As my head cleared and I got my bearings, my sight slowly came back to me. There was a ringing sound in my ears, and I could feel my gut churning. My senses were slowly returning.
"Yohan, Yohan, are you okay?" Sister Amelia asked, holding me steady.
"Yes, I'm fine, just a little bit dizzy," I said.
"Okay, come here. You're already doing better than the others," Sister Amelia said with a smile.
As I heard Sister Amelia's words, I looked around and saw the other children fainted on the ground, with people carrying them toward a gathering area.
"This is normal. Kids usually can't handle the pressure from the rift and faint on their first trip, but surprisingly, you're doing quite well for your first time," Sister Amelia said.
"Anyway, welcome to Frontier City, Yohan," she added.
I looked towards the city and was amazed. The place was a fascinating mix of medieval and futuristic elements. Small houses, tall towers and iron gates stood alongside sleek, glass structures that shimmered in the light. The streets were cobblestone, but there were also vehicles hovering just above the ground, zipping by silently. People in medieval armor walked alongside others in futuristic suits.
The sky was a clear blue, yet there was no visible sun. The light seemed to come from the sky itself, casting a soft, even glow over everything. It was like stepping into a world where past and future coexisted in harmony.
"So this is the other side," I thought, taking in the incredible sights of Frontier City.
"If you've cleared your mind, you should check your status window," Sister Amelia said as she moved toward the other children. "Just say 'stat' in your mind. I have to check up on the others."
I did as instructed.
Stat
Name: ??
Race: Human
Realm: Mortal
Bloodline: [Human (Epic)], [Not Awakened]
Affinity: [Wind - (49%) High], [Metal - (41%) High]
Talent: [Unknown?? To be named] [Use Talent for more details]
"So, I have dual attribute affinity and even talent," I mused.
"And my human bloodline is of Epic rank. Does that mean one of my ancestors reached rank 4?" I wondered.
"I thought I was just a discarded orphan, that is why I was caught for experimentation. But according to my bloodline, I should have a very powerful background."
"Maybe I'm one of those bastard children with low talent who was abandoned," I thought.
"Well, who cares? It's all in the past and not even my past. Still, I should find some info about my origins. Who knows what kind of trouble might arise if they find out an abandoned child became powerful."
But this is good, epic bloodline means my physique will at least reach rank 4, even if I don't train. With a core and an Epic bloodline, I could reach rank 2 in at most one year.
In Horizon, bloodline determines your lower limit, meaning even if you don't actively train, your body will still reach the level according to the bloodline. The level of bloodline is decided by the highest rank achieved by your direct ancestor: Common and Uncommon bloodlines mean rank 1, Elite and Rare mean rank 2, Unique means rank 3, Epic means rank 4, and so on.
So having an epic human bloodline may not give you special powers but you will at least reach rank 4 in body.
"Wind and metal dual affinity, and the percentages beside them—that's how they know who has Epic affinity and who doesn't," I realized.
According to texts found in some ruins, affinity is supposedly divided into ten ranks:
None: [1-10%]
Basic: [11-20%]
Low: [21-30%]
Moderate: [31-40%]
High: [41-50%]
Advance: [51-60%]
Superior: [61-70%]
Epic: [71-80%]
Mythic: [81-90%]
Divine: [91-100%]
"I remember extracting some wind affinity and other affinities. If I merge them, will it increase my affinity?" I wondered.
"Let's try it. Merge wind affinity."
Just then, the seven wind affinity I had collected before started to merge with my existing wind affinity.
Stat
Name: ??
Race: Human
Realm: Mortal
Bloodline: [Human (Epic)], [Not Awakened]
Affinity: [Wind - (56%) Advance], [Metal - (46%) High]
Talent: (Unknown?? To be named) [Use Talent for more details]
"Yes! It really increases my affinity."
"Now I just have to hunt beasts with wind and metal affinities to reach full affinity in them. After that, maybe I can add some rare affinities too," I thought excitedly.
As I reviewed my stats, I wondered about my talent.
"Why does it show as '??'? I thought the Horizon System contained all the knowledge of every talent out there," I pondered.
"Are you happy with your stats?" I heard Sister Amelia ask, standing beside me.
"Yes," I replied.
"Good. Now come with me, the others have woken up," Sister Amelia said.
We entered a building where the other children were gathered. Everyone had already awakened, and I could see people in suits talking to the children and their guardians.
"They are from different organizations and schools. They are here to sponsor talented children and train them to join their ranks when they grow up," Amelia explained.
"But I think you have already decided where to go," Amelia added.
"Yes, I have already decided to join the Federation's Armed Forces. Only then will I get those resources from Captain Cruz, and I think it's a far better choice as I can grow faster without any binding obligations. I have already talked with Brian, and he said I only have to serve for one year in the regular army before I can join their team," I thought.
"Hello, little kid. Can I know your name?" I heard a deep voice behind me.
As I turned towards the voice I saw a 6-foot-tall giant looking at me.
"Hello, Mark," Sister Amelia stepped in front of me and answered him.
"Hello, Amelia," Mark replied.
"What is a general like you doing here for this small awakening ceremony?" Amelia asked, her voice taunting.
"Oh, I just got stationed here and heard that the awakening ceremony was going on, so I came to check it out," Mark replied with a smile.
"I still didn't get your name, little boy," Mark said.
As I was about to answer, Amelia interjected,
"He is only here to see the other children and nothing more, so you don't have to worry about him."
"Let's go," Amelia said, taking my hand and walking towards James. As we walked, I could still feel Mark's gaze on my back.
"If you meet him after joining the army, try to stay away from him," Amelia advised.
"Why?" I asked.
"You can ask Captain Cruz about that," Amelia said.
"Try to find out about that kid if you can," Mark ordered, staring at Amelia and Yohan as they walked away.
"Yes, sir," a soldier responded, quickly moving away to follow the order.
"Is there anything special about that kid, sir?" another soldier asked.
"Maybe. I'm not sure, but with her acting like that, there might be," Mark said, his eyes narrowing as he watched them leave.
"Oh, do you know her personally, sir?" the soldier asked.
"Yes, she was quite famous in our circle once," Mark replied.
Mark turned his gaze back to the bustling room filled with children and representatives from various organizations.
"I wonder if you're hiding something, Amelia," he murmured to himself.