A New Ability

"Tyrin, wake up. Wake up, boy!"

The voice seemed distant, echoing as if coming from somewhere beyond reality. A persistent call, pulling him back.

Tyrin's eyes snapped open. His chest rose and fell rapidly, as if he had just emerged from a dream that refused to release him.

His gaze swept the surroundings, confused, searching for something—the emperor.

But he wasn't there.

Orion and Gertrudes were.

"Tyrin, you scared the shit out of me," Gertrudes grumbled, arms crossed, though there was a slight hint of concern in her voice. "Out of nowhere, you just fainted."

The young man blinked, trying to piece together the fragments of what had just happened. His chest was still warm, the memory of Hector's blue fire burning inside him.

"Did you… see the emperor?"

Orion and Gertrudes exchanged quick glances.

"Emperor?" Orion arched an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

A chill ran down Tyrin's spine.

But then…

His eyes landed on Gertrudes.

And he froze.

He saw it.

Exactly as Hector had described.

Above Gertrudes' head, floating like a forbidden secret, a panel glowed—visible to no one but him.

Gertrudes Scar

🌀 STATUS 🌀

• Level: 52

• Classification: A / 00 — Apex

• Strength: 145

• Endurance: 145

• Speed: 53

• Skill: 67

• Psyche: 0

• Available Points: 0

Abilities:

• Tormenting Strength — Multiplies strength by 2x (enabled)

• Turtle Shell — Multiplies endurance by 3x (enabled)

Hidden Abilities:

• N/A

Pet:

• Orangutan Pongo

Tyrin felt a crushing weight descend upon him.

He could see.

Now, Hector's gift had worked.

"Kid, you okay?" Orion's voice broke the silence. "You've got a weird look on your face. Something you wanna tell us?"

Tyrin took a deep breath. He was still processing. Before answering, he decided to test something. If this was real…

His eyes turned to Orion.

If Gertrudes was already impressive, the emperor's right-hand man had to be a monster.

And then… he saw it.

Orion Snake

🌀 STATUS 🌀

• Level: 78

• Classification: S / 00 — Primordial

• Strength: 72

• Endurance: 68

• Speed: 119

• Skill: 251

• Psyche: 250

• Available Points: 0

Abilities:

• Impenetrable Shield (enabled)

• Teleportation (enabled)

• Void Scales (enabled)

• Venom (enabled)

• Mutation (enabled)

Hidden Abilities:

• N/A

Pet:

• God-King Serpent

His vision expanded.

Now, Tyrin wasn't just reading the abilities—he understood them.

He focused his gaze on one of them, and the information flowed as if it were instinctual.

Impenetrable Shield — (enabled)

• A shield that diminishes as Psyche decreases – Protection proportional to Psyche x2.

His heart pounded in his chest.

This was real.

And no one but him knew it.

Tyrin took a deep breath. This wasn't the moment to reveal anything. At least, not until he understood what was really happening.

He averted his gaze and tried to keep his voice steady.

"You're telling me I fainted as soon as the ship appeared?"

"That's right," Orion confirmed. "I mean... honestly, I can't say if it was before or after. By the time I noticed, you were already on the ground. Never seen anyone faint while still standing before."

A shiver ran down Tyrin's spine.

He needed more information.

He turned to Gertrudes.

"And what did you see after the ship appeared?"

Gertrudes scratched her head, thoughtful.

"Well... from what Orion said, not much. We don't know what it is, how it works, or who it belongs to. What we did figure out is that it seems to be something the emperor controls."

"Controls?"

"Yeah. I think that's why we haven't been attacked anymore."

Tyrin's mind raced.

The ship, Hector's presence, the whisper of redemption…

None of it was a coincidence.

"I see..." He cast a glance at Orion. "But then... why did you show this to us?"

The silence that followed was heavy.

Orion didn't answer right away. His gaze narrowed slightly, studying Tyrin.

Something was being hidden.

And now, Tyrin knew he could see through what was being told to him.

He was beginning to understand.

Hector's gift wasn't just a power.

It was a burden.

And the more he saw, the more he felt like he was approaching something… something that maybe should never be uncovered.

Orion finally spoke, his tone casual but carrying an underlying meaning:

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe there's a purpose behind it, or maybe he just realized we were getting too close to an answer and decided to say something and swear us to secrecy. No idea."

