Chapter 15: Talent Pantheon
Gao Yang knew that Qing Ling wasn’t joking. She wasn’t one to joke.
And he had foreseen her reaction. He hadn’t saved Wang Zikai simply out of sentimental reasons. There was something else prompting him to do that; only he hadn’t been able to put his thoughts into words before.
After thinking about it the whole day, he had sorted out his thoughts. Now it was time for the show. He was going to use the strongest skill in all shonen manga—Mouth Release: Great Persuasion Technique![1]
“Qing Ling, I know you’ve only survived to this day because you're cautious and decisive.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere,” Qing Ling said coldly.
“Then let me ask you something, what are you staying alive for?”
“Does there have to be something? Do you want to die?” Qing Ling didn’t get it.
“Of course I don’t. But everyone dies in the end. Even if you live to 100, you’ll still die of old age.” Gao Yang laughed a little self-consciously. “But we can’t live just to meet our most basic needs. There must be something you want to do.”
Qing Ling didn’t say anything.
“Take your time to think about it. I’m not looking for an answer immediately.” Gao Yang paused. “But I will give you a reason not to kill Wang Zikai now.”
“Talk.”
“Although I’ve only awakened for a few days, I’ve come to realize that it is very dangerous to be an awakener. There’s another reason you are able to survive to this day outside of your power and caution.”
“It’s because of my other self.” Qing Ling knew it clearly.
“That’s right. Once we become awakeners, we instinctively put distance between us and all monsters, showing aversion and caution. All monsters other than wanderers may take notice. It’s only a matter of time that awakeners expose themselves. You, however, have your other self. While she’s aloof and stays far from men, she can form normal relationships with monsters.”
“Other awakeners aren’t so lucky, like me or Fat Jun. No matter how great we are at acting, we will always be wary of monsters. It’s natural for awakeners to stay with each other when we find other humans. While it may seem like the safer choice, however…”
Qing Ling stepped out of the shadows. “It’s more dangerous.”
“Exactly. The monsters are no fools. According to Fat Jun, they act like humans twenty-four seven. They never test, lure, threaten, or attack unawakened humans, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t observing us when they interact with us.”
“Li Weiwei was the best example. I was her childhood friend and we talked about everything. The moment I awakened, however, she showed her true face and tried to kill me.”
Qing Ling nodded. “If more than a couple humans start sticking together, monsters will naturally suspect that those humans have awakened. After all, there’s a low chance of that happening by chance when there’s such a low percentage of humans in the population.”
Gao Yang sighed. “That’s right. However, if we don’t stick together, we’ll get no information, grasp no rules, and get no closer to the truth… Then even if we somehow survive until we’re 100 years old, we’ll still be—” He paused for a second before quoting Officer Huang in a dramatic tone, “Orphans abandoned by God.”
Qing Ling’s eyes flickered as she pondered his words.
“Now back to my earlier question.” Gao Yang took a step toward her. “What are you staying alive for, Qing Ling? Don’t you want to find out how the world became what it is today? Don’t you want to learn the truth behind everything? Or if we can escape to a sanctuary or even defeat the monsters? That is what we should be doing.”
Qing Ling stayed silent.
Gao Yang had a feeling that success was near. In an even more impassioned tone, he said, “Now here’s the dilemma. We awakeners have to stay together to get stronger and get the last laugh. However, sticking together will raise our chance of getting exposed, which would get us killed before we cultivate enough power to gain the upper hand.”
“What are you getting at?” asked Qing Ling.
“There’s a way to lower our chance of getting exposed right at our reach.”
“Wanderers.” Qing Ling came to the realization.
“Yes. Wanderers are our best cover.” Gao Yang made the logical speculations. “Monsters pretend to be humans every second of the day. They may recognize their own kinds, but not the types of monsters each of them is. If we keep Wang Zikai around, we may lower the suspicion of the other monsters.”
“Moreover, I’ve been friends with Wang Zikai since way back, and you got closer with me after Li Weiwei’s death… It makes sense for the three of us to stay together. On the contrary, we’ll stand out like a sore thumb if you kill Wang Zikai now.”
Qing Ling nodded. “Li Weiwei was your childhood friend and my best friend, while Wang Zikai is your friend. If both monsters die while us two humans stay together, we’ll become prime suspects.”
Gao Yang smiled. “It’s important to have monsters we’re close with. That’s protection for us. That’s probably one of the reasons Officer Huang keeps Old Man Liu alive.”
“Alright,” said Qing Ling. “You’ve convinced me.”
Gao Yang let out a sigh of relief.
Whew, finally got her to drop it.
…
When Gao Yang returned home at night, everything was as usual. His parents scolded him for staying out late and not coming home, but other than that, they hadn’t seemed to notice anything.
Gao Yang humored them before locking himself in his room. Then he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
[Beep—]
[Access granted.]
[You have acquired 71 Luck points.]
