The next morning, Orion rose early. After getting ready, he enjoyed a hearty meal at a nearby restaurant before heading to the town square. He had a task to complete.
He sat down on a nearby bench and took out the skill cards he had bought the previous day. Many people saw Orion taking out skill cards from the system storage in public as if they were not valuable skill cards but simple chocolate bars. Envy clearly shone in their eyes.
Orion didn't care about other people's emotions. He quickly started learning them. Within minutes, he had learnt all the skills.
[ Name: Orion ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Shadow Monarch(SSS), Crimson Swordsman(SSS), Child of Wilderness(SSS), Celestial Arcane(SSS) ]
[ Level: 2 ][ Progress: 150/200 ]
[ Lives: 16]
[ Strength: 14 ] [ Agility: 16 ] [ Constitution: 16 ] [ Mana: 19 ]
[ Attribute Points: 20 ]
[ Class Talents: Shadow Army, Asura Swordsmanship, Beast Taming, Celestial Archery, Arcane Magic, Celestial Elemental Physique ]
[ Class Skills: Shadow Call, Crimson Sword, Floral Command, Stellar Arrow, Magic Bullet ]
[ Acquired Skills ]
Wind Blade (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Fireball (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Water Bullet (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Icicle (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Earth Spike (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Lightning Bolt (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Mud Wall (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Rapid Dash (Bronze Rank) [Level 1]
Orion immediately observed a difference. These skills gained from skill cards were different from class skills. He had learnt Wind Blade previously but hadn't paid any attention.
While class skills didn't have any ranks or levels, acquired skills did. Class skills grow stronger as the awakener levels up. On the other hand, acquired skills require proficiency. With enough usage, these skills could increase and even evolve in rank. Level and rank determine the power of acquired skills.
Orion turned his attention to another thing. Attribute Points. He had 20 attribute points. Attribute points were unallocated stat points that the awakener can allocate freely.
"Let's see. I want to show Celestial Arcane as my main profession. I need mana," Orion immediately allocated ten points to mana. He added three points to strength, agility, and constitution, each totalling nine points. Then he added the remaining one point to strength since it was his weakest stat numerically.
[ Stats ]
[ Strength: 18 ] [ Agility: 19 ] [ Constitution: 19 ] [ Mana: 29 ]
[ Attribute Points: 2 ]
Orion felt his body energised as if he had the power of a beast coursing through his body. Just then, multiple people appeared in the town square out of thin air. The fresh batch of awakeners has arrived.
Orion scanned through them, trying to find Luna. Artemis had only given her a simple name. No picture to recognise her face. Many started scattering, eager to explore the base. Few even rushed to team up with veteran awakeners eager to team up for hunting parties. They proudly displayed their class talents and skills.
Orion's gaze settled on a girl. Even in a crowd of dozens, she was impossible to ignore. She was a beauty, beautiful enough to make any young man of his age weak in the legs. She had long, silky silver hair and a well-built, athletic body, slim with soft, bouncy curves at appropriate places. She wore a light ivory cotton blouse with delicate lace tied at the front, its wide sleeves draping elegantly around her arms. A pair of light blue flared jeans hugged her legs before widening toward the bottom. On her feet were white platform heels, adding a touch of modern charm to her outfit.
Many boys were circling her, trying to strike up a conversation with the beautiful girl. Even veteran battle-hardened awakeners were trying to talk to the girl, some offering to guide her through the shelter base, others inviting her to join their hunting party.
The girl, on the other hand, had a look of frustration mixed with confusion on her face. Finally, she shouted angrily, "Get lost! Get lost, everyone."
The startled crowd hurriedly scattered. Orion chuckled in amusement. Even her angry shouting sounded melodious. He decided to give the poor girl some alone time.
After some time, Orion approached her. The girl looked up, hearing footsteps. Seeing Orion walking toward her, she said, "Please leave me alone. I am not in the mood for useless chatter."
Orion smiled. He had no such intention. He just wanted to complete the task Artemis had given him. And his gut told him that this girl was Luna, the girl Artemis wanted him to help.
"You should explore the base. Abyss has its beauty. After all, you will be part of this base in the first sanctuary till you move to another shelter." Orion said, trying to start a conversation without seeming forceful or suspicious.
"There is no need. I am a null, and the system should send me back soon." The girl said.
"That's odd. The spirit should have filtered all the nulls," Orion said. He had already confirmed it in his heart. This girl was Luna.
"There must be some kind of error. I need to wait for the system to solve the error," the girl said.
"Then you should take this chance to explore this world you will not be able to enter again."
That grabbed the attention of the girl, and after a moment, she nodded as if in affirmation.
"Why don't I guide you through the base?" Orion offered. The girl once again nodded.
With that affirmation, Orion guided her through the base.
They visited a restaurant and ordered two barbecued rabbit skewers. As they ate, Orion asked her, "So, what's your name?"
"Why don't you tell me your name first?" The girl replied, clearly in a good mood.
"Alright. I am Orion, Orion Cross. Now tell me yours," Orion said.
