Ten seconds passed in silence.
Finally, Essim found the strength to blink again.
His heart still trembled; the mere thoughts of the old man before him had felt capable of crushing him.
"Forgive me, forgive me." the old man said, waving his hand as his smile returned. "I thought I felt something just now, but it seems I am juste a bit tired."
"Aha ha ha ha…" Essim chuckled awkwardly, his voice cracking under the pressure.
"Alright, go ahead…" The old man gestured for Essim to test his strength on the stone.
The stone was a metallic black, devoid of any reflective qualities. Essim placed his hand on it casually, hoping nothing disastrous would occur.
As he did, the numbers on the stone began to fluctuate...
15… 23… 60… 140…
The old man continued to watch, his eyebrows slightly raised in intrigue.
200… 270… 600…
At this point, the old man could no longer remain still. He stepped closer, scrutinizing the numbers on the test stone with unblinking focus.
1200… 1500…
The stone emitted a brilliant golden light.
The old man's eyes bulged as if he had just witnessed something that should never have been seen.
"No way... Immortal Talent?" His voice quaked with disbelief.
Less than a second after the golden light flashed, a middle-aged man appeared.
This man radiated an aura so terrifying that it dwarfed the old man's presence—a hundred, no, a thousand times stronger.
"Grandmaster Dou Du, is this from the new planet?" the middle-aged man asked, directing his attention to the old man.
"Yes, sir. It has been less than a day since it appeared," the old man replied respectfully, bowing slightly.
"Very well. Leave it to me... You may return," the middle-aged man waved his hand, dismissing the old man.
"Of course, sir. I'll take my leave," the old man said, disappearing immediately.
Now, only Essim and the middle-aged man remained.
Essim studied the imposing figure before him. A crown of nine stars rested majestically atop the man's head, and a golden robe flowed elegantly behind him.
The man's gaze was unsettlingly calm; Essim felt as though he were completely exposed, as if the man could perceive every detail of his being and every thought racing through his mind.
"Scary," Essim muttered to himself.
"Child, what is your name, and where do you hail from?" The man's tone was friendly, even pleasant to hear.
"My name is Essim, sir. I am from Earth," Essim responded obediently, revealing no secrets.
"Ah, I remember. You are from a race that possesses a system, is that correct?" the man asked for confirmation.
At that moment, Essim was shocked. So the man before him to be aware of the existence of the system, and it seems not every race had one.
Instinctively, Essim tried to check his system, but to his dismay, it wouldn't open.
But even with the usual system panel not opening, another screen still appeared.
"What the—!?" Essim exclaimed inwardly.
(Infinity Duplicate: Version 2)
Update Patch:
Improved system security
Multiplication increased to 10,000
"Crazy…!!!!!" Essim shouted in his mind.
Essim couldn't understand why his system was locked, and why his talent still upgraded on his own, but he was thrilled; his strength would soon increase even more.
"Kid, you still haven't answered my question," the middle-aged man said, continuing to observe Essim with keen interest.
"Ah, yes, sir. I do have a system," Essim replied.
"Apologies for temporarily blocking it," the man explained, sensing Essim's concern. "Some individuals with systems possess talents that can manipulate the Touchstone."
He continued, "There have been instances where someone with S-level talent could deceive the numbers on the touchstones."
The middle-aged man spoke like a guide, sharing insights with ease.
"Would you like to test again?" He gestured toward the stone.
"Certainly, sir," Essim said, feeling surprisingly confident. So it seems Earth's system has been blocked, explaining why he couldn't see his status window. But his mysterious talent seems to be of an higher authority.
Once more, Essim placed his hand on the stone, and the numbers began to shift again.
100… 300… 400… 800… 1300… 1500…
This time, the man's expression changed dramatically; he could not hide his astonishment.
"Is this the age of human awakening?" A sharp light gleamed in his eyes, radiating a powerful intent.
However, the man's shock was short-lived. He seemed to envision some dreadful outcomes, shaking his head as if to dispel them.
"Very good, very good," the man muttered in approval.
Then, he produced five items from thin air.
They were: an Immortal Crystal, a bottle of White Potion, a golden sword, and two golden talisman papers.
"Accept these," the man instructed, extending the items toward Essim. "I hope you encounter no misfortune and can continue to grow."
"If fate allows, we shall meet again."
Without waiting for Essim to respond, he waved his hand, and Essim vanished from the white platform, leaving only the middle-aged man behind.
Soon, a throne materialized, and he seated himself, his expression returning to its previous calm. He leaned back, resting his head to the left, and a wine glass appeared as if summoned by magic. He swirled it gently and sipped casually.
"Open…" a word slipped from his lips.
A surge of golden power radiated from his being, causing the surrounding space to ripple like water. In moments, a massive portal emerged, large enough to accommodate a throne.
As the throne entered the portal, total darkness enveloped it. Yet for the man, the scene within the portal appeared as bright as daylight.
He smiled slightly, then allowed his chair to glide slowly into the portal.
Essim regained consciousness.
He looked around, relieved to see familiar surroundings. Yes, he was back on his island.
"Brother…" Aisha rushed over and enveloped Essim in a tight hug.
"Hmmm… What happened, brother?" she asked, her voice laced with a bit of concern.
Essim took a moment to explain the situation he had just experienced.
He recounted his journey to the massive altar, his encounter with the old man Dou Du, the talent test yielding 1500 points, the appearance of the crowned man, and ultimately, his return.
Essim also shared the upgrade to his Infinity Duplicate talent. For him, Aisha was the person he trusted most in both this world and the next.
He felt no hesitation in revealing the peculiarities of his system, even mentioning how the powerful man had been unable to block it after the upgrade.
"It seemed dangerous, but thank goodness you're okay," Aisha said, absorbing the details of his story, her heart racing at the thought of the risky situation he has been in.
"Alright, let's check the results of my promotion," Essim said with a broad smile.
To be honest, he was very curious about the items the powerful man had presented. Anything that had come from such a formidable figure, even if it were merely the remnants of his power, would surely be of immense value to them.
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