"For glory, for honor, for our federation!"
The S-Ranked hunter Seraphina Valebright roared in defiance against the A-Ranked demon.
By now, her fellow hunters had all fallen, and all that remained was her and the camera recording the fight.
The final monster, the one-eyed cyclops demon raged loudly as it trampled over the bodies of fallen hunters, swinging it's axe towards Seraphina.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!"
"THWRAAK!"
The titanic axe of the cyclops swung down on Seraphina's gigantic great sword, and the two weapons clashed.
A violent and terrain-altering energy blasted off of the weapons, like the explosion of a nuclear bomb.
The two of them were both immediately thrown back a few steps, and ran back into the fight as soon as they stood up again.
The cyclops ran at her. It swung erratically.
Seraphina quickly sidestepped the incoming axe, ducked and rolled around the beast, and in one motion she leapt-
-and stabbed her great sword directly into the eye of the cyclops.
Blood erupted like a geyser. The cyclops stumbled back, roaring in agony, and with a final groan, crashed into the earth, shaking the ground as it died.
Seraphina raised her sword to the sky, and yelled, "For the federation!" she roared, her voice raw with emotion.
The screen pulsed with golden light, then slowly faded to black.
A soft chime rang.
[STREAM ENDING...]
Thanks for watching the hunt!
Make sure to follow Seraphina Valebright on HunterStreams!
Jake had a smile tug at his lips as thoughts of awakening a powerful ability like Seraphina's flashed into his mind.
However, at that moment- he started to cough.
"Ack!"
Blood erupted like a fountain on his shirt, one of the signs of his terminal illness kicking in.
"Sigh... if only I didn't have this illness. Maybe I could awaken and become someone powerful."
Suddenly, Jake's face turned serious. He realized that he missed a payment on his loan that he took out from a local loan shark to pay his medical debt.
"Knock knock!"
The door to his one-bedroom apartment in the slums suddenly burst open with a strong, unnatural force.
It was at this moment Jake knew, he was good as gone.
"What's up Jake!" yelled a man with oversized muscles and a six-foot six build backing him up.
"Got my money? You know, the seven thousand you owe me for the loan you took out a month ago?"
Jake bit his lip in frustration. First they broke down his door, now they're asking for seven-thousand - three times more than what he owed them in a monthly payment?
They were clearly extorting him.
Jake's grip on his phone tightened. His hand trembled over the emergency contact icon. But he knew better. The last time he tried that... they never came.
"Oh, calling the police? I wouldn't. After all, you're an ill, talent-less individual with no money to your name. Why would they help you in the first place?" sneered the man.
The man smiled, with a shit-eating grin.
"Fortunately for you buddy, we have got a way out of this mess for you! No need to pay back your loan or anything like that. Because both you and me know you can't pay us back."
Jake's facial expression twisted in confusion.
Not paying them back? What could they have planned?
Just thinking about it made him shudder with fear.
At that moment, two more individuals wearing red and black uniforms burst into the apartment behind the loan shark.
"You see, Jake, after you missed today's payment I took the initiative to sign you up with the red dragon guild. As a slave, of course."
The man laughed. "You only need to work for them for fifty years to pay off your debt! That's nothing for you."
Jake inwardly laughed, thinking that he wouldn't even live for fifty years.
But then the man noticed his facial expression, and guessed what he was thinking.
"Oh, and if you think your illness will kill you before you serve out the full fifty years, think twice. These gentlemen at the red dragon guild will spare no expense at healing you to make sure you pay back your debt. Of course, you'll still have to live with your illness, but you won't ever die from it!"
Jake glanced around his apartment, wondering if he could make a run for it somehow.
But unfortunately, his apartment was in the basement as it was the lowest-costing one with no windows, and the only way out was through that door, blocked by the three men.
Suddenly, one of the red dragon guild members rushed forward, jabbing a syringe into Jake's side.
"Agh!"
Jake squirmed, trying to push the guild member off of him.
The man laughed. "Hahaha! You're not getting out of this, buddy. You're about to fall asleep, and when you wake up you won't be in your bed, but in a dungeon. You better be ready to mine mana crystals, or there will be pain in your future."
In an instant, everything went dark for Jake. He collapsed on his bed.
. . .
Ten hours later.
In a dark, damp, and moldy environment, a large group of individuals could be seen chipping away at blue glowing rocks.
"Ahhh..."
Jake stretched out his arms, a groggy breath escaped his lips - then suddenly his eyes snapped open.
He looked around.
Where am I?
His heart pounding, unsure of where he was or how he got here.
Then, a splitting headache came over him, and he suddenly remembered.
The loan shark had sent him here to be a slave. For fifty years, at that.
His vision blurred for a moment, adjusting to the flickering glow of the dungeon. The harsh rhythm of pickaxes striking mana crystals. Then, a voice yelled out.
"Hey newbie, pick up a damn pickaxe and get to work. Don't make me force you, you won't like what happens." said a guard.
Jake looked at the guard, then at his frail hands.
He wasn't built for this. He was sick, weak.
He couldn't do this.
But he had to. This was his life now, he thought silently.
He could only imagine what that guard would do to him if he disobeyed.
Trying to escape was a pointless endeavor, he thought. After all, his legs were chained together, and there were ten guards all standing alert where the prisoners were.
Begrudgingly, he went over to the pickaxes, picked one up, and started to mine mana crystals.
"Good newbie, I knew you had it in you!" yelled the guard, laughing heartily.
