Heaven Defying System

Chapter 2: What Did You Do to Zev?

Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains of the dorm room.

Zevian slowly opened his eyes.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.

He felt... good.

No.

Good was an understatement.

His entire body felt strangely light, as though he had slept for several days instead of eight hours.

Zevian yawned and sat up.

As usual, his hand reached toward the bedside table.

Glasses.

Put them on.

"..."

Zevian frowned.

Everything was blurry.

He took them off.

The room immediately became crystal clear.

He put them on again.

Blurry.

Off.

Clear.

On.

Blurry.

"Did my glasses break?"

[No.]

Zevian ignored the System and examined them.

That was when he noticed his hand.

He froze.

His fingers looked the same, but his forearm certainly didn't.

There were muscles there.

Actual muscles.

Zevian slowly looked down.

His old shirt was noticeably tighter around his chest and shoulders.

"What the..."

He jumped out of bed and walked toward the mirror.

Then stopped.

A handsome young man stared back at him.

Zevian glanced behind himself.

Nobody.

He looked at the mirror again.

"...Me?"

The pimples on his face had disappeared. His skin was smooth, his formerly messy hair somehow looked healthier, and without his thick glasses hiding half his face, his features appeared considerably sharper.

Then there was his body.

Zevian lifted his shirt.

Defined abdominal muscles.

He poked them.

Hard.

"Interesting."

Then something occurred to him.

Perfect eyesight.

Enhanced body.

He had mysteriously transformed overnight.

Zevian's eyes slowly widened.

"No way."

He looked down at his hand.

His middle and ring fingers folded toward his palm.

His wrist snapped forward.

Nothing happened.

Zevian frowned.

He tried again.

Nothing.

He changed hands.

Still nothing.

"Maybe the angle..."

[HOST WAS NOT BITTEN BY A SPIDER!]

Zevian stopped.

"Oh. You're talking to me again."

[...]

"I thought you were still sulking."

[I DO NOT SULK.]

"Sure."

[Host's transformation resulted from the Heavenly Marrow Cleansing Nut.]

"The nut?"

[The item whose description Host refused to hear.]

Zevian nodded thoughtfully.

"So it wasn't radioactive?"

[NO!]

Click.

The dorm room door suddenly opened.

"Zev! I brought-"

A chubby young man carrying two bags of breakfast stepped inside.

He stopped.

Zevian looked at him.

The young man looked at Zevian.

Silence.

"Morning, Fatty."

Miles Boone didn't answer.

His eyes moved around the room.

Zevian's bed.

Zevian's desk.

Zevian's glasses.

Then Zevian.

More specifically, Zevian's shirt.

Miles knew that shirt.

His face slowly lost color.

"Who are you?"

Zevian raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't I just say good morning?"

"Why are you wearing Zev's clothes?"

"Because they're mine."

Miles' eyes widened.

"Where is Zev?"

Zevian stared at him.

"I'm Zev."

"No."

"What?"

"No!"

Miles dropped one of the breakfast bags.

He backed toward the door.

"I knew it."

Zevian rubbed his forehead.

"What do you know?"

"They laughed at me."

"Who?"

"Everyone!"

"Fatty-"

"But I knew!"

Miles pointed a trembling finger at him.

"Skin Mimics exist!"

Zevian went silent.

"What the hell is a Skin Mimic?"

Miles gasped.

"Don't play dumb!"

"I'm not."

"Night of the Flesh!"

Zevian blinked.

"The horror movie?"

"Exactly!"

Miles' breathing became heavier.

"In the movie, the Skin Mimic eats its victim, absorbs his memories, and copies him so it can live among humans!"

Zevian looked down at himself.

"Do I look like you remember?"

Miles froze.

His eyes traveled from Zevian's face to his muscular body.

That should have destroyed his theory.

Instead, realization appeared on his face.

"It upgraded you."

"...What?"

"The monster ate you and upgraded your body!"

Zevian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Miles' eyes became watery.

"Zev..."

"I'm alive."

"We've been brothers for almost two years."

"I'm still alive."

"I always thought you'd die doing something stupid, but not like this."

"Fatty."

Miles wiped his eyes.

"Don't worry, brother. I'll avenge you!"

"I'm standing right here!"

"Shut up, monster!"

Zevian stared at him.

Miles grabbed an umbrella near the door and pointed it at him like a sword.

"Give Zev back!"

