Mikeal couldn't believe what had just happened to him. All of it sounded unreal. How was it possible that he had been turned? The biggest question that lingered on his mind was how on earth he was turned. Sure, the truth was that he really didn't know a lot about cannibals except for general knowledge, but this—this was out of the question.
Mikeal was now in his room, lying on his bed facing the ceiling. He'd turned off the light, and since he'd come back from the archives, he just couldn't close his eyes. Sleeping was the last thing on his mind.
He was busy asking himself questions, questions about his own transformation. He hoped and prayed that what he thought was just an idea and not the truth. That would make more sense than trying to understand how on earth a single cannibal bite could change a person. Worst part? Why would it even give that person a game-like system?
One thing about all this that felt too weird was that, after discovering what he didn't want to be true, the archives had everything he needed to know about the cannibals. But for some reason, when he tried to read and learn about certain parts, the system simply didn't allow him to save the new information.
So there he was, lying in the dark. The only thing that lit up his room was the red floating system interface. He'd been staring at it for who knows how long.
Regardless of the new information he'd come across, Mikeal was determined to understand and teach himself how to use this system. He didn't know much, but after his talk with Hector, he knew that if he kept digging, Hector might start to catch on. That wasn't something he was looking forward to. Even he still didn't understand this whole thing. Imagine someone else finding out?
He spent hours trying to understand his system. Thanks to a user disclaimer that had been hiding in plain sight, he felt like he was getting used to it and finally understanding how it worked.
Before Mikeal came across the disclaimer, he had gone through many sections—most of them useless. He felt like he didn't need an entire encyclopedia just to understand himself.
But one thing that stood out was his user profile:
[ User Profile ]
[ Username: Mikeal Park ]
[ Species: Human ]
[ Level: 2 ]
[ EXP: 15/100 ]
[ Strength: 15 ]
[ Agility: 30 ]
[ Stamina: 35 ]
Mikeal paused at the user profile. He had totally forgotten about the system's other attributes. Maybe it was because he hadn't paid close attention the first time. He remembered his original stats, and from what he recalled, these numbers had definitely changed. His level had increased, and his attributes like EXP, stamina, and agility had gone up by 5 to 10 points.
And then, there was the disclaimer:
[ Disclaimer ]
[ This system allows the user to keep track of his own stats and everything he needs to know about himself. This system is not of the known—it is of the unknown. The user should accept that he has been chosen to wield the system. If he wants to know more about the system and its mysteries, he must level up and grow stronger to meet the requirements. ]
Not that the disclaimer was of much help, but at least it gave him an idea of what to expect. That was more than enough—for now.
While familiarizing himself with his user profile, Mikeal became intrigued by how his stats had increased. Even though he was part of the top five, he didn't feel that strong compared to the others.
He took a closer look at the stats that he believed would benefit him the most. He muttered to himself:
"So all I need to do is focus on the most important stats to grow stronger. Yeah, that seems about right. I'll focus on strength, agility, and stamina. I just hope that after whatever task this thing gives me, it allows me to choose which stat to put my EXP into."
Time wasn't on Mikeal's side. Today would be the first day of training under Lt. Ashley Grey and Sgt. Damascus. From what they'd heard through the grapevine, they needed to prepare themselves physically and mentally.
But no matter the time, Mikeal still couldn't sleep. He was wide awake. Now, his mind was drifting, and the things he was thinking about were painfully accurate.
He needed to find a way to hide this secret—not just from the academy, which might do unspeakable things to him if they found out, but from his best friend Alexia. As much as he hated hiding things from her, he had no choice.
Though he hated cannibals for a good reason, her hatred for them went beyond understanding. Her hatred was fueled. If she hadn't joined the academy, she would have become something unhinged—something unheard of.
Normally, something like this should've freaked someone like Mikeal out. Knowing there was a possibility he was turning into a monster? Most would have killed themselves. But not Mikeal Park.
He felt ready. He felt like he'd needed this for a long time. Sure, he may have seemed strong compared to other kids, but when it came to cannibals, he felt powerless.
This new revelation and the system's guidance were all he needed to feel different. The running down the stairs without breaking a sweat, the craving for raw meat, the side effects from the sun—all of it made sense now.
He had learned most of it from the archives. Somehow, his mind could now process and recall information he used to struggle with.
Mikeal dismissed the system interface and stared into the ceiling—into nothingness. He discovered something else: he could see perfectly in the dark. Better, even.
He couldn't contain his excitement.
"Yes!" he shouted, then quickly covered his mouth.
Finally, Mikeal passed out. Exhaustion took him.
As he slept, a nightmare gripped him—disturbing and strange. He found himself in the mall where Flash and his goons had chased him. Though the dream was blurry, he remembered seeing a cannibal he'd never seen before.
It moved with unexplainable speed and attacked him. Though he was dreaming, it felt real. He watched from the outside as the monster attacked him.
And just as he was about to see who was eating him, something interrupted him.