Getting hit multiple times and unable to do much about it, Aiden fell to the ground. His eyes darted with mixed emotions as he clenched his fists and stood back on his feet. He glanced back at his personal trainer, a martial artist talented in Physical Flexibility. This trainer's Talent wasn't common, which made it difficult for Aiden to discern.
By the next month at the Talent School, Aiden aimed to focus on martial arts. There would come a time in the near future when he would have to fight humans or their kind, so he couldn't just ignore it.
Even though he could amplify his speed with Lightning Manipulation, it wasn't on the level of a normal martial artist. To this day, martial artists were revered as the best options for those with Physical Type Talents.
"Balance! Remember to keep your balance in check. Your center of gravity, flexibility, and presence of mind are important. Keep it up or you will die."
The powers of Talents weren't unlimited. Each activation was connected to one's strength, and by extension, their endurance. Even with Lightning Manipulation, there would be times he had to fight without relying on his Talent.
"Get hit again, and I will put you on the ground," the rough old man threatened, his eyes gleaming with deep hostility.
Sensing his heart skip a beat, Aiden smiled awkwardly. 'What a vigorous old man.'
The grueling training continued for several minutes until it turned into an hour. Aiden's body ached in different parts. There were even some areas he felt numb.
Following each of the trainer's instructions, he felt as though he were dying in this hellish training. This old man wasn't a joke! Even as an old Talented, he still had it in him.
Just when Aiden was about to surrender, the old man stopped and regulated his breath. A few beads of sweat rolled down his face, which he wiped away as he threw a glance at Aiden.
"I will introduce your training partner," he stated briefly before leaving the training room—a wide white space with no windows, illuminated only by light from the ceiling, canceling any hint of shadows cast from each direction.
Aiden simply nodded, waiting for him to return. It would be helpful to meet a training partner; at least, he thought he would have time to rest.
'Fucking strong old man. I wonder if I will become like him one day.'
…
"Aiden, this is your first payment for this month. I hope to work with you more."
Aiden's eyes couldn't contain his happiness. They shimmered with delight as he accepted the check for 70,000 Solarian pesos. This amount of money would take him three to four months to earn as a porter. But even though this sum seemed large to him at the moment, he knew it wasn't his worth. Most Talented individuals could earn more than this, as monsters in the Nexus and dungeons weren't sold for meager amounts as materials.
Since A-One was from the Industrial Sector, he didn't have to worry about getting the right value for his hunts.
"That also includes your shares for your visit to Nexus." Then, as Liam stated this with ecstasy, he sighed the moment after. "Don't ever do that again. You went out of the safe zone, right?"
Aiden raised a brow in confusion. "How did you know?"
"The STA monitors the kills of each visitor. Since you brought back Whispering Woods, they've labeled you above average because you were able to hunt one monster outside of the safe zone without worries."
Aiden nodded. "So that was it? I see… that's even better to hear."
Liam could only scratch his head. "You are still an asset, Aiden. Don't think too highly of yourself. One mistake, and other people's lives will be affected too."
Not knowing what to say, Aiden shrugged as he continued to fantasize about what to do with his money. This much would keep his family fed for four months. He could buy a few things for their house or even a new gadget for Louisiana.
However, as he thought about their condition, their house, and their location, he retracted the idea of spending the money without considering their future. He had to save the money to buy or rent a better place for them.
With this in mind, he decided to hunt more so he could get his shares and add them to his savings.
"The admin is happy with the results of your first visit to Nexus."
Liam, who was sitting on the couch, shared the news from his superiors.
"How?"
"Since the STA monitors visitors, there's a leaderboard for guilds reflecting the visitors' hunts. Since you scored higher than average, even better than those who come in parties, the A-One guild has the potential to be labeled as a Medium-Sized Guild in the next few weeks if you go there weekly."
"The STA can do that too? Wow… so I don't have to make myself known to the public to make a name for the guild?" Aiden asked, his curiosity palpable as he sat at his table.
Liam nodded. "Yup, they can do that much. So, if I were you, I'd go there weekly. If you make the admin more satisfied, you'll earn your quarterly extension."
Smiling, Aiden thought to himself, 'Sweet! Now, this all means that a better life isn't too far from reality. In a few months, I will be able to pay off that three million debt my bastard father left us.'
…
Extending his fingers with a wooden material and texture, Aiden succeeded on the first try of using his second Talent. Wooden Scale Protection had a few benefits that weren't entirely focused on defense.
In practical applications, it could be used as a weapon. The scales were tough and even thick if you concentrated on looking at them. However, despite how easy it seemed to use, reality wouldn't make it so simple.
As Aiden conjured wooden scales, he had difficulty making their size bigger. He could only create a fingertip-sized version, which made it seem as if he was only extending his fingers. But in reality, he was thinking of making claws out of them.
'Wooden Scale!' Aiden thought of making wooden scales for his fist but failed, which only resulted in him scratching his head. 'I should probably search for a way to use this… This is difficult! If I gain another Talent without mastering my previous one, I won't have the time to exert the best potential of my Talents.'
Thus, as the night passed without much practice, Aiden decided to search for information on the internet. He hoped that, at the very least, there would be some scientific insights into it.