A staff member said, "I've never opened a Gift that is a stress ball in my life."
Devon was taken aback by his Gift. He had expected it to be a weapon or equipment for combat, as those were the typical Gifts given. Devon examined the stress ball closely and squeezed it a few times, but nothing happened. He still hoped that it had some kind of buff or debuff ability, but it seemed unlikely.
A police officer in the classroom suggests Devon let out a sufficient amount of mana and then squeeze the stress ball, emulating Johnny's technique for hatching the egg. He followed his advice and squeezed the stress ball while releasing mana but was surprised when a pop-up message suddenly appeared, causing him to drop the ball.
The people around were surprised, and the staff asked him with concern, "What happened?"
"I was surprised. There was a pop-up message on the stress ball," Devon replied.
"Pop-up message?" asked the staff, confused as he noticed no pop-up message in the stress ball. Devon thought they might have missed the message because he dropped the ball quickly. However, when he picked up the stress ball and showed them the message that read, "Registering User," they looked at each other and told him they didn't see any messages. Devon was curious about why this happened, but the policeman explained that it was normal. Sometimes Gifts have messages that only the Gifted can understand. They advised Devon to observe his Gift for a month and contact the authority for any issues.
He was given a copy of his personal information form, where he was temporarily listed as a User, and his Gift was categorized as a Weapon. After that, the staff asked Devon to leave the room so they could start the opening for the next student. While walking out, Devon checked his Gift and saw a message that read "Loading" along with a nearly 75% complete bar.
As he reached for the door handle to exit, it suddenly swung open, revealing a student in glasses walking in. This student brushed past him, bumping his shoulder, but Devon didn't pay much attention to it and continued on his way out of the classroom.
He went outside the school gate and took a moment to check his messages and spotted one unread text from Regine. In the message, Regine mentioned that she and Johnny were leaving early due to his twin baby dragons crying loudly in the coffee shop, which they believed needed feeding. Regine also invited him to join them at Johnny's house following his Gift-opening. But Devon responded that he might just head home since he was tired and suggested that they would discuss what happened today in the group chat. Devon also sent some money to Regine so she could buy extra food for Johnny's dragons and started walking to the jeepney stop.
Devon always takes a jeepney or bus as his mode of transportation to avoid attracting unwanted attention, instead of relying on their family driver to drive him daily. As someone who feels uneasy in crowded situations, he taught himself to rely on public transportation instead.
As he made his way to the jeepney stop, several media vans drove past him, possibly running late for the opening gift ceremony that had already started. Devon chose to ignore them and continued on his way home.
***
When he arrived home after six in the evening, he discovered her sister, Divine, and his classmates belting out tunes on the karaoke machine in the living room. Her sister told him they planned on having a sleepover, so they stayed the night. When Devon inquired about his father's whereabouts, Divine told him he was playing online poker with his friends on the gaming console in the entertainment room.
Not wanting to disturb him, Devon decided to hold off on asking about his Gift until tomorrow. He went straight to his room to shower, change clothes, cook food in his room's kitchen, and relax on his bed.
He retrieved the Gift that he had stashed in his bag earlier and activated it with his mana, and a new message popped up, replacing the initial one that popped up earlier when he was in the school.
"User Registered. Squeeze to see the next message."
He followed the instruction and squeezed the stress ball, prompting another message to appear:
"However, your current stats do not meet the minimum requirements to use my powers. I will analyze your physical condition and make the necessary adjustments to help you endure the effects of employing me. For the next two hours, please keep me near your body."
"Squeeze to see the timer."
“2:00:00”
“1:59:59”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“1:59:58”
“1:59:57”
…
As the timer began, Devon remained unsure of how the Gift functioned. Since it had the potential to modify his body based on the message, he questioned whether it could be considered a form of mutation, even though it was an inanimate object. Its appearance closely resembled a stress ball, making him wonder if it was intended as a weapon.
However, it's also possible that it's not merely a stress ball but a weapon capable of enhancing his abilities.
Furthermore, if it is indeed a weapon that can alter his physical condition, could it be classified under a special category?
He is anxious about using it, given the message indicating that he is not yet ready to use its power. What if the change triggers something he will regret? It seems like a risky proposition, but in the end, he decides to still grab the risk.
"This ball is so mysterious and confusing!" he complained. But deep inside himself, a curiosity developed. He wants to know more about his Gift. So he rose from his bed to turn on the computer. He launched the web browser and began to search for mutants and users. He scoured the internet for more than thirty minutes, hoping to find information about a Gift that operates similarly to him, but he didn't find anything useful. It's no surprise that he found it difficult to locate relevant articles or videos, as information about Gifted individuals is deemed classified.
Governments worldwide strive to remove any videos or articles that showcase the abilities of Gifted individuals, especially those who are high-profile. These individuals are viewed as a country's strength, and when a country's Gifted are powerful, they can be perceived as intimidating. If terrorist organizations or enemy countries obtain information about these Gifted individuals, their effectiveness may be compromised. Hence, the data is closely guarded, and some laws support this. As a result, the internet and forums only provide him with rudimentary information.
