章 3: Novel 1-A boy with a plan
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/Fifteen years later…/
/Chatter!.../
"Now now! All students, listen to me. Quieten down, the ceremony is about to start."
/Chatter… Silence…/
Inside a large theather-like auditorium, a thousand teenagers sat down patiently as they prepared themselves mentality for what mat be the biggest moment in their lives.
Today, they were all about to go through the 'legendary' "Connection" ceremony.
"Good. Pay attention everyone, we'll be calling your name once it's your turn. Listen well and follow the procedures."
The announcer was a middle aged man with mic on his right hand, he wore something akin to a black tuxedo as he held a golden laced list on his left hand, which he referred to whenever he talked.
He had a pair of dark goggles on his face, they flashed with lights from time to time as he looked around.
"Once your name is called, the respective podium for your Connection will be displayed on the T.A.C in your wrists, so make sure it's powered and ready as to not delay the process."
"With that said, we'll be doing alphabetical call. First one's on the list…"
"Abrol Jul."
"Abrol Ratotorie."
"Accel Ji Pol."
"Aeram Vitrolean."
"Adoxi Bei Ton."
"Ame Mei Shi…"
One by one, the locutor called ten teenagers who quickly made their way to the podium down the stairs.
/Whispers…/
The children began whispering, too excited to contain themselves.
"More silence in the room please!" The locutor requested as he turned to the ten children
As specified, the children already knew where to go, so each of them quickly made their moves to strange machines in the stage.
Ten large chairs connected to the ceiling and backstage machines through large tubes that steamed with cold vapors…
Most of the children seemed to fear them, but maybe, it was more akin to nervousness.
They gulped down as they contained their excitement, sitting down gently… Or heavily, onto each of their designed seats.
/Move…/
Immediately after, a group of doctors clad in white clothes and protective masks quickly moved to the children, connecting several probes and straps on their skin before finishing it all with a rather wide helmet.
Another doctor began interacting with a terminal on the chair while another one fiddled with an Ipad of sorts…
There were five doctors per machine for a total of fifty personnel, not including the few dozen individuals standing next to the stage, ready to act.
/… Thumbs Up/
The final doctor finished setting up the children on their seat, it hadn't even been two minutes since their names had been called, quite efficient…
"Good, everything's in order… It's time."
"The first batch of today's Connection ceremony! Let's all welcome our newest Users!"
"THREE!!" The announcer exclaimed as he turned to the students
""TWO!!"" They said excitedly as they raised their fists in the air
""ONE!"" Everyone exclaimed together
/Fuomfuomfuommm!!!/
/LIGHT!/
The machines came to life as they lit up with energy!
The long tubes trembled, the liquids inside multiple containers began to boil, and their helmets shone with light!
/Shom…/
Finally, everything ended within a few seconds.
Cold vapors poured down from exhaust holes above the machines, covering the students in a veil of mystery and excitement.
"It's here! Let's look at the results!"
/Shine!/
A massive hologram manifested above the theater for all to see, displaying the image of a student next to a few lines of text and a large crimson seal with a letter inside.
[Abrol Jul, Class A-2 Student]
[Brumium Rank Talent -> Enhanced Card Limit!]
[Abrol Ratotorie, Class A-1 Student]
[Almium Rank Talent -> Omni Damage Field!]
[Accel Ji Pol, Class A-2 Student]
[Calmium Rank Talent -> Omni Preceptive Field!]
…
[Ali Maimai, Class A-1 Student]
[Shalri Rank Talent -> Echo Stacking!]
…
The holograms quickly manifested one after the other before they all vanished.
Within five minutes, the ten students were awakened to their innate abilities, and with smilies on their faces, either from extreme pride or relief, they all returned to their seats as ten more names were called, repeating the process.
Meanwhile, the students went wild!
"Ho… That's great, Five B Rank Talents, two A Ranks and C Ranks…"
"You forgot to add the S Rank! Wow… To think we would have one so soon. Man! Ali always struck me as a talented gal, but I didn't expect her to awaken such a Talent!"
"You guys! One was already impressive, you know? But you're right, Ali was indeed surprising…"
At that moment, they all turned to the same spot at the corner of the theather near the first few rows of benches.
There, a rather gorgeous young man with long blond hair and glasses sat, watching the ceremony quietly next to a few other equally impressive students.
