CHAPTER 47
The run back to his dorm took about half an hour as he rushed towards the door.
The moment he stopped in front of it, he was seen panting heavily while staring at the handle.
'I made it in time before the curfew,' he huffed inwardly.
He sharply held his breath and placed his ear against the door, listening closely.
He could hear loud laughter from Kai as he interacted with Van.
'Damn my luck! Why couldn't they be asleep?'
He glanced down at his bloodied face and body, his brows knitting together.
Huff—!
He exhaled deeply before scanning his watch against the door handle.
With a soft click, the door unlocked and he stepped inside.
The moment his legs touched the marble flooring, he dropped his snack bag and made a mad dash for the bathroom at such speed that his roommates barely had time to register what happened.
All they saw was the door swing open and shut, followed by Ray vaulting toward the bathroom and slamming the door loudly behind him, leaving the two staring blankly at each other with confused expressions.
"Huh?" Van muttered with furrowed brows.
"Must really need to take a dump so badly. Hahaha~" Kai burst into loud laughter.
He rose from his seat and walked toward the bag Ray had dropped on the ground, picking it up before placing it neatly on his bed.
After that, he strode back toward Van, resuming their conversation as though nothing strange had happened.
*****
Meanwhile, Ray could be seen with his back pressed firmly against the bathroom door after shutting it tight.
"Ba…thump. Ba…thump…"
His heart pounded loudly in his ears as he clutched his chest, breathing unevenly.
After finally gaining control of his wildly beating heart, he walked toward the bathroom mirror and stood before it.
His reflection stared back at him, face painted with streaks of crimson while patches of dirt and grass still clung stubbornly to his features.
He grabbed his lips and forced them open, peering closely through the mirror at his teeth.
After inspecting them thoroughly, he let out a slow sigh of relief.
"No fangs. Check."
He ran his fingers through his hair, carefully feeling around for any bumps or protrusions—but found none.
"No horns."
Unbuttoning his shirt, he pulled it off and examined his body closely, turning slightly from side to side.
"No scales and no fur."
Reaching behind himself, he searched blindly with his hands, his movements stiff with tension.
"No tail."
Finally, he relaxed, exhaling deeply as he placed both hands against the sides of the sink.
Water ran quietly from the tap.
Ray quickly splashed several handfuls onto his face, washing away the dirt and dried blood.
He still needed a thorough bath, but before that, his attention returned to the message still flashing in front of his vision.
DING—!
[It is a surprise how a scrawny human managed to level up and evolve into a Tribrid. You should be proud and happy, because not all humans can boast of surviving an evolution.
Only the top 1% of the world's strongest can do so. So rejoice.]
Ray didn't show any visible emotion as he finished reading, a grim look settling firmly on his face.
[As a congratulations for evolving, the system has decided to reward host and take off all limits that had been unknowingly placed on host, making him feel weak. And a few pointers would be shown]
[Do you want to view gift?]
[Yes/No]
Ray didn't reply for a moment as he kept staring at the message with a conflicted look on his face.
So many questions were flowing through his mind that he desperately needed answers to.
What was that rock?
What is this system?
What are the other beings inside of him?
So many thoughts flooded his head, making his heart race and his mind spin, but he eventually decided to follow his mum's usual mantra.
"... Ray, rushing is not the way to go. If you keep rushing, you are bound to make mistakes. Don't run faster than your shadow. One step at a time."
His mum's advice echoed within him, calming his racing heart as he reached out and turned off the sink in front of him.
Soon after, he walked toward the shower, stripping off his pants before stepping beneath the stream.
"Let it flow." He tapped a button, and cool water poured from the shower head, cascading over his body.
The residual blood and dirt clinging to his skin washed away from his hair, down his face, and all the way to the soles of his feet as he scrubbed calmly, his thoughts replaying everything that had just happened.
Within ten minutes, he was done, and he turned the shower off.
He stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Glancing around, he saw that his roommates were now tucked calmly in their beds, sleeping peacefully.
"Good." He mumbled as he silently opened his wardrobe, picked out a set of casual wear, and slipped into it.
After that, he quietly walked over to his bed and lay down, his gaze fixed on the ceiling above his head.
'First thing first, system. Are you sentient? I have some questions and I need answers. Can you provide them?'
[Affirmative Host! Though I'm not fully sentient, I can still clarify some things that are confusing to you. Consider me an AI assistant]
'Good. I have accepted the race change. I mean, there's nothing I can do to change it, so there's no use sulking over it.' He said inwardly, a grim look settling on his face.
'... Hence, I need to know everything about my new race. I need to get ahead of everyone else quickly, which is why I ask… What are my other beings? What are my other bloodlines?'
[Sorry Host. This information is unknown even to me, hence I can't answer your question. Your bloodlines could be random, for all I know.]
'I see…' Ray let out a soft breath, a faint smile forming as he rested his head on one hand, using it as a makeshift pillow.
'So then, let's move to a question I'm hoping you can answer.'
[I'm listening]
'What are the conditions to awaken my other bloodlines?'