Chapter Nineteen, World Talents.

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  Jora pushed himself to his feet, grabbing the black clothing next to him.

  Pants, baggy, with a thick black belt attached to them.

  "[Gi pants... So he was a martial artist...]" Ana noted.

  Jora breathed deeply, equipping the pants as a thousand thoughts ran through his mind.

  Weak he was indeed...

  Just because he had an explosive growth, didn't make him all that powerful... All of that man's skills had likely been through multiple evolutions, earned through hard work over time.

  Something he couldn't yet compare to.

  He had A-rank power with his strongest magic being Novice... He was sure that man was far beyond the Novice ranks...

  Energy bubbled within, a small flame lighting within his heart.

  He turned to the west, and his legs twitched.

  Anger brewed within, and he started to moving.

  He hopped from side to side, his muscles warming as he bounced.

  With each bounce, each time his foot touched the ground, more energy was pooled.

  All it took was a few seconds, and his calves were bulging with power beneath his pants.

  And then.

  There was a small burst, and he was completely gone.

  He touched down on the ground within the forest, his foot making contact for just a split moment.

  And then.

  With another quick burst, he was gone once more.

  "[Good! Yes! Find things to eat and bring to the Dungeon!]" Ana cheered on his rage.

  "[Oh but don't forget to check your new advancements... Your new skill is fucking stupid...]"

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  The sun rose on a new day, the events of the day prior engrained into the lives of those affected. Tilmont was slightly disturbed, the families of those fallen in the Arachnid Dungeon having their lives altered permanently.

  What happened was no secret. The Dungeon was labeled erratic, not falling in line with common Dungeon rules, and as a result it was wiped out. The people were at a loss, but they would move forward no matter what.

  On this new day, a group had gotten together, patiently waiting for the arrival of more.

  Arjae sat on the bottom stair of the right staircase, Luke leant on the railing next to him. In between them and the left staircase was a massive statue. A depiction of a man kneeling before the sun.

  On the left staircase leant Clara, a tall man with white hair and a slender build, talking to her silently.

  Zenor Freid, her father.

  "Sooo.... Why are we here again?" Luke rubbed his eyes, the dark circles evident. Perhaps from lack of sleep, or perhaps from the crying, but it did not matter. Exhaustion was clear in his body.

  "Hell if I know... I just know Zenor, Agatha, and my dad called for us all. Something about important news." Arjae shrugged, staring off towards the door.

  "Agatha and Tilmont aren't even here..." Luke groaned.

  "Ironic right? Considering we live here..." Arjae scoffed, in reference to his father.

  "Finally..." A voice spoke from the other staircase, Zenor's. It made the two men full focus their attention on the door.

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  And through it came a group of three.

  The massive double doors let in more light from the outside world, closing automatically after the trio left their range.

  In the forefront, was Agatha Fent, a person that all those present considered their family. Even Luke, despite not being anything more than a friend of the children.

  Attached to her right hip was a surprise guest.

  "Elizabeth?" Arjae questioned, his brows furrowing.

  Elizabeth Randall, the city's famed rising Spatial Mage.

  "Why is she here?" Luke's face scrunched.

  Attached to her left hip, was someone they had been looking out for.

  "Jessica!" Clara yelled, sprinting across the lobby. Jessica exploded into a sad smile, outstretching her arms as the two girls met with a warm hug.

  Agatha smirked, continuing her walk with Elizabeth in tow.

  "Greetings, young babes!" Agatha welcomed herself, making Luke chuckle.

  "I'm sure you all are wondering why you're here today!" She started. Elizabeth who was by her side, departed, approaching Luke and Arjae.

  They made their lesser greetings, exchanging hellos. She sat on the staircase next to Arjae, the latter not paying any mind.

  Zenor met with Agatha, beckoning for Clara and Jessica to join the group of young adults.

  The two A-ranks waited for all the children to greet each other, Agatha smiling while Zenor adorned a tired expression.

  Agatha glanced upwards for a brief moment, before continuing her words.

  "As you all know. We've had some recent mishaps..." Agatha started, making some furrow their brows. "The loss of a friend." She said, spreading tension into the atmosphere. "The destruction of family heirlooms..." Arjae scoffed. "Near death!" Jessica cleared her throat.

  "Lot's happened yesterday. And your lives have been altered permanently! As have ours." Agatha exclaimed. "I am here to tell you some things. And we are here to designate your next moves. Not only for your safety, but for your betterment, and your growth." She nodded.

  Another stepped in.

  "First and foremost." Zenor raised a finger, "I am going to shed light on... A few things." He said.

  "I expect nothing less of A-rank from all of you, so I have no problem letting you in on this widely known secret." He smiled. "The majority of those within the A-rank have developed skills beyond the norm. Some beyond an advanced magic. Beyond an Intrinsic skill. Beyond an evolved Intrinsic Skill." From the tip of his finger, came a disturbance in space.