"If someone was to awaken a Shalri Rank Talent…"
"Then it had to be him, right?"
/Nod!/
They all nodded together as if expecting this to be the course of nature. As if that young man was destined for greatness…
But where they wrong? That man was the highest likeble individual to awaken a Shalri Rank Talent, not only today, but in the Academy's history!
Someone with near perfect scores for essentially all of his life, he was the role model for many and the crush for dozens as well!
As he sat down with a calm gaze, looking at the teenagers awaken, what could he be thinking?...
"..."
'This is somewhat stressing…' The boy thought as his forehead tensed
'Fifteen years… I've done everything I could, it's now… Or never.'
These thoughts… Could only belong to one man!
Jonathan! Reincarnated!
"..."
Although his expression remained stoic, Jonathan took a deep breath, focusing.
In his boredom, he began to think about his life, maybe as a form of self-reflection.
After all, his every action was meant for today, the day of their awakening!
"Rulio, you're quite pensive, are you expecting another Shalri Rank as before?"
The one who asked the question was a girl with thin, long dark hair. Her eyes were deep blue and her voice was sweet, she was still young, but clearly a lady in the making.
The crush of many boys on school, but her eyes were elsewhere. If only they looked at her too…
"How could I predict someone's talent, Lin? That was just luck…" Jonathan… Or better put, Rulio, replied with a light smile as he turned to face her
"You were the one who said Maimai would awaken like that. You also predicted the other Ranks too."
"..."
'It was a joke alright?! I said we would have 1 S Rank, 2 A and C Ranks, and that the rest would be B Rank! But that's mostly due to statistical chance, I was trying to se a mood!'
'Why does everyone take me so seriously?'
Rulio had a severe problem… Due to how he acted and grew, pushing himself to be who he currently was, he ended up attracting quite the reputation…
And oftentimes, it wasn't solely because of his abilities…
Things often happened around him… Things that led to others growing even more in awe with him, despite how he usually tried to act.
Rulio knew he was set for greatness, with all the tools and resources to achieve it, so he acted in kind. The problem was… Sometimes he felt he was attracted a little… Far too much attention.
"Alright Lin, you win. I did feel 'something' about them, is that enough… Look, we're having another Shalri Rank Student. Today's year is quite plentiful." He said in a joking tone as he looked away
[Troyma Grul, Class A-4 Student]
[Shalri Rank Talent -> Shared Minion Atributes!]
"Another Shalri… As expected of Rulio." A boy said with a knowledgeable expression behind him as he crossed his arms
"They say Ranks can feel each others presence. Should I say congratulations in advance?" A girl jokingly said next to the boy as she looked at Rulio
"... When are you teaching me how to do that?" Lin asked with a smile as she tried to block his field of view and get his attention on her
"It's… Not something I can teach so easily…" Rulio replied as his expression went dark
'But to the others, he was just acting confident and mysterious…'
"No fair, I've given you access to our family training grounds every time you asked, it's time for some payback!" She demanded with a smirk
"... Maybe after this is all over…"
"Should we meet…"
"Ahem, this next one is pretty good, another Shalri and…" Rulio said as he tried to divert the conversation elsewhere
He always acted like this whenever he wanted people to stop probing into his matters, the problem was, it often went off the rails whenever he tried to de-escalate things...
[Balhid Ja Raul, Class B-1 Student]
[Shalri Rank Talent -> Totemic Manifestation!
Calmium Rank Talent -> Double Elemental Totems!]
/SHOCK!/
"By the Heavens… It's a double Talent… Last year there was only three such cases in the entire school!"
"Not only that, they're matching talents… Double Elemental Totems is incredible for what he awakened."
As he saw everyone's expression jump with surprise and awe, Rulio's internal expression fell.
"..."
'I fucked up again.'
…
"... Next!"
"..."
Rulio stopped paying attention to the ceremony as he closed his eyes and focused internally, trying his best to avoid Lin no matter how much she tried to get his attention.
'Fifteen years… That's how long I've lived as Rulio.'
'Thirteen would be closer to the right amount.'
'My full name is Rulio Fei Dal-Chi, the last two names being the initials of both of my parent's family names.'
