"Can't I get any special technique or breathing method to train with?" Hex asked hopefully.
"No!" Henkui refuted immediately, shaking his head.
"The headache you're experiencing is due to the crystal forming in your brain. That's the core of your ability. Awakening late often causes this problem. It's why most people go through rigorous stimulation programs to awaken early. If you train carelessly now, you might end up damaging the formation process. Wait until it stabilizes."
He handed Hex a card with a passcode embedded.
"Remember—you have three days to report back here. You're registered now. If you don't appear on time, the local enforcement will drag you in."
Henkui's tone was stern and absolute.
"I'll keep that in mind." Hex gave a polite nod, bowed slightly, and exited the towering Federation skyscraper.
He walked briskly to the nearby station and caught a tram heading back toward Sector 10. He had one thing on his mind: to visit everyone before his departure.
---
Back home, in his small one-room apartment, Hex washed up and dried off before picking up his old, cracked phone. The moment his fingers touched it, loud barks erupted from the speaker.
"Brat! Where the hell have you been?"
"We're short-staffed, you idiot!"
"We're drowning in orders!"
It was his grumpy boss from the part-time restaurant where he cooked and delivered food. Despite the rise of robots in wealthier Sectors, manual work was still the norm in backward places like Sector 10.
After skipping through a few more voice messages, Hex found one from Ben.
"Buddy, where did you disappear to?"
"Weren't we supposed to hang out?"
"You ghosted me again, man!"
He chuckled slightly at Ben's usual carefree tone, then paused as his eyes fell on a profile picture of a girl—one he knew very well.
[Hex, are you alright? I heard you were hospitalized.]
[Where have you been taken?]
[Do you need help?]
A faint smile curled on his lips.
"She's still messaging me, huh? I thought that last fight between us would be enough to push her away... but she's still persistent. Just what does she see in me?"
"Is it my looks?" he murmured jokingly, then turned to the mirror.
What stared back at him wasn't the frail kid from before.
A sleek, sharp-featured man stood there—his eyes dark and crescent-shaped, exuding a cold pressure. His aura was calm, yet intimidating, like a blade sheathed but ready to strike.
Hex narrowed his eyes and lifted his shirt.
His bare chest revealed defined abs—sculpted and toned like a statue of a Greek god. Though he had been decently built before, this transformation was something else entirely.
"Did this come from my rising Mutation Index?" he muttered and opened his status panel.
.....
Name: Hex
Rank: Common
Race: Carbon Human
Mutation Index: 0.30
[Bloodline Ability]
Main Ability: Replicate [???]
Temporary Slots:
Hair Growth (F)
Agility Enhancer (D)
Punch Blast (E)
Permanent Slot:
Chaos Reflection (B)
---
Now that he had some time, he went over the panel more thoroughly. Based on scraps of information he'd heard, Mutation Index was tied to Star Rank Combat Capability. Supposedly, 100 MI equaled 1-Star status. That meant he wasn't quite there yet—but he was close.
His classification as Common must be a placeholder—perhaps the system would update once he crossed that invisible threshold.
"Is this... the prelude to One-Star?" he wondered aloud.
Questions without answers.
He shook his head and picked up the phone again, this time messaging everyone. First, he sent an apology to his boss.
Instead of scolding him further, the old man transferred 1000 Earth Credits into Hex's account and replied:
"Congratulations, brat. Just help me out when you're rich and powerful."
Hex snorted.
"Clever old man."
Then he messaged Ben and finally, hesitated before typing a short message to Stacy.
The message hadn't even been sent when his phone exploded with a call. He answered—and was immediately deafened.
"WHERE WERE YOU?!"
"ARE YOU OKAY?! DID THEY STEAL YOUR ORGANS?! I'LL ORDER YOU REPLACEMENTS RIGHT NOW!"
"JUST TELL ME WHO DID THIS—I'LL SMASH THEIR HEADS!"
Hex winced, holding the phone away as the voice echoed like a banshee.
"Calm down… I'm totally fine. It's just... I awakened," he said softly.
A brief silence fell.
Then—
"WHAAAAAAAT!?"
A scream tore through the speaker.
"OH MY GOD! MY GOODNESS—YOU ACTUALLY AWAKENED?! HOLY SHIT!"
"What did you awaken?!"
"Sorry," Hex smirked, "I can't tell you."
"Why not?!"
"Because you never told me yours," he replied calmly.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Power? I-I don't have any power!" Stacy stammered, her voice cracking like a broken record.
Hex's lips curled.
'Pretend all you want. Let's see how long you can keep it up.'
Then, with purpose in his voice, Hex asked:
"Stacy… I need your help."
Her voice instantly sobered.
"Help? Tell me—what can I do for you?"