Chapter 11: The Gifted Ones
“Special?” Niko’s heart began to race.
Marcos nodded, “Ah, yes! They were very special! There were three humans who possessed completely horrifying skills. These skills were almost like cheats. One man could rip space apart, another could stop time around him, while another one could make whatever he thought of appear—as long as he possessed the materials. That's how our human settlement was created. There were many powerful humans from the first batch with powerful skills. Most of them survived. As of right now… I’m not completely sure of where they are. They left the human settlement a while ago and ventured further into this world.”
Niko's eyes widened, excitement building inside him. His mind raced with the possibilities. If such powerful humans had survived this brutal world, then perhaps his sister could have as well.
“Anita… I will find you,” Niko vowed silently. “I’ll become strong enough to find you…”
Marcos then took a step back, placing his hands on his hips. “Alright! Those with a skill or a unique title, please stand up. This way we can transition to what we’re doing next much easier. You see, we are going to be in this grassland for at least another hour…”
As people began to stand up, Marcos continued, “We still need many of you to receive a skill or something that will help you in the future. Once you reach the settlement, it will be difficult to do much on your own unless you're in a group. But let me warn you—those of you who don’t acquire a skill won’t be useful enough to be accepted into a group.”
Listening to Marcos, those who had been granted skills or titles stood up. Niko, orbited by the translucent spirit orb, naturally stood as well. The orb remained as calm and silent as ever, giving off a faint glow as it circled him. Niko was eager to learn more about it and practice using his new ability. Controlling more powerful spirits would require mastery over even the simplest ones.
Looking around, Niko noticed over a dozen others standing as well. A familiar face caught his eye not far away: Louis. He was smiling wide as he nodded towards Niko. Niko smiled back, glad to see another familiar face, and continued scanning the group. The fat man and the crazy-looking guy stood up too, along with a bald man who had an intimidating aura.
Marcos’ eyes gleamed as he took stock of the participants. “This many? Usually, there are only five or so. Good! Very good! Now, let's categorize some of you. Those with support skills or unique titles, come stand behind me. Those with attack skills, move to my right, and those with defensive skills, stand to my left.”
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
The crowd moved accordingly. The bald man and the crazy-looking guy went to the attack side, while the fat man moved to the defense group. Niko, Louis, and a short black man all moved to the support category. Niko glanced at the two others standing with him. Louis was excited, while the short man seemed more reserved. As people shifted around and introduced themselves, Niko caught the short man’s name: Mamadi. He carried himself with quiet confidence, and Niko couldn’t help but wonder what his skill was. After everyone found their place, the groups were now divided by roles. Niko, Louis, and Mamadi stood side by side in the support section.
Niko greeted Louis with a nod. Louis was practically buzzing with energy. “Niko! Man, how are you? How did you survive that? I thought you were done for!”
Niko scratched his head awkwardly. “I got lucky... and managed to find a skill in the chaos.”
Louis eyed the orb that floated around Niko with curious fascination. “What’s that thing? Is it from your skill?”
Niko nodded. His curiosity about Louis' skill got the better of him, so he used [Celestial Probe].
Skill: [Horns of the Lightning Satyr General I].
Niko’s eyes widened. The skill sounded powerful. He was intrigued, and as always, fascinated by the variety of skills people possessed. In every RPG or fantasy world Niko had dived into, seeing others' skills and abilities had always been one of his favorite things. And now, here he was—living in a world where those skills were real.
He and Louis exchanged a few more words before Marcos raised his voice again. “Let me give you a tip,” Marcos said, his tone dropping to something more serious. “Never, ever reveal the full details of your skills or titles to anyone. It’s fine to say what they do generally, but every skill has a secret. Whether it’s giving you extra intelligence or a hidden ability, these could be the difference between life and death in battle—especially against other humans.”
The group nodded. The weight of Marcos' words sunk in. Revealing too much about their abilities could easily give an opponent the upper hand in this dangerous world.
Marcos shifted his attention toward those who were still skillless. “Now, look around you. These people with skills will be helping you acquire your own in the next hour. You can ask them to aid you or you can try to take on the monsters yourself. The monsters I’m going to lead out of the jungle will be the same level as the ones from earlier, so make your choices carefully.”
A voice from the skillless crowd called out, “Why can’t we enter the jungle ourselves?”
Marcos grinned knowingly. “Go ahead, if you’re feeling brave. But be warned: there are more monsters than just the weak ones I’ve led out before.”
The crowd of skillless people exchanged nervous glances. Marcos then turned back toward those with skills. “For the rest of you, this is a good time to practice your abilities. Get used to them. Understand their strengths—and their limitations.”
With that, Marcos began walking toward the jungle. After a few steps, he paused and glanced back at the group. “Find a position near the jungle and wait. This is your chance to either seek help, get ready, or just watch. But if you stand there doing nothing, don’t blame me when opportunity passes you by.” Marcos turned and continued toward the jungle, his voice lingering in the air.
Niko, Louis, and the others exchanged looks. There was no doubt—this was their time to prove themselves. But Niko couldn’t help the feeling creeping into his mind: this was only the beginning of what was to come.