Residental Mutation - A General's Shame
{ A Few Hours Later }
{ Icarus High - Infirmary, Zone Y }
Vikram's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself lying on a creaking bed. The rusty metal legs squealed in protest as he tried to shift his body. The infirmary before him resembled something out of a horrifying fantasy, with grimy tiles smeared with a brownish substance, empty vials strewed about, and bloodstains marring the walls. It made Vikram question how such a place could even be called an infirmary.
"Oh no! I must find my sister!" he exclaimed, impulsively leaping out of the bed. However, as he stood up, reality hit him—he didn't have a sister in this world.
"Or do I?" The line between Avi and Vikram blurred once again in his mind. For a moment, he forgot about the awakening incident and found himself rationalizing Avi's emotions, wondering if his sister could be alive too.
*Thud.* Vikram wavered and collapsed to the ground. His right leg, still in the midst of recovery, couldn't bear his weight. Just as he fell, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the room.
After some time, he regained consciousness, feeling even more fatigued and battling a pounding migraine. Staring up at the cracked ceiling, Vikram muttered, "Why do only bad things happen to me?" He hesitated to get up, afraid of what else might go wrong.
"Hohoho... Why so pessimistic, my boy?" a voice chuckled. An old man with bifocal spectacles took a seat beside Vikram's bed, attempting to lift his spirits.
"Who are you?" Vikram retorted brusquely, having sensed the old man's presence but unwilling to acknowledge a stranger without reason.
"You cocky—" Mr Boar began to interject but was swiftly silenced by the old man's raised hand.
"I'm your principal, Avi-boy. Don't you recognize me?" the old man claimed.
Vikram glanced to the side, quickly scanning the old man's face, and snorted dismissively. "I don't believe you're the principal."
The old man's eyes widened in shock, and even Mr Boar seemed surprised for some unknown reason. "Very well, impressive! It's been a while since a youngling resisted my suggestions. You truly are special, Avi boy... hohoho."
"What do you mean? And who are you? If you're the doctor, can you give me more of those recovery potions so I can leave this place?" Vikram replied crudely, lacking respect for the stranger. Even Vikram himself didn't know why he was in a hurry.
"Mind your tone, boy," Mr Boar interjected on behalf of the old man. "He is not someone you can disrespect so casually." But all Boar got was a stern gaze from the old man. None of this went unnoticed by Vikram who was profiling the two strangers.
"I'm not your enemy, Avi boy. I simply have a few questions that I would like you to answer," the old man explained, attempting to engage Vikram in conversation.
"And what do I gain from indulging your curiosity?" Vikram retorted sarcastically, his gaze fixed on Boar's increasingly irked expression. He took pleasure in toying with the tense assistant.
The old man's eyes narrowed as he sensed the challenge in Vikram's tone. "Hohoho... You're quite astute, Avi boy. How about we discuss something more valuable, like the recovery potions your sister desperately requires?" His mischievous smile betrayed a hint of calculation.
Vikram maintained his facade of contemplation, but internally, his mind raced with strategies. He was keenly aware that the old man had sensed his momentary vulnerability. However, the old man was now facing Vikram, and not Avi, whose soul had already crossed the Nile River.
"And what else?" Vikram inquired coolly, refusing to reveal his true interest. "Surely there must be more to this."
The old man's eyes sparkled with cunning as he leaned in slightly. "How about I change it to a substantial sum of 10,000 credits?" he proposed, his voice laced with amusement. He anticipated Vikram's reaction, hoping to gain an upper hand in their exchange.
Vikram's expression remained composed, concealing his growing excitement. He understood the significance of Union Credits in this world and his lack thereof.
"10,000 credits, you say?" Vikram's tone turned contemplative, masking his eagerness. "That's indeed a generous offer, considering my current circumstances."
Both Avi and the old man continued to evaluate each other, their thoughts entwined in a silent battle of wits. Each calculating the potential gains and losses, their eyes locked in an unspoken agreement—a duel of negotiation and strategy.
The old man chuckled, his amusement growing. "Indeed, Avi boy, it is quite the generous offer. Think of what you could do with such a significant amount. Your sister's recovery potions would be secured, and you'd have some left over for yourself."
Vikram's eyes gleamed with a mixture of calculation and longing. He couldn't help but imagine the possibilities that 10,000 coins would bring. It would be a leap forward from his current pauper-like existence.
"However," Vikram continued, his voice tinged with a hint of scepticism, "I can't help but wonder why someone like you, with apparent influence and power, is so interested in my story. What do you gain from it?"
The old man's smile widened, revealing a glint of mystery in his eyes. "Ah, Avi boy, you are perceptive indeed. Rest assured, I have my reasons. Your survival of the meteor poisoning, your connection to the awakening—it intrigues me. Consider our interaction as an exchange of knowledge. You provide me with answers, and in return, I assist you in acquiring what you desire."
Vikram's scepticism remained, but curiosity started to creep into his mind. The old man's offer seemed too tempting to dismiss outright. Still, he couldn't help but question the true motives behind it.
"And what guarantee do I have that you'll hold up your end of the bargain?" Vikram asked, his gaze piercing into the old man's.
