Rook barely made it through his first class on the properties of beasts, the presence of Ayush, the blue-haired boy, making it a challenge. At least he learned the name of his unwanted companion.
"Ayush, huh? What a crazy name," Rook thought, recalling the day's events with a sigh.
Exhausted from the mental strain, Rook collapsed into bed, mumbling, "I hope for some good dreams this time." He quickly slipped into a deep slumber.
He found himself lying in a vast grassy field, the blades swaying rhythmically with the breeze. The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow. Distant roars of beasts echoed from far away, but Rook remained unaware, lost in his sleep.
Unbeknownst to him, he was no longer in the safety of his bedroom but in a strange and dangerous world. He slept on, oblivious to the lurking threats.
As the sun climbed higher, its rays began to wake him. Rook stirred, mumbling irritably, "Who opened the windows?" His irritation quickly turned to shock as he opened his eyes.
"Where the hell am I?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear. "No, no, this must be a dream. Wake up, you idiot. Stop dreaming such nonsense." He slapped himself, but nothing changed.
"What the hell is happening here? How did I get here?" Despair crept into his voice as he fell to his knees on the grass, tears streaming down his face. Panic set in as he wondered if someone had kidnapped him and sent him through a portal.
Unlike the controlled environments of the portal dimensions, this place felt overwhelmingly vast and terrifying.
—--
Rook slowly stood up, determination replacing his initial despair. He had to find a way out of this portal. He started walking, scanning the empty grassland for any sign of an exit or at least some form of life.
The emptiness was unsettling; not a single creature in sight, and the endless expanse of grass offered no clues.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he couldn't survive without food. As he pondered his predicament, a sudden flash of light caught his attention.
The essence in the surroundings converged at a single point, creating a brightness so intense he had to shield his eyes. When the light dimmed, he saw a small, round cotton ball hovering in the air.
Curiosity piqued, Rook approached the ball. As he got closer, he noticed it had tiny red eyes and a small mouth, munching on the grass like a baby.
"How cute," he thought, momentarily forgetting his dire situation. He reached out to pet the creature, his eyes shining with fascination.
But as his hand neared, the creature's demeanor changed. It transformed from an adorable fluff ball into a furious beast, its mouth enlarging to reveal sharp, menacing teeth.
"Ahhhh, you bitch! You're not cute anymore!" Rook cursed, spinning around and sprinting away. The creature, now a determined predator, gave chase.
His heart pounded as he pushed himself to run faster, the ground blurring beneath his feet.
Eventually, Rook stopped, panting heavily, his chest heaving. He dared a glance over his shoulder, hoping he'd lost the beast. To his horror, it was right behind him, eyes blazing with fury.
"F*ck," he muttered, his heart skipping a beat as he braced himself for whatever was coming next.
–
With no other choice, Rook clenched his fist and punched the beast. It flew back a few feet, but to his surprise, the creature didn't retaliate with its teeth. Instead, it roared, its body devoid of limbs, only capable of hopping to chase him.
Rook's relief was palpable. "At least it can't bite me," he muttered, laughing at the absurdity of the situation. He resumed his journey, ignoring the persistent presence of the hopping cotton beast.
However, as hours passed, hunger gnawed at him, and the relentless creature continued to shadow his every step.
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Realizing he had no other option, Rook decided to kill the creature for food. "Sorry, dear cotton candy," he sighed, bracing himself.
He launched a series of severe punches, each strike accompanied by the beast's pained roars. Eventually, the creature fell silent, lifeless.
Rook glanced around, hoping to find something to start a fire. His search yielded nothing but endless grass. Frustrated, he returned to the spot where he had killed the cotton candy beast, expecting to find meat.
Instead, he saw a crystal, its structure resembling a double helix[ DNA shape], shining with a grey hue.
"Where's my food?" Rook grumbled, scanning the area again, but there was no trace of the creature's body.
His stomach growled in protest as he picked up the crystal, examining it with a disappointed expression. The moment he touched it, a deep male voice echoed in his mind:
"Cotton Beast gene obtained - Gene Tier F rank."
Rook froze, the words reverberating in his head. "What the hell is this?" he wondered aloud, staring at the crystal.
His confusion was matched only by his curiosity. He might not have found food, but he had discovered something far more mysterious.
