An hour or so had elapsed from the moment Nina had commenced the bestowal of blessing upon her designated candidate, Hunter Tamaniel.
"Sniff~ Sniff~ Hehe~ Hunter actually did it~!"
Nina giggled and frolicked with tears running down her cheeks as she gazed upon a rather grotesque finger lying in a pool of blood mixed with a distinct black liquid that made her pinch her nose.
All of Hunter's fingernails had been torn off, most of his hair had been pulled out and was floating in the crimson-black puddle, his eye sockets were empty and his eyeballs were crushed somewhere in the gory mess, he had bit his tongue off and most of his teeth were missing, and his company uniform was in tatters, exposing most of his body which was covered in deep gashes and lacerations.
Many of the bones in his limbs and upper body had shattered because of the unimpeded rough usage, and the scene was covered with pieces of organs and flesh. All in all, Hunter wasn't exactly the pinnacle of human health at this moment. However, though it was subtle, his mangled chest was still heaving. At a glance, Hunter looked no better than a mutilated corpse, but he was alive and conscious, barely.
The agonizing pain had subsided about five minutes ago. Nina wanted to proceed to the final step immediately because she couldn't tolerate Hunter's condition, but Hunter's breathing had begun to wane and his heart had stilled. Nina wailed and screamed as she thought that Hunter was dead, but he managed to pull through, though he was still on the verge of it.
"Hunter will die if Nina delays it any longer!"
Snap!
Hunter's body imperceptibly twitched at Nina's snap despite his condition. However, unlike earlier, it wasn't overwhelming suffering that followed Nina's snap, but a subtle pricking sensation.
"Guurg... Gurg..."
The blood accumulated in Hunter's throat gurgled as he attempted to vocalize. Nina zipped to Hunter's side and placed her tiny hand between two gashes that laid bare his fragmented skeletal structure underneath.
"Hunter! Calm down! Hunter! It's body reconstruction!" Despite Nina yelling as loud as she could with her small frame, Hunter continued to spasm, and more blood pooled in his mouth. "This will heal Hunter!"
After a few more screams, it seemed as if she finally got through to Hunter as he stopped writhing, drawing out a sigh of relief from Nina.
"This is so difficult! Nina is exhausted!" Nina wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I have more respect for those who have done this multiple times. Big Sister said Nina would understand when Nina handled her first candidate. Big Sister was correct as always!"
Nina hugged her body and muttered as a warm golden light enveloped Hunter, forming a cocoon around him. The cocoon throbbed and quivered, releasing weak pulses of energy every few seconds.
Nina vigorously flew around in anticipation and nervousness, anticipation because she couldn't wait for Hunter to complete his body reconstruction and nervousness because of what the process entailed for both the candidate and the assistant. Her seniors had told her stories about individuals transforming into incredibly powerful warriors after undergoing the process, triggering extraordinary talents latent in their bodies.
After about fifteen minutes of waiting, the golden glow around Hunter dimmed. The cocoon, rather than bursting open and unveiling Hunter with wings, simply integrated into Hunter's body, leaving a film of gold around him that dispersed by the second.
"Kyaa~!" Nina squealed and cheered, clapped her hands, and darted briskly across the surrounding space. "Hunter~! Hunter~! Wake up~!"
"Ugh... Stop shouting Nina..."
Hunter's eyelids fluttered open as he was blasted by the whiteness he could never get used to yet again. Looking at the blurry figure zipping by and cheerily shouting his name at the top of her lungs, Hunter couldn't help but leak a chuckle.
"Alright, alright, I a- Woah!" Hunter was about to get up but his hand slipped in the liquid he was lying in. "What the hell is this?"
Hunter shakily rose from the pool of black blood, but weirdly it didn't stick to his body that still gleamed with a warm golden glow. He stepped away from the pool of unknown fluid and pinched his nose.
"Oh~ That's the impurities~!" Nina finally stopped and settled on Hunter's shoulder. "Hunter's body is free of the accumulated impurities and has reached its apex! Look~! Look~!"
Snap!
Nina snapped, and Hunter involuntarily twitched. Nina seemed as if she was about to say something but before she could, a mirror materialized in front of the duo.
"Oh my... My senses haven't properly recovered so I couldn't feel anything, but I am naked..." Hunter gazed at his reflection, running his eyes along the entire length of the mirror, stopping for a second in the middle. "Very naked."