  From the fold, came the stems of flowers.

  He adjusted the collar of his white suit jacket, taking up the flowers within his hands. Three, long, red, spider lilies.

  "It's called a Soul skill." He announced.

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  With not much of a warning, the atmosphere around him, just seemed to darken. A heavy pressure escaped into the surroundings, but it was easy to see that he was heavily restraining himself.

  And the flowers turned into dust.

  Their ashes crumbled to the ground, and they were swept up with a gust of wind that effortlessly came from Agatha.

  They evaporated into the air, never to be seen again.

  "I won't detail this specific skill to you, but I'm sure you can guess what it is." He spoke.

  "Zenor Freid... The Black Death." Elizabeth murmured, praise laced within her voice.

  "Mhm." Zenor affirmed. "Soul skills are powerful things, tied directly to the soul. They go deeper than Intrinsic, and they grant more power. Most importantly, they can affect the souls of others as well." He made important note of that. "Once you reach A-rank, it is massively important to have at least one Soul skill developed, as it will be the shield that stops you from leaving this world against your own will. Soul skills are protecting, and they also give you the ability to deal with others." He stepped forward.

  "One without a Soul skill, will never beat one that is in possession of one. It is the way of the world." He explained. "The main reason for me explaining this to you, is to tie it in with the profound gifts of Talents." He started once more.

  "Talents are imprints on the soul, miniature Soul skills of their own. With them, certain buffs are placed onto your existence, granting you affinities towards different things. With higher ranked Talents, wider doors are imprinted into your soul, allowing far easier creation of Soul skills in the direction that your Talent has tailored. Those with Unique Talents are known to have unlocked Soul skills late within B-rank." He pointed towards Agatha at the mention of that.

  "Those with Legendary Talents have been known to acquire Soul skills while still in the low B-ranks." His finger moved towards himself.

  "And some Legendary Talents have even gained access to a Soul skill the moment they stepped into C-rank." His finger moved upwards, pointing above the group.

  Their gaze shifted behind them, locking their eyes on a figure at the top of the staircase.

  "Alexander Tilmont is one of these monstrous Talents..." Zenor laughed, "Truly unfair..." He added.

  In an instant, the man atop the staircase disappeared, reappearing in between Agatha and Zenor.

  "No results." He whispered to the two, Zenor nodding in displeasure while Agatha adopted a frown.

  "And there is a secret that is not common knowledge to the public." The new entrant, Alexander Tilmont, spoke this time.

  "Nothing but a myth to civilian life, and legend to monster kind." His eyes slowly shifted amongst the group of kids.

  Then they landed on Jessica.

  "World Talents." There was a pressure in those words, and it sent chills down the spines of all those present, even Agatha and Zenor.

  "Unlocking a Soul skill while being the freshest D-rank in history. I'm sure it was brewing even while you were in E-rank." He stepped forward.

  "There have been two documented figures in the history of our continent, who we have suspected to have World Talents. One other that was confirmed." He explained, peering at the young girl who stood next to Clara, just a foot away from Luke.

  "Dragon Emperor Racidusar." The faces of the children, altered.

  "God of Destruction, Senzu." Their eyes bulged open.

  "And his creator, Satan of Hell, Apollyon." The jaws of the listening, were dropped.

  "The point of listing those names, is to shed light on the nature of World Talents." Agatha spoke. "Those with immense power, the power to rule the World, have always done so... Racidusar and the Dark Age, plunging the World into darkness and ruling it with his tyranny." Her gaze hardened.

  "Senzu and his torturous reign. Raising the inhabitants of Yara as cattle. Razing continents and molding the world into his image." Zenor added.

  "Apollyon. His destruction of Heaven, his invasion of the Land of Gods. He split the World into two, consuming one half for himself, and repairing Yara, just so he could rule over it for millions of years." Tilmont's eyes were heavy.

  "With such power, comes the ease of taking everything for yourself, and doing things how you wish." He warned, "But..."

  "We believe we have our hands on a benevolent young girl." Agatha smiled. "And we have reason to believe, the World itself made you." She laughed. "From the accounts of Arjae's story... I am led to believe that the entity that helped you, was Yara!" Agatha laughed harder, holding her stomach.

  "Insane! She decides to willingly form a World Talent, knowing the havoc that was caused every time one of them arose!" She chuckled.

  It made a weird atmosphere.

  "Anyway... The point is that Jessica here, is one of four throughout history." Zenor cut in. "We need Jessica to be nurtured to her limit, to grow to the peak, and influence this world. To be our savior, protector, and a leader in this time." He smiled.

  "So, we are sending word to the Emperor." Gasps rung throughout.

  "And we are going to have you five join her Imperial Knight squad." Tilmont spoke.

  Shock filled the room, Agatha and Zenor not having much more to say.

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