—
Rook, driven by severe hunger, contemplated consuming the crystal. As he focused on it, the crystal dissolved into a greyish essence that began to shine and slowly entered his chest.
"Nooo, what's this pain?" Rook screamed, collapsing to the ground as agony gripped his chest. The essence merged with his blood, spreading through his veins and reaching every cell in his body. Each pulse of the essence brought unbearable pain, making him grit his teeth and shout out.
Outside his body, black fluid oozed from his pores, a byproduct of the essence cleansing his cells. The pain intensified, pushing Rook to his limit until he lost consciousness, sprawled on the grass.
Even in his unconscious state, the process continued. More black fluid seeped from his body, pooling around him. Eventually, as the last of the fluid was expelled, his cells began to emit a faint glow, a sign that they were now functioning properly.
The transformation was complete, leaving Rook lying motionless, yet fundamentally changed.
Rook's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself in his bedroom. Relief washed over him. "Huuu, at least it was only a dream. I wasn't trapped in any portal," he murmured, taking a deep breath and sinking back into his bed.
A foul odor hit his nose. "What's this smell?" he wondered aloud, checking his body. His skin was covered in a sticky, black fluid, the same substance from the grassy plane.
His heart raced as he stared at the mess. "Is this the same fluid? But how?" The remnants of the dream flooded back, making him question reality.
Rook's mind swirled with doubts. He clearly remembered the fluid, the excruciating pain as it left his body, purifying him.
After a quick shower, he stared at his reflection. "Dude, when did I get this sexy six-pack?" He ran a hand over his toned abs, astonished. "But how did I get these without training?"
"It must not have been a dream. But how did I get there?" Rook's face tightened with confusion. He shook his head and readied himself for his next lecture at the university, determined to take this issue seriously.
—
At the university, Rook deliberately chose the last seat to avoid contact with Ayush, the blue-haired boy. He surreptitiously scanned the room, hoping to keep Ayush out of sight, but a voice disrupted his thoughts.
"What are you checking, Bigilu?" Ayush's voice chimed in beside him.
Rook froze, dread creeping up his spine. Slowly turning his head, he faced Ayush's eager grin. "No, this can't be happening," Rook muttered under his breath.
"Hi, Bigilu!" Ayush greeted him cheerfully, extending a hand towards Rook. Startled, Rook jerked back in his seat, as if recoiling from a sudden shock.
"Ahh!" Rook's exclamation drew curious glances from nearby students, making him feel even more uneasy.
"What's wrong, Bigilu? And when did you get those six-packs?" Ayush continued, oblivious to Rook's discomfort, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Firstly, what is this 'Bigilu,' and don't pry into my personal life," Rook retorted sharply, his tone laced with irritation. He didn't appreciate Ayush's presumptuous familiarity, especially without consent.
"Don't be angry, Bigilu. Bigilu means friend. Why are you so upset with me?" Ayush playfully teased, attempting to lighten the mood, though his words only grated on Rook's nerves.
"Don't act like I'm the one overreacting here. You never even considered my feelings and just decided we're friends now. Ha, ridiculous," Rook snapped, his breaths coming in sharp, uneven bursts as he felt the weight of all eyes in the room on him.
"I can't believe this. And you're telling me to forget it and accept you as my friend? Like I have no choice?" Ayush's words hit Rook like a cold wave, draining the color from his face.
He buried his head in his hands, tears threatening to spill over. Finding a friend on his first day at university was not what he expected, especially under these circumstances.
The classes droned on, but Rook's headache persisted, exacerbated by Ayush's incessant chatter beside him. "Bigilu, what do you like... Do you have a girlfriend... Bigilu..." Ayush's questions and remarks punctuated the air, driving Rook to seek solace in his earphones, attempting to drown out the incessant noise and escape this unwelcome company.
Thus, Rook's second day at university unfolded amidst the relentless pestering from Ayush. Each question, each comment only added to Rook's discomfort, making the day feel longer than it should.
What was the connection between the grassy land and Rook's current predicament? Why did Ayush insist on befriending Rook despite his initial reluctance? These questions lingered, teasing at the edges of Rook's thoughts, promising mysteries yet to be unveiled in the days to come.
As the day drew to a close, Rook couldn't help but wonder how these seemingly unrelated threads would weave together in the tapestry of his new life at the university.