By 11 AM, Michael arrived home, took a refreshing shower, and decided to relax by playing some video games. He joined an online FPS deathmatch, hopping onto the usual server where he played with his friends. Midway through the game, Luke, one of his closest friends, messaged him in the game chat with a concerning piece of news:
"Michael, listen—don’t go to the gym for a while. Word’s out that you’re weak and have a bad talent. Someone recorded your tests at the gym this morning and shared them. Now people might challenge you. It’s not worth the risk."
Michael paused for a moment, surprised by what he heard, but he quickly responded with a calm tone:
"Thanks, bro. I’ll handle it. Don’t worry, my talent isn’t as weak as they think. If anyone tries something, it won’t end well for them. Let’s just focus on the game."
Despite the situation, Michael smiled. He didn’t have many friends, but the ones he had were loyal and sincere. Even when they believed he had a weak talent, they stuck by his side, showing their concern.
He’d heard enough stories about people being abandoned because of weak talents, but thankfully, that wasn’t his reality.
Luke, Thomas, and Annabelle had been his friends throughout school. Annabelle, one of his dearest friends, had transferred to another school three years ago due to her parents' work relocation. Despite the distance, they had stayed in touch.
Although he reassured Luke, Michael wasn’t foolish enough to take unnecessary risks. He estimated that by tonight, he’d have enough Talent Points (TP) to evolve his talent to S-tier. Until then, he planned to play it safe. The Lux Constitution would even grant him one free attribute point today, though he dismissed it as minor progress.
"Nah, who am I kidding? One point won’t change much," he thought, chuckling to himself.
Annabelle, however, jumped into the chat, furious.
"If anyone dares mess with you, I’ll handle them! Don’t worry—I awakened a C-rank talent, Dark Ranger Heart. I’ll come to the Argonaut Martial Gym with you and take care of anyone looking for trouble."
Her outburst surprised everyone in the chat. Michael was thrilled, but Luke and Thomas felt an entirely different emotion.
“C-rank talent?!” The revelation hit them like a thunderbolt. Luke and Thomas exchanged silent, teary-eyed reactions. C-rank talents were rare, representing only 1% of the population. Compared to their F-rank talents, it was a league of its own.
"Also, what do you mean you’re angry? We’d love for you to get angry on our behalf too, okay?" they thought bitterly.
Annabelle had always been a school belle, charming most of their classmates before her transfer. Neither Luke nor Thomas had been immune to her allure.
Michael, on the other hand, was delighted for her. A C-rank talent meant the Empire would likely cultivate her into a strong individual. He sent her a private message:
"Hope to see you in the Nirvana Program soon. At least I won’t feel alone. Don’t worry—my talent isn’t weak. It just develops slowly. I’d be glad to meet you at the gym. Let’s catch up tomorrow morning."
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After setting their plans, Michael played until noon, had lunch with his family, and then revised his piloting lessons. The course covered math, physics, aerodynamics, weather principles, basic maneuvers, and regulations.
He positioned himself near a window during his revision, letting the sunlight bathe him to activate the effects of his Lux Constitution. It would grant him a maximum of one stat point for the day.
Later that evening, Michael watched an episode of his favorite TV series. When it was time to sleep, he connected to his capsule.
Welcome to Stellarion.
The familiar message greeted him as he reappeared in the beginner town of Affron. Focusing on the icon in the bottom right, he opened his status screen:
[Status Panel] [Name: Michael]
[Name Tag: Restless]
[Age: 18]
[Race/Bloodline: Human]
[Physique: Normal]
[Coins: 12 bronze virtual coins]
[Class: Warrior Apprentice]
[Subclass: (N/A)]
[Talents]
* B-rank Lux Constitution [+]
* EX-rank Infinite Talent Evolution
Professional Talents: Beginner Swordsmanship (Level 3)]
[Level: 2]
* (Strength: 12.57) || (Constitution: 12.06)
* (Speed: 8.46) || (Reaction: 8.67)
* (Intelligence: 8.20) || (Wisdom: 8.12)
[Skills: Dash (Level 2), Power Blow (Level 2)]
He focused on the EX-rank Infinite Talent Evolution talent:
[EX-rank Infinite Talent Evolution]
[Effects:
* Generates 1 TP per second.
* Required TP for talent evolution:
* F-Rank to E: 1 TP
* .......
* .......
* A-Rank to S: 100,000 TP
* S-Rank to SS: 1,000,000 TP
* Current TP: 99,512]
Calculations showed that he could evolve his talent to S-tier in about eight minutes. After that, it would take 10 days to reach SS-tier and approximately 110 days to SSS-tier.
Michael also gained 0.8 points from Lux Constitution, which he invested into strength, bringing it to 13.37. Satisfied with his progress, he closed the status screen and ventured out to fight mutated rabbits.
The battles were noticeably easier than the day before. Killing one now took only four minutes instead of six. By the end, he had enough TP to evolve his talent. Finding a secluded spot, he opened his status screen and focused on the [+] beside Lux Constitution.
Are you sure you want to upgrade your B-grade talent, Lux Constitution, to S-tier? [YES] [NO]
Michael selected [YES].
A notification chimed:
Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained the S-rank talent, Hex Nova Knight Constitution.
The transformation was excruciating. Pain wracked his body, forcing him to the ground. His muscles convulsed as his genes underwent a profound change. Grinding his teeth to endure the agony, he felt like an eternity passed before the process ended.
Breathing heavily, he opened the talent description:
[Hex Nova Knight Constitution (S-rank)] [+]
* +1 free attribute point per level up.
* Gain up to 5 attribute points daily under sunlight (max total: 5,000).
* Unlock skills at stat thresholds.
* Nova Bloodline and Physique gained.
* +15% elemental resistance.
* +10% constitution in sunlight.
Michael’s exhaustion turned to joy as he absorbed the incredible benefits of his new talent. With this evolution, he knew his future was bright. Still, this was just the beginning. In 10 days, he’d push his talent to the next level.
For now, he’d take it one day at a time.