Jake said nothing. He just kept swinging, chipping away at the mana crystal in front of him.
This was his life now.
. . .
A few hours had passed, and Jake's arms trembled as he swung the pickaxe again and again.
He could barely stand.
Then it happened.
A bright, blue glow enveloped Jake's figure. It grew brighter and began to subtly flash the guards and the prisoners at the same time.
"Woah, look at that! He's actually awakening!" someone shouted.
Before Jake could process the words, a guard shouted something.
"Really? That terminally ill trash is awakening a talent? If he awakens something good, I'll eat my shoes!" jeered a guard.
The light from Jake's awakening began to subside, and then a chime rang in his head.
────────────────────────
[Talent Awakening: F-Rank: Dodge]
[Talent Description: Dodge any attack, no matter how strong with a 0.10% chance of activating!]
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"No... this can't be happening..." thought Jake.
A guard walked up to him with an orb, and yelled.
"Newbie, place your hands on the orb. It will tell us what talent you awakened. If it's good, you can move up to become a combat slave. If it's trash, it looks like you'll be staying here for a while."
The other slaves in the mine looked at Jake with signs of hope, fortunate that at least one of them had a chance of getting out of this wretched place.
Unfortunately for them, Jake wouldn't be leaving this place any time soon.
He placed his hand on the orb, his hand growing warm with the sensation.
Then the orb brought up a holographic display showing his talent off to everyone in the dungeon.
[F-Rank Talent: Dodge]
"Psssh!" The guards sneered. "So much for awakening, little Jakey! Looks like you'll be staying here. Now get back to work, you useless slave."
No.. not again.
This is worse than not awakening a talent at all.
To awaken an F-Rank talent? That was like the universe telling him he was trash, straight to his face.
Jake grabbed a pickaxe, and went back to mining. The other slaves looked at him with pity in their eyes.
But suddenly...
A low rumble echoed from deeper within the dungeon - followed by screams.
"Dungeon break!" someone shouted from afar.
Before Jake could process what was happening, a grotesque roar filled the chamber. A rift split open near the crystals, and from it emerged a monstrous beast - as tall as the dungeon ceiling, with sharp claws and a flame-spewing snout.
It was a dragon.
A freaking dragon.
"Just my luck today." Jake thought.
One of the guards rushed forward to the beast, only to be ripped in half in a spray of blood.
Jake froze.
The creature stomped it's foot, and suddenly a colossal shockwave enveloped the entire dungeon. It knocked everyone remotely close to it down, killing them instantly.
As soon as it neared Jake, he paused.
"Well, if this is it, I hope my parents know I hate them. For leaving me in this wretched world all alone."
Jake covered his eyes and braced for impact.
Suddenly...
[Ding!]
[F-Rank Talent: Dodge, has activated!]
[You have dodged the attack of The King of Dragons, Vortharion Nyl' Zeryx!]
[Ding!]
[A great achievement has been recorded in history. You are the first mortal to dodge an attack from a God-Ranked being or above!]
[You have received the title: The Untouchable.]
[Title Effects: You have a 30% chance to dodge an attack of a being at least two ranks above your own.]
Noticing something was wrong, and that he should be dead by now, Jake uncovered his eyes to see the system notifications.
"Holy cow, I dodged that attack? With a 0.10% chance?"
With no time to react, the dragon abruptly spoke. "Indeed, human, you dodged my attack, and you are the first to do so."
The dragon narrowed its head towards Jake, and studied him for a moment.
"Hmm... Human, you interest me greatly. Among the infinite cosmos and dimensions I have traveled to, my power has never been blocked once. Especially not by a mortal, at that."
Jake shuddered in fear as he realized the dragon was talking to him.
Yes, talking to him. A monster, talking!
Such cases were only recorded in world-ending calamity events, where monsters were ranked SSS-Rank.
But in this case, Jake felt this monster in front of him wasn't just SSS-Rank. No, this monster ranked much, much higher than that.
He realized that withholding information wouldn't do him much good in a scenario, where a walking calamity was right next to him.
"Well, its my talent. It allows me to evade an attack completely, with a 0.10% chance each time." said Jake.
The dragon smiled menacingly.
"Say, you have piqued my interest for the first time in eons. For that, I shall give you a reward. But first, what is your name, human?"
Jake responded.
"I see. I shall remember that name of yours. Now then human, I will give you a talent. However, you can choose. Tell me what talent you want, and it shall be yours. Any talent under the infinite cosmos, even god-level talents are not out of reach."
Jake swallowed hard.
The dragon' aura was suffocating. It was the knowledge that this creature... this creature could end him with a thought.
And yet... it was offering him a gift.
Jake's thoughts rampaged in his head. Infinite strength? Immortality? Healing? Sure, he could cure his illness and rise to power by becoming a renowned healer, but he knew there was something better.
Infinite talents. That's what he wanted.
"Great Dragon King, I have decided. I wish to have a talent that allows me to absorb the talents of others."
The dragon arrogantly flared his nostrils.
"Human, do you realize what you are asking for? But no matter, your wish shall be granted. I look forward to seeing what kind of calamity you become in the future."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You have acquired a new talent! Dodge (F-Rank) has been replaced by Infinite Absorption (EX-Rank)]
────────────────────────
[Infinite Absorption]
[Rank: EX]
[Talent Description: Absorb the talents of the dead! No restrictions. Even gods may succumb to your heaven-defying talent.]
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