"How?"

"I don't know! Spit him out!"

Zevian's mouth twitched.

"You think I swallowed an entire person?"

"How should I know how monsters eat?!"

Zevian sighed.

"Last semester, you told Chloe Mercer you couldn't attend her birthday party because your grandmother was hospitalized."

Miles stiffened.

"How do you know that?"

"Your grandmother died six years ago."

"Shut up!"

"You spent the whole night playing games because Chloe invited three guys you owed money to."

Miles lowered the umbrella slightly.

"Z-Zev?"

"Who else knows that?"

Miles stared at him.

Then slowly approached.

He poked Zevian's cheek.

Pulled it.

Zevian slapped his hand away.

Miles immediately grabbed the bottom of Zevian's shirt and lifted it.

"Whoa! You really have abs!"

Slap!

"Touch me again and you'll join your grandmother."

"My grandmother is already dead!"

"Exactly."

Miles stepped back.

For several seconds, he examined Zevian from head to toe.

"You're really Zev?"

"Unfortunately."

"What happened to you?"

Zevian thought about it.

"I ate something."

Miles' eyes widened.

"What?"

"A nut."

Silence.

Miles looked at his stomach.

Then Zevian's.

"Where can I buy it?"

"You can't."

"Don't be selfish! Look at me!"

"You think I didn't ask for another?"

Miles grabbed his shoulders.

"Brother, remember our friendship!"

Zevian pushed his face away.

"Go eat your breakfast."

Eventually, Miles left for the bathroom, still muttering about miraculous nuts and Skin Mimics.

Zevian sat on his bed.

"Alright, System."

[What?]

"Explain."

[...]

"What?"

[I attempted to explain yesterday.]

"And I wasn't interested yesterday."

[...]

A translucent screen appeared.

[The Heavenly Marrow Cleansing Nut reconstructed Host's physical foundation. Host's bodily impurities and minor defects have been removed. Physical performance, senses, recovery, neurological efficiency and lifespan potential have been substantially improved.]

Another screen appeared.

[Host: Zevian Rook]

[Age: 20]

[System Level: 1]

[Physical Foundation: Perfect Mortal Foundation]

[Skills: None]

[Check-In: Available]

Zevian stared at one particular line.

"Perfect Mortal Foundation?"

[Correct.]

"What's that?"

[Host authority insufficient.]

"You gave it to me."

[Correct.]

"But you can't tell me what it is?"

[Correct.]

Zevian nodded.

"Useless."

[HOST!]

He grinned.

"Fine. What about check-ins? You can still do those?"

[Naturally! Heaven Defying System retains all previous functions while possessing vastly greater evolutionary potential.]

"Check in."

The System went silent for a second.

[...That's all?]

"What, do I need to dance?"

[No.]

"Then check in."

[Ding!]

[Check-In successful.]

[Location: Auremont University Dormitory.]

[First Check-In bonus applied.]

[Reward obtained: Master-Level Culinary Arts.]

Zevian stared.

"...Cooking?"

[Master-Level Culinary Arts.]

"I can read."

[...]

Zevian looked toward the breakfast Miles had brought.

Then toward the cafeteria visible in the distance through the window.

"I live on campus."

[So?]

"There's a cafeteria."

[...]

"Very heaven-defying."

[HOST, I SWEAR-]

The door opened again.

Miles stuck his head inside.

"Zev, are you talking to yourself?"

"No."

Miles narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"That's exactly what a Skin Mimic would say."

Zevian picked up a pillow.

Miles disappeared.

Later that morning, Zevian stepped onto Auremont University's main grounds.

He immediately regretted it.

One girl walked past him.

Then looked back.

Another whispered something to her friend.

Two more openly stared.

Zevian shoved his hands into his pockets.

"This is annoying."

[Host's appearance has improved substantially.]

"I noticed."

He had barely walked another twenty meters when someone suddenly stopped directly in front of him.

Zevian halted.

The young woman before him was exceptionally beautiful.

Long dark hair fell over her shoulders, and even among Auremont's wealthy and attractive students, her presence immediately drew attention.

Several nearby students had already begun whispering.

She stared directly at Zevian.

"Zevian?"

He blinked.

She knew him?

Zevian studied her face for several seconds.

"Do I know you?"

The woman's beautiful eyes narrowed.

"You really don't remember me?"

Zevian scratched his cheek.

This was awkward.