The old man leaned back, his expression shifting into one of mock offence. "My dear Avi boy, doubting my integrity? How disappointing. But worry not, I may be mischievous, but I always keep my promises. I'll take a Vachan if you are still concerned."
Vikram's lips curved into a sly smile, his eyes glinting with a calculating gleam. "Ah, old man, you certainly know how to play your cards. But let's not talk about invoking a Vachan for such a small amount. Not to mention, you might have already found a loophole if you are so willingly offering a Vachan. Let's stop these games here. Very well, old man. I accept your proposition. 10,000 coins for the answers you seek. But remember, I decide what I answer and what I don't."
The old man chuckled heartily, genuinely entertained by Vikram's shrewdness. He wondered before whether he was still his father's son, but his doubts seem to fade after the conversation, "Excellent! A deal has been struck, Avi boy."
As the negotiation concluded, Vikram couldn't shake off a lingering feeling of uncertainty. However, the allure of 10,000 Union Credits and the chance to unravel the mysteries surrounding his own existence pushed him forward.
Little did he know that this encounter with the old man would set him on a path filled with unexpected revelations and unforeseen consequences.
"Okay! I'll hear you out, but first, you'll have to tell me who you really are?"
The old man took a long pause before answering, "Although I can't tell you my name quite yet, just know that both of your parents were my students in this very school 15 years ago. I last talked to them 7 years ago when they asked for my help in finding a rare herb..."
The old man scratched his beard as he remembered something from his past. A sad, apologetic smile appeared on his lips.
"That's hard for me to confirm, and it is not like you won't know about my parents if you have already investigated my background and know about my sister's condition," Vikram said, refusing to believe his answer.
He had no attachments to Avi's dead parents, and even if it were true, Vikram couldn't care less about their relationship.
"You are a pragmatic child, just like I heard. I like you, boy. Okay, how about this..."
The old man extended his hand and tapped on his wristwatch a couple of times. After that, he tapped Vikram's watch with his watch and smiled gently.
Vikram looked at his watch, and his eyes went wide in shock.
---
[ Alpha ] [ XXXXX XXXXX ]
[Mutations] - Illusionist, XXXXX
[Abilities] - Devil's Tongue, Eagle Eye, XXXXX
---
As Vikram observed the Shika license in front of him, his eyes widened with recognition and awe. It was an Alpha-rank license, the highest possible rank in the Shika licensing system. Even though he was still new to this world, Vikram understood the significance of such a license. The Alpha-rank license couldn't be forged, and it indicated that the old man before him had achieved the pinnacle of human potential in this dystopian world.
The realization struck Vikram with a mix of curiosity and respect. Despite the old man's decadent and eccentric appearance, it was clear that he possessed immense power and knowledge, surpassing ordinary individuals. This encounter, it seemed, was not a mere coincidence.
However, acting unfazed by the old man's prestigious license, Vikram held his ground and pressed for more information. With a confident tone, he proposed, "Okay! But What about it? I still feel like I'm making a loss here. Let's do this, add the information on the herb that my parents went out looking that year alongside the 10000 Union Credits. Then we have a fair agreement."
The unexpected response surprised both Mr Boar and the old man. They exchanged glances, wondering if Vikram was unaware of the significance of the Alpha-rank license. However, that couldn't be true, they both had noticed the slight fluctuation and widening of Vikram's eyeballs as he eyed the Alpha license.
'This Child... !' Undeterred, the old man disclosed, "The herb is called 'Predactic Lilly,' an A-rank material in herbalism. It blooms in locations recently traversed by a C-rank or higher monster horde. It's one of the rarest A-rank herbs known."
Vikram pondered the information, cross-referencing it with his knowledge from the novel. At least the herb was real, and it does seem to have been mentioned in the novel that it was a good herb for enhancing Shika's constitution. This gave Vikram more confidence in the old man's story and he decided to believe the old man for a bit.
Apparently seeming a pinch of acceptance from Vikram's eyes, the old man also felt a lot more relaxed. Having to clash wits with a mere 17-year-old, the old man was really too old for this, "So now it is my turn to ask questions?" Vikram nodded in acceptance.
Curiosity piqued, the old man inquired, "Did you experience the mutation during the incident this morning?"
Unsure but willing to confirm, Vikram replied, "I'm not sure. I seem to feel slightly different in my body as if I'm inside a foreign body. Is there a way to confirm whether my mutation was successful?"
The old man felt a slight surprise at Vikram's symptoms, as they didn't align with the usual behaviour of a newly awakened individual. Typically, awakening brought a sense of energy and power, rather than a feeling of discomfort within one's own body. However, he chose to remain silent, not wanting to startle the young boy.
The old man, opting not to use his scanning abilities, suggested, "Try calling out to Akashvani. We will know"
Vikram's lingering doubts about the existence of Akashvani resurfaced, but he decided it was best to hear it from someone of Alpha-rank authority and thought of the magical existence that he had read about in the novel. 'Akashvani!'
