My Tribrid System: More than a Monster-Chapter 89: Tamper with the Watch (1)

Chapter 87

"How the freaking hell did you go from a 1.2 grade to a grade 5 meta?!"

"...."

The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence for a while as everybody kept staring at Ray’s watch, completely stupefied.

Nobody truly understood the intricate inner workings of the ranking system.

However, according to the brief orientation they had received, it was explained that if an Aspirant grew stronger or if their abilities evolved, the watch would automatically record the progress.

The system was fixed—meticulously engineered by one of the Big Four Legacies.

It was known to be far too accurate for errors, which meant that if a meta-human underwent an evolution, the grade would reflect that change instantly.

No delay, no hesitation. Just a straight jump to the next grade or sub-grade. It was as simple as that.

During the initial Aspirants’ assessment, after the grueling tests were concluded, Ray had been placed around grade 1.2.

He had been classified as a tiny bit stronger than normal humans but still noticeably weaker than the average meta-human.

But now, he was suddenly a grade 5? How?

Was it because of his strange werewolf ability? But how was that even possible? Did that mean the form was truly that powerful?

Come to think of it, the werewolf had been undeniably formidable.

It was powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with a one-spined Aberrant—a threat so significant that to be neutralized, the Vanguard Order would typically dispatch one or more Sergeants.

Right in front of their eyes, Ray’s status had shifted.

It was a monumental leap that no normal human ought to achieve unless they were a true meta-human.

"Welp. Guess the system officially records you as a meta-human now." Kai let out a soft, dry chuckle while throwing his head back against his seat.

’Nah. That’s not just from my Tribrid abilities,’ Ray thought privately. ’I feel like it might be from my lightning ability. But why did the grade increase all of a sudden?

It’s been weeks since I first manifested that power, so why now? Or do my counterparts have something to do with it? Is it because the rank-up only triggered once I awakened my other two bloodlines?’

"..."

"You don’t look that excited. Why?" Kai asked with a raised brow, noticing that Ray’s face displayed a visible mixture of anxiousness and worry rather than triumph.

"Nothing. It’s just that this smells like trouble," Ray replied, exhaling a deep, shaky breath.

Van proceeded to sit beside him after finally gathering his composure.

"How so?"

"Just imagine this: a grade 1.2 non-meta-human suddenly turns up with a grade 5 rank.

Isn’t that a bit much? The Corps would definitely question it, and the other Aspirants would too. This kind of rapid evolution doesn’t just happen without an ability to back it up, right?"

"Yes?"

"So how am I supposed to explain that I have the ability to transform into a werewolf? I don’t think I have ever heard of an ability that allows someone to transform into mythical beasts before..."

«First he called me a creature and now he is calling me a beast? I swear, I will deal with this kid...»

«Aren’t you a beast, though? I mean, technically speaking,» Elyon calmly chimed in.

Ray pointedly ignored the bickering going on in the depths of his mind and continued:

"... If the world learns of this—"

"—You will turn into a test subject," Van cut in, the grim reality of the matter finally dawning on him... and dawning hard.

"Exactly," Ray confirmed. "This will bring me immense problems if it isn’t addressed quickly."

’Especially with the fact that werewolves are considered mythical beasts. Nobody would believe my story of it just being a simple ability.

Even if the younger students bought it, the older powerhouses of this world won’t—especially if... if perhaps one of them has actually encountered a real werewolf before.’

Ray paused inwardly as his brows furrowed in deep concern.

’... Are there even more werewolves out there, or are they truly extinct?’

Sigh~!

"Now that you put it like that, this will surely cause a massive hassle. We need to find a way to fix this," said Kai, beginning to rub his temples as he sank into deep thought.

After a few seconds of deep thinking, he added:

"But how do we even fix this?"

Hearing the question, Ray turned to face Van sitting beside him.

"You have always done impossible things. You created an invention that helped us know an Aberrant was going to attack in Wall Rose that day—even though we couldn’t do anything to stop it." He squeezed his hands tightly, a flash of immense emotional pain crossing his face.

Kai’s eyes widened as he processed what Ray was saying.

’Wait! He created an invention that helped detect an Aberrant on time?!’

"... I hate to ask this of you; but can you help me tamper with this watch?" Ray requested, his gaze burning straight into Van’s eyes.

"Oh, come on." Van chuckled, rubbing his hair awkwardly.

"You didn’t have to frame your words that way. You know that I would do anything for you. Even if it meant hacking into the world system, I would."

’Okay, that’s a bit weird,’ Kai mused.

"... I guess it’s time to don my title as a great tech genius." Van chuckled loudly as he reached for a bag in the corner of the room.

Rummaging through it, he pulled out a pair of glasses that had huge, thick circles around where the glass was supposed to be.

Ray quickly pulled the watch off and handed it over to his friend.

"Please. We need to hurry up before the Corps gets notified and things get out of hand," Ray urged.

They all knew exactly why he was so anxious.

The wristwatch served a multitude of purposes for the Aspirants.

Aside from showing their grades and credits, the watch also served as a GPS tracker.

It helped monitor the movements of the Aspirants within the Corps’ grounds.

If an Aspirant was heavily injured, the Corps would get notified immediately, and a rescue team would be sent to the scene.

If someone stayed out beyond their curfew time, a militant would be dispatched, and it wouldn’t be funny for the said Aspirant.

Furthermore, a minute after the watch leaves an Aspirant’s wrist, the Corps gets notified and traces the last location the device was pinged from.

So, at the moment, Van had exactly sixty seconds to tamper with the watch and return it to its owner.

It was a time limit that was far too small, even for someone of his caliber.

’Come on brain, work faster. This is a matter of Ray’s future.

If we don’t do this, Ray will serve as an experiment for this damned world. I... I... I can’t afford to lose my only family. So let’s work brain, let’s work! LET’S GO!’ Van roared inwardly with such immense force that something shifted and clicked deep inside him.

Whooosh—!

His eyes flashed a brilliant, neon blue.