Universal Power System

Mako's jaw was left hanging after he had observed the spectacular display of the girl transforming into an adult strong and beautiful woman.

'Is this... a transformation ability?' Mako thought to himself.

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Transformation abilities weren't anything to rave about nor were they as important because they just allowed the user to transform into the beast from which the ability was extracted. It had a terrible learning curve as the user was basically learning how to operate a new body from scratch.

Mako had learned that if a person had mastery over their transformation ability, they could fully tap into the potential of the beast even if that beast wasn't at a high level.

Take Rhino for example; Leon's personal bodyguard, who had the Mutant Rhino Transformation ability. It was a magnificent ability that originated from an Advanced Tier beast.

Initially, Rhino had been able to partially and fully transform into the Mutant Rhino.

Then, he was able to utilize the main ability of the Mutant Rhino which was the strength ability. The great thing about transformation abilities was that it gave the user full access to all the abilities that the beast had an affinity to making it a great deal for obtaining multiple abilities from a single transformation ability.

Finally, during his fight with Mako and Bill, he was able to increase his ability level and tap into the inherited skill that Mutant Rhinos possessed, called "Final Resolve".

Final Resolve acted in ways similar to Mako's Rage Mode as when a Mutant Rhino felt intense desperation when losing a battle, it is able to harness its own emotions and convert them into power.

There was still much room for Rhino to grow as the next thing he had to focus on was to learn how to use the abilities of the Mutant Rhino while remaining in his human form.

There were also many more possibilities with things such as evolutions and mutant genes that could greatly improve and diversify the arsenal of a transformation ability user.

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'No... No! It can't be a transformation ability! That only works with beasts! *HUH!* Could it really be...? No way... It has to be the Shapeshift ability!' Mako said to himself as he re-evaluated Rose's terrific display.

The Shapeshift ability was extremely rare. It was so rare that even though it didn't provide the user with any stat boosts or fighting capabilities and was technically weak, It was classified as a High A-Tier ability.

For comparison, the five basic elemental abilities that were the main arsenal for countless beings all around the galaxy were only considered a High D-Tier ability. This was not because these abilities didn't have the capabilities of being classified as a national threat based on the level of destruction they could cause in the hands of a capable user.

No, the reason they were ranked this low was because of them being so common to come by.

Realistically, every ability could be considered a high A-Tier or B-Tier ability if the person using said ability could utilize it to its full potential which was something that an extremely small minority of beings within the entire galaxy could accomplish.

So in most cases, the ranks that were given to abilities were generally based on their rarity and learning curve.

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Mako couldn't believe his eyes as never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined meeting a shapeshifter.

Shapeshifters were one of the most sought-after ability users by the military and other huge corporations.

Not only was it the ultimate ability for covert and infiltration missions but it also had many commercial uses as becoming the perfect spokesperson at any event and model for every advertisement and show.

Mako had encountered a shapeshifter before which was Haruto when he was impersonating Andrew in order to lead them astray during the recruitment test; however, Rose had far more refined technique than Haruto's which looked a lot more painful as he shifted forms.

Knowing how rare and precious the ability was, Mako was always at a loss for why was Haruto such a low ranking member of El Diablo's gang, but considering how Natasha had him on a leash, there was some underlying reason that he didn't know that would explain his circumstances.

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"What's wrong, Love? It seems as if you have seen a ghost" Rose giggled after witnessing Mako stare at her with jaw dropped to the ground in awe.

This was the same reaction Rose would receive every time she pulled this trick and she just absolutely adored messing with the new students witnessing her do it for the first time.

Mako quickly coughed as he composed himself back from his state of awe and apologized to Rose which she gracefully accepted.

The situation quickly became awkward for Mako as he didn't know how to proceed but luckily Rose spared him by quickly initiating the conversation.

"So young man, do you wish to join the mana training class?" Rose inquired as she dusted off the last remains of the sparkly mist off her robe.

"Ye... Yes, ma'am, I do" Mako replied.

