As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

Chapter 19 Finally Meeting Orga, Butterfly Shadow

It was late at night when the sticky, hot summer air of Tokyo swept over the barbed wire fence of Smart Brain Academy.

It has been a full six months since Lin Chen first infiltrated the underground area of ​​the main teaching building.

For the past six months, the entire academy has maintained a calm facade, like a thin layer of ice concealing turbulent undercurrents. The most obvious change is the airtight security in the main teaching building's underground area. What were once sentry posts only in the core passageways now cover every corner from the first to the third basement level. Orphnoch factor detectors operate at full power 24/7, and even the ventilation ducts are equipped with miniature sensors. The weapons carried by the disciplinary squad members have long since changed from stun batons to specially designed rifles loaded with photon paralysis bullets—bullets capable of instantly shattering Orphnoch essence; even high-level Orphnochs would lose their transformation ability after being shot, becoming helpless victims.

Lin Chen leaned against a sycamore tree outside the teaching building, his fingertips unconsciously tracing a five-cent coin. His amber pupils reflected the cold, somber light of the underground entrance. In the past six months, more than once, as he looked at his stagnant lifespan on the panel and felt the surging power of his fully formed body, the urge to force his way in grew like wildfire. But each time, he forcefully suppressed it.

He knew all too well the consequences. Once exposed, not only would he lose the Earth Emperor's Belt, but all his six months of lying low, enduring, and meticulous planning would be for naught. In this cannibalistic world, without his cover in the shadows, he would become the Lucky Clover and the Disciplinary Committee's number one target for elimination.

Fortunately, the six months of dormancy were not without results.

Lin Chen silently invoked the system in his mind, and a pale blue virtual panel instantly appeared in his mind, clearly displaying his growth over the past six months:

Ultimate Evolution System

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Race: Tiger-type Orphnoch (Complete Form)]

Core Attributes:

Physical fitness 43/118 (average human average 5)

Agility 35/107 (average human 5)

Spirit 37/82 (average human level 5)

Lifespan: 33 years

Evolution Points: 4

For the past six months, he maintained a precise hunting rhythm—almost always appearing in his Tiger Orphnoch form just as Ooue Takumi was about to finish the kill, reaping the dying Orphnochs. Using the evolution points from dozens of monsters, he achieved a leap in attributes. The Tiger Orphnoch form also evolved from its initial form to its complete form: when its entire body was covered in silver-black scales, its innate high-ranking racial pressure could directly intimidate ordinary Orphnochs. Its strength, speed, and defense were nearly doubled compared to its initial form; even without transforming into a knight, it could easily crush mid-level Orphnochs.

However, the rigid rules of the system completely disrupted his plan for a well-rounded physique.

He originally only wanted to focus on improving his physique to offset the lifespan loss caused by the transformation and keep his lifespan within a safe range. However, the system rules were cold and ruthless: the three attributes complement each other, and once the difference exceeds 10 points, the button to increase the attribute with the highest value will turn gray, completely locking the improvement path. He could only be forced to improve his spirit and agility in a balanced way, which greatly slowed down the speed of attribute growth, and his lifespan growth could not keep up with the rate of consumption.

Even more fatal is the cost of the complete form.

Now, every time he completes his full transformation, he irreversibly loses two years of his lifespan, leaving his lifespan stuck at around 33 years, like an invisible shackle that tightly binds his hands and feet.

Evolution points are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, underground defenses continue to upgrade, and the lifespan bottleneck remains unbroken. Lin Chen knows that he doesn't have much time left.

His night patrol hours were extended from midnight to 5 a.m., which meant he hadn't had a proper night's sleep in a long time.

After two weeks of precise calculations, he finally chose tonight—3 a.m. on the monthly shift change day. This was the only guard gap in the past six months: there was a 12-minute gap during the handover between the old and new guard posts of the disciplinary team, and the electronic locks and detectors entered monthly calibration mode, creating a full 15-minute signal blind spot, which was his only chance to infiltrate the underground core area.

At 2:50 AM, Lin Chen, under the guise of night patrol, arrived at the side entrance of the main teaching building. He extended his mental energy to its maximum range; his 37-point mental attribute allowed him to clearly perceive the locations of all sentries and patrol routes within a hundred meters, and even hear the faint electrical buzzing from the walkie-talkies of the armed personnel. After confirming that there were no spying eyes, he used his mental energy to condense a weak interference wave, precisely blocking the signal transmission of the electronic lock on the side door. With a light flick of his fingertip across the lock cylinder, he cracked the lock in just 3 seconds and silently slipped into the teaching building.

