The Creatures That We Are

Officer Huang was driving, with Lithe Snake riding shotgun.

Gao Yang, Qing Ling, and Chen Ying took the backseat while Nainai, having turned into doll size, sat on Chen Ying’s thighs, so it wasn’t a difficult fit.

“What level is your Scale, Nainai?” Gao Yang asked.

“Level 5.” Nainai splayed her right hand.

“Is there a time limit to it?”

“I can stay small as long as I want,” Nainai said proudly, her voice matching her size. “If I turn big, though, the bigger I get, the shorter the duration.”

“How big can you get?” Gao Yang asked.

“Hm.” Nainai thought about it. “Like a mecha? But it’ll last no more than thirty seconds.”

“Incredible. It’ll be at least ten meters big, right?” Officer Huang marveled. “You can turn into a giant!”

After a moment, Gao Yang asked, “Do you have special abilities once you get bigger? Like hardening your body or using other skills?”

“No, and there’s no need for that.” Nainai seemed pleased with herself. “Once I’m that big, I can just stomp on and crush a monster.”

Gao Yang paused. That’s right. With such a great size advantage, everything else is merely a bonus.

Alright, I’ve gotten to know her power. We’ll play by the ear as things unfold.

“Actually, I have a question.” Chen Ying smiled bashfully. “Nainai, do your clothes get bigger and smaller as you do, too?”

“Of, of course!” Nainai said weakly.

Lithe Snake scoffed from the passenger seat. “Really? I heard that your Talent was quite unstable before reaching level 4, and many times...”

“You, you, you...shut up!” Nainai flushed red. “Stop running your mouth! This Empress doesn’t have a dark history like that!”

Gao Yang facepalmed. You’re confirming it yourself, Nainai.

Having started the conversation, Chen Ying quickly changed the topic for Nainai. “Your God of Firearms has reached level 5 too, right, Yellow Ox? Can you make bullets turn?”

“Not yet, but I can make bullets curve,” Officer Huang said honestly before allowing his imagination to run wild. “Level 6 may allow the bullets to turn, and level 7 may give me the ability to make tracking shots.”

“What about level 5 Gecko, Lithe Snake?” Chen Ying asked.

“Why are you going into such detail?” Lithe Snake retorted. “Testing your enemies?”

Chen Ying sputtered and pulled a long face, arguing seriously, “Can’t you tell that it’s Elder Seven Shadow trying to get to know everyone’s Talent? I’m simply asking the question for him. You’re being paranoid. Are members of different organizations necessarily enemies? We’re now on the same team going on the same mission. Knowing each other’s Talents allows us to work together better and increase our chance of survival.”

“Chen Ying’s right.” Gao Yang smiled. “This time, you aren’t missing the forest for the trees, Lithe Snake.”

“Wait until you get backstabbed one day, Captain. Being magnanimous isn’t going to save you.”

Lithe Snake spoke firmly, but he still responded to Chen Ying’s question. “Level 5 Gecko grants greater regenerative power and strength and agility, but no special skills.”

“Ha, mortals. You’re no match for this Empress, a descendent of the divine races!” Nainai finally found the chance to retaliate, her lines as chuuni as ever.

Lithe Snake huffed and didn’t deem that a response.

“Alright, I know enough.” Gao Yang ended the topic and closed his eyes. “I’m going to take a short rest.”

[Access granted.]

[You have acquired 968 Luck points.]

—Good. Enough to draw Talents twice.

—Although I only attempted comprehension after saving enough for three pulls in the past, with half of all Talents released back into the pool, and awakeners comprehending Talents naturally, my chance of getting a Talent should be higher too. Let’s give it a try.

—Visit the Talent Pantheon.

This time, Gao Yang returned to the cosmos he had seen the first time. Before him was the magnificent Pillars of Creation, and at his feet was an ancient circular platform, the twelve beams of light surrounding him.

A woman with fine facial features and gentle eyes stood in front of him, dressed in pristine-white dress with her hair tied at the end and resting on her left shoulder. Taking the form of the dorm keeper at the orphanage, she smiled faintly at Gao Yang.

“There are sixty unclaimed Talents in the Pantheon currently.”

Gao Yang checked each of the Rune Types and said with a start, “There were five Damage-type Talents before, but now there are only four?”

“Yes, one was comprehended two days ago.”

“As expected.”

Gao Yang felt a pang of loss. He couldn’t wait any longer. He should comprehend new Talents now, or they would be taken by others.

He looked at the beam for Support-type Talents. Inside were three clusters of energy.

Good, House is still unclaimed!

“I’m comprehending Support-type Talent.”

“Attempt comprehension for a Support-type Talent. Do you confirm?”

“I do.”

The woman waved her hand gently, and the beam for Support-type Talents disappeared. As if drawn by a mysterious force, one of the three energy clumps flew toward Gao Yang.

Come!

Come on!

Come to daddy!

Gao Yang clenched his fists and teeth, shouting in his mind.

Like a fish, the foggy energy clump swam around slowly like it was looking around, approaching Gao Yang until there was only half a meter between them.

Suddenly, however, it turned back like a fish refusing to bite the bait at the last second.

The light beam reappeared, trapping the three clumps of energy.

If the system weren’t looking at Gao Yang gently in the form of his once caretaker, he would’ve cursed up a storm.

“Again.”

“Attempt comprehension for a Support-type Talent. Do you confirm?”

“Yes!”

The light beam disappeared again. The energy clump in the middle swam toward Gao Yang like it was drawn to him.

Gao Yang held his breath, staring at the clump of energy, his eyes almost bulging.

Come on!

Come on already!

With flickering golden light, the energy clump slowly flew toward Gao Yang, moving two paces back after moving three paces ahead while straying left and right, testing Gao Yang’s patience.

I shouldn’t have entered the Talent Pantheon. I should’ve just had the system pull for Talents in the background. Good or bad, the results would come in seconds.

At the Talent Pantheon, the process is made concrete and drawn out. I’m just asking to be teased.

Finally, the flickering clump of energy reached Gao Yang. It paused for two seconds and wavered like dying candlelight. Gao Yang’s heart almost stopped. My Luck points! What I’ve earned through bleeding and sweating!

Fortunately, the energy clump hadn’t gotten extinguished, and neither did it turn back. With a whoosh, it dove into Gao Yang’s chest.

“Ah!”

Gao Yang couldn’t help but yell, not because he felt energy streaming into his body, but simply because of the joy and excitement of winning a prize.

“Congratulations.” The woman blinked with a smile. “You have just comprehended the Support-type Talent...”

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