"Well then, what do you know about mana?" Rose inquired as all of a sudden the surroundings around Mako began to shift slightly.

Before Mako could even realize it, he was now sitting on a chair at the back end of the classroom with Rose pouring him a warm cup of tea from an ancient-looking teapot.

He was once again at a loss for words as to what was happening around him as he couldn't even fathom which ability was able to do something like this.

'Shapeshifting... Dimensional Warping maybe... no no that can't be it... just who is she?' Mako thought with intense curiosity as he observed the calm and collected Mana teacher pour him a hot cup of tea.

"Are you going to say something or keep staring at my beauty, dear?" Rose teased Mako some more as she watched him collect his thoughts in utter confusion.

"Uh.. yes, I know that mana is the energy inside our bodies that we use in order to cast our abilities. We have special pathways inside our bodies just like veins but they are not physical and instead help us to move mana around in our bodies. I also learned that Mana exists everywhere naturally and is the coding language of the universe; although I'm still not entirely sure how exactly that is." Mako replied with great detail about his limited knowledge of the topic.

"Very good, it seems that you at least know some of the truth about what Mana actually is..." Rose stated as she took a sip of her nice and aromatic tea.

"Mana is indeed the coding language of the universe as I'm sure some of the teachers may have taught you but what exactly is that you may ask?" Rose began to explain. "Mana defines each and everything that you perceive as reality."

Mako was a bit confused as to what Rose meant by reality; however, he continued to listen as Rose continued with her explanation knowing that it would all make sense in the end.

"Let's take an example from mathematics. In mathematics, we have variables that we can assign anything to and they will behave in accordance to the rules and regulations that we have set for them."

"Similarly, each and everything around you follows a set of principles which you may also refer to as the laws of nature. Gravity pulls stuff to the ground, some things are heavier than others, some can conduct heat and electricity while some are very durable and hard to break. Some are solid while some are liquid... the list goes on and on and on..."

"Mana isn't those laws of nature itself but the medium between them and the physical objects allowing the laws to interact with the objects. Mana defines everything there is to know about an object from their appearance to their properties. It is the coding language that runs the program which is reality itself!" Rose explained with overwhelming emotions as she concluded our explanation.

Mako sat back in his chair, absorbing Rose's explanation with a mix of wonder and realization. His expression shifted from initial confusion to deep contemplation, his eyes reflecting the gravity of what he had just been told.

As Rose's words sank in, Mako's mind began to race with newfound understanding. The concept of mana as the coding language of the universe resonated deeply with him, connecting disparate pieces of knowledge he had accumulated over time. He felt a sense of awe at the idea that everything around him was governed by such a fundamental force, like the unseen strings of a cosmic puppeteer.

Yet, alongside his awe, there was a spark of excitement. The realization that mana defined not only the physical properties of objects but also their very existence opened up a vast realm of possibilities. It was as if he had been handed the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and he was eager to delve deeper into its secrets.

"Now let me ask you something... uh what's your name young man?" Rose asked midway through her speech as she forgot to even ask for the student's name. She was so absorbed in the topic of mana itself that she could go on for hours just chatting about the topic with any stranger who shared the same interest as her.

"It's Mako, Mako Grey," He replied.

"Mako... Grey, huh? ...Well... nice to meet you, Mako Grey." Rose said awkwardly before quickly returning back to her original point.

Mako found it a bit odd as the person who had shown nothing but calmness and grace had reacted in such a manner after only learning his name, but he decided to ignore it for now.

"Let me ask you a question, Mako. What did you think I used when I first approached you as a young student." Rose asked.

Mako didn't think that her initial display was anything mysterious as it was obvious to him that she had used the shapeshifting ability.

"You used the shapeshifting ability to change your appearance," Mako replied innocently.

A huge grin appeared on Rose's face as she heard Mako's answer.

"I'll give you props for actually giving me an answer and it was a good one too, but sadly you are wrong, Mako. I actually don't possess any abilities at all." Rose replied.

'WHAT!'