[ Ding! ]
[ Avi Dovici - Dystopian Resident (C) ]
[ Gene Pool - Akashik Parasite ]
[ Abilities - Adaptation, Viral Thought ]
Vikram's eyes widened in astonishment as a sudden blue screen materialized in front of him. Despite his expectations of encountering magic, the sight still managed to catch him off guard.
Reading the contents of the panel, he couldn't help but blurt out unconsciously, "Resident-?" Memories from the novel rushed back to him, reminding him of the significance of that term in this world.
Vikram's thoughts raced as he wondered if he had failed to undergo mutation. He questioned whether this Resident was the same as those ordinary individuals in this world, but he couldn't be sure.
The old man, his expression filled with disbelief, muttered in a state of shock, "A Resident? Are you certain you didn't misread it? What kind of mutation is it? How is this possible? Could it be that your unstable powers somehow protected you from the poisoning? No, that doesn't align with the Divos Psycho-Analysis of Meteoric Energy!"
Although the old man's words were mostly incomprehensible to Vikram, he could sense a hint of disappointment in his reaction. Vikram chose to remain silent, nodding in agreement without revealing any further details. Despite their agreement, he was still cautious about sharing the information from his Status Panel with someone he had just met that day.
"Hmph! And yet he is acting so cocky-" Mr Boar began to speak.
"Boar, stop!" the old man interjected.
"Avi boy, I'm really sorry to hear about—" The old man's expression transformed from genuine sadness to a mix of confusion and realization in an instant, as if a bolt of insight struck him.
He exclaimed in his head, "Hold on, this doesn't add up. Avi should have awakened one of his parent's genes and won't be a useless Resident. How can it be possible? There was no instability in his reports when I saw him as a child." His thoughts came to an abrupt halt, and his eyes widened with intrigue as he fixated his gaze on Vikram.
Memories from the past flooded his mind, resurrecting a myriad of unresolved questions. "There were so many unanswered inquiries back then," he mused silently, their disappearance for a year, and reappearance with a six-month-old child? too many coincidences happened that year. However, the old man determined it best not to jump to conclusions prematurely.
---
{ One hour later }
The old man made sure to speak softly while asking his questions about the morning's awakening debacle, fearing that the bad news of his Resident mutation will break Avi's morale forever.
"It might be the Adaptation ability that saved you... *sigh*," the old man speculated.
"And I thought we finally had a clue on how to cure meteor poisoning," the old man revealed.
"Oh, sorry. I said something I shouldn't have... hohoho," he laughed heartily, attempting to hide his disappointment behind a fake laugh.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Vikram expressed as they prepared to leave.
"It's not your fault, child," the old man shook his head. "I'll transfer the coins to your account and also arrange for some health potions to be delivered to your home. Here, take my number. You can contact me if you ever visit Zone C."
"Wait... is it true that Resident Mutations are totally useless? Is there no way out for me now?" Vikram inquired.
Though he had knowledge of various Mutations, he was really ashamed to find that he didn't know anything about the "Resident" type Mutations as there were hardly one or two that appeared throughout the story of Diaspora. The main protagonists in the novel all possessed only the rarest and most powerful combat-type mutations, and Vikram also didn't want to rely completely on the obsolete knowledge from the Novel.
"No, it's not like that," the old man corrected himself, realizing he and his assistant might have been too harsh on residential mutations.
"Residential mutations, generally categorized as F-rank, still provide Shikas with supernatural abilities," he explained.
Vikram wondered about his mutation being classified as C-rank instead of F-rank.
"If you're fortunate, your Resident abilities might even grant you special skills in engineering, crafting, herbalism, and more as they develop," the old man continued.
"...and if you're unlucky, they might manifest as strange abilities like faster hair growth or even aging," he warned.
"A Resident's success depends entirely on how well they can utilize their abilities. After all, the founder of Zone A-C was also a
resident type," the old man revealed.
"...Plus, the path of [Gene Forging] is longer than you might think, providing ample opportunities for gaining newer powers."
"Don't be discouraged, boy. Nothing is set in stone in this world. If you can find a good use for your abilities, you could become as great as the founder of Zone C," the old man concluded, uplifting Vikram with his message.
"Boss, why waste our time? Let's just leave," Mr. Boar urged, showing no interest in spending another second with a Resident, as if doing so will pull his rank down.
Vikram didn't mind, he already knew the old man's assistant was a narrow person. Instead, he took a deep breath to clear his mind as the two Shikas departed leaving him alone in the ghastly room.
"So, I'm at the bottom of the food chain now! Hahaha!" Vikram burst into maniacal laughter while gazing at the broken ceiling.
Fortunately, the infirmary was empty, preventing him from being labeled a fool and sent to a mental asylum.
"The proud undefeated General has been humiliated to live as the lowest of the low in this world." Anger and excitement mixed within his heart.
"A Resident-? Seriously? How much lower will you look down upon this General, Sir KRM?"
Vikram's eyes sparkled with a psychotic gleam, briefly revealing the infamous Rakshasa within him.
"Do you think I am a joke?"
"...I, Vikram II, the Valorous General of the Empire..."
"...and now a resident of this dystopia..."
"...will show you that no one looks down upon me."
"...not even gods!"