Chapter 2 - The Surprising Revelation - Our Senior is Orphnochs?
The safe that Qin Mu had opened belonged to his father, Qin Yu. Therefore, Qin Mu was eager to ask his father where the Decade Drive had come from.
In the original storyline of Kamen Rider Decade, the Decade Drive was developed by the evil organization known as Dai-Shocker. Dai-Shocker had been a long-standing adversary of all Kamen Riders. They created the Decade Rider System to eliminate all Kamen Riders, essentially pitting Riders against each other in a battle to the death.
However, Qin Mu couldn’t fathom how this world could have a Decade Drive, and he was even more puzzled about why it was in his father’s safe.
After several unsuccessful attempts to reach his parents by phone, Qin Mu had no choice but to give up for now. He decided to set aside these questions and concerns, putting them on hold for the time being.
…………
Unbeknownst to Qin Mu, a week had passed, during which he had done nothing else but immerse himself in familiarizing himself with Kamen Rider Decade’s powers and honing his combat abilities. He had become proficient in utilizing Kamen Rider Decade’s abilities, even when facing formidable opponents.
However, during this week, Qin Mu’s parents had not returned home, and he couldn’t establish contact with them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air. Worried and out of options, he eventually decided to contact the authorities and report their disappearance. Yet, even after reporting, there was no immediate news or leads regarding his parents.
In the midst of this uncertainty, Qin Mu continued with his daily life, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy while secretly investigating any clues that might lead to his parents’ whereabouts.
Today marked the beginning of the new academic year at Yan Cheng University. It was also the day for incoming freshmen to report to the university and complete their enrollment procedures. As a prospective freshman at Yan Cheng University, Qin Mu had to go through this process.
Despite his parents’ mysterious absence, life had to go on. Qin Mu packed his belongings and left home, heading to Yan Cheng University for enrollment.
Yan Cheng University was one of the top universities in Longguo, and it attracted hundreds of thousands of students applying each year. Qin Mu had managed to secure his admission through a combination of his memories from his previous life and his hard work in this one. He had dedicated years of effort to make it to this point, and he couldn’t afford to let it go to waste.
Even though he had already received his acceptance letter, Qin Mu had never set foot on the campus before, so he was unfamiliar with the surroundings. He had to stop a female student with a volunteer badge to ask for directions.
“Excuse me, senior, could you please tell me where the Student Affairs Office is? I need to complete my enrollment procedures.”
“Are you a freshman here to report today? Follow me then, I’ll take you to the Student Affairs Office,” the senior replied.
It was common for universities to have seniors and volunteers assist incoming freshmen on their first day, helping them navigate the campus and resolve any initial issues.
Qin Mu had no reason to doubt her and followed her lead as they entered the university.
However, as they walked, Qin Mu couldn’t help but feel that something was off. The number of people around them began to dwindle, and the buildings became increasingly scarce. The surroundings seemed deserted, and Qin Mu’s sense of unease grew.
“Senior, have we arrived yet? It feels like we’ve been walking for quite a while,” Qin Mu asked cautiously.
“No, we’re almost there. We’re heading to a less crowded Student Affairs Office to save you time. You don’t need to wait in line for too long,” the senior reassured him.
With the senior leading the way, Qin Mu continued to follow, his unease intensifying with each step.
Qin Mu hadn’t noticed the eerie expression on the senior’s face when she spoke, and he also hadn’t realized that someone had been quietly following them from behind, observing their every move.
After walking for more than ten minutes, Qin Mu and the senior found themselves in a dense forest. There was no one else around, and the area seemed entirely deserted. Qin Mu had grown tired of continuing this strange journey and decided to halt.
“That’s enough, right? I can’t see anyone around here, and if you have something to do, you can do it now. Going further is getting tiring, and I’d rather not,” Qin Mu said, his voice tinged with suspicion.
As he spoke, Qin Mu took out the Decade Rider card and held it in his hand, ready to throw it into the Decade Drive for transformation at any moment. After a week of practice, he had mastered the skill of seamlessly transforming into Kamen Rider Decade from any angle, making him prepared for any situation.
The senior hadn’t expected Qin Mu to have noticed her odd behavior earlier. She turned around to face him, wearing a sly smile.
“Oh? You already noticed that something was off with me? Yet, you dared to follow me all the way here. It seems like you’re not afraid of death, are you?” she remarked.
“What do I have to fear? I think the one who should be afraid is you. Who are you, and what do you want?” Qin Mu asked.
Instead of responding, the senior suddenly emitted a grayish-white light, and in the next moment, a Cactus Orphnoch materialized in front of Qin Mu.
Orphnochs were a type of creature that appeared in the Kamen Rider Faiz series. They were unique because they were awakened randomly when a human died. The appearance and abilities of an Orphnoch upon awakening could vary greatly. The Cactus Orphnoch before him was considered one of the weaker types, known for its spiked body, which served as both its primary defense and offense.
In critical situations, these spikes could also extend and retract like tentacles for long-range attacks against enemies.
Seeing the true identity of the senior, Qin Mu immediately understood why she had lured him to this location.
“So, you’re an Orphnoch. That explains everything. You brought me here to try to convert me into an Orphnoch as well, right?” Qin Mu deduced.
Orphnochs could awaken others into their kind by infusing their own energy into them, attempting to turn them into Orphnochs as well. However, those converted in this manner usually had weaker powers compared to naturally awakened Orphnochs. This method of transformation had a low success rate, with only a small percentage of individuals actually becoming Orphnochs through it.
Surprised that Qin Mu had recognized her true nature, the Cactus Orphnoch responded, “I didn’t expect you to know about Orphnochs. But now that you do, you should understand that ordinary people have no chance against us. You can’t escape your fate. I will make you an Orphnoch, granting you powers beyond human comprehension, something you could never have enjoyed before.”