Chapter 158: Need the Footage
Chapter 156
Ray stared at his system screen for several long seconds, a confused and blank look etched onto his face.
[ERROR! Stat points unable to be allocated...]
[Host has reached the cap limit on his current stats. Complete your next evolution to uncap.]
No matter how hard he tried, and regardless of how many times he attempted to allocate his free stat points to his strength and agility attributes, nothing functioned.
The translucent panel persistently brought up the same error message over and over again until he finally relented.
Choosing to remain staring at the glowing interface, he rubbed his temples as a slow, gnawing headache began to take root.
"System. When exactly is my next evolution scheduled to occur?"
[Calculating....]
A heartbeat later, the text on the screen shifted.
[Next evolution available upon reaching Level 10]
Ray froze mid-motion, his mind subconsciously calling upon his full status screen to verify his progress.
[Status]
[Name: Ray Dawson]
[Age: 15]
[Race: Tribrid]
[Level: 9]
[Exp: 410/900]
[HP: 60/60]
[MF: 55/55]
[Energy: 100/100]
"The hell? Why wasn’t I informed of this sooner?" He facepalmed, shaking his head in sheer disbelief.
He was approximately four hundred and ninety experience points away from the next level, which would also trigger his second evolution.
The moment the thought solidified, he unconsciously shuddered as his memory vividly resurrected the horrors of his first transformation.
The systematic breaking and violent reforming of his bones, the absolute agony that had saturated his entire being—it all came crashing back, causing cold sweat to unknowingly bead along his temples.
"So close to that torture once again..."
He trembled for a second and gulped loudly before pointedly turning his gaze away from the level indicator.
"But wait... why another evolution? I thought since I’m already a Tribrid, the process was finished. Am I going to undergo another race change?"
"That is highly unlikely," Elyon uttered from within the serenity of the mind space.
"I am unable to sense any other presence in this vessel aside from Bruce and myself, so there is technically not going to be a third race integration. I suspect this is merely a formality to mature your physical form and allow it to accommodate a larger portion of our latent power."
Ray’s brow furrowed.
"How powerful were you both in your prime, really?" Shaking his head, he let out a weary sigh.
"If only you hadn’t lost the bulk of your memories."
Since there was no utility in mulling over a situation he couldn’t yet change, he decided to pull up his secondary attribute tab.
{Attributes:}
[STR: 50]
[AGI: 50]
[INT: 33]
[PER: 28]
[END: 35]
[Stat points: 5]
"If I’m barred from increasing my primary attributes, I’ll just bolster the others. Hopefully, they haven’t reached their own growth limit yet," he muttered, his gaze thoughtful as he scanned the remaining traits.
’It would be beneficial to dump everything into my endurance attribute. It would help my frame feel more robust and allow me to tank significantly heavier hits. However, I cannot afford to ignore perception; it’s lagging too far behind.’
Rubbing his temples again, he groaned from mental exhaustion.
"This is tiring. Here goes nothing..."
[END: 35 >>> 37]
[PER: 28 >>> 31]
The moment the command was processed, his muscles tightened for a split second, feeling denser and more resilient.
Immediately after, his senses sharpened, allowing him to perceive his surroundings with crystalline clarity for an additional few inches.
With a small, satisfied smile, he waved the screen away, dismissing it from his sight.
Staring at the darkened horizon for a little while longer, Ray performed a deep stretch and finally rose to his feet.
"I don’t feel sleepy in the slightest, but I still need to rest. After all, tomorrow is another day."
With that final thought, he turned away and exited the roof, heading back toward his dorm room before the nightly curfew hit.
***
In a cabin that served as one of the numerous offices for the military higher-ups, a man in his mid-forties with bulging muscles sat in a swivel chair that twirled in tandem with his restless body movements.
In front of him was a computer whose glow shone directly onto his face, illuminating his stern features in the dim room.
A detailed file was opened across the display, and his thick fingers tapped the surface of his desk in a rapid, rhythmic cadence.
The office was almost entirely bare, save for a long couch in the background and a simple center table positioned in front of it.
Captain Jake rubbed his temples in deep thought the longer he stared at the glowing system screen.
"Bryce Jackson has been reported arriving safely back at his faction. But why does he claim that he was attacked by a specialized group of assassins?" Jake mumbled, his confusion growing the more he scrutinized the report.
".... As a faction leader, I know there would be countless attempts on his life, but for assassins to successfully infiltrate the Aspirant Corps... It’s incredibly difficult.
So how exactly did this happen? I know there are radical groups that hate being cooped up behind these walls.
Those terrorist cells that want humanity to be free from the safety of the barrier. Could they have been the ones who tried to eliminate Bryce?"
The entire situation was giving the Captain a gnawing headache the more he analyzed it.
He was a man who preferred utilizing his brawn over his brain; consequently, the administrative puzzle was causing a banging sensation behind his eyes.
Not at all accustomed to these high-level investigative duties, he truly didn’t know how he would even proceed much further.
"But then again; if those assassins were already here, it means they are part of the Aspirants, right?
Or perhaps even an instructor? Come to think of it; Sergeant Elysa is nowhere to be seen. Was she caught in the explosion that leveled the room she uses for her classes?"
With a heavy sigh, Jake slumped back into his chair and began swaying around for a few moments, finally tearing his gaze from the computer to stare at the ceiling instead.
"Should I inform the General of this issue? I wonder where he even is at the moment. That old geezer just keeps moving from one place to another without a stop. Tsk." Jake scoffed as he suddenly shot out of his seat.
Straightening his crisp uniform, he paused for a brief moment of reflection.
Then, turning around, he grabbed his mobile phone.
He dialed a sequence for a few moments before placing the device against his ear.
"I need the CCTV footage from the hall leading to the tech aspect classroom," he commanded.
— Yes Sir!
"When exactly will it be sent to me?"
— By noon tomorrow, I should have it processed and sent directly to you, Captain.
"Good."
Dropping the phone back onto his desk, his brows narrowed into a sharp, lethal line.
"If I can secure that footage, those assassins who tried attacking Bryce won’t go scot-free. I will personally make sure I punish them heavily for what they have done within these walls."