'It's not common for this to happen, as often the make child takes the name from the family of the father while the daughter takes the family name from the mother… But sometimes, when there are succession issues on the table, conflicts may arise from name distribution.'
'In the end, my parents decided to do what's called a co-family name and give me both of their family names, but once I turn 20 and get to the legal age to marry. Even if I don't, I'll have to adopt one of them to be my true name.'
'Fei is my middle name, it means something along the lines of "Fated, Prophecy, Meant, Golden, and even Emperor", but for as cringy as that may be, this society works like that.'
'Rulio is… A more traditional name, actually, it's a very old name from my Great, Great, Great Grandparents time, so it's very uncommon now.'
'But for the others, it's niche and cool sounding, for the rest, it's "auspicious" as its an ancient name with its history.'
'For me… It's not as ridiculous as most others.'
'That was how Rulio Fei Dal-Chi came to be, but most of the time, I just call myself Rulio Fei.'
'At around 15 years ago, I was born under an obsidian moon, a rare phenomenon where the moon looks dark in the sky. Somewhere around the start of the year, within the first month or so.'
'I was born as the successor for the Chilmo Household, from my father's line. Although calling it a Household is a bit much, since the family my father comes from is small, not having many members, albeit it does have a rich background from several generations of successful individuals.'
'Father is an Expert Tier User on the verge of becoming a Master, once he does so, he'll become the youngest in the line to having achieved such a feat, but aside from that, there's nothing much to say as he's already the head of his line.'
'There wasn't much dispute… Grandpa chose him over the Uncles for his achievements alone, however, I'm certain he also chose him because of me. But that's another story…'
'My mother on the other hand is one of the many daughters of the Dalcra Clan, one of the largest Clans in the City, and given this City is one of the biggest and more prosperous in the entire nation, this puts the Dalcra Clan as one of the most successful and famous houses in the entire nation as a whole.'
'They're famous enough to a point most know about them, even if on a passing level…'
'I don't know much about them though as I've grown seperated from that side for most of my life. Not because of any dramatic reason, but mostly because that's how offshoots of the Dalcra Clan are handled.'
'From what I know, mother is the firstborn child of the second wife of the Dalcra patriarch, my grandpa.'
'I've met grandma several times before during birthday parties, she treats me very well and she's very sweet too, but I've never seen my grandfather, only in photos and some long distance calls.'
'He did visit me once when I was very, very young, but that's almost saying we've never met.'
'And that's about it… Rulio Fei… That's my current life.'
'By no means I'm dissatisfied, I'm rich, super rich…Mega rich even. And I've grown to be worthy of such wealth.'
'The only thing standing between me and carefree life are my results today… But I'm confident I'll get the minimum necessary for others to not look down on me and respect me for my abilities.'
'But if I do not… There'll be some problems…'
'This is a ruthless world where bloodline matters greatly, if not massively. Because there isn't just influence, political power, history, and the like associated with it… There's real, pure power connected to it.'
'If you aim for the top, if you're not born with the necessary tools, expect a thorny path ahead of you, one of misery, ridicule, abuse, and more.'
'This is a world of superhumans and their technology, politics, and religion. A world of mystery, beauty, legends, and more… Together with much pain and happiness.'
'This is the world of Card Users and their unending strive for power and mastery over it.'
'And today, I'll awaken my Talent, taking the first step into said world.'
[Hujel C. Samu, Class A-3 Student]
[Shalri Rank Talent -> Critical Decay!]
""Woah…""
Everyone gasped in awe for yet another Shalri Rank Talent. It was the fourth one already, the average for most years.
And barely a fraction of all Students had awakened.
"..."
'Now, what are Card User?'
'Card Users can be liked to a Wizard with their Spellbook where to cast spells they need their book and lots of energy.'
'To be more specific a Card User uses Cards to manifest supernatural phenomena into the world and change it to their benefit.'
'Cards are special tools created long ago to replace the old system. They are pocket representations of the world that Card Users can activate with Ether to bring forth their effects.'
'They're far too complicated to be explained or categorized, but essentially, they come as small rectangular pieces of metal that can be carried by hand or in a small box.'
'Ether is the energy of nature of the supernatural, it can be divided into further categories, but that's the field of College degree students and the like.'
'Card Users are thus classified as the people who can feel, interact, manipulate, and gather Ether.'