Tyrin narrowed his eyes. That wasn't the kind of answer that satisfied him.

"Did you ask him directly?"

"I did, but he said we'd get our answer in time. If he doesn't tell us, we'll never know. And honestly, that just makes me hungry. Let's eat at the mess hall today. If I'm going somewhere to fight, I at least want to go on a full stomach."

Gertrudes was straightforward. To her, if an answer wasn't available, it wasn't worth chasing.

But Tyrin couldn't accept things so easily. There was still a knot of distrust tightening in his chest. However, hunger was a good excuse to explore.

And more than that… it was a chance to test his power.

He had already tried using it on himself, but it hadn't worked. Maybe if he used it more often, he could see further. Go deeper. Reach places no one ever had.

"Let's go," Tyrin said, forcing a smile. "I'm starving too. And it'd be rude not to greet everyone on the ship."

A few minutes later, Orion joined them. Gertrudes, as always, was full of energy and eager to explore the new environment.

"Gertrudes, I'd love to have you on this mission," Orion said as they walked. "But I'd also like to know more about this boy."

Tyrin remained alert.

"I heard he managed to figure out the flaw in the event. But I'd like to hear all the details."

Gertrudes shot a playful look at Tyrin.

"Well, well. Not sure if I should spill the beans, but I think he can tell you himself, right, Tyrin?"

Tyrin, who had been following the conversation from behind, took a deep breath.

"Of course," he said. "I believe you've already heard most of it, but what happened was basically this..."

As he spoke, he watched Orion's reaction carefully. The man was hard to read, but by the time Tyrin finished his explanation, Orion simply burst into laughter.

"By the emperor! Fabulous." Orion grinned. "Who would have thought that simple concern for a classmate would lead to such a discovery? HAHAHAHA!"

Tyrin wasn't sure if that was a compliment or mockery.

But right now, it didn't matter.

The officers' mess hall was calmer than Tyrin had expected. He had assumed it would be packed, but only a handful of people occupied the tables.

Then something immediately caught his attention.

Among those present, he saw it.

Sibério Polis

🌀 STATUS 🌀

• Level: 36

• Classification: B / 00 — Recognized

• Strength: 18

• Endurance: 21

• Speed: 19

• Skill: 245

• Psyche: 0

• Available Points: 0

Abilities:

• Technohacker (enabled)

• Tormenting Ability (enabled) — Multiplies strength by 2x

Hidden Abilities:

• N/A

Pet:

• Umbral Bird

At last, he could see beyond deception.

Every ability, every hidden detail… Now, he knew who was truly strong and who only pretended to be.

And that was powerful.

"Well, I see you know most of the people here," Orion said, grabbing a tray. "Feel free to join us for dinner. We'll reach our destination tomorrow, so you should eat well and prepare."

Tyrin and Gertrudes sat at the end of the table, preferring to avoid too much conversation. Orion, however, didn't hesitate to sit between them.

For a moment, Tyrin relaxed.

But then she entered the room.

The woman walked to the center of the mess hall with the posture of someone who knew exactly the impact she had.

And she did have an impact.

She was, without a doubt, the most stunning woman Tyrin had ever seen.

Tall, slender, with sharp, mesmerizing features. Her eyes carried something Tyrin couldn't immediately define, but then…

Then he saw.

And he froze.

The air suddenly felt heavier.

His muscles locked up.

Because what stood before him wasn't just a woman.

It was something far, far more dangerous.

Mimic Overlord

🌀 STATUS 🌀

• Level: 99

• Classification: A

• Strength: 40

• Endurance: 40

• Speed: 110

• Skill: 300

• Psyche: 200

• Available Points: 0

Abilities:

• Charm (enabled)

• Confusion (enabled)

• Pheromone (enabled)

• Shapeshifter (enabled)

Hidden Abilities:

• N/A

Pet:

• N/A

A cold shiver ran down Tyrin's spine.

Hector's words echoed in his mind.

"I saw friends… and even enemies."

She was one of them.

His heart pounded.

She was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

And as if she knew he was looking at her differently, the woman slowly turned her head toward Tyrin.

And smiled.

Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run.

But he was trapped.

Trapped under the gaze of the Mimic Overlord.