My Tribrid System: More than a Monster-Chapter 104: An Anomaly

Chapter 102

The day passed by pretty uneventfully, and now, it was finally nighttime.

The boys were fully back in their rooms after an intense day.

Today, the physical and gear training Sergeant, who went by the name Lincoln, had forced them through grueling combat drills.

They practiced the specific protocols to follow when out on the field, as well as complex maneuvers on how to work together to effectively take down an Aberrant.

And also, they learned how to effectively utilize their Vector Mobility System boots in a different light, moving beyond simple jumps and darts to more advanced aerial maneuvers.

This left them completely drained, and now, they were back in their room, laying on their separate beds while staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Honestly, you really are a beast, Ray," Kai commented with a tired chuckle as he placed his hands below his head.

"... How on earth were you able to instantly grasp those techniques? It was like you knew how to do them long before today."

Ray didn’t reply for a moment, subtly rubbing his silver hair as he processed the compliment.

"I didn’t. It was just pretty simple to grasp once you saw the pattern."

Kai shot upright, an exasperated look on his face.

"Simple to grasp? Who are you kidding? Even that girl... What was her name again? Uhm... the light blue-haired girl?"

Van lifted an eyebrow from his own bed.

"You mean Trisha?"

"Ah. Yeah. That one. Even she struggled to pull it off, and she’s elite. Not to mention me—I felt like a toddler. Yet you did it in a single take. You are a natural-born genius."

Ray raised an eyebrow as he also sat upright, the mattress creaking.

"But you both eventually got it, right?"

"After two hours of failing? Who are you kidding?"

Ray just chuckled while staggering to his feet, feeling the lingering ache in his muscles.

"I guess I really am a monster."

Van finally sat upright, his expression turning serious.

"Shsss! We don’t want anybody eavesdropping and thinking maybe you really are a monster."

Ray couldn’t hold himself back and erupted into loud laughter. "Oh, come on, Van. Why are you being so paranoid?"

The boy just shrugged his shoulders defensively.

"I’m just being careful. Secrets have a way of getting out in a place like this."

Kai quickly and dismissively waved his hand in the air.

"Forget about that for a moment," he said, turning his gaze toward Ray.

"... Did you see that girl constantly staring at you today?"

"Huh? What girl?"

"The one who was in that gate with us, aside from the light blue-haired girl."

Van tilted his head, thinking back. "You mean Chloe, right?"

"Uh-huh," Kai nodded.

"How come you don’t even know their names?"

Kai just shrugged, unbothered.

Ray rubbed his face, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Staring at me? Why would she do that?"

"I don’t know. Probably imagining something that has to do with you?" Kai couldn’t say the last sentence with a straight face, quickly stifling a laugh.

Ray frowned, realizing what Kai was implying.

"Now I know why it took you two hours to grasp the technique."

"What do you mean?"

"You were busy scanning the whole field instead of concentrating on what you were asked to do. Mr. Kai, the CCTV camera," Ray scoffed as he turned toward the door.

Hearing the nickname, Van burst into loud laughter, constantly smacking his thighs in amusement.

"Oh my gosh. What a befitting nickname. Hahaha—!"

Kai’s face reddened in sheer embarrassment as he slumped back into his bed and curled into his blankets.

"Pardon me for trying to inform you of potential waifu material. Tsk!"

Ray just shrugged, his hand twisting the door’s knob.

"Where are you going?" Van asked after finally calming down.

"To get some snacks. I feel incredibly hungry all of a sudden."

"Even after that hearty meal you ate two hours ago?" Van asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah. My metabolism is acting up. I will be back before curfew," Ray replied as he took a step out into the hallway.

"If you like, don’t even come back. No one cares!" Kai shouted over his shoulders, his voice muffled by the door.

"Yeah, right. Mr. CCTV camera," Ray snickered as he fully stepped out, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"Pffft! Hahahaha—!" Van’s boisterous laughter echoed through the wood of the door as it clicked shut.

***

A few minutes later, Ray could be seen walking through the campus with a bag brimming with snacks.

During his duration here, he hadn’t bothered to spend his credits much, so his balance had steadily accumulated.

He currently possessed around three hundred credits from the past few weeks of training.

After purchasing what he needed for his late-night binge, he had a remaining balance of two hundred and seventy credits left.

"Thank you," Ray smiled at the store owner.

He turned around and quickly began making his way toward the wooded path which would lead him back to the main Corps building.

As he walked, he rummaged through the plastic bag and pulled out a large bag of chips.

"Damn. Being part werewolf sure comes with some random hunger pangs," he muttered to himself.

Rip—!

He tore the bag open, dug his hand inside, and began munching loudly.

His footsteps remained steady as he navigated the forest path. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He was roughly halfway through the dense treeline when—

Swooosh—!

Ray’s ears perked up instantly.

In a heartbeat, his heightened senses kicked in, allowing him to leap away and narrowly avoid a concentrated line of energy that was streaking toward his position.

The projectile crashed into the ground behind him, tearing a jagged, straight trench through the earth and sending a plume of dust into the night air.

Quickly, Ray sent his bag of snacks into his ’Inventory’ and pierced a lethal glare into the darkness beyond the path.

"Who is that? Who is there? Show yourself!"

Clack. Clack. Clack.

"You sure are impressively fast, eh?" A charming, young voice drifted through the trees as a figure stepped forward from the shadows.

The moon emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating the individual’s features and causing Ray to lift an eyebrow in surprise.

The boy had jet-black hair which was neatly combed back, looking like someone who was perhaps a bit too obsessed with a mirror.

He possessed dark eyes, wore the standard Aspirant uniform, and had smooth skin, standing at a height of about 5’8".

Yet, the face didn’t ring a single bell in Ray’s memory.

Until—

Sniff—! Sniff—!

Ray quickly caught a scent in the air, and that was when it hit him with the force of a tidal wave.

The smell! It was the exact same scent he had perceived earlier in the day.

His eyes widened in an instant as he immediately shifted into a combat stance.

Sparks of raw power could be seen crackling deep within his pupils as he snarled at the newcomer.

"A werewolf."

’The same one from earlier today,’ Ray realized, his muscles tensing.

The other boy furrowed his brows for a second, then a confident smirk played on his lips.

"And you... you are an anomaly."

Wooosh—!

The stranger vanished from view in a dizzying blur of speed, appearing directly in front of Ray within a split second.

[DING...!]