'In the past, they went by another name… "Cultivators", but that was so long ago most don't even know it…'
'Anyhow, you need a special organ inside your brain to feel Ether. In the past, it was called the Spiritual Root, and now, it's called uh… Reavetun Roots, but most people call it Ether Roots for simplicity, I myself often forget the scientific name anyway.'
'Those born without it cannot feel it and this fail at their Awakening. Those that have it succeed first try and are given a Talent directly connected to their Root under the influence of the Card Rule.'
'If you, on the other hand, aren't given proper nutrition or suffer from a condition, you can end up with a reduced/damaged root, which can be healed with time, although there are cases you cannot.'
'But still, there are always some unlucky ones that pull the short end of the stick regardless of their conditions are thus remain unable to awaken...'
'Many children, mostly from well-off families, usually undergo an extensive analysis of their brain where their Ether Potency is studied and calculated.'
'The Ether Potency is a value for how well their Ether Root can absorb and transform Ether, and that is directly correlated to the quality of their Talents, and eventually, how fast they'll grow once they awaken.'
'In my case, my Potency was so high that I've shattered the past records of the Academy… Not that they had anything to do with my growth anyway…'
'Since the Spiritual Roots are directly connected to the mind, the way a child develops over time can lead to massive changes… And me being a reincarnator certainly helped mine grow bulky.'
'Everything I did was exactly for that of course.'
'Finally, for the Card Rule… It's the main System that overlooks the entirety of the world and all Card Users, it was created 340 years ago and around 850 after the start of this new age…'
'It's currently 1115 A.T, or 1115 after Talfrosar, the man who abolished the old system and created the Card System, which 800 years later would become the Card Rule.'
'The Card Rule is… I don't quite know… No one really knows the details it seems, but it's like a gargantuan System with enough power to interfere with reality. So it would be close to assume its one Superpower affecting the whole globe at all times.'
'It was gently and carefully crafted by the geniuses of the past under the command and guidance of Talfrosar, and continuously updated and transformed until his death many decades later, and to this day, the Card Rule stands, seemingly eternal.'
'Pretty neat overall, not a bad place to be, not a bad age to be in, lots to do, many ways to achieve it… So far, I've nothing to complain…'
'A pity I wasn't born during the Era of the Great Sects and the Cultivators of Legend, but if history is to be believed, that System was far too outdated for the modern man, and the current System is far better to all. Maybe not for those considered peerless geniuses in the past.'
'And I won't admit myself to being one of those, I have my shame… Somewhere…'
'If there is something to complain though, then it's how pressured I feel all the time… But that's my own problem.'
'I've grown this way because I wanted to, and now I must face the consequences of my actions. Although…'
'If I can keep up with what others think if me, then there shouldn't be any problem. Since, above all that, what others expect of me is exactly what I seek.'
'To improve constantly.'
…
"... Rulio Fei Dal-Chi!"
/Whisper whisper…/
As soon as his name was called, everyone began whispering.
"..."
'It's time.'
"Congratulations." Lin said with a smile as she saw him get up
"Yeah, that." A boy to his right said as he tapped his shoulder
"... Would it hurt a bit to wish me good luck for once?" Rulio asked with a cynical gaze as he walked past Lin
"What good would that even be? Besides… You shouldn't rely on luck, that's what you said in the past." She said with a teasing smile as she tilted her head at him
"Right… But just like that, every man also needs a hug yet they never get one."
"... Did he just… Ask for a hug?" The boy on the side asked out loud as he scratched his head
"..."
/Redden…/
Lin's face immediately reddened as she imagined the implications of what Rulio meant, but of course, he didn't plan for that at all.
It was only meant to be a joke…
…
For some reason, Rulio was the only one called onto the stage.
"Good luck student." The announcer said with a smile as he watched his pass by
"... Thanks, I needed that." Rulio replied with a thin smile as he closed his eyes
'Well… For as dramatic as this is, this is where my story starts… Or ends.'
'Honestly, it doesn't matter what talent I get here, I already have my plans for the future.'
'I know exactly what to do to reach the apex of this world. Whatever talent I get here will only contribute to it, nothing else. Unless I gain a truly ridiculous Talent, but I prefer if I didn't.'
'Everything was for this… From the day I realized what this world was when I was three.'
