The driver's expression shifted again. First, there was despair, and then... sheer frustration!
"We've barely entered the wild, and there's already level-five monsters?"
"A group of Sprites for Crushing Stones? Aren't these things usually solitary?"
The driver was entirely unaware of the Scarlet Tide unleashed by the Heaven-Hunting Team, which had caused disturbances in the area.
"Damn it! Just my rotten luck today!"
He cursed loudly, his voice thick with anger.
Raziel had been about to suggest that the driver simply drop him off and let him handle things, but the driver acted first.
With impressive speed, he pressed a button to reverse the shuttle device at maximum velocity. The screen before him displayed a live feed of the shuttle's rear, making it easier for him to navigate while retreating.
"You really don't need to run..."
Raziel sighed helplessly, turning his gaze to the approaching monsters.
"Sprites for Crushing Stones, huh?"
He recognized these creatures as one of the stronger low-level monsters commonly found around Keller City.
To his surprise, an attribute panel suddenly appeared in front of him, detailing the creatures.
[Name: Sprite for Crushing Stones]
[Level: 5]
[Type: Common]
[Attributes:
Strength: 6
Constitution: 6
Agility: 3
Energy: 3]
[Skills: None]
[Talent: None]
[Potential Rating: Inferior]
"Well, System, at least you're proving useful this time."
"So those Goblins in the test instance didn't have panels because they were virtual constructs?"
Raziel pondered this quietly.
As for the Sprites for Crushing Stones themselves? He didn't care much. They were nothing more than nuisances, easily dealt with.
Raziel glanced around briefly before pressing a knob beside him.
The shuttle device's window slowly began to lower.
The driver, still focused on maneuvering the shuttle backward, caught sight of this through his peripheral vision. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"What are you doing?! Are you insane? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"
Just moments ago, the man had been calmly urging Raziel to reconsider his reckless actions. Now, he was yelling furiously, his tone frantic and enraged.
Originally, the Shuttle Device could withstand attacks from fifth-level monsters for a while. But as soon as the window was opened, the monsters could start throwing stones inside and kill people!
However, the driver hadn't been terrified for long when he noticed Raziel nimbly slipping out through the window.
"If you want to die, do it on your own time!"
Realizing what had just happened, the driver hastily operated the controls to seal the window shut again, muttering curses under his breath.
Then, still shaken, he piloted the shuttle further away. Despite himself, he turned to look back, unable to resist the urge to see what would happen next.
The driver knew that the young man from earlier was practically walking to his death…
Wait.
He froze in place.
In the blink of an eye, his gaze lingered on the scene, unable to fully turn away.
What he saw next left him completely dumbfounded.
The boy stood his ground as the monsters charged toward him. With a single punch, he shattered one of the Sprites for Crushing Stones. Then another punch, and another one was obliterated!
Finally, Raziel stepped forward, unleashing two more rapid punches that effortlessly annihilated the remaining creatures.
Raziel, of course, had used the power of The Flame of Annihilation, but this time he concealed the flames within his fists, making it appear as though he had destroyed the monsters with raw physical strength. The result was the Sprites for Crushing Stones bursting apart upon impact.
This clever approach ensured that the specifics of his Talent remained hidden.
The driver stood there, utterly bewildered.
He rubbed his eyes, questioning whether he was seeing things.
"What the…?"
"He took out all of them? Just like that? So easily??"
The driver slowly brought the shuttle to a stop. He opened the door and stepped out, his face a mix of shock and disbelief as he stared at Raziel.
It was only now dawning on him: this wasn't some naïve young man looking to throw his life away.
This was a formidable hidden powerhouse, someone with strength far beyond what he had imagined.
At least level 10 or higher!
Suddenly, the driver felt a surge of anxiety, realizing that he might have said a few things earlier that could've been perceived as disrespectful.
"Sir, I… I didn't mean to"
Raziel waved it off with a casual smile.
"Relax, driver. I'll give you a 5-star rating. I was just messing with you earlier."
Then, without a second glance, he picked up his luggage and continued walking toward the wilderness.
Raziel was in a great mood, feeling that his little act had been perfectly executed.
…
It wasn't until Raziel's figure completely disappeared from sight that the driver finally snapped out of his daze, reaching up to touch his face.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Are you insane?!"
"Pretending to be weak, only to pull a complete reversal and make me eat my words when the monsters showed up?"
"You even kept your bags out in the open instead of putting them into your inventory, just to make it look like you hadn't become a Player yet?"
"What kind of person does this? What, did you read too many of those nonsensical novels and lose your mind?!"
"Unbelievable! Crazy! Absolutely toxic!"
…
Raziel, of course, had no idea that the driver was currently ranting about him.
He was still smug, thinking he had flawlessly pulled off his performance.
Raziel quickly stashed his two large bags into his inventory.
Then, taking a deep breath, he nervously whispered to himself:
"Panel."
Immediately, two notifications flashed before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have slain monsters and officially become a Player!]
[Congratulations! Your Talent ability has been further unlocked!]
The first notification alone made Raziel's heart race with excitement.
For Raziel, becoming a Player had long been an inevitability. Yet this was something he had been anticipating for a full 18 years since crossing over to this world!
And that second notification? It made his heart pound even harder.
What exactly had unlocked in his Talent??
He quickly opened his panel to check.
First, Raziel pulled up his character status.
[Player: Raziel]
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: Strength 2, Constitution 2, Agility 2, Energy 2]
[Skill: None]
[Talent: Contractor (Divine-level)]
[Potential: Unknown]
The information on the panel wasn't surprising, but one detail brought Raziel immense satisfaction.
Typically, when someone became a Player, their four attributes were adjusted to a minimum of 1 point each. However, Raziel's starting attributes had already surpassed this baseline, and the system had boosted them all to 2 points instead.
This effectively meant his overall stats had doubled, giving his combat strength a massive surge.
As for what had unlocked in his Talent...
Raziel delved deeper into the Contractor Talent, focusing his mind on it. Instantly, a new panel appeared, displaying detailed information about the Talent along with two slots for Contract Beasts.
[Talent Unlocked: Second Contract Beast Slot Activated.]
"Here comes the second Contract Beast!" Raziel's eyes lit up with excitement.
To think that just his first Contract Beast, Avril, with her Emperor-level potential, had already caused his strength to skyrocket, elevating him to the level of the most legendary figures in history.
Now, a second Contract Beast would not only further enhance his power but also grant him a new Talent.
"Calm down! Calm down!" Raziel reminded himself, taking a deep breath.
"According to the System, Avril was the only Emperor-level potential being nearby. There's no way the second Contract Beast will offer the same level of enhancement."
"I don't need much. If I can get one that grants me a B-level... or even a C-level Talent, that'll be enough!"
"Now that I already have offensive capabilities, it'd be great if this one had some kind of support Talent."
Raziel carefully analyzed his options.
With his Divine-level Talent, rising to prominence was just a matter of time. He didn't need to aim too high right now. Step by step, steady development would do.
But just as Raziel was setting himself a modest goal, the System suddenly chimed in again.
[Host has successfully unlocked the second Contract Beast slot.]
[Host currently lacks access to means of obtaining high-potential Contract Beasts. System is initiating New Player Reward, Phase 2: Granting one Contract Beast with King-level potential. Claim now? Yes/No.]
"What?"
"You've gotta be kidding me! You call this granting?!"
"Wasn't Avril forced by you?"
"Did I just fall into your trap?" Raziel muttered to himself.
He was actually having second thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't want a Contract Beast with King-level potential. After all, King-level potential was just one tier below Emperor-level!
With this, his Contract could grant him an A-level Talent.
But…
Who knew how the System would handle this "gift"?
Avril had been a good partner she hadn't caused him any trouble, even under the influence of their Contract.
But could the second King-level Contract Beast be so easy to deal with?
[Hint: The System and Host are inextricably linked. Any harm to one will harm the other. The System will never jeopardize the Host's safety!]
"..."
When Raziel saw the new hint, he actually felt a bit more reassured.
After all, he couldn't be certain that Avril's lack of trouble had not been part of the System's predictions.
After thinking for a moment, Raziel clenched his teeth. "Fine, I'll accept the gift."
He had made up his mind. If things went south, he'd just hang around in the nearby wilderness, watching how the System delivered his new beast. That way, if things got dangerous, he could run away quickly.
[Host confirms acceptance of the gift. The Celestial Spiritual Mysterious Fruit has been granted!]
[Please stay in the wilderness for 24 hours to receive your King-level potential Contract Beast.]
"Wait... just like that?"
The moment the hint ended, a bright red fruit materialized in Raziel's hand, releasing an exotic fragrance.
[Celestial Spiritual Mysterious Fruit]
[Description: A strange fruit produced by unknown forces. It has a powerful attraction for certain beings, allowing it to forcibly contract the highest King-level potential entities that consume it.]
[Effect: The fruit can contract King-level or lower potential Contract Beasts, regardless of conditions.]
"Huh?"
"This actually doesn't seem so bad."
Raziel thought, the System seemed to be more reliable than expected.
He now understood what the System was getting at.
The Celestial Spiritual Mysterious Fruit would attract a King-level Contract Beast, causing it to consume the fruit voluntarily. Throughout this process, Raziel wouldn't need to do anything, and he wouldn't even have to go deep into the wilderness.
It was a gift, after all!
Which meant… the second Contract Beast would be delivered right to his doorstep soon!