Truly interesting is what Calliope is thinking while looking at Oliver and the rest. This is why humans had been a threat to their race back in the old world. Coexistence has always been temporary. The real question is how long it would last, as the only permanent thing is change. That's why they all evolved to adapt, while other races simply go extinct.
Beasts were stronger and had no restrictions, unlike the gifted, and yet the greed in human eyes scares them. Otherwise, why would they decide to accept the invitation to migrate, leaving their original homes? The messy history of humans had nothing to do with them to begin with. They came to our lands and wreaked havoc everywhere they went without respecting the original owners. They arrived as if the lands weren't inhabited, claiming everything as their right. And then what? They decide to remember afterwards what it means to claim the land first, and others have no right to take it. Otherwise, they will wage wars, thinking that nothing is more important than their existence and that others are beneath them. Truly laughable indeed.
And yet, they can't deny that some of them shine so brightly that even they can't help but be mesmerized by it. It's like parents whose children are utterly insufferable, and yet they adore them. It's similar to how a human can treat a dog as if they were truly their child, despite the difference in race.
I never understood your intentions, Aetherius, for bringing them here. But if you want their existence here, then I'm truly helpless. I shall allow it, but I cannot speak on behalf of the entire NeoGaia.
Calliope continued to look at Oliver while contemplating his answer, pondering how far they can go from here on out.
"Then let me tell you how you can use faith and prana," Calliope said, gesturing towards a table with books prepared for them.
"How many professions do you have now in the old world?" Calliope asked once again, and this time Noah answered. "It's really difficult to provide an exact number, as new professions are constantly emerging and existing professions are evolving. I'd say we have thousands of them with no definite number."
"And how do individuals decide which profession to pursue, and why do they choose to become proficient in a specific field or career?" Everyone was initially confused by Calliope's question, but now they seem to be getting an idea of where the discussion is heading.
"Based on their abilities, interests, choices, and needs. Does this mean we can harness others' abilities aside from our current ones?" Noah continued to answer and voice his conclusion.
"Every ability is powered by prana, so you can use any spell and ability as long as you have prana and the talent to invoke it. It's similar to how a person can be completely untalented with bows and arrows but is a genius when it comes to swords. However, that doesn't mean that you can't lift a bow and shoot an arrow using the bow." Calliope further explained, confirming the doubts in everyone's minds.
"Then, in a sense, we can wield elements and enhance ourselves with speed and all, as long as we learn how to do it. But individuals with certain talents are more prone to be comfortable with specific abilities that they are naturally gifted in." The more Noah explained, the more he confirmed the depths of their discussion.
Ethan had also arrived at the same conclusion as the others. Though he is happy he can control water, unlike Jake and the rest who awakened abilities by conquering their inner demons and manifesting their wishes and desires resulting in abilities related to them, Ethan's abilities are a bit different. Instead of natural talent, the abilities he gained were more like what they needed at that time in the corridor. Lucy can't be considered like him, as they know she has a passion for the medical field. So basically, at that time, she invoked the ability to heal because it's what she is talented in and it happened to be what she needed as well. There's also a possibility that her healing abilities lean more in a different direction, but due to the dire situation, her ability had manifested into rapid healing, draining her energy at a fast rate, thus causing her to faint.
So, if it wasn't because of the water situation at the door back in the corridor when we were escaping, what natural talent was I supposed to awaken at that time? Or did I already awaken it but decided to set it aside and invoke the water ability to help us pass through the door instead? Is that also why I fainted because of the abrupt change? The more I think about it, the clearer it gets because Lucy's healing abilities should have revitalized me already. But another possibility is that I was also so close to death's door at that time. It's either one of these possibilities or both of them, thus I fainted afterwards because of it as well.
The question now is, what ability did I awaken aside from freely controlling the water? Ethan continued to think while Rayana remained silent. She had been concentrating in order to avoid Calliope's mind reading. If she can't avoid it, then she might as well not think of anything. But the hardest part is knowing when Calliope is not listening to them. This task is bound to be a difficult one.
"Ease up, Rayana. I don't plan on reading yours and the others' thoughts anymore." Rayana suddenly heard Calliope's voice in her mind, further aggravating Rayana about being helpless in protecting her mind. For Rayana, being vulnerable in the mind for others to exploit is more dangerous than fighting a monster. It feels like being naked and defenseless, falling into a trap that I couldn't avoid. "How can I trust you?" Rayana answered back. However, she did not receive a reply from Calliope.
"What do you think is the difference between a swordsman and a priest?" Calliope once again posed a question for them to ponder.
"One uses the physical body, and the other uses faith. But a swordsman's talent doesn't solely rely on physical ability, does it?" Amelia answered, gaining a clearer idea of where Calliope is leading the conversation as they themselves contemplate the intricacies of prana.
"Indeed, if the physical body's talent lies in being able to move things in a physical sense, then a soul's talent also has the ability to move prana and breathe life into everything. Followed by our spirit that powers everything, allowing us to create miracles like your abilities. All three work as one, creating beings with lives. So, if you're missing one, then you will die." Ethan finally understood why they fainted after Calliope's explanation. Lucy exhausted her spirit when healing him, causing her to faint. Meanwhile, Ethan himself was on the verge of his soul leaving his physical body, as he was supposed to die but came back. Afterward, he had to exhaust himself with water abilities to escape death once again at the hands of Simurg.