'At first, I thought I had reincarnated into modern Earth, but things changed rather quickly.'
'It was easy to tell I had been born into an affluent household given the Maids and decorations in my Manor, and with all the attention and "free rein" I was given thanks to their care, it was easy for me to master their language.'
'I began reading when I was around three years of age, and I learned of Card Users around the same time, although I already had my suspicions about the supernatural root of this world thanks to many aspects, not counting the river of reincarnation.'
'Sometimes, I thought if that was all but an illusion or dream… It had to be true… It has to... But I accepted reality for what it was.'
'When I was six, I had already shown myself to be a genius child for my parents, having mastered reading and writing and in cursive not only in their language but also in another.'
'I had shown great patience as I began appearing in magazines and other child actor roles, mainly to make money and gather it for the future. After all, I was paying a lot of attention to things like stocks and rising groups, all for the sake of my adulthood.'
'When I was ten, I finally convinced my parents to allow me to begin my journey as a Card User, getting my own training room and professors to help me in my free time.'
'By then, most children usually play with holographic cards, they help children build the necessary foundations to become Card Users, although Rich snobs like me and many others take this process to the next level as their futures are of much greater importance than to the common man.'
'At ten, I graduated from holographic cards and began training with official blank cards.'
'At twelve, my Ether gauge began to increase as I consumed several resources and continued my training with my parents. That was also when I was admitted to the Academy.'
'This Academy is where the super rich send their children to network and train, funding its every activity.'
'I got here through my parents, but later, I rose to the top in every aspect. Getting myself free tuition and a lot of respect in the process.'
'It wasn't hard at first, these entitled kids knew more about throwing a fit in class then putting in the work, but over time, it got exceedingly complicated to win against these talented children in everything. Probably because they actually started trying, either due to them growing up or… Me.'
'But there are likely a thousand reasons as well.'
'Anyhow, a year later, I received my first portable Ether tank, allowing me to use official cards, although my parents only gave me Basic and Common ones. Still, it was perfect for my plans.'
'At fourteen, a little over or a year ago, I began researching and planning for the future, and by now… I've already finished it. My plans…'
'I'm now fifteen, standing before the awakening machine, mind and body trained to the pinnacle, my Soul and Spirit blessed by the river of reincarnation.'
'And not counting everything I did in between…'
'I won't fail.'
Rulio opened his eyes, he had blindly walked before the machine, everything's left was to step on it.
So, without a shred of hesitation, he sat on the chair, letting the doctors calibrate the machine and strap on the helmet around his chin.
With a thumbs up, they were ready, it was time.
"... What are you waiting for? Begin." Rulio demanded as he looked at the doctors
As he said that, Rulio's tone grew heavy, clearly displaying his impatience. If they were waiting for his cue, then they just got it.
But for the others… It sounded like a threat.
Rulio had more than once shown his ability as a Card User and fighter, having beaten up multiple teenagers and even adults before.
To train, he had put himself against others multiple times, and because of his personality, the bullies in the Academy kind of gave in to his presence.
At least for as long as he was there, the bullying between students decreased, because there was a much bigger fish in the river, and no one wanted to get its attention.
"Y-Yes, student." One of the Doctors, clearly younger, said with some surprise as they scrolled through their Ipad
/Fuomfuomfuommm!!!/
/LIGHT!/
/Shom…/
"... What?... Is something wrong?" The announcer asked as he noticed the machine show no reaction
If it showed no reaction, it only meant that…
But Rulio was completely confident as he remained still with his eyes closed.
'It's coming, I can feel the Ether. No… I've always felt it.'
'The awakening of my Talent, the manifestation of my Spiritual Root within the Card Rule!'
/Shine!/
His profile hologram soon manifested before all!
[Rulio Fei Dal-Chi, Class A-1 Student]
[Shalri Rank Talent -> Crystalize Card!
Shalri Rank Talent -> Immediate Double Strike!
…]
"..."
Just like everyone, Rulio could also see his Talents through a small Status window floating before him.
'I've awakened, so I can now interact with the Card Rule… This will take a while to get used to.'
'But these Talents, as expected, I inherited my parents Talents.'
'Talents are but manifestations of one's Ether Root under the Card Rule, they're not imaginary or created by it to suit an individual or through lottery. Genetics take a big toll on what you'll get. If not determines it altogether.'
