After what felt like another day, the Talent Awakening of tens of thousands of souls was finally complete.
The old man still looked energised, while many of the others seemed bored and exhausted. Some were excited about their remarkable Talents and eagerly demonstrated them to others. However, a few shrewd individuals chose to keep the true nature of their Talents hidden, remaining silent.
No further instructions were given on what to do next, so they waited for the old man to finish.
At last, the moment had arrived.
Kian, Ben, and Silvy stood up, turning their attention to the old man as they sensed he was finally about to speak.
"Now that everyone has awakened their Talents, I will transfer you all to the 2nd Floor of this Golden Tower, where more Challengers like you gather every day to take Missions and earn Merit Points," the old man announced.
"So, this is a Tower? But how vast is it inside?" Kian wondered as he listened to the old man's words.
The old man wasn't finished.
"But before that, you should check your wrists closely. You'll find a black watch there. This watch allows you to access your Merit Points and trade with others using its functions. Remember, you've been given bonus Merit Points based on your Talent and potential, so spend them wisely. Nothing here is free," the old Seer warned sternly.
Only then did the participants notice a magical black watch appearing on their wrists.
Some were unfamiliar with its functions due to their backgrounds, while others explored it like seasoned professionals.
They were surprised but quickly began to explore the features with each other's help.
Ben, familiar with the settings, enthusiastically demonstrated how it worked to Kian and Silvy. The watch had both physical and mental command functions and could adjust to any size.
However, no matter how they tried, they couldn't remove it.
Kian and the others finally discovered how many Merit Points they each had.
"Nice, I got 100 Merit Points! I must be rich if the old man was right about their value," Ben said excitedly.
"Silvy, how many did you get?" he asked, noticing that she was still focused on her watch. It was new to her, so she was taking time to get accustomed to it. But she was a smart girl, so it didn't take long.
"120," Silvy answered without any hint of excitement or happiness.
"Damn... Even with my incredible dual Talents, I still got less than you Silvy," Ben muttered, turning to Kian in hopes of feeling a little better.
"Kian, what about you?"
Kian glanced down at his watch and said, "Just 30. It's so much less than you two... I guess they don't value me that much.
But I can't complain because this place is still like my world, a place of interest... "
Ben and Silvy nodded, sympathy clear in their eyes.
"Don't worry, Kian. We'll get through this together," Silvy said gently.
"Yeah, we can complete missions together and earn more," Ben added with a grin.
"Okay, now that's done. Good luck to you all on your journey!" the old Seer said, waving his sleeves and covering all the souls in a magical transparent dome.
In an instant, everyone vanished from their spots, as if teleported.
The old Seer's eyes grew calm as he looked over the now-empty ground floor.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, another old man appeared before him. This one looked slightly younger and far more powerful.
"So, any news of the Fated One in this batch?" the newcomer asked coldly.
The old Seer straightened, his tone respectful as he replied, "No, Master. Nothing too extraordinary. If the Fated One is as impressive and dangerous as foretold, he must possess at least a Primordial or Ultimate Talent. But no one in this group came close to that level."
The Master frowned, his expression pensive.
"Is that so? That's unfortunate. We need to find that one as soon as possible. Were there any impressive Talents in this batch?"
"Yes, there were two with Heaven-Grade Talents, and one with Dual Talents, who seems to be from a lost world," the old Seer reported.
"Oh, and one with Beyonder Soul Force Potential... but his Talent is severely lacking," he added.
The Master furrowed his brows, processing the information. Beyonder Soul Force Potential wasn't particularly alarming—many had awakened with it before.
"Very well. Keep an eye on those four. Who knows? It could be hiding among them," the Master ordered before vanishing into a wisp of smoke.
____
"Whoa, the newbies are here!"
"Oh, crap. Time to get to work!"
Kian and the tens of thousands of souls found themselves surrounded by a sea of enthusiastic faces.
"Hey, junior! Want to join our team?" a fully-geared veteran asked eagerly.
"Ah, sorry... what again?" Kian responded, confused by the sudden approach.
Another voice chimed in, "Hello, juniors! We're recruiting members from third-grade Talents. We'll provide you with safety in exchange for a small fee. So, join us and be worry-free!"
Kian, Ben, and Silvy quickly gathered together, glancing around to make sense of the chaos. People were already being recruited into various groups.
They found themselves in the midst of what appeared to be a bustling city, filled with towering structures that showcased both magical brilliance and awe-inspiring craftsmanship.
"Is this the second floor? It's huge!" Kian muttered in astonishment, his eyes wide as he took it all in.
"Yeah, I never thought there would be so many participants like us here," Ben mumbled, glancing around. "Looks like I need to work on this fat physique of mine. But wait... how do I even have fat in soul form? That doesn't make any sense..." he added, scratching his head.
"Tsk. Typical," Silvy sneered. "You're probably just trying to improve your form for some perverted reason, right? I know how you men think. You're always ruled by your lower bodies."
Ben looked genuinely offended. "Hey, that's not fair, Silvy! I'm being serious this time! I'm ready to leave my otaku lifestyle behind and make some real changes," he grumbled.
Kian, listening quietly, felt curious. What's an otaku? He had never heard the term before, but it didn't seem important right now.