Mech Arena : The Book

Talents Ranking 1.

"And that marks the end of the awakening process," the old man said after the last student from Region F had been tested.

Mr. Charles looked at the three of his students who had managed to awaken and couldn't help but sigh, he then turned to the remaining one hundred and ninety-seven students, his gaze softening.

There was so much he still wanted to say to them, but with the three awakened students about to have their talents evaluated, and as their teacher, he was required to be there to guide them and answer any questions they might have after the awakening process.

"For now, move outside, the Dean will arrange for your space teleportation back to Region F, after I'm done here, I'll address you all when I get back," Mr. Charles said to the students, who all looked dejected and broken.

While he was speaking to those who hadn't been fortunate enough to awaken, the teachers from the other regions quickly dismissed their own unsuccessful students, meanwhile, the old man observed everything from the podium. 

Once he was sure that all the students who had failed had been escorted out, he finally spoke again.

"Move toward that room. You will be able to determine your talent level there," he said, pointing toward a passage on the left.

The awakened students, who were now joined by their respective teachers, began heading toward the passage, as the students from Region C moved first, followed by those from Region D, then Region E, until it was finally time for the students of Region F.

Mr. Charles glanced back at his three awakened students.

In that moment, he silently prayed that they would awaken strong talents, because only then would they be able to catch the attention of the army from higher regions or powerful guilds who had come to recruit promising individuals before they even entered the academy.

Because while they taught the students that the world would become bright as long as they were able to awaken, it wasn't exactly like that, even among the awakened, hierarchies existed, defined by the limits of their talents.

So for their sake, he truly hoped they wouldn't end up with inferior talents, because that would only make them repeat the fate of the lone F region student who had awakened the previous year, and was left with no money or support to grow.

_ _

While the other two students from Region F were busy smiling and celebrating, Jake was focused on trying to better understand how to control his new system.

They had been taught in class what a normal system interface was supposed to look like, it clearly had even been illustrated in their textbooks to help prepare them for operating the Hanger System if they ever awakened, nothing too detailed, just the basics.

But right now, Jake could clearly tell that what he had was far beyond the standard Hanger System, it wasn't basic or simple. It had far more options and complexity than anything they had been shown in class.

What made him even happier was that he felt completely comfortable using it, and that was because it looked incredibly similar to his favorite game from his previous world, he could already guess this is what was meant when his own system devoured the Hanger system.

"Jake, focus."

Mr. Charles's voice snapped him out of it, having noticed that Jake seemed distracted as he walked behind the other student, Gideon.

Jake quickly lifted his gaze, stopping himself from staring at the system interface in front of him, only then did he realize that they had arrived in a large open space filled with a lot of people seated like they were there to watch a show.

His attention was immediately drawn to the military personnel from Region F. Despite the fact that the one they had sent was trying his best to appear presentable, he still looked out of place, and was unable to compare to the soldiers that were representing the other regions.

And this was despite the fact that soldiers from the F region were supposed to live better than the ordinary citizens due to the salaries they received, even though there was a lot of unemployment there.

Aside from the military of different regions, there were also several guilds that specialized in portal gate activities, all gathered here in hopes of recruiting newly awakened talents into their ranks.

With all these parties present, all that remained was for the students to be tested, only then would the real politics begin, as they would decide which of the awakened would be treated like prized gems and which would simply become average super soldiers, living out their lives without distinction.

"Step forward, we need to test your talents now."

Just as Jake's thoughts drifted, trying to process what would come next, the first student from Region C was called forward by the old man who Jake couldn't tell how he was able to move between places and at a very fast speed for that matter. 

Though the student was later revealed to have an Uncommon talent, with a Sniper weapon affinity that was also Uncommon.

The moment that result was announced, Mr. Charles immediately gathered his students to the side, deciding it was time to give them one last briefing.

"Huddle up, boys," he said.

They moved closer to him, lowering their heads slightly so they could hear him clearly, sensing that he was about to give them important advice.

Though Jake hadn't spent long in this world, there was one thing he had come to understand—Mr. Charles genuinely cared for his students. 

Even knowing that not all of them would awaken, he still held onto the hope that he could help each of them find their place in this unfair world.

"Now, I know I've taught you this before, but I'll give you a quick recap," he began.

"There are five types of talent: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary."

"A Common talent can only boost a mech's abilities by about 20%, and as a pilot, if you have a Common talent, you can only equip one implant for each mech under your control. That's why those who awaken a Common talent are seen as cannon fodder and are not taken seriously," Charles began his explanation.