As Daniel stepped through the portal, a wave of sensation swept over his whole mind and body.
This feeling was strange. It was something he had never experienced.
Every cell, tissue and organ, in his body felt as though they were being ripped apart fragment by fragment.
He found himself unable to yell or argue. At that instant all he could manage was to endure the sensation and pray to whichever god he believes in to save him.
Just as he thought he had hit his breaking point and was, on the verge of losing control the overwhelming sensation suddenly stopped.
He fell to the ground, staggered a few steps and finally dropped down onto his knees. He began trembling.
He experienced dizziness as if he had been running round a circle for hours. He closed his eyes, wishing everything would just stop… even for a second.
Gradually the shaking began to fade, bit by bit.
As he attempted to stand up, he sensed something soft beneath his palms. He opened his eyes and he was wowed!
He was no longer standing on the cemented training field. Instead, he stood surrounded by blades of silver grass that swayed gently even though there was no wind.
He looked up at the sky, completely dumbfounded.
The sky displayed an artwork mixing tones of purple and violet, with green and golden clouds arranged in a chaotic pattern.
The sky held a pair of suns — a bright one and a smaller red sun, casting an eerie twilight glow over the landscape.
Far away, the mountains rose above the clouds as their peaks touched the sky.
The air carried a mixture of wet soil and the scent of flowers that only opened at night. This strange place displayed magnificence and deep danger at the time.
His team appeared from the portal close to him, trying to steady themselves after coming out of it.
Ragnar hit the ground hard and then got back up with a sharp grimace from the pain of the blow.
Sophie did a clumsy but effective roll, coming up in a crouch with her eyes already looking around.
Bran simply fell flat on his face, looking utterly bewildered.
"Well " Ragnar muttered, wiping a trickle of blood from his nostril. "That was rough. My entire body hurts terribly."
Before anyone could respond a gentle chorus of soft chimes filled the air.
Encircling the aspirants were the Databands shining brilliantly on their arms their screens radiating vividly.
The two thousand people spread throughout the field experienced a rush of excitement.
A woman close by yelled with a mixture of terror and thrill as she exclaimed "Its happening!"
She held up her hand to reveal her F-Grade 'Glow Stick' that emitted a feeble light.
Her face fell. "Oh. Well that's… of useful I guess, for reading."
The alerts arrived as a stream of features.
"D-Grade, 'Iron Grip'!"
"C-Grade, 'Enhanced Hearing'!"
"F-Grade, 'Water Condensation'!
"I'm capable of boiling a cup of water every hour! We've been saved!" a man commented with irony as he looked at his hand with disgust.
The mood shifted dramatically. Aspirants possessing D and C-Grade skills celebrated since their scores met the academy's standards.
Those who awakened E- and F-grades experienced despair as their dreams of becoming powerful warriors were dashed—even before the whole test began.
"What did y'all receive?" Bran inquired his voice tinged with anxiety as he observed his databand screen.
I got a C-Grade… 'Minor Fortification'. This technique allows me to use raw life energy to form a shield around myself for a brief period before it fades away. It's not much but I t's something.
Ragnar let out a hearty laugh, slapping his chest with a sound similar to raw meat hitting a surface.
"C-Grade! 'Stoneskin'! My flesh can harden like stone, for minutes! Take that, you ugly monsters!" He smiled broadly, his expression a clear blend of relief and happiness.
Sophie's expression was harder to read.
"B-Grade " she whispered softly but it was loud enough to draw the notice of onlookers. "Tactical insight."
Currently I can detect weaknesses in enemies or defenses. Not in complex situations at least, for now.
Her announcement, as a B-Grade talent immediately captured everyones attention.
Several aspirants looked at Sophie with a blend of jealousy and strategic thought.
A B-Grade indicated that a person possessed ability. The distinction highlighted the space, between luring monsters and transforming into a threat.
As the noise of the gathering grew louder Daniel felt his Awakening.
It was neither the shock nor the burst of power that others mentioned.
A gradual powerful feeling stirred up inside of him, like some ancient beast waking up deep within his soul.
