Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Silas headed back to his room. Upon arriving, he shut the door swiftly and went straight to his bed. Without hesitation, he summoned the system's interface.

---

**Name:** Silas Griswold

**Race:** Mutant

**Evolution Tier:** Tier 5 Soul Devourer

**Level:** 40

**Health:** 100/100

**Soul points:** 200/200

---

### **Attribute Panel:**

**Strength:** 50

**Speed:** 20

**Reflex:** 20

**Agility:** 35

**Intelligence:** 20

**Available attribute points to distribute:** 18

---

### **Skill Panel:**

**Lightning Dash LVL 3:** Increases speed for 4 seconds. Costs 10 soul points.

**Soul Claws LVL 3:** Allows the user to shoot unique claws from the tips of their fingers. Costs 1 soul point.

---

### **Arsenal:**

**Chest piece armor (Grade 2)**

**Leg piece armor (Grade 2)**

**Scythe (Grade 3)**

**Ghost Mask and Ghost outfit**

---

Silas sat there, his gaze fixed on the floating window screen in front of him, his fingers rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I almost lost today because I couldn't react in time and I wasn't fast enough," Silas muttered while examining the screen. "I guess I'll need to focus on my Reflex and Speed attributes for now, at least until they match the rest."

**[9 points have been added to your Speed.]**

**[Speed is now a total of 29.]**

**[9 points have been added to your Reflex.]**

**[Reflex is now a total of 29.]**

Silas distributed the points evenly, determined to ensure what happened against the crafter never happened again. After adjusting his stats, his gaze shifted to the bottom of the screen, where his equipment arsenal was displayed.

"I haven't really used any of the gear yet, except for the scythe. It's lower-graded armor, so I didn't pay much attention to it. But now that I know it can level up with use, I should find a way to upgrade it before the next evolution quest."

The best option for leveling up his gear was in the Ranking Arena, and Vic had already invited him to join the group there as a spectator. Silas had agreed to go with them, but he wasn't planning to be just a spectator—he would be a fighter.

"The group can't know that I'm actually Ghost Ranger. I overheard them talking about Ghost earlier. So, when I get to the Ranking Arena, I'll have to sneak into the back, change into the costume, and then join the fight," Silas decided, dismissing the screen before lying down on his bed.

His gaze shifted toward the second, now-vacant bed in the room. He used to share the room with another student, but after Silas failed to awaken any mutant abilities, the boy demanded a new room. The boy couldn't afford to be seen with a "trash" like Silas, especially since rumors spread that weakness was contagious. Since the boy left, Silas had been alone.

Silas used to hate the loneliness, but now that he had the system, he realized that being alone was for the best. The boy had made the right decision to leave.

Silas shook his head while glancing at the empty bed, then turned away and closed his eyes.

---

The morning sun rose, its rays flickering through the small room and shining brightly into Silas's eyes, waking him from his slumber.

Yawning and stretching, Silas got off the bed, went to the bathroom, and took a shower. After dressing in the academy's uniform, he stood in front of a small mirror, combing his hair. As he combed, Silas noticed something odd.

"White?" he blurted out, his eyes widening as he caught sight of a few strands of white hair. "I must be getting old," he chuckled, shaking his head before finishing up.

Once satisfied with his appearance, he left the room, shutting the door behind him. Silas dashed down the hallway, leaving a strong gust of wind in his wake that nearly knocked several students off balance.

A few seconds later, Silas arrived at the cafeteria. After buying his meal, he headed over to where Angelica and the group were sitting.

"Hey, guys," Silas greeted them with a smile.

At the sound of his voice, Angelica looked up and immediately jumped to her feet, hugging him tightly.

"Silas, you're okay!" she sighed with relief, nearly squeezing the life out of him. "I know Vic told me you were fine, but it's such a relief to see you safe for myself."

"Yeah... I'm... okay..." Silas managed to choke out as Angelica's grip tightened, making it hard for him to breathe. "Angelica... I... can't...

breathe..."

Realizing she was crushing him, Angelica quickly let go. "Sorry! I'm just so happy you're safe," she said with a warm smile before returning to her seat.

Silas sat beside Vic, and they exchanged a quick fist bump. He glanced at Ivy and gave her a nod, which she returned with a smile. But when Silas looked at David, the quietest member of the group, David snubbed him completely.

Silas shrugged it off and turned back to Angelica, who was asking a question.

"What happened after I left, Silas?" she asked, curiosity filling her eyes.

"I'm not sure... I told him that if he didn't back off, I'd report him to the academy staff, and they'd deal with him. After that, he apologized and left. Then I came back here," Silas lied, omitting the part where he had actually killed the man by draining his soul.

"I see," Angelica muttered. "Did the psycho say why he attacked us?"

"He claimed you were rude to him, along with some other nonsense. He's clearly a psycho. Only a lunatic attacks kids for something so petty," Silas replied. "Anyway, let's just move on."

"Exactly. Let's focus on today's plan," Vic chimed in, his voice muffled by the bread he was stuffing into his mouth. "After breakfast, we'll head to the Ranking Arena to train for the upcoming test and improve our rankings on the leaderboard."

Just as Vic finished speaking, a group of students approached their table. The leader of the group spoke in a deep, menacing tone.

"Did I hear you say 'Ranking Arena'?" Billy growled, causing Vic and the others to look up at him.