The corridor was pitch black, with only the emergency lights emitting a faint green glow. Lin Chen activated his Tiger-type Orphnoch Origin, condensing a thin, almost invisible layer of energy to completely shield himself from Orphnoch factor fluctuations and life force, perfectly avoiding the detection range of all the detectors along the way. Using the shadows of the corridor, he nimbly bypassed two fixed sentry posts, his footsteps as light as a falling leaf, making no sound whatsoever. He quickly slipped down the fire escape stairs to the basement, precisely avoiding all surveillance and patrol routes, successfully reaching the entrance to the core area of ​​the laboratory, which he had been unable to access for the past six months.

As he stood against the heavy alloy door of the laboratory, the hands of his watch pointed exactly to 3 a.m. The shift change window had just arrived, and the detector calibration countdown had 8 minutes left, perfectly timed within the safe window he had calculated.

Lin Chen held his breath and looked into the laboratory through the observation window of the alloy door.

The entire core laboratory was shrouded in a pale blue energy barrier. The floor was paved with cold stainless steel plates, and in the center stood a completely transparent energy storage chamber. Inside the chamber lay a dark gold belt with menacing patterns—the Orga Earth Emperor Belt, the strongest knight's belt belonging only to the Orphnochs. Kurosawa was dressed in black combat gear, a far cry from his usual white suit. Dozens of fully armed disciplinary team members stood beside him, their guns pointed at the storage chamber. Several lab technicians in white coats were gathered around the control panel, their fingers flying across the screen. The atmosphere in the entire laboratory was extremely tense.

Just then, the hatch of the sealing chamber slowly rose, and pale blue protective gas dispersed. A tall, high-ranking horse-type Orphnoch, covered in heavy chestnut armor, walked step by step to the sealing chamber at the command of the experimenters, and reached out his armored hand to grasp the dark gold belt.

Almost instantly upon contact, a torrent of dark golden photonic blood spread from his arm throughout his body. A menacing armor visibly covered his form, and terrifying energy fluctuations filled the entire laboratory, even causing the heavy alloy door to tremble slightly. The horse-shaped Orphnoch successfully transformed into an Earthly Knight. The dark golden Visor glowed coldly, and even through the alloy door, Lin Chen could feel its overwhelming power.

Unexpected events can happen in the blink of an eye.

The transformation lasted only 10 seconds before the dark gold armor on the horse-shaped Orphnoch shattered abruptly. His photon blood instantly reversed and dissipated, and he let out a painful groan, forcibly deactivating the transformation. The instant the transformation ended, his fingertips began to turn to sand at a visible speed, black ash falling from them. The sandification was unstoppable; in just 3 seconds, this high-level Orphnoch didn't even have time to utter a complete scream before turning into a handful of black ash, which was then dispersed without a trace by the laboratory's ventilation system.

Lin Chen felt as if his blood had frozen instantly, and his back was soaked in cold sweat.

He had initially believed that the Earth Emperor's Belt was the ultimate answer to breaking the lifespan curse and enhancing his strength, his greatest asset for surviving in this world. However, he never imagined that the belt itself was a death trap—even a high-ranking stallion-type Orphnoch couldn't withstand its operation, collapsing from its core after only 10 seconds of transformation and instantly turning to sand. The terrifying burden was a hundred times more cruel than he had learned from the story.

His initial urge to snatch the item vanished instantly, replaced by a renewed sense of rationality. He could clearly sense that all the disciplinary team members in the lab were on high alert, and the energy barrier could instantly seal off the entire lab; every second he stayed increased the risk of exposure.

Without any hesitation, Lin Chen used the shadows to silently slide towards the emergency fire escape.

Unbeknownst to him, the instant he turned to leave, a lab technician in a white coat strode up to Kurosawa, saluted, and reported gravely, "Captain, the horse-type Orphnoch is a higher species. While its Orphnoch primordial energy purity has reached the top 5% of the academy's registered Orphnochs, it's still insufficient to support the Orga belt's photon blood circulation. The transformation load directly burned away its primordial core, causing it to instantly turn to sand. To achieve a stable transformation, a higher-level, purer Orphnoch is needed as a test subject."

Kurosawa frowned slightly as he looked at the fine black ash residue on the ground, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his thigh. The image of Lin Chen immediately flashed into his mind.