'This big ass machine, the Connector, is only meant to interpret your ability and connect your Ether Root to the Card Rule System. Nothing else.'
'If you reach the Rank of an Expert, you can somewhat guarantee your children will inherit some aspect of your Talent, and that idea is the basis of Clans and Households that often pass down Talents through their bloodlines.'
'My mother's Talent, Crystalize Card allows her to instantly enhance a Card by a half a stage, or ten times, however, using her talent on a Card drains her severely and it also locks the Card in place, preventing it from being enhanced in the future.'
'It's a potent ability for all purposes, even commercial, but its tempting as well, as the moment she uses it on herself, her ability will skyrocket, but her growth will halt.'
'So unless if she's planning on enhancing some supporting cards, it's not worth spending the energy to destroy main Cards, unless the risk of enhancing them is too high or costly.'
'This is the foundation of the economic dominance of the Dalcra Clan.'
'Then, there's my father ability, Immediate Double Strike. It's not complicated, but it's effective.'
'Every strike type card is used twice, the second time being free of energy cost and immediate, and the delay between them is not worth mentioning.'
'So its like two attacks stacked together. Simple, but horrendously effective, especially when paired with some of the highest damage dealing Strike Type Cards.'
'Great, this alone should be enough, inheriting my parent's abilities and both at the rank they should be, there's nothing else to worry about.'
'Two great abilities, they aren't anything impressive, definitely not something a main character or villain would have, but I would qualify as a side character in the story with this much potential.'
Even within Shalri Rank Talents and the like there were differences in power.
Some Talents were so ludicrous that Ranking them would do little to their power, others were far too complex to be classified.
And a few weren't understood enough to be labeled properly, leading to them being overlooked and looked down upon.
Despite his confident expression, Rulio did feel relieved. His path wouldn't have changed if he had been deemed useless or underwhelming, but it sure would've been hard.
But…
/Shine…/
"What?..." He blurted out with some surprise, breaking character
Thankfully, no one saw or heard that due to the light and trembling of the machine.
"S-Sir! T-The Connector…" One of the younger doctors said with a surprised gaze as they looked at the machine
"I'm not blind, I can see it!... It has detected another Talent within the student, but… It's having difficulty awakening it due to its density and potency. Increase its parameters!" The lead doctor said as he adjusted his glasses
"B-But sir…"
"What?"
"The machine was originally set with the sensitivity and strength to detect and measure Shalri Rank Talents… We did have to remeasure it, but… It cannot go any higher than this."
"Then… Ahem!... This is a newer model, put it on developer mode. It should solve the issue."
"Understood."
The doctors were quick to move, and with a few tweaks, the rumbling machine finally stabilized as it shined even brighter than before!
/Shine…/
With that, a new line appeared next to his list of Talents!
[Rulio Fei Dal-Chi, Class A-1 Student]
[Shalri Rank Talent -> Crystalize Card!
Shalri Rank Talent -> Immediate Double Strike!
Sha…]
Before the hologram finished updating with his newest Talent…
/SHA SHA SHA… CRUNK!/
/POOOF!/
""?!""
The Connector began to release black smoke as it quickly broke down, unable to operate further, blocking the hologram and causing it to fickle before it immediately died down.
However, it did its job, successfully exceeding its stress limit and giving the world… Rulio's profile.
Three S Rank Talents…
In comparison, last year, around Seven Shalri Rank Talents emerged from hundreds of students, including one Double Talent within the grade.
The Ratio may seem high, but double Talents are scarce, rarer than even an S Rank talent emerging, and for one of the talents to be S Rank was… Ludicrous.
Rulio, on the other hand, had not only two, but three Talents…
He was a Triple S-Rank Talent holder.
"..."
'I'm fucked… Everyone saw what just happened…'
'But first, I'm going to die!'
From within the cold mist, Rulio quickly moved about, his body freezing due to the frigid vapors that escaped from the Connector's broken tubes.
He felt his skin tingle, he was very close to frostbite, and his body was on the verge of trembling…
But for the others, it was like witnessing the birth of a legend in the flesh, a Hero... a Demi-God emerging from the ashes.
