In front of the brothers levitated a sapphire-colored orb, its dazzling brilliance outshining the sun itself. Suddenly, the orb began to speak. "Ah, it seems like you really passed the trial," the orb remarked before examining the brothers closely. Then, with a baffled expression, it exclaimed, "Whaaaat!? Why are there two of you? You lot are lucky, aren't you?"
"Well, we have to make do with it," Sam quipped, glancing at Ben with a playful smirk.
Ben raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Who are you first?"
"I'm the sole being that oversees Revara. Although I can't meddle with things directly, I can meddle through people like you. It doesn't happen often, trust me. It's probably because you two cracked the trial together. No one's brave and smart at the same time. Be grateful that you're not dead," the orb explained.
Impatient for answers, Sam eagerly asked, "Yeah yeah, get to the 'granting of powers' part already ."
The orb commanded, "Sure, why not? Since it's the two of you instead of just one, I can't let you both choose whatever skills or abilities you'd like."
"You both can choose a general profession, and the other gift will be based on pure luck," the orb continued. "Even the specialty of your profession will be completely random. For example, if you pick manufacturing and production, you may get blacksmithing, alchemy, textile production, and so on. It doesn't mean you can't get into other professions, but it'll require much more effort to learn, except for the profession that'll be given to you now."
"It's going to be so fun," the orb added mischievously.
Ben and Sam deliberated, with Sam suggesting, "We are obviously picking something related to fighting , right?"
Ben, always cautious, countered, "What if you end up as a rogue thief, Sam?"
Sam admitted, "Oh, that's a good point. I didn't think of that."
"Of course you didn't, dumbass," Ben quipped. "But still, we pick fighting classes anyway. We can always hire people of other professions, and nothing will help like fighting abilities when you're in danger."
They continued their discussion, with Ben selecting the fighting class "mage" and Sam choosing "close combat."
The orb commented, "Nice choice. Let's see your luck."
Two golden roulettes appeared, one with a purple lining for Ben and one with a black lining for Sam. The orb instructed them to spin the roulette.
With crossed fingers and bated breath, they let the roulette decide their fate. After a suspenseful spin, the results became clear.
Sam shouted with elation, "Nice one!" as he discovered he had received the "swordsman" class.
Ben, on the other hand, wore a perplexed expression upon seeing his result.
He got the "Enchanter" class.
"Cliché, Sam, but still lucky," Ben commented.
Sam proudly acknowledged, "An enchanter, huh? That's not very common, is it?"
Ben nodded and noted, "Indeed."
Ben added, "Well, I should get more creative, I suppose."
Sam reclaimed his normal sword from the cave, while Ben received a stylish purple glove with silver linings and a green stone in the middle. Ben was intrigued by its appearance, wondering about its purpose.
The orb reminded them, "Chop chop, boys, time's up."
"Don't you want your extra presents now?" the sassy orb continued, a noticeable twinkle in Sam's eyes.
The orb emphasized the randomness of these gifts, which could range from skills to professions or even mundane equipment. With their lives hanging in the balance, both brothers felt a sense of anxiety and anticipation as they awaited their additional rewards.
"One of you come forward," ordered the orb. Without hesitation, Sam eagerly stepped forward, his curiosity piqued.
The orb addressed Sam, saying, "Let's see your luck, brown head."
With an air of excitement, the orb shimmered briefly, conjuring an antique wooden box. Sam's eyes widened in amazement as he grabbed the box, unable to contain his anticipation. Upon opening it, he discovered an oval egg, black and yellow patched, nestled inside. Sam's heart raced with excitement, wondering what kind of amazing pet might hatch from this egg.
The orb spoke in its mysterious voice, instructing Sam to hold the egg on his palm and drip a drop of his blood on top of it, thus establishing a bond with its future owner.
Following the instructions, Sam watched as the drop of blood was absorbed by the egg, and soon after, cracking sounds filled the air.
"The egg is hatching," the orb declared.
From inside the egg, a maroon-colored leg with four toes extended outwards, knocking a part of the eggshell loose from the top. Sam could hardly contain his excitement as he watched the egg hatch.
First, a reptilian head emerged, featuring yellow eyes with black irises. Then, the baby reptile emerged entirely.
"You got a lizard?" Ben couldn't help but laugh.
Sam corrected his brother with pride, "It's a salamander, you idiot."
Ben shrugged, teasing, "What's the point anyway?"
"I don't care," Sam exclaimed with genuine delight. "It's so cute!" With the adorable salamander now in his possession, Sam couldn't have been happier.
"Now, you shall name him to finish the pact of familiarity," instructed the orb. Sam took a moment to ponder and decide on a suitable name for his new salamander pet.
After a brief pause, he proudly declared, "Roro. I name him Roro."
The salamander seemed to express its approval, displaying a happy demeanor as if it was quite content with the name Roro.
Ben couldn't help but tease, "Seriously? You couldn't think of anything else?"
In response, Sam defended his choice with enthusiasm, saying, "Shut up! I've always wanted a pet named Roro, and now my dream has come true." He jumped around joyfully, cradling Roro in his hands.
Roro was about the size of Sam's palm, a tiny but undoubtedly adorable companion. Ben couldn't help but feel content as he watched his brother's excitement.
The orb reminded them, "Enough now, time for the next gift." With that, Ben stepped forward, intrigued to discover what awaited him next.