The figure in the mirror stood tall at 185 centimeters, with wide shoulders and an authoritative gait. He had unblemished soft beige skin that faintly glowed under the all-encompassing whiteness. Rich, lustrous, and breathtaking brown hair cascaded effortlessly down his shoulders, falling in soft waves. His reddish-brown eyes gleamed with an almost ethereal intensity, radiating a warmth and depth that could captivate anyone who met his gaze. The handsome face was the perfect blend of sharp angles and soft contours, with high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a slightly angular nose that added to his rugged charm.
Hunter's body was a masterpiece, a physical marvel. His broad shoulders were like the peaks of a mountain, seamlessly transitioning into thick, powerful arms, their veins prominent beneath the skin as they bulged with undeniable force. His chest was muscular and chiseled, his abs were a firm core of power and endurance, and his legs were thick and powerful. Also, his sword, even when sheathed, seemed to have increased in stature and girth.
"Is that... me?"
Hunter subconsciously reached out to the mirror. One of his hands brushed against the reflective surface, and the other caressed his own body, comparing the two in disbelief.
"Wow... I feel so..." Hunter lost his words as he listlessly stared at his reflection. He flexed his newfound muscles, jumped around, and twirled a couple of times. "Alive!"
Hunter laughed with his chest puffed out, reveling in the sensation of inhabiting a body that surged with strength and vitality. His senses had been restored during his modeling session, and they were much sharper than before, so much so that he could feel a certain part of his body flopping around uncontrollably.
"...Uh." Hunter's face reddened as he abashedly covered his nether region and craned his neck at Nina, who sitting in the air and cheerfully kicking her legs. She seemed completely unconcerned and unphased by his exhibitionism.
'Well, I guess she must've seen a lot of that when she read my memories.'
"Nina, assistance please."
"Fufufu~ Of course~"
Snap
Nina snapped, making Hunter flinch.
Hunter's explosive physique was once again donned in the grey monotonous uniform of Chesher Industries, though it was altered to fit his new body.
'They look much better than before... Guess that saying about attractive people looking good in anything was spot-on.'
Hunter mused as he inspected his reflection and messed with his hair, trying various hairstyles. "Nina, can you get me a rubberband?" He settled on a classic low ponytail.
"Hunter... Nina is so sorry..."
"Huh?" Hunter was busy admiring his new look when he was interrupted by Nina who arrived and placed her hands on his bulging shoulder. "What for?"
"Well..." Nina gestured towards the pool of blood, impurities, mangled flesh, and crushed organs. "Hunter has been flinching at Nina's finger snap..."
Hunter merely smiled and brushed his finger with regrown fingernail against her smooth and soft cheek.
"Don't worry about it... You've read my memories, you know how good I am at ignoring and stowing away all of my painful memories, right? I have written three suicide notes, you know? I'll get over it."
Hunter chuckled and rubbed his palms together excitedly, but it was clearly an attempt to distract Nina who seemed ready to let loose the waterworks.
"What's next?"
"Oh~ Yes~!" It appeared to have worked, for Nina took off into the air and twirled a couple of times before facing Hunter. "First, let's get rid of that, I can't stand it anymore!"
"Yeah, can't believe all of it came out of me."
Nina snapped and the pool of horror vanished, and the two inhaled deeply in celebration.
"Now, let's check the panel~!"
Snap
"Okay..." Hunter narrowed his gaze as the holographic screen reappeared in front of him.
'Let's see how much I changed.'
—————————————
[Name: Hunter Tamaniel]
[Origin: UE9HI-VQ851P72-G6TP4]
[Region: Unassigned]
[Talent: Empyrean Fortune]
[Level: Nil]
[Physique: 5.4]
[Spirit: 9.5]
[Cognition: 10.2]
[Vitality: 6.8]
[Essence: 13]
[Forged Skills: True Grit, Thought Amplification]
—————————————
"T-that's it?"
While Hunter acknowledged that the numbers were comparatively higher, he still couldn't accept the reality.
'Only two even reach the double digits?'
Hunter felt insulted, for he had never received a score lower than ninety-five on any test throughout his life.
"YAAAY~!"
However, it seemed his little companion didn't share his views.
"This is amazing Hunter~!"
Nina went into a frenzy, and although Hunter could keep up with her movements fairly better than previously, he still felt dizzy.
"What do you mean, Nina?" Hunter replied, his energy in complete contrast. "It's so low..."
"Hehe~! Hunter is looking at it the wrong way! Don't focus on numbers themselves, what matters more is the margin~!" Nina rushed to Hunter's shoulder and groaned in comfort for her throne had increased in size. "Look, even the lowest increase is over six times, and some even go beyond seven! You have even awakened a talent and forged two skills! This is unprecedented for a powerless species!"
"Hey—" Hunter sighed and ignored the comment. He understood what Nina was trying to say, and it lifted his spirits a little. "So... Can you explain these attributes to me now? Also those skills and the talent... They weren't here before."
"Hunter doesn't want to acquire the perks? Nina can explain everything together later~"
Nina placed a finger on her cheek in wonderment. Hunter couldn't help but leak a smile at the absolutely adorable creature kicking her legs on his shoulder.
"I want to know what I am working with first. Is that fine?"
"Okie~ Nina will do whatever Hunter asks of her!"
Hunter decided to sit down as well. The two companions observed the information together as the little one's sweet voice flowed out.
"Let Nina scour Hunter's memories again. The words themselves are based on Hunter's vocabulary and understanding. While they may not convey the meaning of the attributes exactly, Nina believes it's good enough~!"
Nina's dense and long eyelashes moved as she closed her eyes. It took a minute or so before she opened her eyes and pumped her fist.
"Is Hunter ready?"
"Of course! Is Nina ready?"
"Hehe~ Let's first tackle the attributes!" Nina leaned on Hunter's cheek and pointed at the screen. "The physique attribute is a combination of strength, agility, stamina, dexterity, and coordination."
"Alright, so basically my overall physical prowess, right?"
"Mmhmm~ Spirit is a mixture of intellect, wisdom, logic, insight, comprehension, and memory." Nina looked over at Hunter and he shook his head lightly, signaling that he had no questions. "Cognition is a little tricky since Hunter's language doesn't have anything even close to it, but it's essentially one's ability to sense beyond what is permitted by their body and act on it. Hunter can understand it as an amalgamation of perception, instinct, intuition, and reflexes."
"Oh, so it's like a sixth sense?"
"Not exactly..." Nina looked troubled as she couldn't find words to explain. "Hunter will understand it eventually!"
She began punching and pinching Hunter's cheek.
"Okay, okay, let's leave it be." Hunter placed his palm on his cheek, absorbing all the weak impacts. "I think I understand vitality, is it like my health and endurance?"
"Yep~ Vitality represents health, but not just physical, mental as well~ It is a blend of vigor, perseverance, willpower, endurance, lifeforce, and tenacity." Nina didn't stop since only one of the attributes was remaining. "Essence is the most important of these attributes. It is an amalgamation of adaptability, courage, fortitude, and mettle."
"I see... Mental and physical resilience..." Hunter pinched his chin in contemplation. "But I don't understand the essence part, how can one quantify adaptability or courage, these are such abstract qualities, and also fortitude for that matter."
While Hunter said that, he was quite elated that his highest attribute was the most important one.
"Well, that's the thing~" Nina scratched her fluffy maroon hair as she drew circles on Hunter's cheek with her other hand. "Nina will try her best to put it into words!"
Nina lightly cleared her throat and stood on her shoulder chair.
"Essence represents an individual's ability to thrive and grow in an unfavorable situation. Something akin to the strength of the soul." Nina's eyes narrowed as she clenched her fists. "Essence isn't confined to mere flesh or the conciousness, no, it is way beyond such trivialities. It is the fortitude of the foundation of all that makes an individual self-aware, the very aspect that gives them sentience and allows them to fight for their continued existence."
As Nina spoke, her voice got higher and she got more heated, to the point that Hunter was terrified by the end.
"Alright, alright, I get it." He didn't get it, but he had to make choices that prioritized his safety. "What about these skills? What does forged mean?"
Nina, still indulging in her high, took a second to calm herself and settle down again.
"Oh, yes, the skills... Hunter can see for himself~" Nina snapped and the text changed. "The system is very intuitive~ Hehe~"
[Forged Skills: True Grit, Thought Amplification]
[True Grit]
[Your unyielding composure and willpower have been acknowledged.]
[Effect: You can remain calm and hold your clarity even in the most tumultuous conditions.]
[Thought Amplification]
[Your mental acuity and intellectual prowess have been acknowledged.]
[Effect: When activated, accelerates cognitive functions for three minutes. Can only be activated once every 82 minutes.]
'A passive skill that calms me down and an active skill to hasten my thoughts...Quite the combination.'
Hunter chuckled to himself at the thought.
'Is this former why I'm accepting everything so easily? Guess the years of calorie deficit finally caught up with me since I didn't receive a body-related skill...'
Hunter scratched his chin in thought as he continued to gape at his skills.
"Nina, you didn't tell me what forged skill meant? Are these the only skills I'll possess?"
If that were the case, which Hunter assumed it shouldn't be, the situation would go to shit very fast.