/Silence…/
They watched in complete silence as he walked onto the edge of the stage. Standing before them all, he remained quiet, waiting…
/CHEEEERRRSS!!/
They exploded in meteoric cheers, shaking the theater so much that even the announcer could not calm them down, giving up soon after.
What a legendary day, what a moment to see! One of the few Triple Awakeners of their country and the very first of this century in their city!
And above all, he was…
"..."
'I'm cooked.'
…
/Later…/
/Sit…/
"You actually broke the machine, never thought I'd see such a thing in person." Lin said with a smile as she looked at Rulio
"That was pretty cool, man!"
"Hurray our newest Tripple Talent holder!"
"Thanks… Hm?"
'Tripple?'
At that moment, Rulio's gaze sharpened.
"Anyhow, tell us! What's your third Talent?"
"What do you mean? It should've been shown to you all."
"Well… The machine broke before we had the chance to see it, so? What was it? I'm curious."
"..."
'This… I'm saved! It's a miracle of nature! Thank you heavens…'
The reason why Rulio was so thankful was because the Talents he awakened were… A tad too controversial.
[...
Shalri Rank Talent -> Exchange Pact!
Shalri Rank Talent -> Sacrificial Golden Egg!]
He hadn't awakened three talents but four, and they were also unique talents.
In this day and age, it wasn't unusual for someone to awaken something never seen before.
0.3 in five children will awaken something never seen before, a Unique Talent that only belonged to them… Albeit in 95% of all cases, their talents were usually highly similar to some talent that already exists or existed in history.
That's all due to genetics, as children will usually inherit their parents Talents, there is a high chance they awaken something similar to what they had, a mutation of the original Talent, either for the better or for the worse.
This is especially true for these modern times where there's a lot of diversity between people from the mixing of multiple races and cultures…
Rulio was all happy for having awakened four Talents, but the problem was what they represented…
Shalri Rank Talent, Exchange Pact… A talent that allowed him to exchange the Talent for any other he came in contact with, which would destroy it in the process, essentially copying the Talent without any side effects.
Such a Talent was… For lack of better words, the most illegal Talent of this era.
There had been many Talents and Cards with similar abilities like this one in the past, and everyone who possessed them, without a doubt, vanished from this world soon after.
This Talent is the biggest enemy of all Noble and Ancient families as it allows a complete outsider to their bloodline to steal what makes them who they are, to steal the Talents and abilities they've been cultivating over centuries, if not longer.
Rulio had no intent of being associated with such a Talent, especially when he had no interesting in getting in the sights of those big shots.
'There are many Talents for me to copy, but doing so would only bring problems to myself… I'm better off hiding this for now.'
'Technically speaking, the Card Rule already has my credentials, but unless someone with a lot of clearance to the Rule inspects me, no one should ever find out about my Talents unless they have special Talents or Cards for that purpose.'
'So before anyone investigates me… I need to get rid of this Talent by fetching another one… And the next Talent I awakened will help me hide my true abilities even further.'
Shalri Rank Talent, Sacrificial Golden Egg… A Talent that could be sacrificed to add a "growth" function to any Talent, allowing them to surpass their limits.
Such Talents and Cards with such effects had been seen before, but this was the first time Rulio heard about this ability working on Shalri Rank Talents.
It meant that he could potentially push a Shalri Rank Talent towards a new Rank—one often heard of in legends…
Opline Rank Talents… The ultimate Level of Humanity.
Few were the Human beings who achieved or were said to possess such an immense connection to Ether, with Talfrosar being the first one to be classified as such.
In fact, the name for the Rank came from a rare gem Talfrosar was known to use around his neck, a gemstone he received from his mother whose name had been lost to time.
Lady Opline, named due to the gem she gave her son.
'This Talent is as insane as the other one, and it's not something I would want to get myself attached to either…'
'But just like the other Talent, as long as I use it… It'll vanish. But even though I'm a bit cowardly, that doesn't mean I'm willing to throw away its potential and use it on my current Talents without putting in a thought.'
'Today was but a hurdle for me to pass, and regardless of its effects, I already had plans for my future, but now, with these two Talents…'
'Maybe I'll be able to push my plans forward.'
/Tap tap/
"Rulio? Are you still with us?"
"Sorry, I was reading the description for my Talents, what was the question again?"
