Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

The next morning came swiftly. Silas rose from his bed, his mind already preoccupied with the events of the day. Today was the test day, a day when students would be sent into Mutant realms for a raid. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, and Silas could feel the weight of what was to come. His thoughts lingered on the system's upcoming quest and the rewards that would follow his success.

After a quick stretch, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up. A few moments later, fully dressed in the academy's uniform, Silas stood in front of the mirror, running a comb through his hair. As his fingers worked through the strands, he noticed something strange—more streaks of white hair had appeared.

"Am I getting old, or is this part of the system and evolution thing?" Silas muttered, his brows furrowing as he stared at his reflection. With a slight shrug, he continued grooming himself, making sure everything was in order before stepping out of his room. He made his way down the hallway, the usual morning chatter of students blending into the background as he walked toward the cafeteria.

After a brief walk, Silas arrived at the cafeteria, where his friends were already seated, having their breakfast.

"Morning, man," Vic greeted, raising a fist for a bump as Silas approached. Silas reciprocated, sliding into the seat beside him.

"Morning, Angelica," he said with a nod to the rest of the group.

"I've told them everything about you," Vic said after a brief silence. "They all understand now how you got your powers, and how dangerous it is if anyone finds out."

Earlier, before Silas had arrived, Vic had explained everything to Angelica, Ivy, and David—the events of last night, the powers, and the artifact. Angelica had been confused at first, struggling to grasp the situation, but after a thorough explanation, she eventually caught on.

"I see," Silas responded, nodding thoughtfully. "Thanks for keeping my secret. I really appreciate it."

"Of course. That's what friends are for," Vic remarked, a smirk creeping across his face. "But, you know, I might not be doing this for free. How about you whisper some sweet things about me to Mrs. Kara? You know, help me win her heart." He winked playfully, clearly enjoying the joke.

"Not again," Ivy groaned, rolling her eyes in exasperation. She let out a long sigh, clearly tired of Vic's antics.

Silas, however, remained serious. "Mrs. Kara already knows about me," he said, causing Vic's eyes to widen in disbelief.

"What?" Vic blurted out, staring at Silas in shock. "How did she find out?"

Silas leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. "She found out when she came to rescue me in the realm. With her abilities, she sensed that the aura around me was... different. Not like anything she's ever seen before. She connected the dots—the artifact went missing, and my aura suddenly changed.

It wasn't hard for her to figure it out."

His words were barely above a whisper, ensuring no one around could overhear the sensitive information.

Ivy was the first to speak up, her expression full of bewilderment. "If she knows, why hasn't she said anything? She's a staff member, and she's been involved in the academy's search for the Apex Mutant's artifact for years. Why would she stay silent now?"

"Yeah, that's a good point," Vic added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Kara's been one of the key people hunting for that artifact. If she knows it's you who has it, why hasn't she exposed you?"

Silas sighed. "She promised to keep my secret and help me train... to hone my powers. That's why we suddenly got close."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ivy said, still in shock. "Why would she betray the academy and help you of all people?"

"I don't know," Silas admitted, shaking his head. "Maybe she feels sorry for me... or maybe there's something else. I just don't know."

There was more to the story, but Silas wasn't ready to share it. Kara had told him something important, but he wasn't sure whether to trust her or not. Until he knew for sure that she wasn't manipulating him, he'd keep that part to himself.

"This feels wrong," Ivy muttered, her face clouded with doubt. "Kara's always been loyal to the academy, to the higher-ups. Now she's risking everything for you? I don't buy it. You shouldn't trust her, Silas."

"I don't think he has much of a choice," Vic interjected. "The best move right now is to play along and see where this leads. If Kara wanted to expose you, she would've done it by now. As long as she hasn't made a move against you, I think you're safe."

Silas nodded in agreement, though there was still unease in his heart.

Throughout the conversation, Angelica had remained unusually quiet, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by the group. At first, they assumed she simply had nothing to add, but her silence was becoming more apparent. Now, she was glaring at Silas, suspicion evident in her eyes.

"What's up, Angelica?" Ivy asked, breaking the tension. "You've been quiet this whole time. What's on your mind?"

"Yeah, it's not like you to stay this quiet," Vic added, looking at her curiously.

Angelica shifted her gaze away from Silas, forcing a smile. "Nothing. I'm just... surprised, I guess. This is all a lot to take in," she said, her tone calm, but her eyes betrayed something deeper.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Vic said reassuringly, giving her a light pat on the shoulder.

They continued their breakfast, exchanging light conversation for the next few minutes until a staff member entered the cafeteria, ordering the students to proceed to the announcement hall. Silas and the others stood up, following the crowd as they made their way to the hall.

Upon arrival, Silas noticed several circular portal devices arranged throughout the hall. A number of staff members stood beside them, preparing for the test. Moments later, Sir Dominic strode to the front of the room, his hands in his pockets, exuding authority.

"Good morning, students," Sir Dominic began, his voice clear and commanding. "As you all know, today is the day of the test. You've done this before, so I won't waste much time. But for those who need a reminder, here's how it works!"

He paused, scanning the room before continuing. "You'll be sent into a Grade 2 Mutant realm after forming groups of five. The group that clears the realm first and collects the most valuable body parts will earn the highest score. If any group fails to clear their realm within six hours, we'll send in staff to handle it before the realm collapses."

The students erupted into cheers, clapping and buzzing with excitement.

"You've got ten minutes to form your groups!" Sir Dominic added with a booming voice.

Immediately, the students began scrambling to form their teams, with those possessing high-grade skill slots picking the strongest members. Lower-grade students were left to form their own groups.

"I guess we're a team," Vic said, slinging an arm around Silas and David.

As the groups took shape, Sensei Josh stood beside one of the portal devices, his gaze fixated on Silas. His expression darkened, a storm of thoughts brewing behind his eyes.

A few minutes passed, and the students were now done selecting their teammates and they stood each of the team stood in front of the portal that was already powered up and glowing a bright blue light.

"Remember, you have 6 yours to complete the test!" Sir Dominic announced as the students began to go through the portal and vanished instantly.

Silas and his group moved closer to the portal. They took a deep breath in and out before stepping in one by one. It finally got to Silas's turn, and before he stepped in he caught sight of a family face standing beside the portal.

It was Sensei Josh.

Sensei Josh was glaring at him with a mischievous grin on his face, but when he made eye contact with Silas he swiftly shifted his gaze away.

Silas didn't think too much about it. He shifted his gaze back to the portal stepped inside. The moment he went through, he vanished instantly.

A few seconds after he vanished from the portal room, he appeared in the mutant realm, and a notification flashed before him.

[Ding!]

[You are now in a Grade 5 Mutant Realm]

"""

20 Golden Tickets= 3 extra chapters!