2024-05-28 18:10:54The moment Talon reached the busy street where he had settled with Pontus, he was already out of breath. Pontus was happy to see him return. "Good, good, a trustworthy man like you will definitely have good luck. He who doesn’t cheat others can never be cheated by the world."
Talon gave a wry smile. "Did you think I would run away with your money, boss?"
Pontus simply laughed without a word.
"I need to get some rest, boss. It's been a very tiring day."
"Hmm. Be sure to come back early tomorrow morning; the real sales start then." Pontus handed Talon two silvers.
Talon wanted to thank him, but he felt an icy sharpness invade his lungs. It was like he had glass shards inside him, making each breath almost unbearable. He had to do everything to avoid grimacing, but even then, his face changed.
"What? Are you not satisfied? You'll get better pay if you do even better tomorrow," Pontus said, waving his hand as if chasing away a fly.
Before leaving, Talon managed to squeeze out a word, "Thanks." Then he turned around and disappeared into the crowd. The moment he turned down the next street, he entered an alley and said in his mind, "System."
The sky-blue screen appeared in front of him again, with a return button blinking. Talon touched the button mentally and vanished from the spot.
***
The moment he appeared in the familiar, unfamiliar space, a soft golden light descended on him, leaving a soothing feeling all over his body. The impending death he felt from the ice creeping into his lungs disappeared as if it had never been there. All his injuries vanished too, and he was soon back to his optimal state.
The synthetic voice rang out in the space again.
— Congratulations on completing your first mission.
— You’ve received your mission rewards. — You have unlocked the Interdimensional Bazaar as a Bronze Badge Hero. — You can now access your Personal Space.The space trembled, and the darkness vanished. Light filled the environment, and the dark space became a white space. The floor remained the same, but the space was now a small island of about 50 square meters. The edge of the island was thick rolling white fog, with colorful fog occasionally visible. Even the sky was filled with the same fog. When he walked to the edge, he found it impossible to pass through, as it repelled him like two poles of a magnet. He gave up trying to pass through it.
There was a bronze door at the other end of the island, where the portal had previously appeared. He instinctively knew that opening the door would allow him to exit this space.
— This is your personal space, and it will be named after you.
A podium stood at the center of the island, new since he hadn’t noticed it before. A screen floated above it with a ray of golden light shining on the podium from an unseen place. He walked to the podium, where a floating screen displayed four menu buttons in the middle of the translucent screen: Market Place, Bazaar Shop, Personal Space, and Gambling House. In the right corner, an icon of human silhouettes floated with the label 'Social Network.' In the top left corner was his name, 'Talon,' in a name box with bronze laurels underneath. A medal labeled 'Hero Rank' was beside it, with a small coin pile showing the number 0 next to it. A small golden wheel with spokes displayed 20 karma. In the top right corner, a glowing and blinking floating chest tried to gain Talon’s attention, with a Merchant Icon beside it showing the number 0.
— These are all the options open to you.
Before he could read through the confusing array of icons, the system brought up a pop-up screen.
— It is time to set up your profile. Please choose your hero name. Hero names are important as they can protect your identity in situations where your interests clash with those of other heroes in your world. Here are some sample hero names.
The screen changed to show many existing heroes and their names, ranging from simple ones like 'Wandering Swordsman' to eccentric ones like 'I Love Big Milkers.'
“Can I change my hero name after picking one?”
— You can’t.
Talon nodded, understanding the importance of choosing wisely. He could imagine how embarrassing it would be for someone with a name like 'I Love Big Milkers' to introduce themselves to other heroes. 'If I were that guy, I’d prefer to die again instead.'
After some thought, he found it hard to choose between ‘Avenging Angel,’ ‘Wandering Adventurer,’ and ‘Black Iron Talon.’ When he asked the system, both Avenging Angel and Wandering Adventurer were rejected because they were already taken. Resigned, Talon chose Black Iron Talon as his hero name. The name on the name box changed to Black Iron Talon with bronze laurels underneath, and his personal space was renamed Black Iron Talon’s Space.
— Your rewards have been deposited in your personal space.
He saw the 3x ticket appear on the podium.
— One of your rewards requires immediate utilization.
The golden light expanded, covering Talon. He could see nothing but golden light, but it was soft on his eyes and didn't harm his vision.
— Awakening Process Commencing…
A head-splitting pain struck Talon out of nowhere.
***
When Talon opened his eyes again, he was still in front of the podium, but the golden light had returned to just shining on the podium.
— Congratulations on Awakening.
The screen above the podium displayed three symbols: a muscular man, a shining brain, and an ethereal swirl. Talon instinctively understood these represented the three categories of professions: Physical power, Mental power, and Magic power.
Eren had awakened a rare profession called Sun Fire Mage, allowing him to create mini suns with high heat and luminosity. Denzel’s profession, Ironclad, gave him extreme resistance to physical harm and high endurance, even allowing him to absorb force from impacts to become stronger.
Professions varied in rarity, with some appearing only once in a century. Talon didn’t have high expectations; a rare profession would satisfy him. The rarer the profession, the harder it would be for others to know his weaknesses. As he thought about this, the stoic voice rang through the space.
— You have awakened, Mind Hunter.