The Card Rule protected their users by making sure no one could see the projections of their profiles aside from the users themselves, so Rulio could read his Talents without having to worry about snoopers like Lin.
"Are you playing with me? What's your Talent, I'm dying to know!"
"It's… A secret for now, but it's strong, very strong… It's my trump Card."
"Come on!" She said out loud as she began shaking him
"That won't work on me this time. Besides, it's your turn."
Although Lin should have gone before him due to alphabetical order, the school chose to leave the students with the highest chances of awakening high-grade Talents for later, including Rulio and everyone around him.
They were the popular kids, as some may say, Rulio didn't like to be called that but he never showed his genuine emotions.
He was a young master, the kind that would appear in the story, the genius favored by all and looked up to by many and the kind that would get in the Mc's way for no reason at all… Albeit he made sure to build a personality that wouldn't conflict with others nor did he ever give anyone a reason to hate him like that.
The last thing he needed was to end up offending such a person and end becoming their goal for revenge…
"Humph… Changing the topic… Then… I'm off."
"... Focus alright." Rulio said as he watched Lin leave
"I am focused."
"Then relax. If you can relax, what you worry about won't happen. So believe in yourself for once, alright?"
"... Humph."
Without saying anything else, she made her way to the podium, leaving Rulio with a baffled expression as he adjusted his glasses.
'Sigh. Really… I can't even be nice anymore. Damn pubberty, she used to be cuter, like a younger sister when we were younger.'
'Now she keeps being bratty.'
/Shine…/
"D-Double Talent! We have another Double Talent!"
"..."
'Congratulations.'
…
From there, the last few children awakened, receiving their Talents and going back to their seats to smile and laugh with their friends about their achievements.
In the end, the awakening ceremony ended with a few words from the Principal and the professors, with everyone being dismissed to go back home and commemorate with their friends and family.
Aside from the few who didn't awaken promising Talents, that is…
It lasted a little over four hours, and with the few minutes of wait time and the like, the ceremony lasted about an ordinary school day of around five hours.
In total, out of the six hundred students…
27 Awakened Shalri Rank Talents. They would become the future Masters of this City and country, or so was believed.
133 Awakened Almium Rank Talents. They were the promising students who would spread their wings across the many high positions of this country and beyond!
279 Awakened Brumium Rank Talents. Albeit not as high as many would've liked, they were still far above the level of what an ordinary person could even hope to awaken, and were still technically within the limits of what "High Class society" would expect.
111 Awakened Calmium Rank Talents. These students were a little disappointed but not broken. Their glorious future was now almost impossible to achieve, but succeeding their families crafts was definitely not beyond them.
11 Awakened Drami Rank Talents. For everything their families poured on them, they felt like crap and were far too embarrassed to even stand with the others, some were even crying, their tears staining their clothes.
3 Awakened Erium Rank Talents… These students had all cried on the spot as they saw their results, some were even escorted outside, their reactions no different from the rest…
36 students remained Unawakened. Failing the ceremony. Some were mentally crushed, others still clung to hope, of the possibility of their Second Awakening or retests in the future.
But according to the statistics… Only half of them would awaken after today.
Adding onto that, there were 11 Double Talents and one Triple Talent.
But amidst that, there was also one incredibly rare Double Awakening.
A Double Awakening meant exactly that, that the Connector manifested their Ether Roots twice.
There are many reasons for that, but each Awakening it's unique from the other, albeit they both fuse once Awakened.
In this circumstance, the individual awakened one S Rank Talent in their first Awakening and two B Rank Talents in their second one.
This meant that in a way, the student could be taken as another Triple Talent Card User.
For the Principal and the Academy, today was one of, if not the best day they have ever had, and it was multiple times better than what they planned for.
The event was broadcast to certain private services for the country to see. The glory of their school would echo throughout the nation!!
And it was, even at this moment, news articles were being made left and right amd interviews were being taken with the students outside the theather and the Academy…
Amidst that, many talked about the Triple Talent Student and speculated on his last Talent, but surprisingly, there was nothing on him at all…
As following the ceremony, he left towards his home, and secluded himself inside his room.
What could he be doing, many asked themselves… But within their minds, there was expectation…
Because Rulio Fei was that kind of Genius!
…
.
.
.
Notes
週次パワーステータス
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