Chapter 14: Skills To Talents!
"Try harder and connect with it," Seth shouted.
Nanncy kept her eyes closed but the more she thought of possessing her Weapon the more she felt a splitting headache.
Health: Normal> In-pain>Headache> Mind injury!
Notification kept flashing, telling her she was losing health but Seth urged her to keep going.
After seeing her body blurring away, he slapped Healing Mud on her forehead and that healed her back. Then from time to time, Seth will make her drink liquid from Soothing Gourd.
Through effort, a silhouette of an object, ten centimetres long began to appear, and then it disappeared. As if yanked away.
Nancy Almost disappeared due to that, thanks to Seth's timely intervention she was healed back to normal!
Ding
___
[Quest Deadline]
[00:00:09:57]
____
Nanncy began to panic. "Ten minutes remaining!" she cried out.
"Concentrates. Here hold my Staff!" As she held it, it elevated her constitution further and dampened the pain. Still, she took damage!
Ding
___
[Quest Deadline]
[00:00:07:47]
___
****
"Where are the Energy Crystals? We need more energy! Four players are trying to access their Asteroid Artifact." The guard shouted.
Two people came quickly as they began loading white crystals into a chamber.
****
Ding
___
[Quest Deadline]
[00:00:04:08]
____
"Concentrate more. Don't relent. Pull up your willpower and fight back. Don't worry, you will not die due to this. I have enough Healing Mud. Push!"
The hotel owner was outside their room with his two workers and another person that lived in the next room.
They were listening to the commotion. "You have to endure for a little while. It will be easier if we pass this phase!"
Their faces were flushed red and they were speechless. "Is it by force!" The player asked.
"No, they might be newbies! Don't know how to put it properly." Another person said.
Then the Hotel owner made everyone leave and decided to give these people a lesson on how it was done.
Ding
___
[Quest Deadline]
[00:00:02:47]
____
***
"We have arranged them, sir!"
"Activate the Vault full power"
Bloom!
The whole room glowed and made all the air and the vibration of the Asteroid Artifact freeze. Cancelling any connection any Artifact has with its owner!
***
The world powers irrespective of culture, race or ethnicity worked together to find the solution to the world-ending events.
The enemy group worked together hand in hand as brothers to develop a single machine that might save their planet.
Amidst the development, they made sure those who participated in game development will not participate in beta testing.
That will reduce the possibility of knowing what will happen. Even though the First Trial was unexpected by the developers.
During the ten years of Asteroid Online development, many other online games were introduced.
The Head Gear given ran a constant scan on people's brain and body function and sent it to the Hive Mind to analyze.
There were deaths during that phase which the World Authority considered necessary sacrifices.
Astroid online was built over blood which the Authority buried with all their might. At long last, they managed to find a way to create a machine capable of giving them desired effects. And run an AI that is capable of supporting and doing what they envision.
That was when the tension brewed. Politics bubble up, seeing that the machine was created. In the end, the Alliance collapsed into many groups.
But one group was labelled as Rebels!
They managed to uproot half of what was created by taking one of the five Core of the Quantum Computers used to create the game
The united group wanted to sit and talk things through but due to a race against time they couldn't. As the Omega Asteroid was moving again. So they quickly launch the game.
The First Trial was the first-ever tested simulation.
The powerful AI ran an algorithm that changed the whole setting into something unpredictable. It may have resulted in many deaths due to panic of unexpected realism. Thankfully, it went well without a major hitch.
The creation of Asteroid Artifacts was something no one predicted.
The Second Trial, too, was out of the norm but was predictable. So, various groups work together and plan to gather the best Artifacts.
Things become complicated but they manage to get their hands on renowned Artifacts by targeting first-rankers.
Nanncy Abaddon Aeren's Artifact was targeted. Knowing for sure she created something amazing.
***
Quest Deadline: 00:59
"Hold it!" Seth shouted
***
"Sir, everything is secured!" A guard said.
"Good, take more data. And…" he stopped. As his eyes linger on an object that seems to pulse with Azure Light.