Tiger-type Orphnochs are naturally high-ranking species, and Lin Chen is one of the best among them, having even suppressed Momose back then. More importantly, Lin Chen was originally a wild Orphnoch who had been recruited, so even if the experiment failed and he turned to ashes, there would be no regrets.

A cold, calculating glint flashed in Kurosawa's eyes; he had already begun to plot in his mind.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen was evacuating up the emergency staircase. He maintained his stealth layer throughout, his footsteps so light they made no sound. The entire infiltration and evacuation process was completed within 14 minutes, just before the detector calibration was finished and the guard shifts were changed. He left the main teaching building without leaving any trace.

Back in the safe zone, Lin Chen deactivated his concealment layer, adjusted his breathing and aura, and pretended to be nonchalant as he returned to his designated patrol route to continue his remaining patrol duties. However, his mind remained unsettled, repeatedly reviewing the experimental scene he had just witnessed, a silent warning: the burden on the Earth Emperor's Belt was far more terrifying than he had imagined; he must be extremely cautious in acquiring it and absolutely could not transform rashly, or he would only end up like that horse-shaped Orphnoch.

He thought he had left no trace, but unbeknownst to him, immediately after the experiment, Kurosawa retrieved the surveillance footage from the side door of the teaching building and the underground passage, capturing the three-second abnormal signal fluctuation of the electronic lock. He also detected a fleeting, faint presence in the emergency exit's surveillance footage. Kurosawa didn't make a fuss, but his determination to include Lin Chen as a test subject only strengthened.

Lin Chen wasn't the only one who changed in the past six months.

Countless life-or-death battles have honed the novice knight, who once stumbled through transformations and missed his finishing moves, into a sharp blade. Onoue Takumi has mastered the photon energy of the Faiz belt, his transformations, attacks, and dodges flowing smoothly. His use of photon blood has become increasingly refined, and he can even switch to his acceleration form with ease. Even a mid-level Orphnoch can be killed in a matter of seconds.

Several times, when Lin Chen sensed the battle and rushed over at full speed, the Orphnoch had already been killed by Faiz, turned into a pile of black ash, without even a chance to intercept it. Faiz also changed from initially fighting passively to taking the initiative, patrolling around the academy every night, hunting down out-of-control Orphnochs, and protecting the ordinary students in the academy who were completely unaware of the danger.

Faiz remained highly vigilant against the tiger-type Orphnoch that had repeatedly intercepted him. He could clearly sense that the tiger-type Orphnoch was growing stronger, yet it never harmed him or ordinary humans, only precisely reaping the lives of dying Orphnoches. Over the past six months, Faiz had set traps more than once, attempting to capture this mysterious tiger-type Orphnoch, but Lin Chen had avoided them all thanks to his superior mental perception. At the same time, he also noticed the abnormal energy fluctuations in the academy's underground area and the unusual movements of the disciplinary team, and began secretly investigating the hidden secrets of Smart Brain Academy.

At 5 a.m., Lin Chen completed all his patrol duties and prepared to return to his dormitory.

A dark blue shadow suddenly flashed past my eyes.

Lin Chen paused slightly, his pupils contracting slightly.

It was a blue butterfly with wings that shimmered faintly, flashing through the night as if it had never existed.

He stood there blankly for a few seconds, then a faint smile suddenly appeared on his lips. He murmured softly, his tone filled with long-suppressed anticipation:

"The knight who was passing by is coming."

Thank you everyone for your votes! As a newbie, I'm truly touched to receive this for the first time. I will continue to work hard to update!

Chapter 20 Appearance

That evening, not far from the park entrance, Lin Chen, as always, hid in the shadows, his mental energy already firmly locked onto the battlefield a hundred meters away.

After several failed attempts to reach him, with Faiz having already cleanly and decisively killed the Orphnoch by the time he arrived, leaving him no chance to even touch the edge of the evolution point, he completely changed his strategy. Whenever he sensed Takumi Onoue's presence, no matter what he was doing, he would immediately turn back and follow, guarding the opportunity for the final blow and never giving the opponent the chance to end the battle first.

On the open ground, Faiz's silver-black armor gleamed coldly in the night, his red photon veins flowing intensely. Onoue Takumi's movements were no longer clumsy; wielding his photon sword, each strike was swift and efficient, his footwork agile as he dodged counterattacks. The Orphnoch was firmly suppressed, unable to mount even a proper counterattack.