He slumped back in the chair and abandoned his search. Glancing at the timer, he saw that it read 1:14:32. Simultaneously, his phone vibrated on the computer table, signaling a call from Johnny.
"Hey man, how's it going?" Devon answered.
"I'm good, man. Just being a single dad to my two little dragons. Haha," Johnny replied, and they both laughed. Devon asked to say hello to his dragons, but Johnny told him they were sleeping soundly in his bed and shared his thoughts that he might sleep in the living room instead.
"Enough about the dragons, man. What kind of Gift did you get?" Johnny inquired.
"I got a stress ball, man. I have no idea how it works. But it's like it has a program shit that only I can see," Devon explained.
"A stress ball? That's weird, man! Video call me. I want to see it!"
Together, they launched a video call, and Devon showcased the stress ball to Johnny, explaining the pop-up message that only he can see and the warning that there might be changes in himself after two hours. Devon also shared his uncertainty about the stress ball, and Johnny suggested they should seek advice from Regine's brother, who is a User. So, they invited Regine to join the call and asked her to bring her brother, Rigor.
They recounted everything to Rigor, who disclosed that there are weapons capable of altering a person's body to be compatible with the weapon. Still, they cannot be classified as a special type of Gift. Rigor's Gift is a glove that generates electricity, but initially, he could not use it without being electrocuted in the past. With practice, he developed a resistance to electricity and can now wear the gloves without harm. However, his resistance mutation doesn't allow him to withstand electricity without the gloves, which makes him a User, not a Mutant. Such mutants who are weapon users are considered special because their power persists even when not using the weapon.
According to what the pop-up message says, Devon's body will undergo immediate changes after the timer ends. It is a new experience for Rigor as he's never encountered anything like this before. Usually, mutants undergo immediate mutation once their Gift is opened. Therefore, it's uncertain if Devon's a mutant, but it is possible that he is a special type.
Although Devon gained some understanding about his Gift, he can't be sure about its full capabilities since the stress ball hasn't revealed everything yet. Devon expressed his gratitude to Regine's brother, and they shifted to a different topic. During their casual conversation, Johnny shared about his mischievous dragons and his encounter with scouts who approached him earlier. He also mentioned that he might be unable to hang out with them during the vacation since he decided to become a trainee at the prestigious Dragon Guild in Cavite, one of the most prominent guilds in the Philippines. He explained that he would be there for two months and targets to get a recommendation. Guild Recommendations are needed by a New Gifted to prove they can use their Gifts properly. After that, they can enroll in a University exclusively for the Gifted.
Johnny also tells them that he wants to focus on training there to learn how to become a dragon tamer. Johnny saw this as an excellent opportunity because the Guild was composed of dragon tamers and mutants with dragon mutations that could help him, especially since he has two dragons. He also aims to become a part of the official neophytes of the Guild because the Guild offers full scholarships to their neophytes.
While they are happy to know about Johnny's goals. Regine jokingly expressed her envy towards Johnny and Devon since they possess Gifts while she does not have one at the moment. She needs to wait for her birthday to be evaluated if she has a Gift. Regine also mentioned that she might be unable to hang out with the gang on vacation like Johnny as she prepares for the entrance exams. She aspires to be enrolled in a University exclusively for Gift Support Developers, a professional specializing in creating support items for Gifteds to enhance their Gift potential.
Devon feels disheartened that he will not be able to spend a long time with them and that the three of them will be taking different paths, but he is happy for them since they have a clear direction in their lives and a solid plan. He wanted to support them with all he could, but the two said that it was unnecessary, and they said that Devon must focus on his own path.
They also asked Devon about his plans, but he told them it depends on the situation since he does not have a definite path or plan yet. He just relies on what his father has planned for him or what his Gift can offer.
Devon wrapped up his conversation with friends and said goodbye before ending the call, aware that the timer was ticking down. He stood in the center of his room and glanced at himself in the mirror, expecting a change to occur soon. His reflection appeared ordinary, with no particularly striking features, except for a few pimple marks on his cheeks. Devon also checked his height, which was around 5'3", and lifted his shirt to observe his chubby body build due to his sedentary lifestyle and recent overeating. He wondered what changes tomorrow would bring and felt excitement and anxiety.
Moments later, his phone buzzed with a message from Johnny expressing gratitude for the money and help he provided for the dragons; he forgot to mention it earlier on the video chat. He also promises to return the favor once he becomes a member of the Dragon Guild. Devon laughs as he responds to the message and waits for the countdown to hit its last five seconds.
“00:00:05”
“00:00:04”
“00:00:03”
“00:00:02”
“00:00:01”
“00:00:00”
The stress ball illuminated for a moment, and Devon experienced lightheadedness. It felt like his energy was drained, causing him to lose consciousness. Although he attempted to move toward the bed, he could not reach it due to his vision dimming. Ultimately, the last thing he sensed was his body collapsing to the ground.