A golden light from the System Panel gently enveloped him as the Inner Realm slowly unfurled.
Fly felt the world spin around him, the scene before his eyes changing with breathtaking speed. The various pieces of furniture and appliances in his room began to twist and blur, eventually fading away into nothingness. In their place, a boundless expanse of pale gray space stretched out before him.
This was the Inner Realm.
In modern society, with its ever-growing population, the per capita distribution of resources had become severely insufficient. To address this, schools had thoughtfully carved out a "virtual space" linked to each student's Beast Totem—the Inner Realm. It was a private sanctuary, a virtual domain directly connected to a person's sea of consciousness, belonging exclusively to each student.
Here, within their own Inner Realm, students could study and cultivate their powers, growing ever stronger.
A moment later, a flash of golden light heralded the appearance of the virtual panel before Fly. The System's voice followed.
【Please confirm, user. Do you wish to absorb the Cockroach Totem?】
Hmm, it seems the System has automatically connected to my Inner Realm and even overridden its original AI, Fly mused. It makes sense, I guess, since they both connect directly to my sea of consciousness. This is actually much more convenient.
"I confirm!" Fly pressed the confirmation button on the virtual screen.
The System's voice sounded again:
【Understood. Commencing decoding of the Cockroach Totem. Commencing scan of user's body…】
A brilliant light flickered, and a massive, crimson-red virtual cockroach materialized a short distance in front of him.
【System: Commencing fusion with the Cockroach Totem…】
Fly stared at the enormous red cockroach, a sense of dread creeping into him. "Ah, hey! What's going on here? Don't tell me…"
Although Fly had learned much about the rules of this world, he had never paid much attention to the specific details of absorbing the power of a Totem Beast.
Before he could finish his sentence, the virtual cockroach stirred. It shot through the air, heading straight for his open mouth!
"Ah, no—!"
As the virtual cockroach went down, a subtle yet profound change began to occur within Fly's body.
At first, he felt as if he were trapped inside a black box. Then, a brilliant light assaulted his senses. He broke out of the box and saw his own body, pure and translucent…
His form continued to grow, getting larger and larger…
In this illusory state, Fly was experiencing the entire life cycle of a cockroach, from birth to maturity!
【System: User's first molting is about to begin…】
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M-Molting? Fly wailed in despair within his mind. Oh no, please, not that!
He felt his skin split open down his back. A wave of pain washed over him, accompanied by a sticky, slimy sensation. A layer of his skin peeled away from his body like a fingernail being torn off.
【System: Commencing second molting…】
There's more!?
Fly fell into complete despair. Maybe choosing the cockroach wasn't such a great idea after all…
...
The second "molting" concluded amidst Fly's anguished cries. He stared at the two virtual "human skins" on the ground, panting heavily.
【System Notification: Congratulations, you have successfully fused with the Cockroach Totem. The Cockroach is now your Beast Totem.】
【This is your System Panel:】
【User: Fly Ansel】
【Beast Totem: Cockroach】
【Level: Mid-Stage One】
【Skills: None】
【Talent: Learning Genius】
【EXP: 32/100】
【Strength: 24/30】
【Speed: 29/30】
【Stamina: 21/30】
【Spirit: 27/30】
【System Notification: User has received the Starter Pack. After undergoing two "moltings," the user has reached Mid-Stage Level One.】
Mid-Stage Level One? That's already quite impressive.
From what Fly understood, an ordinary person would only be at Early-Stage Level One right after absorbing their Totem Beast. This Starter Pack was not bad at all!
With that thought, Fly took out his phone and logged into the campus network, preparing to check the school's Skill system. Typically, after a student absorbed their Totem Beast, the school would recommend a tailor-made Skill for them. The first one was always completely free—a kind of welcome bonus for the new students.
"Alright then, let's see what Skill the school has recommended for me," Fly said, his voice filled with anticipation.
The Skill was—Arm Barbs!
Hey, that's pretty good.
It was common knowledge that cockroaches had sharp barbs on their legs. These not only helped them crawl on smooth, vertical surfaces but also aided them in hunting. All in all, it was a very useful ability!
Fly downloaded the Skill data onto his Skill Card. The previously blank card instantly turned crimson red, and the words "Skill 1: Arm Barbs!" appeared on its surface in brilliant, gilded letters.
Simultaneously, a golden light flashed, and the System Panel materialized before him once more:
【System Panel:】
【User: Fly Ansel】
【Beast Totem: Cockroach】
【Level: Late-Stage One】
【Skill: Arm Barbs】
【Skill Proficiency: 20/100】
【Talent: Learning Genius】
【EXP: 32/100】
【Strength: 24/30】
【Speed: 29/30】
【Stamina: 21/30】
【Spirit: 27/30】
【System Notification: Talent—"Learning Genius" has been activated. User automatically gains 20 points of Skill Proficiency.】
So that's how this talent works! Fly realized. It seems I won't have to learn new Skills from scratch. I can use them right away. This gives me a huge head start compared to other students who have to figure things out from the very beginning.
With a mere thought, Fly activated the Skill—Arm Barbs!
Instantly, sharp, neatly arranged barbs, just like those on a cockroach's leg, sprouted from the back of his forearms.
So this is the power of a Skill?
Fly gently touched the barbs on his arm with his fingertips. Mm, they're incredibly sharp, almost like daggers!
"System, please create some enemies for me. I want to test out this Skill and maybe raise my proficiency a bit."
【System: Understood. Generating enemies for you…】
Generating virtual objects was one of the core functions of the Inner Realm. After all, it was a virtual space created for students to learn and train. What good would it be if it were just an empty void?
The strength assessment was just a week away.
According to the information Fly had found online, there would be a "Combat Assessment" where students would face off against each other. The purpose was likely to see how well the freshmen had mastered the power of their Totem Beasts and familiarized themselves with their Skills within that short week.
Heh, just wait. I'm going to shine!Fly thought, a confident smirk on his face.
While he was lost in thought, the virtual enemies had finished generating. A swarm of beetles, each the size of a large dog, appeared before him.
"Alright, let's test my current strength!"
Fly clenched his fists and crossed his arms in front of his chest, radiating confidence. The barbs on his arms gleamed with a dazzling, cold light.
As if sensing the danger, the swarm of beetles clacked their mandibles nervously, shuffling backward in an attempt to flee.
But it was too late.
They were destined to be nothing more than prey.