What just happened?
Noah's entire body trembled, excitement exploding inside him like fireworks. Nine SSS-Rank Talents? This wasn't a hallucination. This was real.
He sucked in a deep breath, fighting to keep his emotions under control as curious, sympathetic gazes fell on him from all directions. He forced a calm expression, sat back down in his seat, but his heart was racing wildly.
Beside him, Tang Xia leaned lazily on her desk, chin propped on her hand, her posture unbothered despite the pressure flattening the generous curve of her chest against the table's edge. Her lips curled into a teasing grin.
"Wow, Noah, you're amazing," she sang mockingly. "An S-Rank talent! Oh wait… It's Tenfold Absorption? Never mind then~" She giggled, deliberately imitating a goose's honking laugh. "Hehehe~ honk honk honk~"
Noah ignored her nonsense, plopping down in his chair, a strange look flickering across his face. "Stop laughing for a sec. I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead, Mr. 'Tenfold Appetite,'" she said between stifled laughs.
"Is it true that a person can only awaken one talent?" Noah asked seriously, lowering his voice.
Tang Xia blinked, confused by his sudden intensity. "Of course. That's been common knowledge forever. Even the Four Human Emperors only awakened one talent each when they started. Why?"
So his memories weren't wrong. Which meant what just happened to him was completely unprecedented.
Nine SSS-Rank talents… It was absurd. Ridiculous. Insanely broken.
But oh, he was ecstatic.
Suppressing a grin that threatened to split his face, Noah mentally pulled up the details of his new talents. One by one, golden words floated before his eyes:
[Otherworldly Hero (SSS): Increases Luck and all base attributes to maximum at start. Guarantees a 100% chance of encountering fortuitous opportunities.]
[Chosen of Destiny (SSS): Increases Charm and Growth attributes to maximum. Allows equipping of all profession gear without restriction.]
[Chains of Divinity (SSS): Ability to shackle divine beings (avatars) and forge contracts.]
[Descendant of the Gods (SSS): As a direct descendant of the divine bloodline, grants full elemental mastery across all elements (fire, lightning, etc.), increases damage to demonic creatures by 50%, critical hit rate +20%, and daily divine blessings.]
…
[Rift of the Void (SSS): Access to infinite storage space. Control over the power of the Void itself.]
The list went on, every line making Noah's pulse pound harder. His years of gaming told him these talents weren't just good—they were game-breaking.
No wonder every SSS-Rank awakener in history had risen to become a Human Emperor, standing at the peak of Blue Star's defenders.
But if one SSS-Rank talent could create an Emperor… what could nine of them do?
The thought sent fire surging through his veins.
Two hours later, the Awakening Ceremony ended, and the students trickled back into their classrooms. According to the laws of the Human Alliance, anyone with an awakened talent was granted access to the Land of Divine Punishment.
The Land was a mysterious, game-like dimension filled with vast maps, roaming monsters, powerful bosses, and deadly dungeons. Each map had a level cap, and only by completing a breakthrough quest could a player unlock the next tier. Everything gained inside—stats, skills, loot—was carried back into reality.
As his classmates hurried to dive into this new world, Tang Xia shot him a glance, assuming he was still sulking over his "useless" S-Rank talent. Her lips curved into a smug little smile.
"Don't worry, buddy. Daddy won't abandon you. Come on, I'll carry you through some levels."
Noah barely looked up, too busy scanning the flood of SSS-Rank abilities on his panel. He muttered, amused, "You'll carry me?"
Before he could laugh outright, a faint, golden line of text shimmered next to Tang Xia's head:
[Do not doubt her intentions. She genuinely wants to help you level up.]
It was the effect of his Eyes of the Divine, another one of his absurd new talents. The ability to see truths hidden from others was just one of its many features.
Tang Xia crossed her arms, smiling haughtily. "What else can I do? I'd hate for my desk mate to flunk out before college. Guess I'll just have to drag you along."
Noah smirked, leaning closer to whisper under his breath, "If you want to help, maybe let me touch your leg again."
Tang Xia's face turned crimson. "Noah, you little—crawl into a hole and die!"
Two minutes later, Noah placed his palm on the small crystalline terminal embedded into his desk. A soft glow pulsed from it, wrapping his hand, and suddenly his consciousness was yanked away, drifting into darkness.
When his eyes opened again, he was standing in a grand, golden hall. Marble pillars reached to the heavens, and divine light streamed from above. Hovering before him was a radiant goddess in flowing white robes, her very presence holy and awe-inspiring.
"Traveler," her ethereal voice echoed, "welcome to the Land of Divine Punishment. As this is your first time entering, please create your unique ID."
Noah didn't even think. "Random."
A bell chime rang softly. "ID generated successfully: Demon-Slayer."
He raised an eyebrow. Not bad. Pretty cool.
"Please choose your class," the goddess continued.
The system offered a list of classic combat paths—Warrior, Knight, Mage, Priest, Archer, Rogue, Summoner—as well as non-combat professions.
Noah had decided this long ago. "Warrior," he said firmly. A real man swung a sword.
"Class selection confirmed…"
But before the process could complete, a system prompt burst into existence:
[Detected combination of SSS-Rank talents: Otherworldly Hero + Chosen of Destiny + Descendant of the Gods. Hidden class unlocked: Divine Fury Mage. Would you like to select this as your primary class?]
Noah's eyes widened. A hidden class? Right out of the gate? He quickly focused on the glowing message.
[Warning: This class exceeds recorded knowledge. Proceed with caution.]
Even the Eyes of the Divine couldn't give more details. A class so mysterious that even SSS's abilities couldn't analyze it?
He grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest. "Hell yes. I'll take it."
"Class confirmed: Divine Fury Mage. Initializing attribute synchronization…"
Ten seconds later, a translucent panel materialized before his eyes:
[ID]: Demon-Slayer
[Level]: 1
[Primary Class]: Divine Fury Mage (Secondary Class: Warrior)
[Talents]: Tenfold Absorption (S), Otherworldly Hero (SSS), Chosen of Destiny (SSS)… Rift of the Void (SSS)
[HP]: 150/150 (+5000)
[MP]: 100/100 (+3000)
[Attack]: 20 (+200)
[Magic Power]: 40 (+250)
[Defense]: 10 (+100)
[Magic Defense]: 15 (+150)
[Speed]: 10 (+60)
[Luck]: MAX
[Charm]: MAX
[Equipment]: None
[Skills]: Judgment Lv 1, Retribution. Lv 1, Purify Lv.. 1
[Base Attributes]: Strength 10, Vitality 10, Spirit 10, Intelligence 10, Agility 10
Noah's lips curled into a triumphant smile. Not only had he gained a mysterious, overpowered class, but his original choice of Warrior remained as a secondary class.
"A dual-class build from the start," he murmured in awe.
He knew from the merged memories that dual-class warriors were almost impossible to obtain early on unless you were born with specific talents. The fact that he had it instantly only confirmed what he already suspected: the world had never seen a monster like him before.