The Scorpion's Shadow

Ray stared at his hands, turning them over and over.

They looked the same, yet they felt different. Stronger.

He flexed his fingers, marveling at the newfound power that thrummed beneath his skin. It was like a constant hum, a quiet energy waiting to be unleashed. He'd have to be careful.

He could probably punch a hole through a wall now if he wasn't mindful.

He threw a few practice punches, each one carrying a force that surprised even him.

He'd need to find a place to train, somewhere he could test his limits without attracting attention. This… change… it was unsettling, exhilarating, and utterly baffling all at once.

A knock on his door startled him from his contemplation.

"Ray? You in there? It's getting late, we were wondering where you were." It was Zorain's voice, laced with a hint of concern.

Ray frowned. Zorain, Kyra, and Kael were back. He'd completely lost track of time.

He'd assumed only minutes had passed during his… transformation, but judging by Zorain's presence, it had clearly been much longer.

He cursed his own absorption in the process. He needed to be more aware of his surroundings, especially now.

He unlocked the door, revealing his three teammates standing in the hallway.

Their eyes widened as they took in his new appearance. Kyra's jaw dropped, her usually bright eyes widening in surprise. Even Kael's eyebrows shot up, his mouth forming a silent "O"

Even Zorain, usually the most composed of the group, looked genuinely perplexed.

"Wow, Ray," Kyra finally breathed, her voice laced with disbelief.

"You… you look different." She circled him slowly, her gaze taking in every detail.

"Did you, like, get a new set of clothes? Everything looks… tighter."

"Yeah," Kael chimed in, circling him cautiously. "Like you've been hitting the gym non-stop for a year. What happened to you? You look… bigger."

He gestured vaguely at Ray's previous physique. "And taller! Seriously, Ray, what gives?"

'The fact even Kael is talking this much, desceibes how shocking and drastic my evolution was..shit! How do I hide this? I would need to divert their attention or something'. Ray thought

His eyes moving frantically, searching for an escape route.

He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"Uh… nothing much. Just a good night's sleep, I guess."

He offered a weak smile, hoping they wouldn't press him for details.

He wasn't ready to share the specifics of what had happened, not yet.

It was too… strange. Too unbelievable. He needed to understand it himself before he could explain it to anyone else. The words "system" and "evolution" felt foreign and surreal even in his own mind.

"A good night's sleep?" Zorain echoed, his brow furrowed.

"You look like you've gained ten kilos of muscle in a few hours. And you've grown a few inches! Seriously, Ray, what happened in there? We were knocking for a while, you didn't hear us?"

He looked genuinely perplexed. "What did you eat?"

Ray's stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting Zorain's questioning gaze. It was a timely distraction.

"Speaking of eating," he said, grinning, "I'm starving. Any chance there's somewhere around here I can grab a bite? I feel like I could eat a horse."

The group exchanged confused glances, but the mention of food seemed to ease the tension.

"Actually," Kyra said, "we were just heading to the porters' cafeteria. Want to join us? They have this amazing stew there tonight, apparently."

"Lead the way,"

Ray replied, his stomach rumbling again in agreement. He needed to get out of his room anyway.

The small space was starting to feel… confining. He felt restless, like he needed to move, to test the limits of his newfound… abilities.

The porters' cafeteria was a large, bustling hall filled with long tables and the clatter of cutlery.

The air was thick with the aroma of various dishes, a welcome change from the metallic tang of the dungeon.

Ray's eyes scanned the room, taking in the diverse crowd of miners, porters, and the occasional Gifted.

He piled his plate high with food, his appetite seemingly insatiable. He hadn't realized how much energy the… change… had taken out of him.

'I hope this really won't be my new appetite from now on'. Ray thought, looking at his plate filled to the brim.

As he navigated through the crowded room, plate piled high, he bumped into someone, sending a cup of some dark, murky liquid splashing onto the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Ray exclaimed, turning to face the person he'd bumped into.

It was a burly man with a thick beard and calloused hands, clearly a porter that had obviously been in this business for a very long time.

The man's face was etched with lines of hard work and perhaps a bit of resentment. His clothes were simple and worn, and he smelled faintly of sweat and earth. He had probably just finished a dungeon work it seemed.

The man glared at Ray, his face reddening.

"Watch where you're going, runt!" he growled, his voice rough and gravelly. A few other porters at the nearby table paused their meal and looked over, a mixture of curiosity and amusement in their eyes.

One of them chuckled, a low, guttural sound.

Ray, still overwhelmed by his newfound strength and eager to avoid a confrontation, frantically apologized.

"I really am sorry. I didn't see you there. I was… distracted."

"Distracted?" the man sneered. "Distracted enough to spill my drink all over me? This stuff isn't cheap, you know." He gestured to the dark stain spreading across his tunic.

"I understand," Ray said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Let me buy you another one". Ray offered, already turning his watch on- he had received twenty bronze coins directly in his account, after he came out of the dungeon.

It wasn't much, but he could at least treat himself to a nice meal and buy this man a cup of whatever the hell he was drinking.

"Oh, so now you're trying to buy me off?" the man spat, his eyes narrowing.

'Okay, just what the hell is wrong with this guy's. Ray thought, his brows furrowing in fustration.

The seemed to take the offer as an insult.

Ray blinked, surprised by the man's aggressive reaction.

He hadn't even realized he'd bumped into anyone, much less spilled their drink. "No, that's not it at all",

He said, trying to keep his voice calm; although his annoyance was beginning to slip through.

"I was just… thinking about something. I really didn't mean to bump into you."

"Thinking, huh?" the man sneered. "Well, maybe you should do your thinking somewhere else. Somewhere where you're not spilling drinks all over decent folk."

'Alrght..fuck this '

Ray braced himself for a potential scuffle. He could probably take this guy in a fight, even before the change...probably...He wasn't sure though.

But he didn't want to cause a scene, especially not in the cafeteria. He was trying to keep a low profile, to figure out what had happened to him before he drew any unwanted attention.

He glanced at his roommates, who were watching the exchange with varying degrees of concern.

It seemed they were ready going to intervene at a moment's notice, if things escalated.

Snapping his attention back At the man, he froze.

His eyes locked on the strange tattoo, one he had sworn to never forget.

The fateful event of that day, that triggered his system.

The torture, those people made him go through.

Especially the blonde haired Man, who had personally conducted his torture.

Ray had sworn revenge that day, and now, it looked like even fate was on his side.

He looked closer, careful that he might have hallucinated- he noticed a strange symbol tattooed on the man's forearm.

It was a scorpion, its tail curved menacingly.

'It sure looked real! I'm not hallucinating!'

The sight of the scorpion sent a chill down Ray's spine.

Painful memories, he had locked deep within his mind, resurfacing.

'Scorpion gang..so we meet again'.

Ray thought, clenching his fists.