My Tribrid System: More than a Monster-Chapter 126: Can Help?

Chapter 124

After everything was said and done, Kai and Ray finally exited Van’s workshop.

The inventor had practically chased them out, claiming he needed absolute solitude to work on a new project.

The moment they stepped out into the open air, the duo went their separate ways.

Ever since they had arrived at the Corps—despite sharing a sleeping quarters, sitting together in the cafeteria, and attending the same homeroom—they rarely had moments to just walk together without a specific destination.

Currently, Ray was trekking toward the park alone.

His hands were buried deep in his pockets as he bathed in the warm sunlight, though his mind remained trapped in grim reflection.

’I know a bit about werewolves, and I certainly know plenty about humans. But why have I never heard of Celestials before? I don’t even possess a single shred of detail regarding them. And Elyon is of no help at the moment since he has lost the majority of his memories.’

"I am truly sorry that I cannot be of more assistance to you. Aside from the fundamental usage of my skills, my name, and my title, I can’t recall anything else. It feels as if a powerful restriction has been placed upon my consciousness," Elyon apologized, his voice echoing softly in Ray’s mind.

Ray just waved a mental hand, dismissing the Celestial’s concerns.

’It’s fine... for now. It’s just perplexing. I don’t even know if there’s something specific I need to do for you to grow stronger. I know that for Bruce, my physical body needs to undergo rigorous changes, but your requirements are a total mystery.’

"Yes. My apologies once more. Perhaps as we progress, I will be able to recall something vital?"

’Uhn. Come to think of it, why has Bruce been so silent for the past few days?’

There was a brief silence for several seconds before Elyon replied,

"He has essentially curled himself up in a quiet corner away from your ’noise’ so he can contemplate something in peace."

’Oh. That’s unusual.’ Ray shrugged, suddenly realizing he had drifted away from the park he originally intended to visit.

Instead, he had wandered into the forest—the same sprawling woods where he had previously engaged in two distinct battles with strange, foolish individuals.

For some reason, it seemed he only ever ended up here at night.

There were very few people traversing the forest; in fact, he rarely encountered other humans in this secluded area.

But as he ventured deeper into the thicket, he began to hear rhythmic grunts of exertion.

"Huh?" he muttered, his curiosity piqued.

He decided to head toward the source of the noise.

He wasn’t even consciously thinking about his path, simply walking until he stumbled upon a small, sun-dappled clearing.

In the very center of the space stood a girl.

She had long, flowing brown hair and black, determined eyes that held a sharp focus.

In her steady hands, she gripped a polished bow, with a quiver full of arrows slung over her shoulder.

’Huh? She didn’t utilize weapons in her previous fights.’

The girl remained remarkably calm and collected as she nocked an arrow, pulled the string taut, and swiftly let it loose.

The projectile whistled through the air, striking a makeshift target pinned to a thick tree bark.

Her aim wasn’t quite perfect, nor was the impact particularly powerful, but if the target had been a human, it would have pierced their chest instead of delivering a headshot.

She kept going, launching arrow after arrow, though none had managed to strike the elusive bullseye yet.

Growing frustrated, she sent her final arrow flying in a fit of pique.

Then, with a sharp twirl of her finger, her telekinesis ability flared to life.

The invisible force guided the mid-air arrow, forcing it to curve and hit the target dead center.

"Yes!" she cheered, jumping up slightly in a burst of genuine excitement.

"Right. How could I have forgotten that I actually possess a useful ability?"

She muttered to herself, holding out her palm.

The scattered arrows trembled on the ground before lifting into the air.

Together, they all flew back into her waiting hand, and she tucked them neatly back into the quiver.

Then, she repeated the process again and again.

Projectile after projectile, ability after ability.

She continued this rigorous training for several minutes while Ray watched her silently from the shadows of the treeline.

Her aim was becoming noticeably more precise as the minutes ticked by.

Her coordination was now impeccable, striking the target completely head-on with every shot.

She even transitioned into nocking two arrows simultaneously, sending them screaming through the air with her telekinetic guidance to hit the mark perfectly.

This intense practice went on for a little while longer until she finally became utterly exhausted, her strength failing as she collapsed onto her knees, breathing heavily.

"Haaa.... Haaa...."

Her heavy breathing filled the small clearing as sweat drenched her face, trickling down her neck in continuous beads.

Despite the exhaustion threatening to buckle her knees, she gripped her bow even tighter and forced herself to stagger back to her feet.

"M—More. It’s not enough; it isn’t perfect yet." Chloe clenched her teeth, her knuckles turning white as she prepared to notch another arrow.

She was just about to draw the string when a voice broke the solitude.

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Ray’s calm inquiry finally echoed out from the treeline.

The sudden sound startled her so immensely that she whirled around, her fingers slipping.

She accidentally let the arrow loose, sending it whistling through the air directly toward the boy at an immense speed.

However, with a display of calm indifference, Ray snatched the arrow out of the air, catching it firmly between his fingers just inches before it had the liberty of striking his face.

"That was fast," he muttered with a soft, amused chuckle as he began walking forward into the light.

When he was only a few feet away from the girl, he casually handed the projectile back to her.

Chloe snatched it hurriedly, her face flushing as she tucked it back into her quiver.

"I-I-I’m so sorry about that! I didn’t see you there."

"You still haven’t answered my question. Why do you drive yourself so ruthlessly? It’s painfully obvious that you are completely exhausted, yet you were ready to keep going. Also, since when did you start utilizing a beast weapon? I haven’t seen you carrying one before today."

"...."

Chloe blinked at him for a few seconds, looking down at the bow before awkwardly scratching her hair.

"Well, I actually borrowed it from the combat weaponry instructor."

’Captain Jake?’ Ray thought, recalling the man’s intense training sessions.

"I stumbled upon the training hall while I was lost in deep thought. I peeked inside and saw a wall literally covered in various weapons.

I went in and scanned them, searching for what might best fit my style. Of course, the instructor helped me narrow it down. Hence, I borrowed this bow and promised to return it by tomorrow."

"But why? You already possess a potent ability," Ray asked, his brow lifted in genuine curiosity.

"Why?" Chloe repeated the question as if it were the most absurd thing she had ever heard.

"... Well, a certain someone told me once—and I quote: ’You should find what you are good at. Maximize on it and maybe, just maybe, you could also help in this war.’"

’Oh. I did say that,’ Ray realized, a flicker of recognition crossing his mind.

"So here I am, trying to see if I can actually get the hang of this. I won’t lie to you, being in the ability-only class isn’t helping me one bit. I felt stuck."

"So you decided to experiment with another discipline, and it turns out you are almost a natural at using the bow and arrow. Combined with your telekinesis, you could actually handle a grade 3 meta-human with no problem," Ray interjected, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed her stance and technique.

Chloe squeezed her hand against the grip of her bow, her teeth gritted in frustration.

"What do you care?" she muttered, turning away from him to gather the spent arrows by hand.

"It’s not like you will actually turn me into a werewolf like I asked, so why do you care what I do?"

Ray stared at her back for a few seconds.

Several complex thoughts raced through his mind as he watched the girl bend down to retrieve the arrows scattered across the forest floor.

"Right. I can’t turn you," he admitted, his voice softening.

"But I can at least help you stabilize your footing and refine your skills so you can truly handle yourself when the time comes."

Chloe paused, her hand hovering over an arrow as her brow lifted in confusion.

She turned back to face him, skepticism written across her features.

"Help me? Help me how?"

A subtle, knowing smile caressed Ray’s face as a new thought settled firmly in his mind.

"Be mine."