"Luna, Luna Silver." The girl finally gave him her name. She was indeed Luna.
"That's a good name," Orion said.
Hearing those words, a deep crimson blush spread across Luna's cheeks. Orion had no idea that this was the first time Luna had talked so freely with any boy. She belonged to a family of proud swordmasters. They were quite influential. Each person in her family had a swordsman class. Even women marrying into the family had swordsmanship class. But she had failed to awaken any class.
Before the Class Awakening Ceremony, she had been the cherished princess of the illustrious Silver family. However, when the Awakening Stone branded her as a null, everything changed. Her family cast her aside, stripping her of her title. They refused to let a null tarnish their lineage. They called her a stain on their prestigious bloodline. The rejection had nearly shattered her spirit.
Luna's parents had perished in a rift crack, and her only dream had been to awaken a class and avenge them by slaying the monsters of the rift. But being classified as null shattered that dream into pieces, too. Her family's betrayal only compounded her heartbreak.
All she had now was her old grandparents. Though she had just met Orion, she was liking his company. He didn't pester her; his company felt more natural.
After they finished eating, Orion took Luna to the Trade Centre. The receptionist who had served Orion yesterday immediately rushed forward. To her, Orion was a big client who brought in good stuff and even bought good stuff. That was double commission to her who had handled the transaction.
Orion nodded to the receptionist and asked her to guide them to the upper floor. She guided them to the first floor. Luna was stunned, her eyes shining with excitement. Her gaze focused on a beautifully crafted sword.
The sword was breathtaking. Its long silver blade gleamed like polished moonlight, with faint blue patterns running along the centre. The guard was shaped like delicate wings, holding a small blue crystal that shimmered softly. Its white hilt was smooth and balanced, with a pale blue tassel hanging from the pommel. Beside it rested a matching white scabbard, decorated with subtle silver engravings that mirrored the blade's exquisite design.
"Why don't you buy that?" Orion said.
"Can I?" Luna asked, surprised. Her eyes clearly shone with desire.
"Yeah, if you don't have money, I can lend you some. A beauty owing me has a good feel to it," Orion joked.
"No need, I can buy it myself," Luna said, blushing. She stepped forward and picked up the sword, spinning it around elegantly, as if inspecting the balance of the blade. Even when doing that, she appeared graceful.
"She is skilled with swords," Orion thought to himself. Luna asked the receptionist to handle the sales procedure as she picked the scabbard and slid the blade into it before hanging the scabbard around her waist belt. The sword had a price tag of 46,000 FC. The receptionist handled the procedure, and Luna paid the amount.
After that, they came out of the trade centre.
"Want to check out the wilderness?" Orion asked finally.
Luna hesitated for a moment before nodding. Luna was no naive girl. She knew that she had no mystical talents, and if Orion had any bad intention she could easily become prey, helpless to defend herself. But she trusted Orion. And having a sword hung at her waist gave her extra confidence.
Soon, Orion and Luna were crouched behind a bush, their eyes fixed on a Horned Rabbit ahead. It resembled a Forest Rabbit but had a small horn protruding from its forehead.
"Want to see me hunt it?" Orion asked Luna, keeping his voice low. Luna nodded. She wanted to see Orion in action.
Orion took out his Crystal Antler Wand and, after taking a deep breath, casted the Lightning Bolt skill. Lightning crackled from the tip of his wand and snapped toward the Horned Rabbit.
With a ZAP, it struck the rabbit. The rabbit twitched as if wanting to move, but its body refused to move. Orion immediately understood that the lightning bolt had resulted in paralysis. He casted a fireball, the flames flew forward and struck the rabbit. Its hairy skin was now burnt. After that, Orion used Floral Command to strangle with grass and tree roots, completely immobilising it.
Orion came out of the bush and approached the beast. Luna followed behind him.
"Want to finish it?" Orion asked. That was the main task. She had to finish off a beast to truly awaken her class.
"Can I?" Luna asked. Orion nodded. Luna took out her sword and, with a deep breath, stabbed it into the rabbit's body. The rabbit stopped twitching. It had died. Drops materialised beside its corpse. Orion noticed that it had only dropped one simple Rabbit Horn. Normal people didn't have his cheats. Orion turned his attention to Luna. He could clearly see her shocked. Her mouth was open. Orion knew that she had finally awakened her class.
And then suddenly Luna hugged him, her body crashing into his with force enough to make Orion stumble back. Her mounds on the chest were pressing against his chest. Orion immediately felt heat rising between his legs. He couldn't control it; she was just too close, practically pressing her sexy body into his. Then he felt her tears, trickling down his neck. She was crying. The heat calmed down.
"I awakened. I awakened, Orion." "I am not a null." "I am not a disgrace to my family." She said between breaths.
Orion didn't know what to do. He didn't have any experience with girls. Especially girls crying in joy, while pressing against him.
All he could do was slightly tap her on the back, trying to comfort her. After sometime Luna pulled back. Though she had only pressed against her body for a short time, Orion's shirt was wet with sweat. Even Luna's cotton blouse was soaked in sweat, hugging her sexy body. The fabric has turned translucent, and Orion can see the outline of her black bra through the blouse.
