The Enigma of Transmutation (1)

Michael found a seat in the back of the carriage next to his sister. Glancing at the students in front of them, he noticed everyone else was also wearing the same uniforms. The girls were dressed like his sister, while the boys sported similar attire to his with slight differences.

The students aboard the bus chattered in lively groups, laughter dancing in the air. Soon after Michael and his sister boarded, the carriage halted once more, allowing two more academy students to join.

With each subsequent stop, the carriage welcomed more passengers. Among them, two striking boys entered, engaged in animated conversation. One boasted a tall, slender frame, while the other exuded a sturdy, confident presence.

"Damn it," Michael muttered under his breath. Recognition dawned as he observed the newcomers. If his memory served him right, these were the two from the recent altercation. 'I need to remember the details of the incident to know how to act in case they start something,' he thought, a tense edge creeping into his demeanor.

Michael took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure and focus. However, his resolve faltered as he noticed something unexpected. Purple text appeared in the lower part of his field of vision, disrupting his concentration and sending a chill down his spine.

Michael swiftly regained control over his expression, concealing his shock from the prying eyes around him. Darting a cautious glance around, he ensured that no one else had detected his peculiar reaction—except for one person.

He pushed his recent discovery to the back of his head for the moment, focusing instead on one of the 2 boys who had come in the carriage earlier and was making eye contact with him. Although the details of their altercation remained hazy, the memory of the brutal beating still lingered. He couldn't recall what had sparked the conflict, only that it had escalated far beyond reason.

"Old Michael was angry and embarrassed," he mused silently, reflecting on his past self. "Maybe a small problem became a big one after something he said or did by acting out? But no matter what it was, it shouldn't have earned him that beating." The memory of their merciless assault resurfaced, the pain and humiliation still vivid in his mind. They had cornered him, overpowering him with relentless blows until he curled into a fetal position on the ground, defenseless.

After a brief moment of locked gazes, the boy smirked, his attention swiftly shifting as he engaged in conversation with his friend. His smirk morphed into a shared chuckle with the other boy. With a casual glance in Michael's direction, they exchanged knowing looks before resuming their conversation, effectively dismissing him.

"Are you okay?" Michael heard a concerned voice next to him and turned to see his sister gazing at him with worry etched on her face. "What do those bastards want now?" she added, casting a wary glance at the two boys.

"I don't know," Michael replied quietly, his gaze lingering on the boys before returning to his sister.

"Do you think Nick told them to do it again?" Lisa asked. Michael's eyes widened in realization as details of the incident became clear. 'They kept taunting the old Michael, a few whispers as he passed by or notes and scribbles left on his desk' Michael ran through the memory and frowned. 'So Nick isn't satisfied with what he did to the old Michael, he is still going after him, but since his family settled the matter he doesn't want to get involved personally'

"Ignore them. I won't fall for their pathetic taunts anymore," Michael reassured his sister, determined to remain composed despite the provocation. He recalled the old Michael's impulsive reactions and resolved to handle the situation differently this time.

"Good," Lisa said with a relieved sigh, her concern easing as she returned her focus to the book she was reading.

"I'll ignore them... for now," Michael thought to himself as his attention returned to the peculiar purple text. 'What is this doing here?' he questioned inwardly, puzzled by its unexpected appearance. 'This is similar to Zero's interface... What is it doing here?' Memories of the latest AI assistant bracelet from his past life flooded his mind—the cutting-edge technology that had come at a steep price, both figuratively and literally. He had taken out a loan to afford the newest model, powered by advanced nanotechnology, a device far ahead of its time.

Recalling the burden of debt that had accompanied his purchase, Michael remembered the job he had taken at the power plant to repay it as quickly as possible. The generous pay had been a compelling incentive, but now, reflecting on his past choices, he couldn't help but grimace. 'No wonder they paid us so much money' he mused ruefully.

"Zero, are you there?" Michael questioned inwardly, his mind reaching out to the familiar AI assistant from his past.

[Insufficient Energy...]

Michael's eyes widened in astonishment as he heard the response echo in his mind. 'She's here... but how?' he wondered, his thoughts racing to make sense of the inexplicable connection. Considering the circumstances, he formulated a hypothesis, acknowledging its speculative nature but finding it plausible given the extraordinary circumstances. 'The radiation must have had a hand in it... I died, and my soul was transmigrated to this world,' he reasoned, 'but Zero isn't even a part of me, let alone connected to my soul. As absurd as it may sound, perhaps a mutation of some kind occurred, fusing me with it. It doesn't make sense, but it's the only explanation I can think of for now.'

Michael's gaze remained fixated on the text at the bottom of his vision, analyzing its meaning.

[Strength: 3.1 | Agility: 2.2 | Vitality: 2.7 | Intelligence: 3.2 | ?????: 1.1 | ?????: 0%]

'This is the physique monitoring panel, mostly used by athletes or people who like to see their progress while working out,' he deduced, recognizing the familiar layout. 'I assume it's the only function it can use for now since this doesn't require any energy to run. It's mostly an overall grade system of the host's physical capabilities and a score of the brainwave activities for the intelligence stat... But what are those question marks?' Michael puzzled over the unidentified parameters. 'I only remember four stats, not six.'