Alden sat beside his mother for nearly thirty minutes, gazing at her face with deep worry in his eyes.
Seeing her in such a condition caused a sharp pain in his heart and also couldn't stop his heart from racing.
'Things are really complicated,' he thought. 'I have deep emotions for this woman and I can't control myself from ignoring her.'
He couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for her despite how hard he tried to. After all, she was his biological mother in this world, so it was only natural.
"I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get better."
"And also, nothing bad will ever happen to you again," he vowed, holding her motionless hand with determination flashing in his eyes.
Gently, he placed her hand back by the bedside.
With that, he turned to leave the room, pausing to take one last look at her before shutting the door and making his way out of the hospital premises.
Standing outside the hospital, Alden dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out some cash. "This should be enough for today," he muttered, frowning slightly.
Shortly, he flagged down a cab.
"To the Talent Registration Center," he told the driver as soon as he entered the car.
Hearing the destination, the driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror before driving off.
Alden watched the passing shadows of buildings through the window. This outskirt area was known as the Outer District.
The Outer District was really... really in a poor state, the buildings, electricity, and things were too bad here.
As the car left the Outer District, the surroundings began to improve. Being new to this world, Alden noted that it was somewhat similar to Earth but far more dangerous and advanced.
He closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts and planning his next steps.
Twenty minutes later, the car came to a halt in front of a massive building with "Talent Registration Center" boldly written at the top.
The center was located in the Middle District of Megan City.
Alden opened his eyes, handed the driver some cash, and stepped out of the car.
"Congratulations, young one," the driver said with a bright smile before driving off.
The driver must have assumed Alden was a Talent Awakener.
Alden stood still for a moment, facing the towering building. It was undoubtedly the tallest structure in Megan City.
The Talent Registration Center wasn't run by the city itself but was controlled by officials from Starlake Nation.
As expected, the place was bustling with people going in and coming outl. Security was tight, with guards patrolling the area, armed with various advanced weapons.
These weren't ordinary guards—they were Talent Awakeners themselves. No one in their right mind would dare cause trouble here.
Alden took a deep breath and entered the premises, making his way into the building.
As he approached the door, it slid open automatically. Inside, the place was packed with people who shared the same goal as him: to register.
It was illegal for any Talent Awakener or Martial Artist to remain unregistered after awakening. This was Alden's first step—to get registered before deciding his next move.
Looking around, he finally walked toward a less crowded area.
Just as he glanced to his side, he spotted someone he hadn't expected to see. He considered hiding his face but decided against it.
Why should he hide because of someone else?
At the same time, the boy turned to look at him.
Ranno was surprised to see Alden here. They were the same age, and Ranno knew Alden had zero potential for Talent Awakening or Martial Arts.
'What's Alden doing here?' he wondered. 'Did he awaken?'
Then he facepalmed himself. "What am I even thinking?"
The boys with Ranno also noticed Alden and laughed, pointing at him as the "weakling" they all knew.
Ranno and his group walked over and stood beside Alden, wearing cruel smiles.
"Grandmaster Weakling," Ranno sneered.
"I suggest you look for a job somewhere else. I know you must be scouting for work, but sadly, this place isn't for someone like you. You're nothing and always will be."
Ranno whispered this into Alden's ear before walking past him with his friends to join a shorter queue nearby. He didn't dare cause trouble here, knowing the guards wouldn't hesitate to kick him out.
[-CHARACTER INFO-]
CHARACTER NAME: Ranno Flint
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 1
TALENT: D-rank [ Fire Element Ability ]
SKILLS: Fire control (F)
[-CHARACTER INFO-]
Alden chose to ignore them and instead checked his stats and those of the other boys. None of them had a C-rank talent.
'Is this why you're all so arrogant?' Alden thought, barely suppressing a laugh. He maintained his composure and joined another queue, slightly longer than Ranno's.
Even after Ranno and his friends finished their registration, they lingered nearby, watching Alden.
They were slightly surprised to see him in another queue but still laughed among themselves for his foolishness.
Soon, it was Alden's turn.
"Sammy Draven," Alden called out his name
"Talent Awakener or Martial Artist?" the registration officer asked coldly, not even looking up.
"Talent Awakener," Alden replied simply.
Ranno and his friends were shocked. They expected the officer to dismiss Alden immediately, but his confident reply left them stunned.
What big words he had awakened. The most funniest lie ever.
'Big lie,' Ranno and the boys wanted to shout aloud but dared not, fearing not to cause a disturbance here.
They were waiting for Alden to embarrass himself.
They knew he was never going to awaken in his lifetime or so they thought.
"Rank?" the officer asked next.
Alden found himself dumbstruck by the question. Should he directly say the truth, or what should he do at this point?
'Doing so could bring both blessings and danger…' different thoughts ran through his head.
The officer, receiving no response, finally looked up and saw the confusion on Alden's face.
Meanwhile, Ranno and his friends were on the verge of laughing, certain this was the end of the road for Alden.
"Young man, don't waste my time," the officer said harshly. "Place your hand on the orb or leave."
Alden placed his hand on the orb.
[Ding!.....]
A system notification came in, bringing a smile to his face. The system never ceased to amaze him.