Mechanical Soldier, Mutated Talent

Ram's thoughts were interrupted when another experiment subject lying in a nearby bed stirred and slowly woke up. Seizing the opportunity, Ram began a hushed conversation.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ram asked softly, his eyes darting towards the door to ensure the guards weren't listening.

The other subject, a young man with a mixture of confusion and fear in his eyes, nodded cautiously. "Yeah, I don't know what's going on.... I can't remember how I got here."

Ram leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know anything about the Shadow Society? They're the ones who brought us here."

The young man's eyes widened in fear at the mention of the Shadow Society. "The Shadow Society? Are they behind this? I've heard scary stories about them. What do they want with us?"

Ram's eyes lit up with a spark of hope. "Oh, you know about them? Then, have you heard of the Mind Shadow Parasite?" he asked eagerly, hoping to learn more from the young man. He was desperate for any useful information.

Before the young man could respond, a sinister-looking guard with a heavy sword on his back interrupted, his voice dripping with menace. "Shut it, or I won't be nice," he snarled, signaling for silence and forcing both Ram and the young man to remain quiet.

Ram slumped back, frustration and fear warring within him. He glanced at the young man, who seemed equally terrified and clueless. They were both trapped in this nightmare, and any chance of escape seemed further away than ever.

Ram glanced at the guard and focused, causing a new panel with detailed attributes to appear before his eyes. His eyes widened as he examined the panel's contents.

[Name: L7B21, Age: 13/47]

[Race: Human/Semi-Mechanical]

[Profession: Mechanical Soldier]

[Level: Tire -3]

[Physique: 57.2]

[Spirit: 3.6]

[Description: An ordinary warrior, infused with the power of low-level Mechanical Fire (Pseudo), transformed into a semi-mechanical being with traces of both machine and blood, superior strength, agility, and endurance. Though retaining the essence of their former self, they cannot advance on their own unless a high-level Mechanical Fire is used.]

[Status: Distorted (37%)]

Ram's mind raced as he processed the information. The information puzzled him. The guard's name was L7B21?? It wasn't like a name but a serial number, which made him question the humanity of this "guard". But why was the maximum lifespan only 47 years? So far, this was the shortest lifespan he had encountered since he gained the ability to see these attribute panels. This person had only 23 years left to live, and that didn't guarantee he would survive that long. He might die in the middle due to unforeseen circumstances. However, 23 years was just the amount of Life Energy remaining in his body. Unless he used some precious resources to increase the upper limit, he would die by then.

It seemed that most of his lifespan had been consumed for transferring into a Mechanical Soldier or for other reasons. Additionally, his race was labeled as "Human/Semi-Mechanical." Ram recalled hearing about such transformations while he was researching different methods to become an awakened Professional. These experiments often resulted in a drastic shortening of the subject's lifespan and loss of human emotions, but they offered enhanced physical abilities in return.

Ram recoiled at the cruelty of the process that turned ordinary people into powerful soldiers. During the Dark Ages at the start of the Reiki resurgence, the Mechanical Soldiers gained widespread fame. The Federation had banned any unauthorized experiments on humans, but he didn't anticipate encountering them here.

Before, he hadn't known the exact details, but now it was clear: the transformation was likely due to Mechanical Fire, which could turn humans into semi-mechanical beings. When a human or other organic creatures like monsters are subjected to the Mechanical Fire, it initiates a profound metamorphosis. The Mechanical Fire penetrate the body, gradually converting organic tissue into advanced mechanical components. Bones are reinforced and infused with metallic alloys, granting enhanced strength and durability. Skin is partial metallization, providing enhanced protection against conventional weaponry while retaining flexibility and mobility. 

Within the depths of the subject's brain, the Mechanical Fire also forges a bionic computing chip. This chip integrates seamlessly with the neural network, augmenting cognitive functions and granting access to advanced technological capabilities. Yet, he realized this process couldn't be easy, especially considering the presence of another distorted status on the panel.

"I'm not sure what this distorted status means, but there's got to be something significant behind it," Ram thought, feeling a surge of hope. "Maybe this could be my ticket out of the clutches of the Shadow Society." With each passing moment, he felt the effects of his talent "Recovery" working to restore his health and spiritual power. It was a slow and steady process, but he couldn't afford to rush it.

As the timer ticked down to his full recovery, Ram felt a rush of energy flood through him, making him feel stronger than ever before. 

Now that he was officially a Black Iron professional, he could feel a big boost in his physical strength. He felt as strong as a bull, nothing like the weak person he used to be. This amazing feeling came from his "Recovery" talent, which kept working even though he was already back to full health.

"Why is there a +1 after my health bar? Can I use it to supplement when I'm low on Health?" The attribute panel displayed an unusual change - a modest but significant increase of (+1) on the side of his blood bar making Ram confused. It was a minuscule shift, but in this world of secrets and mysteries, even the smallest change could carry immense significance.

"Status" Ram recited in his mind wanting to check his status page. And a holographic window with details appeared in front of him.

[ Name: Ram]

[ Health: 100/100 (Current/Maximum) (+1)]

[ Spiritual Power: 84/100 (Current/Maximum)]

As Ram scrutinized his Attribute Panel, the unique nature of his talent, "Recovery," weighed heavily on his mind. "So, this must be the change of Recovery from Level 9 being mutated from the original into a powerful 'Unique' talent." He couldn't help but ponder the reasons behind this exceptional attribute. The uniqueness of his talent, with its passive ability to regenerate and store excess health and Spiritual power, opened doors to possibilities that others could only dream of.

"If it is as described, then I can gain an additional amount equal to 1,440 Points of health and spiritual power every day, that is 14 more chances to instantly recover to full health and spiritual power when needed or injured, one week is more than 10,000 points of additional Life Energy and Spiritual Power. that an astounding amount of extra health and spiritual power this is unbelievable Talent." With the attribute panel displaying this unique quality, Ram realized that he was no longer an ordinary awakened individual.