Heat once again rose between his legs, his little brother clearly waking up. He hurriedly looked at the ground, trying to find anything interesting. Luna also realised that she was soaked in sweat, and Orion could see his blouse. She blushed red, but couldn't do anything. Thankfully, sweat evaporated fast. Only then did Orion dare to look up.
"So what class did you awaken?" Orion asked.
"It's called Celestial Dancer. Its an S-rank class belonging to the swordsman and bard category." Luna said.
"Double category class. Just like his Child of Wilderness class. And Bard, that was a rare class associated with buff and debuff using singing," Orion thought to himself.
"I have two talents, Celestial Swordsmanship and Melodious Symphony. Celestial Swordsmanship skills allow me to learn sword arts and execute them with grace and elegance. It is, in itself, a powerful sword dance composition of many sword stances and techniques. Melodious Symphony summons a radiant divine sword projection in the sky. The sword emits a soothing melody and shines with a tranquil glow. Allies within its light and melody experience a surge of energy, significantly enhancing their strength and agility. Additionally, wounds and injuries heal at an accelerated rate. Enemies, on the other hand, feel fear, and their speed and strength significantly drop." Luna continued.
Orion nodded. Indeed, this was a powerful class. If her family realised that she had actually awakened an S-rank class, they would have to beg on their knees to take her back. That was the power of an S-rank profession. They were rare and powerful. Numerous factions fight to bring them in. Even the federation will support such talents.
Orion suddenly noticed that it was getting dark and decided to head back.
"Let's go back." He said to Luna. Luna nodded and pulled her sword out of the rabbit corpse. With a wave of her hand, she stored her first kill and drop in her storage.
They returned to base, and Orion made his way back to the lodge he slept in last night.
As he reached the gate of his room, he realised that Luna had followed him to his room.
"Luna, you should get a room," Orion said.
"No, your room will do," she said as she pushed inside.
Orion stumbled back into his room. Luna entered after him and closed the gate.
"Luna, what are you doing?" Orion asked.
Luna ignored his question and instead removed her sword and placed it in the corner. After that, she approached Orion and pushed him to the bed. And then crawled onto him.
Orion could feel heat once again rising between his legs.
She then leaned down and kissed Orion. What followed was a wild night of passion. Orion had suppressed enough heat. His little brother was hard and had to release some steam, no some fluid, to cool down.
The next morning, Orion woke up to find Luna gone. On his bedside table was a note.
Orion picked it up. It read....
I am leaving early. It was a great night. Don't worry, it was a safe day, and I will take pills for extra precaution. I hope we will meet again. I am leaving you my contact. Call me.
Beneath it was a phone number with a smiling symbol.
Orion was flabbergasted. He had thought Luna was a reserved girl. Who could say that she was so wild?
Just a few days ago, Lily had broken up with him for being null, and now he had sex with a beauty that surpassed Lily in every way. That was his first time in two lifetimes. And it felt amazing.
Orion summoned his system panel. His gaze immediately focused on the notification that popped as soon the panel appeared. It was a message from Artemis.
"You sure had a wild life. Did you forget that she was my descendent. But I am not petty. The beast egg is already in you void storage. Drop a bit of your blood on the egg to contract with it. As for talent its already under your Child of Wilderness Class."
Orion checked the class. There was indeed a new talent.
[Talent Synchronisation: Able to use the talents and skills of contracted or tamed beast.]
The talent description was simple but it power was undeiable. If Orion ever contracted or tamed a beast with powerful talent he can use it without any restriction.
He then checked the beast egg. It was giant egg as igger than Orion when taken out of the storage. It shell was made of diamond shape scales that shined like pearls. There were runic patterns spread across the body. Orion checked it.
[Starpearl Qilin Egg]
He followed Artemis's advice. He sliced a small cut in his palm with his crimson sword and dropped a bit of blood on the egg. The egg cracked as light shone from inside. Then it's shell started crumbling. After a moment, a majestic beast stood before Orion.
[Starpearl Qilin (S-Rank)]
[Contracted Beast - Contracted to Orion]
[Talents]
[Star Stride: Can rapidly move across any surface without any difficulty, swim underwater, gallop through the sky, and even phase through obstacles.]
[Cinderfrost Breath: Can breathe out flames that freeze any living being in solid ice. The ice might feel cold to touch, but the one frozen within feels as if he is burning alive.]
[Skill]
[Star Blast: Blast out a glowing orb of energy that explodes with a destructive impact on impact.]
[Heavy Stomp: Stomp on earth to shake earth, making nearby enemies loose balance and fall.]
The beast itself was majestic. It had the body of a horse, but its head and tail were like a dragon's. Two long whiskers trailed from its nose while two antlers rose from its brow, sharp and elegant. Its back was covered with pearl-like diamond scales.
"You should have a worthy name. I will call you Pearl, my might noble steed." Orion said. The beast keighed like a horse as if happy from the name. After that, Orion placed the beast in his beast space.
"It's time to go back home," Orion said to himself.