It was a silent strength that seemed less like a recently gained ability and more like a fundamental aspect of himself he had never realized before.
A profound vibration echoed, not through his ears but within his very bones.
A warmth spread from his core, a feeling of connection to the life, death, and energy of this strange new world
Filled with both anxiety and eagerness he finally took a look at the Databand on his arm.
The holographic text shone brighter than anything else around that was around him, giving off a soft golden light.
[Talent Awakening Successful ]
[Name: Daniel Damilare]
[Talent: Soul Assimilation]
[Grade: SSS]
[Description: The user possesses the power to absorb the souls of enemies. Absorbed souls can be assimilated to permanently enhance the user's core attributes or employed to analyze and replicate the enemys intrinsic skills. Souls can be stored, merged or modified to generate abilities. The potential, for growth is infinite.]
SSS-Grade.
The three letters appeared to burn into his sight. He gazed, his brain declining to comprehend the information. SSS.
The instructors in the academy had mentioned S-Grades in respectful whispers, as mythical feats, the power wielded by monsters and gods.
SSS was regarded as a realm of power believed to exist only in theory or myth.
A chilly realization swept through him, replacing the initial shock with dread.
Instructor Baldwin's statement echoed in his mind, vivid and piercing. Power is not just give, it is taken.
He looked around at the other aspirants. He saw the greed in the eyes of a man who got a C-Grade and observed a crowd forming near Sophie and her B-Grade, their expressions a mix of admiration and faintly hidden longing.
Unveiling an SSS-Grade talent at this point wouldn't turn him into a hero. It would turn him into a target. A massive, unavoidable target.
The academy would not even see him as a weapon, instead they would think of him as a specimen to be examined and analyzed.
The other aspirants, fueled by the survival-or-perish mindset instilled in them would view him as a jackpot chance. 'Take his life. Maybe, just maybe his power could be seized.'
His heart started beating fast within his chest. His only objective which is to reunite his family relied on him staying alive.
His progress depended on becoming more powerful than becoming the center of a greedy, desperate free-for-all.
"Daniel? Are you alright, man? You look like you've seen a ghost" Ragnar said, his baritone voice cutting sharply through Daniel's thoughts.
Don't tell me that you got an F-Grade. It's alright, you might as well be our team's mascot.
Acting purely on instinct, Daniel's hand quickly moved to cover the Databand, hiding its golden glow.
"No it's… it's fine " he stammered, trying to maintain a voice. He needed to hide it from them. At least, for now.
He quickly focused his attention on the Databand, willing it to hide th grade, to change the display.
He had no idea if it was even possible, but soul assimilation wasn't a normal talent. It was ancient, older than the system itself, and, in its own way, aware.
Part of its nature was to absorb, modify and transform the essence of entities, including the System's projection.
As if responding to his unspoken command, the profound ancient force, inside him awakened.
A surge of black-and-gold brilliance surged within his soul and the shining golden symbols, on the screen trembled… before dissolving into the blue of a lower grade talent.
The change felt almost instinctive, as if the talent read his mind and had decided for him that revealing its true rank now would be suicide.
He inhaled deeply and lifted his hand.
[Name: Daniel Damilare]
[Talent: Attribute Enhancement]
[Grade: D]
[Description: Allows the user to briefly boost a single physical attribute by a minor amount.]
It was a pathetic, common, and utterly forgettable talent. It was perfect!
"Attribute Enhancement. Just a D-Grade " he commented, showing them the falsified screen. His voice held a note of disappointment.
Ragnar gave him a shoulder tap, a little too hard. "Hey, a D is a pass! Means you're not getting kicked out.
Besides, every little bit helps. We've got your back."
Sophie gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't worry, Daniel. A talent is just a tool. The major thing is how you use it."
He smiled at her, trying to look calm, even though everything within him was a mess.
He stood out in a way that felt rare and exceptional. An hidden figure among them. He possessed the power that could make him shake even the foundations of the world. The power that could either raise him to divinity or lead him to his early grave.
Meanwhile, the hunt for his family was still his major goal, but now, a new hunt had begun. The hunt for the truth behind the terrifying power that he now possessed.