"Exceed Charge!"

A high-pitched electronic sound pierced the night as the photon sword charged, energy flowing through its blade, ready to unleash its deadly attack. Lin Chen's Orphic factors surged instantly, preparing him to transform into an Orphic being. Just as he was about to burst out of the shadows, an unfamiliar aura suddenly crashed into his sensory network.

He had never sensed that aura before in the academy. He completely concealed his presence, pressed himself against the cold metal sheet, and fixed his amber pupils on the alleyway from which the aura originated.

As the electronic sound faded, Faiz's photon sword erupted with a blazing red light, swiftly slicing through the night and piercing the core of the Orphnoch. The monster twitched a few times before turning into a cloud of black ash, swept away by the night wind. Tail-up skillfully sheathed his sword, deactivated his transformation, hopped onto the motorcycle parked nearby, and twisted the throttle to drive away.

The instant the motorcycle roared to life, a figure leaped from the rooftop of a nearby low building. A black cloak fluttered in the night wind, and a palm strike aimed directly at Takumi Onoue, who had just settled into his seat; the target was clearly the Faiz belt around his waist. Onoue reacted with lightning speed, twisting the throttle to its limit. Sparks flew as the motorcycle's rear wheel scraped the ground, and with a sharp drift, it swerved and disappeared into the night.

The figure missed its target, landing heavily only brushing the back of the motorcycle. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards the motorcycle, his cloak billowing as he moved faster than a normal Orphnoch. But legs could not keep up with the speed of a machine; after less than a hundred meters, the motorcycle's lights became a faint glow in the distance, disappearing completely at the alley entrance.

The figure stopped, panting and cursing under his breath. He bent down and picked up a fallen photograph from the ground where Faiz had just passed. His fingertips traced the photograph, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.

In the shadows not far away, Lin Chen leaned against the cold wall, his amber pupils fixed on the black figure. He had already recognized the other party's identity—Didind, the treasure hunter who enjoyed stealing knight belts and was jokingly called "Lady Haidong".

He slowly concealed his aura, his mind already clear. The appearance of Kaito Daiki was the clearest signal. Before long, Kadoya Tsukasa, the so-called "passing-by Kamen Rider," would step into this Smart Brain Academy, and this cage controlled by the Orphnochs would eventually be torn apart by the storm.

...

The next day, sunlight filtered through the sycamore leaves, casting dappled shadows on the school's stone path. Lin Chen, dressed in his patrol uniform, slowly patrolled along his predetermined route, his mental energy casually spreading out, scanning the surroundings. As he reached the corner of the garden, two familiar figures came into view: Onoue Takumi and Tomita Yuri.

He already knew their names, and now he saw them taking pictures around a pot of blooming hydrangeas. Yuri Tomoda was half-squatting in front of the flowers, carefully adjusting the angle of her camera, while Takumi Onoue stood beside her, holding a sun visor, bowing slightly as he listened to the girl's instructions. His expression was docile, and even the way he held the sun visor was somewhat cautious. His timid and submissive demeanor was completely different from the knight who transformed into Faiz at night and ruthlessly killed the Orphnoch.

Just then, cheers and applause suddenly erupted from the tree-lined path in the distance. A group of students surrounded four figures, offering them water and flowers. Lin Chen glanced up, his eyes unmoved, already used to this.

These were the lucky four-leaf clovers, their clean white school uniforms accentuating their tall and straight figures, making them the undisputed idols of the school. By day, they were popular figures among students, with gentle smiles and impeccable manners, perfectly embodying the image of sunny, cheerful young men. But Lin Chen knew that this was nothing more than their most perfect disguise.

Beneath that seemingly gentle exterior lurked the four most ferocious Orphnochs in the academy, the true rulers of the entire school, their hands stained with the ashes of countless out-of-control Orphnochs. He scoffed inwardly. If these students, kept in the dark, knew that their idols were monsters lurking among them, devouring anyone they could get their hands on, would they still be so fanatical? They would likely be left with only endless fear and despair.

Lin Chen suddenly noticed that the lucky four-leaf clover was walking towards him, surrounded by excited students.

This caused a flicker of surprise in his heart. Ever since his resistance in the interrogation room, where he used the ruthlessness of a wild tiger-type Orphnoch to force the four of them to their knees, they had been wary of him to the core. They hadn't run into each other in the past six months, but every time they did, he was always followed by armed members of the disciplinary team, fearing that he would suddenly erupt and tear them apart. They never dared to confront him directly in private, let alone approach him so unguardedly.