—Wait, didn’t you say I’d get 1 Luck point for every hour I survive?
—It’s only been 50 hours since I last accessed the system, hasn’t it?
[Talent: Lucky has reached level 2.]
[From now on, the bonus to Luck points acquisition will change with the level of danger you are in.]
[You were in dire danger for 20 minutes. During this time, the bonus to Luck points acquisition was pushed to 60 times.]
—You mean when I was under the attack of Auntie Ho? It really is high risk, high return!
—Put all the points in my Luck.
[You cannot go back on your decision after Luck points are allocated. Do you confirm the allocation?]
—I’m sure! Do it!
[Congratulations! Your Luck has exceeded 100. All stats permanently increase by random: Constitution + 9, Endurance + 10, Agility + 10, Willpower + 20, Charisma + 3]
[Constitution: 27 Endurance: 28]
[Strength: 17 Agility: 27]
[Willpower: 37 Charisma: 19]
[Luck: 101]
—Hm, seems like I didn’t get a good deal this time. Actually, it seems like my loss.
—What does Willpower do?
[Willpower increases the damage output and defensive power of Talents in the mental category. It also improves your senses and allows you to detect dangers and hostility better.]
—Got it.
—By the way, can I unlock the hidden section now?
[Apologies, you do not have enough Luck points.]
—How many do I need?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment.]
—Fine. I’ll keep saving up.
[Side Note: Lucky has reached level 2. Talent Pantheon is unlocked. You now have a chance to comprehend a Talent without cost. Do you wish to use it?]
—Whoa! Awesome! Now I’ll have multiple Talents too.
—Hey, which is more important, Talents or stats?
[In the beginning stage, Talents should be prioritized. Stats will only result in dramatic change after reaching a certain height, and their full potential can only be tapped into through Talents.]
—Alright. I’ll take your words for it. I’m gonna try getting a Talent once.
[Comprehending…]
[Comprehension fails.]
—Ha! As expected.
[To make another attempt at comprehension, you need 30 Luck points.]
—You should’ve told me earlier. I’ve put all my points into my stats! Fine, I’ll do it tomorrow.
[Access ends. System hidden.]
[Beep—]
…
The next morning, there was a drizzle.
Gao Yang walked along the damp, crowded street with an umbrella, watching the office workers waiting for traffic lights and pushing their way into buses and underground stations like lifeless zombies. He couldn’t help but admire them a little—these monsters sure were committed to their roles. The office workers were often called corporate livestock[2]. Who would’ve known it was an apt description in the literal sense?
Gao Yang went to school. During the morning self-study session, their homeroom teacher entered the classroom and said, “Gao Yang, Qing Ling, the police are here. They want you at the office for Li Weiwei’s case.”
It had only been a few days since Li Weiwei’s death, yet their teacher had already lost all the regret and sorrow on his face when he talked about her. Instead, he seemed cold, even irritated.
Gao Yang and Qing Ling stood up to walk out of the classroom and make their way to the office.
Officer Huang was sitting inside smoking. No teachers were around.
“Is everything dealt with?” asked Qing Ling.
“Don’t worry. The mess is all cleaned up.” Officer Huang shook off some ash. “I’ve heard about why you failed from Fat Jun.”
“Give us another chance,” said Qing Ling. “We’ll succeed this time.”
Officer Huang neither agreed or disagreed. He smashed the cigarette into the ashtray to put it out. “I met my wife in highschool. She was my first love, and we’ve been together for many years. I thought I knew everything about her…about her human identity, that is.”
Officer Huang stood up and scanned the office to make sure it was all clear. Only then did he lower his voice and continue, “Some time ago, my wife started to act strangely. I thought she might have noticed something and started to suspect me. Although I’d never tested her before, I always believed she was a wanderer. If she suspected me, however, she couldn’t be one.”
“I’d been struggling in fear and anxiety all this time. Finally, I made up my mind to kill her. Then I met you. That was why I gave you the mission.”
He lifted his hands and rubbed his face before letting out a long breath. “Thank heavens you didn’t succeed, or I’d never be able to live with myself my whole life.”
“Change in plan?” asked Gao Yang.
“Yes, change in plan.” Officer Huang stood up. “Last night, I found out that I’d misunderstood. She was acting strange because she had been hiding something from me. To be honest, I couldn’t be more shocked when I learned the truth.”
“What is it?”
“My wife,” Officer Huang stared at Gao Yang and Qing Ling with pensive eyes, “She’s pregnant.”
1. A reference to nature transformation jutsu in Naruto such as Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. There are jokes in the fandom that the most powerful jutsu is actually the MC somehow talking sense into the antagonists and telling them to trust him. And it became a joke in the shonen genre in general. ☜
2. In English ‘corporate slaves’ are the common expression, but in Mandarin the phrase ‘shechu’ literally translated as society’s animals/livestock, so I change the expression a little to keep the connection to monsters. ☜
Houseau3's ThoughtsDuh duh dum!
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