I ate supper in a hurry, and resumed cultivating. I paused when the lights-out gong rang, thinking maybe I should keep going, but I needed to leave early to meet with Elder Hasegawa. I ended up going just long enough to reach the 7th stage of the First Earth Realm. Even that was enough to put me at risk of missing the meeting, but I made it in time, thanks in no small part to the fact I was able to run much faster now. "This disciple greets Elder Hasegawa," I said, bowing like we'd practiced in class, "you wished to speak with me at this time?"
"Yes, thank you for coming. Like Jue Zhu, it would seem that you are a talent worth nurturing from the earliest stages of cultivation. Before anything else, I would determine where your talents lie. I would ask you reveal your status."
"With apologies, elder, how do I do that?"
"Just like opening the System menu, only by concentrating and thinking 'reveal status' instead of 'menu.'"
"I see..."
Health: 2,246/2,246
Qi: 15,600/15,600
Qi Recovery: 26 Qi/sec
Physique: Experiential Body
Curses/Ailments: None
Strength: 76
Resilience: 83
Agility: 108
Comprehension: 288
Resolve: 138
Reaction: 90
Aura: 64
Faith: 80
Purity: 62/100
Realm: Dantian Formation (Earth 1)
Stage: 7
Highest Rate: 1 Qi/sec
Last Rate: 1 Qi/sec
Qi To Next: 0/6000
Spirit Force: 76
"Hmm...looks like you have a major talent in Comprehension, and a minor one in Resolve. The major talent certainly explains how you started cultivating so quickly. You're very lucky. Cultivation families use all kinds of methods to improve the chances of their newborns having talents, and expend vast resources to improve talents after birth. Maybe one in 10,000 mortals born without a background have even a single minor talent. A dual talent, especially one including a major talent, is more like one in ten million!"
Not just a talent, but a major talent! Signing up for this PVE is looking like a better and better decision all the time!
"Ah, I should warn you, there's no lack of talents under the heavens. Don't start thinking you're invincible. If you picked a fight with even a branch member of a powerful cultivation family, for example, provided you'd gotten a good amount of experience and cultivation by then, you'd at best have a small chance of holding your own. Talent invites opportunities in this world, but it also invites trouble. That is the warning that I give everyone I instruct who proves to have talent."
"You don't have to worry about me on that score, Elder." I bowed again and backed off toward my seat. "In my old world, I got a very thorough 'education' on those who make trouble for others like that."
"I see. As for how best to use your talents, we'll have a lesson in History and Politics once everyone in Class B is cultivating, covering the nine Sects which recruit from the Academy. All the faculty Elders are obligated to report the existence of talented individuals like you to these nine sects. In particular, I suggest you pay attention to the explanation of the 10,000 Scrolls Library. They specialize in Comprehension geniuses, so there's no doubt they'll take an interest in you.
That about covers it unless there was anything you wanted to ask me?"
I shook my head. The rest of Class B was already beginning to arrive as well, so I just sat and thought until class began. In combat practice, instead of continuing to work with the combat trainers (basically full members of the Dimension Governors that were lower in the ranks than the teachers), Hasegawa took me aside with Jue Zhu and started us on exercises to help us to control our new strength that had broken mortal limits.
After a while, he left us to check on others. As we continued on our own, Jue Zhu, to my surprise, spoke to me. "Would you like to sit with me at lunch later?"
"Depends why you're asking."
"Well, neither of us is sitting with anyone else so far. Plus, Elder Hasegawa probably warned you too, right? It's dangerous to be talented. You're obviously a talent too, if you're already a cultivator. I figure we ought to stick together."