(3rd P.O.V.)
After the crowd dispersed, Yuki was led by Wanda and his mother to a nearby room.
As they entered, they placed Yuki in a capsule of some kind and began a full-body scan. After some time, Wanda stood in front of a monitor with the results, while Anna read over her shoulder.
Their eyes nearly popped out.
"This… THIS IS CRAZY! His body has completely changed! His muscle fibers are steadier and more flexible, his bones harder and denser than A-metal, and his organs have evolved to the point where no poison can harm him—his body generates its own antidotes. And that's not even mentioning his regeneration. He could lose a limb and regrow it like it was a fingernail. It'll take time, but it's possible."
She turned to Anna. "And that's only the physical side. His energy… it's almost at Marks' level. You have one hell of a child here."
Anna sighed, looking at her son floating inside the capsule, then back at Wanda. "Anything that could put him in danger?"
Wanda scanned the monitor again. "From what I can see, no. He's clean, no risk of going 'Hyper' on us."
Anna exhaled, relieved.
'Hyper' was the term they used for a human or creature who lost rationality due to their power—a dangerous state that some ability users couldn't control.
"What is 'Hyper'?" Yuki asked from inside the capsule.
Anna and Wanda exchanged surprised glances. The capsule was mostly soundproof, but apparently, he could still hear them.
"Add higher senses to that list," Wanda muttered with a sigh. "Seriously… what is your inner beast?"
Yuki looked at them confused. "What's an inner beast?"
Both looked at him. Anna asked, still puzzled, "You don't know? I thought you said you had all the information about the world?"
Wanda explained, "An inner beast is the source of all ability users. It can be a normal animal or a mythical creature. For example, mine is a horse that controls dark flames." She briefly ignited a flame in her palm.
Yuki tilted his head. "That's not its name. It's called an Instinct Avatar. And no, your instinct isn't just any flame horse—it's the Nightmare Horse. And that flame? That's literally Hell Flame, not just dark flame."
The two women froze, shocked that the little kid in front of them could pinpoint details they didn't even know.
Yuki noticed their expressions. "Did I say something wrong?"
Anna and Wanda looked at each other before nodding. "Let's move to another room before we talk further."
The shock stemmed from the fact that most ability users only knew the shape and some abilities of their instinct—called the 'Inner Beast' in vision. Anything beyond that was for the holder to discover. Yuki, however, could pinpoint the source of abilities and their uses, putting him in a completely new league.
Once they reached Wanda's office, Anna asked, "This ability of yours… can it let you see other people's Instinct Avatars?"
He nodded. "If you mean the source of power, yes. And some other things too. By the way… why do you keep calling it an 'Inner Beast'? From what I know, it's an Instinct Avatar."
The two women exchanged glances. Anna explained, "From what we know, whenever an ability awakens, the holder sees a vision of a unique creature related to that ability. That's why we call it an 'Inner Beast'."
Yuki shook his head. "It's not a beast. It's more like a projection of a person's primitive instincts—survival instincts given form."
They gestured for him to continue. He grabbed some paper from the desk and began sketching Wanda-san's Instinct Avatar. "This is what I see when I scan Wanda-san."
"Every ability you have comes from that," he continued. "From the looks of it, you probably didn't know some of these details?"
Anna looked at the sketches. "Can you explain all this? The body stuff is clear."
Yuki began explaining, and the more he spoke, the more amazed they became.
Wanda stood up mid-conversation. "Wait… at the start, you said 'human's primitive instinct.' You mean everyone has this?"
"Yes," Yuki replied. "Everyone has it. But having it and being able to awaken it are two different things."
They were stunned. Yuki added, "I don't know exactly how it awakens. It depends on body condition, mentality, and energy level. But how exactly? I don't know."
Anna's face grew serious. "Now… can you show me your shift?"
Yuki blinked. "Which one?"
Anna nodded. "The fox one first, please."
He obeyed. A pair of fox ears sprouted atop his head, and three tails extended from his backbone. Suddenly, everything darkened for Yuki, followed by a shriek.
Before he realized it, he was hugged by his mother, who excitedly exclaimed, "Look how cute you are!!!"
Wanda burst into laughter, joining Anna in patting his ears and tails. Yuki, confused, thought, Weren't we supposed to be having a serious conversation?
Eventually, he gave up and started enjoying the heavenly feeling of being pampered.