"Ufufu~ Of course not~ Forged skills are abilities granted by Mother~ If a candidate accomplishes a feat acknowledged by Mother, Mother grants them a skill related to that aspect." Nina gazed at Hunter proudly and considering their proximity, Hunter was quite flustered. "As Nina said before, Hunter's results during body reconstruction were phenomenal~! Near impossible for someone from a species as weak as Hunter's."
Hunter felt rather prideful as Nina showered him in praise, but all the air was sucked out of him with the last sentence.
"Sigh~" Hunter groaned and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I understand I am weak and I need these perks."
"Hunter~ That is not the case at all~ As Hunter is now, Hunter is very strong amongst Hunter's species!"
Nina clung to Hunter's cheek and tried to console him.
'The number of times she says my name is starting to weird me out.'
Although Hunter felt that, he was happy that Nina was comforting him.
"Really?"
"Yeah~"
'It is just that the overall strength of your species itself leaves much to be desired.'
Nina kept these thoughts to herself as she smiled at Hunter and continued to caress his cheek.
"Is there any way to know what the average stats of my race are?"
"Wait! Nina can tell Hunter this~!" Nina pulled back and closed her eyes. "The average attributes of humans inhabiting the realm known as Terraia are..."
Snap!
[Physique: 1.4]
[Spirit: 0.9]
[Cognition: 1.3]
[Vitality: 1.7]
[Essence: 0.4]
The text on the holographic screen now displayed Hunter's attributes and the new column next to each other, and the disparity was surreal. Even though Hunter didn't understand the exact prowess and change these numbers represented, he was still delighted at the fact that his essence was over thirty times the average, and even prior to body reconstruction, it was way higher.
"I get it, Nina..." Hunter smiled and rubbed Nina's head as her smile reached the ends of her petite face. "But how did you derive these numbers? Did you calculate it through my memories? However, I don't think I've interacted with very many gifted individuals to accurately demonstrate the extremes of humanity and provide a better data pool."
"Oh, no~! Nina retrieved the information about Hunter's planet mates from Mother~ Nina thinks there are enough candidates!" Nina mischievously giggled.
"WHAT!?" Hunter exclaimed. "I thought I was the only one! How many are there!"
Just as his emotions were spiralling and falling into disarray, Hunter experienced a cooling sensation enveloping his conciousness.
'So that's how the skill works—'
"Ohoho~ Nina can't tell Hunter that~ There are a lot~!" Nina continued to chuckle and kick her legs, her heels digging into Hunter's shoulder. "Anyway, take a look at the talent~! Nina forgot to mention, but acquiring a talent at this juncture is extremely rare! Espe—"
"For a powerless species like the one I belong to, right?" Hunter smiled weakly, his eyes dulling. "Please just show me the effects, Nina."
"Hehe~" Nina rotated away from him and snapped. "Here, Hunter."
[Talents: Empyrean Fortune]
[Empyrean Fortune]
[You shall bend luck and fortune to your will. Serendipity and providence shall kneel before you. Fate and destiny shall have no sway on the one bearing the mark of the empyrean.]
"Mark of the empyrean, eh? It sounds profound and powerful, but what does this mean?" Hunter waited for a minute but didn't receive a reply from the existence sitting on his left shoulder. He looked over and her eyes were fixed on the screen as well. "What is it, Nina? Is it bad?"
"N-nina doesn't know... Mother has taught Nina that talents are the most descriptive elements of a chosen's status. Talents lay everything bare, and a candidate should be able to naturally wield them."
"Is that so..."
Hunter's expression darkened, for he thought he had been duped by this 'Mother' or Nina's.
"Well, we can infer some things from the name and description. It seems like a luck-related talent. I have my doubts though..." Hunter chuckled melancholically. "It would be pretty ironic for someone like me to receive a talent related to bolstering luck."
Nina glanced at Hunter with pity. She was the only being throughout the multiverse who could truly understand Hunter's pain and resentment. And although both of them were skirting around the conversation, neither of the two breaching the topic, Nina was very sympathetic towards Hunter and had been trying her best in her own way.
'It is what it is, I'll think about it later. Everything else can wait.'
Hunter frowned, but he didn't spare too much brain power about it. More than anything, over eight hours had passed since he was summoned to this space.
Hunter was ready to receive his perks.
"Let's do this." Hunter looked over to his shoulder. "You've been urging since the very start, let's see what this entails!"
Hunter watched as Nina's expression turned into one of excitement and joy.
"YES~! NINA FINALLY GETS TO GIVE OUT PERKS~!"