"Damn, that one was connected with its owner!"
***
Ding!
[Congratulations]
[You are now connected with your Artifact!]
[Activating your true Talent: Art Bestowment]
[Will you like to bestow Seth The Cripple Art Talent?]
Nanncy read the fleeting notification with relief and she answered "Yes!"
Remain only ten seconds before long out.
[Congratulations! Seth The Cripple Arts Skills have been converted to Talents]
Ding!
[You have succeeded in your Quest]
[Reward obtained]
[Log out]
…..
Seth stared in dazed after Nanncy's Artefact materializes. Because at that moment he heard her say, "Bestow!"
And he was bombarded with notifications. Then a splitting headache accompanied by knowledge of something familiar.
He felt his fingers, hands and shoulder muscles being stretched and then compressed. He felt numb and itchy and his muscles became sour. His eyesight enhanced, taking in fine details he couldn't before.
What eluded him in terms of Art before, now he can see and understand.
[Log Out]
****
Sling!
Seth opened his eyes and was surprised to see his parents staring at him.
"Did something happen?" He asked worriedly.
"No, you are ten minutes late!" His father said. They helped him and he went to wash up.
The school days are starting, so Seth has to prepare for that.
But the news was that their country wanted to introduce online schools through VR. By creating VR similar to Asteroid Online they will have their students study in it without ever coming out of their homes.
Online school is common but not to the extent of what was being introduced.
But most people were opposed to that, saying it will further destroy physical social interaction. Social media has made things bad already!
Despite that, the plan was being carried out, it was just not being accepted by the masses, yet!
Seth liked the idea but he knew the implication of it. VR is still not real, some people will not be able to develop their social Skills well there. While bold people will do outrageous things since it was not real.
Despite his incapability, Seth likes social gatherings. Just watching people interact made him feel satisfied. So, he usually went to a Marketplace or a Park and sat in a high place and observed.
.
.
.
The numbness from the game followed him. And sometimes he felt a jolt of current passing through his brain to his body. That was why while Seth was eating, the spoon kept falling off his hand.
He spent the whole day feeling numb but he hid it from his parents. He doesn't want to worry them because he has a history of game accidents.
At midnight, Seth felt his muscles relax, his hand a bit stronger and his mind sharper. He was shocked, as the effect of what he was feeling was one-third of what he felt in the game!
To test his theory, he went to his Art Room. By wobbling around, he arranged the painting materials. He calmed his mind as he took some medicine that will keep him awake for the night.
He held his brush against the white canvas!
First stroke!
Second stroke!
Third stroke!
Each stroke was targeted with meaning and he can already see its significance in other parts of the paint. Seth took his time as he painted one part at a time.
He was so engrossed that he forgot about time. For every colour he painted, lines he curved and adjustments he made, there was a burning passion in it.
Six-hour passed in the blink of an eye!
The painting was perfect!
To Seth with his newfound Talent, he can see some minor imperfections that he wants to rectify but doesn't know-how.
"What are…. Amazing!" Sarah came and looked at the picture of her in a wedding dress. That was what Seth painted, the picture that was taken during her wedding.
She hugged Seth and kissed him, "You are really a Genius. Look at that!"
She was about to shout and call for others, but he stopped her, saying that he wanted to keep it a secret and surprise everyone during her Marriage Anniversary.
****
"You look beat up!" Nanncy said full of smiles.
"Yeah, there was an event at home and I was up all night!"
Before the conversations continued, he brought out his painting materials and set them in the Town Square.
He used the same strategy Nanncy used, he splashed all colours on a white canvas and used his hands to spread them.
Then he began to adjust it with a brush. In an hour and a half, an exquisite painting better than the one he did in the real world was presented.
Ding
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[Congratulations]
[You have created a Skill]
~Harperzard painting
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CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
The_Celestial_King
The_Celestial_King Aha, Seth's life in the real world will no longer be Just Another Cripple!
Hmm, Silent readers aren't helpful at all in these Contests!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone