"Now, does anyone want to go back?" The Old seer asked calmly, looking at them.
There was a pin drop silence after he asked.
No one said yes. Who would want to give up this opportunity? Only an extreme fool would.
Kian also agreed.
He had nothing to lose anyway. He wanted to be reunited with Reva once, no matter what it took.
"Good!"
The old man smiled and paused, observing everyone's reaction.
"I hope this clears up any doubts about why we brought you here. Besides, you would have enough time to know everything gradually."
Everyone understood and gazed at each other with vigilance.
"Now, for the next part," the Old Seer announced, "We will be giving each of you a gift that will awaken your latent extraordinary talent. Those who fail to awaken their talent will remain ordinary compared to the rest. So be mindful of that."
The Old Seer's announcement sent a wave of shock among everyone present.
They realized they were about to receive something extraordinary.
The mention of gifts and talents sounded important to take note of. If they wanted to stay ahead, they would need to awaken their latent talent. They could already sense the competition for reincarnation would be intense.
"Ah, is it all down to luck again? My luck is the worst," one human soul grumbled.
"Yeah, same here... Who knows if I'll awaken the talent they're talking about," another added, frustrated.
"I want a powerful talent, no matter what..." A giant clenched his fist fiercely. "I can't lose again!"
"Ahem!"
Ben suddenly raised his hand, drawing everyone's attention.
The Old Seer frowned at the interruption.
"Speak!" the Old Seer barked.
Ben flinched but continued, "Old man, are there different grades to these talents? And how many can we awaken? Are there any conditions to get these talents, or are they inherited?"
Kian, Silvy, and the others shared the same curiosity, now looking at Ben with newfound respect.
The old man looked displeased but answered nonetheless, though with a hint of annoyance.
"Kid, you know patience is a virtue, right? I would have explained it eventually."
"Anyway," he continued, "usually, a person can awaken only one talent, but those who awaken more are considered the cream of the crop. Talents can either be inherited or naturally awakened if you possess strong enough soul power."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "And yes, there are grades to these talents, based on their power and effectiveness. There are 9 grades in total:
• Common
• Rare
• Epic
• Mythic
• Legendary
• Heaven
• Divine
• Primordial
• Ultimate
Each grade signifies the talent's rarity and potential."
After hearing the talent grades, Kian was already doubting his capabilities.
"Nine grades? Can I even awaken the lowest talent among them?" he thought inwardly, feeling inferior.
He had never believed in luck, not even in his past life, where he was deemed useless, and perhaps he would be the same here as well.
But the thought of a 'Gift' intrigued him. Perhaps it could be of some help as well.
He turned his attention to the platform.
The old Seer waved his hand in a strange motion and summoned a large portal-like structure from the sky.
It descended swiftly, emanating aura of the Ancient.
The portal looked ancient, as if from primordial times, carved with unknown intricate symbols etched onto its surface.
"Now, all of you will form a line and receive your gift. You will awaken your talent after passing through this portal. No rushing is allowed. We will start from the right. And remember one last thing: you must keep your eyes closed once you enter the portal, or it could be catastrophic for you."
The old Seer's tone turned grave and serious at the end.
The tens of thousands of souls present felt a chill run down their spines.
Kian gazed at the ancient portal in amazement. It was truly extraordinary
"Wow! Awesome! It's killing me already. I want to go first," Ben exclaimed excitedly.
"Stupid!"
Silverlina scoffed with disdain at his childlike behavior.
Ben, being almost new to magic and the mystical, was understandably more excited than the others.
Kian, however, remained silent, too tense about the upcoming talent awakening to share in Ben's enthusiasm.
This was his only chance to see Reva again, even though the odds were incredibly slim.
"Okay, let's start. You first—come up little, Dwarf!"
The Old Seer pointed to a dwarf standing at the very front of the crowd.
The dwarf, though small in stature, radiated extreme courage and resolve.
He climbed onto the platform with brave determination, masking the nerve-racking tension swirling in his mind.
"Haha... What a pipsqueak! He's surely going to get the worst talent ever!" an arrogant Orc sneered just beside Kian.
"Heh heh, maybe something related to his tiny dick's size!" another cackled, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Kian had already marked them as part of the Sin faction, judging by the way they spoke.
Silverlina frowned, looking disgusted.
"At least he's not as ugly as you, you disgusting buggers!" Silvy spat disdainfully, not even glancing in their direction.
"Damn you... Elf b*tch!"
The Orc duo growled and rushed forward to hit her, their eyes filled with killing intent.
Suddenly, the Old Seer noticed the source of the chaos.
"I SAID QUIET!"
The Old Seer's shout sent a rippling shockwave mixed with killing force, directed at the Orc duo.
"Mercy!"
The Orcs barely managed to beg for forgiveness before instantly vanishing, their souls disintegrating into particles.
Kian witnessed the execution firsthand, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the despair and horror in the Orcs' eyes.
He was slightly afraid, but deep inside, he yearned for the same power. The desire for strength, which he could never attain in his past life, burned within him.
Ben, who had just been watching the Orcs' arrogant laughter moments ago, now saw their existence cease in the blink of an eye.
He was struck speechless, realizing this was not the same world he once knew. This was a place filled with cruelty and dominated by the powerful.
He instantly went quiet, and his face turned serious.