies by using their blood.
Draconic Abilities:
Draconic Eyes: Sees through lies, breaks down magic, senses weakness.
Dragon Tongue: Interacts with and affects dragonkin.
Dragon Magic: Unleashes special dragon-based spells.
Draconic Abilities Resistance: High resistance to dragon-specific effects.
Dragonification (Dormant): Partial or full dragonification.
Elemental Manipulation: Mastery of all elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Ice, Light, Shadow, Metal, Life, Void, Ether, Nature, Mind, Blood, Time, Space, Sound, Gravity).
Hybrid Powers (Vampire-Dragon Unification):
Eternal Youth: Provides immortality in the sense of aging.
Draconic Blood Sovereign: Increases regeneration, resistance, and mastery over blood-based and draconic creatures.
Bloodflame Mastery: Merges Blood Magic and Elemental Manipulation to produce blood-infused elemental flames.
Primordial Regeneration: Almost instant healing unless lifeforce is fully drained.
Abyssal Dragon Wings: Materialize wings imbued with dark energy and draconic power.
Draculean Domination: Intimidates and controls weaker vampires and dragons.
Celestial Night Vision: Ideal vision in magical darkness.
Bloodscale Armor: Creates scales imbued with blood magic for maximum resilience.
Sanguine Dragon's Wrath: Boosts strength, speed, and spell power when wounded.
Soulforged Awakening: Opens up concealed soul-based abilities as Ryo matures.
Ryo's eyes widened as he read the list, still trying to get used to it all. The power of dragons, vampires, and what else—this was his ability now? Why am I getting abilities from other races? He thought of so many questions.
Suddenly, a cold voice spoke in his mind.
System (Cold Voice):
Your dormant trait has unlocked further evolution. This is the cause of your receiving abilities from different races.
Ryo frowned. Dormant trait? What is that exactly?
System (Cold Voice):
Insufficient level to reveal the dormant trait in full.
Ryo sighed, rubbing his temples. Again with the vague answers. I just want to know what's happening to me.
His mind was interrupted by a realization. He recalled that all the rest of the academy inhabitants were just assigned a class or a rank, without levels being mentioned anywhere—so why did his status window display one? He alone had a level, and nobody ever told him why.
Why does my status window display a level? he wondered, but no response came. It appeared the system had more secrets it wasn't willing to share yet.
Ryo rubbed his head, attempting to concentrate. It didn't matter anymore. Today wasn't about his Status Window or the mysterious. He had a class to go to, and he had to study for the test that would decide his rank.
The class today was intended to be an introductory one—a quick overview, greet the seniors, and an Abilities and Knowledge Test to evaluate the students. The class would be split into ranks, from D (lowest) to S (highest). There would be 30 students per rank for A to D, but just 10 students in S rank.
The test would be starting in two hours. Ryo had some time to process and get his head in gear. It was obvious that he wasn't any normal student. His special combination of skills would have to be utilized tactfully, but what would happen during a test obviously geared for a normal student like him?
While Ryo prepared to set out, he was aware that this was only the start. The second stage of his life was yet to begin, and he could not turn back now.