{ 10:00 AM | Shika Association, Sector 1, Zone Y }
On a cloudy morning, the front of the massive Shika Association was crowded with thwarts of candidates desperately waiting for their chance.
Among them was a 17-year-old boy with a big frown on his face.
[ philoxinia and písti̱ ]
At the wide golden coloured gates, two words meaning hospitability and faith were engraved below the statue of Pheme - the goddess of fame and communication.
The Association had chosen Pheme as its mascot because they believed themselves to be the spokesmen of the Shikas, as well as the reason for their fame and status.
Although everyone was excited to see what Shika Association looked like from the inside, Vikram was not.
He had spent the last 10 hours trying to use his abilities but failed to even activate a single strand of gene power in his body.
"I can use Prana uninterruptedly, but my mutation is completely useless"
Although his [Adaptation] ability worked passively for the most part and didn't require Vikram's will, his other skill called [Viral Thought] didn't.
Vikram, who had come to possess Avi's body out of sheer stroke of dumb luck, was devastated at not being able to control the body.
"Don't they say that cells have memories? Is that the reason why I'm acting differently?", he had self reflection.
Vikram's ruthless and villainous self was only just a memory of the past at this current junction.
He could not believe that both Prince Vikram II and the current him were the same person.
Avi's naive kindness was making him feel soft emotions that he didn't think was possible for the "Rakshasha".
"I need to kill Avi for good", he resolutely exclaimed, making those standing near him look at Vikram with questionable gazes.
Vikram didn't care what others thought of him.
He knew what he had to do, but not how to do it yet, and that was a bigger reason of concern for him.
"From a General of Empire's military to a measly Virus, I've really come far huh?", he muttered in a low voice.
He didn't like his situation that was like a Virus leeching off of a foreign body. He felt small, insignificant, and incomplete in his current state.
**
Since there was still some time, Vikram decided to further indulge in his conversation with Akashvani from last night.
'AV, why did I awaken the Dystopian Resident mutation and not one of Avi's parents?'
[ Mutations are decided by inherited genes, host's lifestyle, and external factors like state of the body, presence of foreign parasites or genomes, as well as environment. ]
'What is Prana then?'
[ Prana, or Animus is a higher gene-power associated directly with the existence of ?? ]
'What is Animus?'
[ Higher gene-power associated directly with the existence of ?? ]
No matter how Vikram rephrased the last question he never got an answer.
Akashvani literally meaning 'Voice of the Universe' was like a self-help guide in the path of Gene cultivation, but it could only answer questions within reasonable estimations of a Shika's existent memory.
If a Shika didn't know about Prana, his Akashvani would've replied "I don't understand" instead of giving any answers.
He already had information about a lot of various mutations, herbs, as well as monster types from the novel and that's why Vikram was feeling confident of clearing Shika exam without much effort.
Even though Akashvani couldn't remind him things beyond his knowledge, to be able to recall information from novel and have it visually presented without effort was still a nice advantage to have in a survival test.
'you aren't completely ruthless right, sir KRM?'
Vikram grinned and asked his favorite author as the gates of the association opened to let people in.
*tap... tap... tap"
Hundreds of Shikas hurried as if a Indian wedding buffet had just begun.
*****
{ 10:30 AM }
"Oh, we have more candidates than usual"
"That's what happens when you take a bi-quarterly exam after 6 months"
"Hey, that's not our fault. You know that we don't have enough personnel because of-"
"Stop, Judy. We are in a public space and you never when a "sensory" type might be listening..."
"A Sensory mutation in backwater like this? You must be kidding me, Boss! The best this zone has produced in the last many years is a common B-rank. There is no way a Sensory-type is hiding among these fledglings..."
"Hmm", the husky voice nodded without further comments, "... anyway, let's get this test started; we are already late. I just hope at least one of them will pass the criteria, otherwise, we would lose a lot to the Zodiacs..."
"There is no point worrying, we'll find soon enough anyway..."
**
Hundreds of candidates were led through multiple stairs to a basement area.
Everything from organization to taking records and attendance was being done automatically without many association members in sight.
A loud mechanical voice from the speakers was dictating the candidates what to do.
[ .. Candidate #420, Please report to room 52.