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Chapter 123: Things Worse Than Obedience
Night settled softly over the Aerindel estate, draping its towers and courtyards in a wash of silver light. The palace was asleep. The Duke’s wing too, mostly. Except for one room. The air inside it was thick — herbs, oil, and the faint sting of smoke that had nowhere to go. Shelves crowded with jars. Old things in old bottles. Some of those oils were worth more than gold; he treated them like sacred trust. A wooden altar sat in the middle, plain and worn. Unlit candles surrounded it. A cushion, gong and beater sat at the base of the altar. With an ornate mirror at the head of the altar, inscribed with fading illegible scripts, reflecting his tired visage. Alaric knelt before the altar, the cushion pressing against his knees, and began grinding herbs in a small dish. The sharp scent filled the air. From the shelf, he chose a vial of royal-blue oil — Regality, the name etched into the glass — and dipped his ceremonial knife into it. His voice was steady when he began the chant. T
Chapter 122: Orders and Pursuits
The morning air was cool and thin, carrying the sharp scent of pine and frost. Magnus stood where the faint traces of a campfire still lingered—ashes smudged across the earth, footprints pressed deep into the dirt. “They left an hour ago,” he said after a brief pause. His hand lowered from the air, a ripple of faint blue light fading from his eyes. The magic of his Discerning Mage profession died down as he completed the reading. Brythan crouched nearby, brushing his fingers along the edge of a boot print. A faint, silver aura shimmered around him—wild, unsteady, but powerful. The air around him felt heavier than before. “An hour,” he repeated, straightening with a grin. “Good. We can still catch them.” Magnus gave a small nod, though his gaze remained on the trail. Around him, the rest of the group waited quietly—Xara leaning against her spear, Merisa sitting on a fallen log adjusting the straps of her armor, Renard scanning the tree line with mild impatience, and Raeve crouched
Chapter 121: Camp
The night was quiet except for the soft crackle of the campfire. Smoke drifted lazily into the air, carrying the smell of roasted meat and wet grass. Talon sat close to the flames, his back hunched, eyes fixed on the fire as if it held the answers to his thoughts. The Lupin Mountain Range loomed around them, tall and dark, its cliffs swallowing what little moonlight slipped through the clouds. They had been on the move for three days straight. Apart from brief stops to camp, Talon hadn’t slowed down once. Veyra had followed silently, sensing his mood and deciding not to poke at it. He hadn’t spoken since they left Bluefeather Duchy. Not when they crossed into the mountain range. Barely when they felt the dangerous presence ahead. He just kept walking, expression stiff and distant. Now, that oppressive aura had faded to a faint pulse, like the heartbeat of something enormous sleeping deep within the mountains. It didn’t make her feel safer, but at least the night wasn’t trembling w
Chapter 120: The Fort Under Shadow
The demons drew closer, a living tide of claws and wings, when a figure stepped out in front of the horde.At first glance, he looked almost human — tall, lean, his posture unhurried — but even from kilometers away, the soldiers on the fort’s walls could see the wrongness in him. His fingers ended in long, black claws, and his eyes glowed faintly red like embers hiding in ash.He raised one clawed hand.Another guard on watch, still gripping his telescope, froze as the demon’s arm slashed downward. There was no sound at first, just a blur that tore through the air like the wake of a scythe. The pressure alone made the wind around the fort’s wall twist violently.“—That’s an attack! Incoming!” the guard shouted, voice cracking. His trembling hand fumbled for the horn. Almost instantly, a presence crashed down from the main keep like a hammer.A heavy gust swept through the fort’s walls as a man landed beside the terrified guard,
Chapter 119: The Savage Highlands Stir
The journey from Bluefeather Duchy to the Lupin Mountain Range took three long days. Talon didn’t rest except when night forced him to. Even then, he slept lightly, like a blade kept half-drawn. Veyra followed a few paces behind him most of the way, keeping silent. She could tell — he wasn’t just angry. He was barely holding himself together. The few times they stopped to camp, he said nothing. He cooked, ate, and packed up again with mechanical precision. His eyes didn’t rest on the horizon or the stars; they only looked forward. The air around him felt heavier with each passing day, and Veyra didn’t need her bloodline senses to feel it. He was a volcano walking in silence. When they reached the outer ridges of the Lupin Mountains, the wind grew colder. The trees here were tall and thin, and the fog clung to the ground like smoke after a battle. Veyra paused, eyes narrowing. Her instincts screamed danger. Something in the mountain’s depths felt wrong — not an ordinary monster, bu
Chapter 118: The Whirlwind Summons
The scent of sweet tea and garden roses filled the air in the Duke’s courtyard. Musicians strummed soft strings in the background while laughter and polite chatter drifted from the tables. Magnus sat at the center of it all, shoulders straight, smile fixed, eyes dull. He wasn’t sure which he hated more — the syrupy tone of noble small talk or the fact that his mother had set him up for it. The Duchess, in all her enthusiasm, had decided today was perfect for “introductions.” Which really meant: parade your son before eligible daughters. Across the long table sat a line of young women dressed in spring colors, each sneaking glances at Magnus between bites of pastry. A few giggled. A few whispered. Magnus wanted to disappear. He gave polite nods, exchanged a few rehearsed pleasantries, and pretended to listen as Lady Mirielle explained her love for harp lessons. His fingers twitched beneath the table, already counting seconds. He needed an excuse. Any excuse. And then it came. A f
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