Could it be that he was so bold because he was surrounded by ordinary students and assumed that the boy would not dare to reveal his Orphnoch form in public?

As the cheers grew closer, Momose's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Lin Chen, her eyes filled with apprehension.

A wave of cheers surged from all around. Momose's gaze lingered on Lin Chen for a moment, but the hint of apprehension vanished quickly before she looked away. Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, his surprise deepening—things weren't as he expected. The Lucky Four-Leaf Clover, halfway there, had all turned around and headed towards Onoue Takumi and Tomoda Yuri, with the surrounding students following suit, the noise spreading far and wide.

Lucky Four-Leaf Clover walked up to the two from the photography club. Genda, being a sports student, took the lead, kicking over a plastic chair blocking their path and sweeping away the flowers that Onoue and Takumi were posing for a photo.

The cheers and applause around them stopped abruptly. The students fell silent, looked at each other, and took a few steps back. No one dared to step forward to stop him. Genta didn't care about the mess on the ground. He walked heavily to Yuda Yuri. His tall figure cast a shadow, enveloping the girl. His eyes were filled with undisguised oppression.

Momose and the other two followed behind.

Lin Chen leaned against a short distance away, his amber pupils slightly narrowed, his mind racing. Lucky Clover was always arrogant, never looking down on ordinary human students, and would never bother two photography club students for no reason. Such a large-scale mobilization must have another reason.

Could it be that Takumi Onoue's identity as Faiz has been exposed? Are they using the pretext of finding Yuri Tomoda to cause trouble, but are they actually after the hidden Kamen Rider?

"What are you going to do?" Yuri Tomoda asked, somewhat afraid as she looked at Genda's menacing approach.

"Did you just take a picture of us?" Genta questioned. As he asked, he walked around Yuri Tomoda, with Shiro Kin, who wore glasses, and Zhu Chuan, the only woman in the Clover, following closely behind. The three of them formed a triangle around Yuri Tomoda.

Takumi Ogami, standing next to him, was filled with worry.

“We Clover fans aren’t idols, it’s annoying that you’re taking pictures of us like this,” Genta said.

At this moment, Takumi Oogami came up to explain. But the Clover group still wouldn't let it go.

Genda, seeing that Onoue Takumi didn't believe his explanation, grew even more aggressive. Before Onoue could speak further, Genda forcefully reached out and snatched the camera from Yuri Tomoda's hand, then flung it directly onto the concrete ground in the distance.

The camera shot out with a gust of wind, and just as it was about to hit the ground, a figure leaped out from the side, moving as nimbly as a gust of wind, and caught the falling camera steadily. The newcomer was wearing a black, high-collared school uniform, with a pink camera hanging on his chest, leaving everyone astonished.

Lin Chen, who was in the distance, realized who he was: Kamen Rider Decade – Tsukasa Kadoya.

Tsukasa Kadoya weighed the camera in his hand, completely ignoring the three glaring angrily at him, raised his hand and pressed the shutter, snapping a few photos in quick succession. He immediately developed the pictures and pasted them one by one onto the foreheads of Genda, Shirokin, and Akikawa. The images in the photos were distorted and warped, completely losing their usual school idol glamour, leaving only hideous and comical outlines.

The three men instantly flew into a rage, tearing off the photos and smashing them on the ground. But Kadoya Shiri ignored them, walking straight to Momose, who was not far away, and snapping another picture. He looked at the developed photo and scoffed, lamenting that Momose's face was rather ugly. He casually placed the camera on a nearby table and turned to leave.

Just then, Momose flung the photograph between her fingers, the paper slicing through the air like a steel-hardened blade. Kadoya Tsukasa paused, dodging to the left, barely avoiding the attack. The photograph embedded itself in the metal water pipe behind him, emitting a piercing buzz. Kadoya Tsukasa slowly turned around, his nonchalant expression vanishing, replaced by undisguised anger in his eyes, his aura instantly turning icy.

In that tense moment, a figure emerged from the shadows of the school building. Kaito Daiki smiled, grabbed Kadoya Tsukasa's arm, and asked him what he was doing there before pulling him away.

Genda and his two companions wanted to give chase, but Momose stopped them. At that moment, Akikawa said, "Could that guy be Faiz?"

Lin Chen stood not far away, witnessing all of this. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the five-cent coin in his collar, and a glint of light flashed in his amber pupils.