The whole basement was divided into two layers and each layer had 50 rooms.
Vikram was asked to enter the second room from the right of the second level of the basement.
As he entered the room via a long fluorescent tunnel he could feel the scanners on the wall taking a scan of his body.
As he passed the tunnel, he was met with a long and wide room that was about 13' tall.
There were no pillars in sight and the first thought Vikram had was, 'won't this cave-in like this?'
[ ... Candidate #420
The same robotic voice continued to speak in a monotone voice.
[ ... Avi Dovici, Resident Mutation
[ ... Age - 2 days
[ ... Physique - C
Vikram was surprised to find that the scanning machina was so accurate and that the association had collected so much information on him already.
However, on further thinking, He remembered that most of the schools in diaspora were created and run by the association to find young talents before the union bank or any of the zodiacs got their hands on them.
[ ... Please put your hand on the mutation orb
With the advent of the mechanical voice, a concrete pillar of 12" in diameter rose up from the gray floor, surprising him again.
On top of the pillar was a spherical orb with of blue sparks emanating out of it.
Vikram did as asked and put both his hands and covered the orb.
[ ... Mutation Level - 1 | Transformation - 10%
He was again surprised.
Although his mutation level was as it should be, his gene transformation rate was too fast for a Shika awakened two days ago.
In Diaspora, there were multiple transformations a mutation would go through before reaching its final form.
The process was called Evolution.
However, the transformation rate was the number of genes in the body that had already transformed.
Having completed 10% of transformation meant that he was that much closer to the next level in the hierarchy.
"Is it because of Prana Breathing Technique or that Adaptation ability of mine?"
Before Vikram could actually think about it, another command came.
[ ... Defeat a monster to move to the next stage.
[... Target: Demonic Plant (D-)
*tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk... bam*
30 meters away from Vikram, the ceiling opened up and a metal cage came down from the whole as if a god was descending.
Inside was a 7' plant with a single purple flower on top. Star-like black patterns were engraved on the flower's petal.
If not for its identity as a monster, the plant would have been a good decoration for a hotel room lobby. It had a soothing fragrance to it.
*whoosh... tang... bam*
With the sound of compressed air releasing, all the four sides of the cage came crashing down.
The Demonic Plant's hanging flower rose up with slow motion and turned towards Vikram as if the monster was looking at him.
"Wait for a second... Why do I have to fight a D-rank Monster? Shouldn't it be an E-rank ?"
But before Vikram could complain to anyone a large tentacle-like vine was fired at him.
*whish...*
With a whistling sound of cutting air, the vine reached Vikram within a split second.
"Wait!... *bam*"
Vikram quickly pulled the sword from the sides to parry the fast attack, but his form wasn't correct, his legs weren't in the right position to be able to redirect the force.
*whoosh... bam*
He flew 10 meters towards the right and crashed onto the wall. A couple of meters wide crater formed on the wall as the wall caved in from the impact of Vikram's body.
"Ugh!... *spit*"
Vikram spat out a mouthful of blood as if he spitting Paan.
Demonic Plant didn't stop and another vine was hurled at him, however, this time he was ready to take the attack with his sword.
"No, You don't", he said and *slash...thud*
Vikram swung his steel sword diagonally and the demonic vine fell to the ground.
*screech....poof*
A glass-shattering sound resounded the empty hallway next, it was the sound of anger and pain mixed with a lot of bloodlust.
Followed by the sound of a deflating balloon, great amounts of pollen was relieved in the air by the demonic plant.
"That's why I hate crybabies..."
Vikram started circulating Prana.
With his sword fixed horizontally on his right and facing the monster, he jumped.
While swinging his sword in a repetitive fashion, as if copying the trajectory of a paper plane, he moved closer and closer to the monster.
*cut... thud... slash... cut... thud*
A number of falling vines followed the cutting and slicing noises made by vikrams sword covered in Prana.
As he moved, Vikram made sure to avoid the half a centimetre long pollen particles. He cut the 10s of regrowing vines attacking him from all the sides.
"This is annoying..."
Not being able to attack the main body of the Demonic Plant due to it being covered in a smoke of pollen, Vikram helplessly complained.