บท 2: Waking up
I woke up groggy and with a headache that felt like it could split the earth in half, I could see the sun shining even with my eyes fully closed and that did not help whatsoever... I groaned as I turned over and was welcomed with a body wide ache that a person would only get after working out hardcore for a couple hours, I felt sore and hungover but I couldn't remember drinking at all last night? I remembered going to take my Gifted test to finally become one after so long as a normal human.... !!!!!!
I jolted up with eyes wide dispite the pain it caused me as I looked myself over with excitement! Only to slouch when nothing new changed about me... I've seen some Gifted with wings like dragons or some with angel wings, some had taken on the appearance of animals aswell as demons. I remember it caused a huge clusterfuck when the first guy came out with a different appearance, he came out with red skin the was cracked and looked like it flowed with lava, he had horns that shot up like lightning bolts from his forehead and batlike wings.... I mean full on demon lord type shit.
Since that happened the Gifted were classified into 2 branches. First being the Gifted plain and simple, but the second is referred to as the Altered Gifted. Those are the ones that have absorbed so much of the energy from the IDP or Interdimensional Portals, that their bodies had to transform in order to fully utilize the energy that was welling up within them.
I looked around and realized that I wasn't at home in my bed. Where the hell was I? I remember passing the psych eval and then was led to the machine that is the standard for becoming Gifted. Did I pass out? Oh shit does that mean I failed in becoming Gifted!? Wait no... I feel the soreness that everybody says happens the day after they go through it and succeed. But then why did I pass out?
About that time I heard the door open and saw as the woman from yesterday walk in. She was still carrying that clipboard but she didn't look happy to see me or atleast she was happy that I was awake..... Maybe?
"How are you feeling Mr. Frough? I was surprised when you passed out mid procedure and was worried that you would die from the exposure.... This unfortunately is not that uncommon... But it looks like you came through just fine." She said with a barely passable smile.
"Ughhh... Hey doc, listen I feel like I just got ran over by a 18-wheeler so let's go ahead and skip the formalities and half assed pleasantries. I know I passed because I feel like shit, but why did I pass out? I've never heard of that happening before."
The doctor looked a bit annoyed but she sighed and sat down on a nearby chair and gave me a copper color plastic card.....
I looked at her with eyes that didn't believe what was happening. This color was only for the lowest of the low... E rank. I looked between the card she handed me and her looking for any signs that this might be a joke, but no such luck.
"I'm sorry, But your body just couldn't handle a bigger dose of the radiation required for a higher grade. If I left you in that machine that you could have very well have died from over exposure."
"... I understand... Can I go home now?" I was defeated. I was hoping to get a high grade and start working for huge guild and make enough money to repay Hector and his family for everything they did for me up until this point... I was the only one without any powers in the family, Hell even little Julie was showing signs of developing a power and she was only 5! Ofcourse what do you expect when your the child of a rank B Father and a rank C mother....
"Yes you can but first we need to make sure your system is in working order, if you could just call it up for me please?" The Doctor asked and she readied her clipboard.
Oh yea! I forgot, around the time that the scientists had discovered how to utilize the Energy produced from the IDP stones and came up with the machine that helped make more Gifted, they also were able to tweak it too. See the older generation of Gifted were only granted powers, but with the addition of the machine todays Gifted are able to call up a system screen to better get a read of what they can do. It's all thanks to the research and rapid advancement that the stones gave to our society.
[Welcome new user: James Frough]
[Status: Groggy/Weakened]
[Rank: E]
[Abilities: Tame]
"Yup it says E ranked.... Dammit. But hey I got the Taming skill! I heard a ton of Tamers who made it big even with a low rank aslong as they got lucky with the monsters they tamed!" I yelled but quickly reined myself in when the doctor chuckled at me. But this was still awesome! I didn't have to give up my dream anymore but I just had to train and get strong enough to tame a badass monster.
"Everything looks good on my end, I suggest you make it to where only you can see the screen so others can't, But other then that I still congratulate you on joining the fight against the IDP. I suggest you come and see me in a few months just to make sure nothing odd is happening because of the procedure, I would say we are good to go!" She genuinely smiles and I couldn't tell if it was because I was leaving or if she was actually happy for me.
After stopping by the front desk and making a follow up appointment I left quickly and headed off towards home. On the way I passed by a park with a group of kids and parents playing around and I spotted who I call my Adoptive mom named Jasmine. Hector met her a few years after that incident and she immediately took a shine to me and started treating me as her own son.... I guess in a way she saw me like that since her own son had died on the first day and I looked similar enough that her heart could be fooled....
But After that we actually started feeling like a family and shortly after that was when little Julie came around! Oh Hector was over the moon when he found out and went around all over the tent city we were living at at the time and yelling out how he was going to be a daddy! Haha man that was a night.
"Ooooo look mommy Jimmy is done, Jimmy! Come play with me!" I heard the little voice of an angel and looked over as Julie was waving at me from the top of the jungle gym. I smiled and walked over to her and she jumped from where she was and I had to rush to catch her!
"Holy hell Julie what was that!? You could have gotten hurt you know?"
"Nuh uh Big brother wouldn't let me get hurt. But will you stop squeezing me it hurts."
I placed her down and let go as Jasmine came rushing over and picked her up to look her over for any signs of her being hurt.
"I'm sorry little angel, I didn't mean to squeeze you too tightly, I was just scared." I said as I backed up for a second, then Jasmine rose up and turned around and gave me a huge hug.
"My little Jimmy is finally a Gifted! I could tell instantly from the way you moved to save Julie just now, you got a little faster...." She let go and looked at me with a concerned look in her eyes.
"It seems like you hadn't gained that much power though? What rank did you get? The hospital called and told us you passed out during the procedure but wouldn't let us come up there for some reason and assured us that you were being taken care of. Did something go wrong? What happened?" She peppered me with questions but when she eventually stopped to take a breath I asked if we could just go home and when Hector got home I would explain as much as I knew. They agreed while looking concerned at me but soon that look disappeared when Julie spotted an icecream stand and she grabbed my hand and bolted towards it.
After having a cone of Chocolate chip cookie dough and watching her trip and lose hers and then ending up give her the rest of mine after rolling a Nat 1 to resist those big blue eyes and wavering lip as she looked up at my icecream cone..... I swear I think this little girl might be just an evil genius in disguise... Anyways, afterwards we got back home in time to see Hector coming home from his latest excursion into a nearby IDP.
"Anything good drop today honey?" Jasmine asked with a chuckle as we watched Hector go from walking normally to a walking slouch and a deep sigh.
"No, only thing I got was some bullshit ring that helped Tamers succeed..... Only tamer in town is an asshole so to hell with him getting this!" Hector raised a fist in the air as he said this. To be fair the resident Tamer was a total asshat that lorded over the plebians or so he calls the rest of us while showing off the Elder Salamander he managed to tame, and that got him basically the job of mayor of the town and control of the IDP that is used by the guild.
I laughed so hard at how lucky I was right now and it took everything I had to catch my breath. The three of them just stood there and looked at me in confusion but I just told them to follow me inside where I showed them the system and what it said about me. The looks of pity were a bit harsh to recieve but I didn't let it bother me too much as I waved those away.
"Look here, see what ability I got? Hahaha you just got a huge buff for me to start out with, if you want to give that away anyways... I'm sure the price for something like that would catch a pretty penny that our family could use anyways...." I caught myself from being too excited since I realized I was basically saying give me that instead of asking for something so huge as a drop like that. Especially when I had not earned it.
"Haaa, boy you have been with us for so long that I think of you like a son. Here, as a gift on joining me and Jasmine in the fight against the IDP I would be happy to help you catch something for your first tame. Why don't I take you to the guild office tomorrow and we can get you squared away and if we are lucky maybe even get us signed up for a patrol that day? Until then how about we celebrate with a nice steak and maybe if the ladies feel up to it they could bake a cake or something?"
Hector looked over at Jasmine with pleading eyes and a huge puppy dog act. Everyone who knows these two know that Jasmine is an amazing cook and at every chance he gets Hector will damn near beg for her cooking... Everyone thinks he just fell in love with the cooking.
Jasmine just sighed and smacked the top of his head before she smiled and they kissed and then she lifted Julie up and they entered the kitchen to start on the cake. Me and Hector went outside where he had a grill set up and a few steaks already out and marinating.
"Were you expecting me to pass today? What's all this?"
"Haha, boy we knew you would. Even after the hospital called and told us something went wrong I knew without a shadow of a doubt that you would become a Gifted... I'm sorry that you only got E rank Jimmy, all this time we survived and you only got E rank just doesn't feel right to me. But atleast you have the Taming ability so maybe you can tame a super strong monster to help you, I believe in you and if you need help with anything just let me know."
He gave me a quick hug as I smiled but then we got to cooking the steaks and that night was filled with laughter and joy even despite my low rank. I knew they weren't going to be upset with my rank no matter what I got, not like some stories I heard about from some of the higher ups when their kids got a lesser grade then what they expected... In the end I got lucky.
After stuffing myself on steak and cake I went to lay down in bed and rest up for tomorrow when I would officially be apart of the Gifted that go through the IDP and fight the monsters within.
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