Asmael smiled as he saw the people moving forward, and his eyes soon focused on the prettiest woman of the group for a moment, making Jessica blush. Still, the man did not lose too much time and waved his hands, making the other angels bring the abyssal monsters that were agonizing yet still alive.
"You are blessed, but that blessing comes with a price. God has granted each of you a Gift, one you must use to follow us into battle and kill the monsters in His name.
Once you kill these monsters, God will send Origin Force into your bodies. You will then be given two choices: the Warrior Path or the Magician Path. Take the Magician Path, and you will be able to use our Holy Guns, blasting the monsters from a safe distance.
You only need to aim and fire; the weapon will do all the work, converting your Magic into a beam of Holy Energy."
The people who heard those words were filled with excitement, as the idea of using rifles that could rip the abyssal monsters to pieces was terrific. Not to mention, they could do it from a safe distance, something very important for college students who were still afraid to enter the battlefield.
Yet, one of the young men raised his hand before speaking.
Vlad's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the man, who was nearly two meters tall and had a muscular figure. He was none other than Orland, a second-year civil engineering student who entered the college thanks to his boxing skills.
"Lord Asmael, my Gift is Silver Skin. Should I not take the Warrior Path to fully exploit my power?"
Orland was respectful and asked a pertinent question, yet Asmael's eyes grew cold as he glanced at the man. While the angel tried to hide it, Vlad noticed a flash of envy and greed in those flawless blue eyes.
The people with the Gifts were surprised by the sudden change in Asmael as if the mere notion that someone dared to antagonize him was a deep offense that could not be tolerated.
"How dare you question Lord Asmael's decree? He is the voice of God. Are you stupid, or is it that you are one of the heretics that God has said we must eliminate?"
The one who spoke was not one of the angels but Jessica, whose voice was full of fury and disgust.
"Answer me, are you a heretic? Are you a traitor to humankind and God?"
Orland was shocked by those accusations and couldn't help but feel pressured by the way people began to look at him. There was nothing wrong with his words, and the freedom to speak one's mind was something all people should have, yet that fundamental truth appeared no longer important.
Although it was infuriating and embarrassing, the man could only lower his head as he turned toward Asmael.
"I am sorry for my rudeness. I didn't mean to offend you, Lord."
Asmael showed a smile full of satisfaction as he saw Orland lowering his head, and then he turned toward Jessica, smiling with even more strength.
"I am happy to see we have a true devotee of God among our troops. I will be sure to guide you on the right path."
Jessica showed a submissive yet coquettish smile toward Asmael as she lowered her head, and the furious aura from before was gone.
Asmael gave Jessica one final glance before waving his hand, causing the other angels to bring the abyssal monsters forward. He then gave the youths small daggers so they could deliver the final blow. All of them were fast, using the weapon to take down the monsters, and as the golden energy flooded into their bodies, they all advanced to Level 1.
After the nearly forty Gifted obtained their Path and advanced to Level 1, they were all given a Holy Rifle by the angels, and their eyes were full of gratitude as that would give them the means to face the incoming demons.
Vlad observed all of this from the sidelines, along with the rest of the people who watched the Gifted with envy and fear. They all wanted the means to protect themselves, but after Jessica's rant about Heretics, they feared questioning Asmael's commands.
On the other hand, Vlad was not envious as he had already become a Level 1 Warrior, but he couldn't help but glance at the Holy Rifles with suspicion. They were indeed powerful and would help them face the monsters, but wouldn't it be better to learn how to master spells and such? After all, if they only knew how to aim and fire, they would become reliant on those weapons and would be lost without them.
Thanks to his memories of his past life, Vlad was able to pick up on small clues. He saw that the angels were not generating good soldiers capable of fending for themselves but rather people dependent on them and would be lost without their help.
Asmael nodded as he saw the Gifted take the weapons and then turned to the rest of the people, those without Gifts, that made up nearly ninety percent of the refugees. While there was still a smile on his face, Vlad noticed the lack of interest in his eyes.
'We are no longer useful to him.'