Now a lot of things were starting to line up for Zorat.
Awakening and having a divine skill bestowed, is translation for some powerful being bearing the causal burden for someone else directly gaining immense power.
In his previous hell dimension, Zorat, and every other demon is bestowed with a race and sometimes a unique bloodline, but no one is directly granted power.
Power is earned. You had to claw your way through the ranks. Fight, learn, and understand the elements that constitute the world around you.
Through this, you can create your own techniques and through countless iterations, perfect one that will lead you to transcendence. This is only possible if a demon is extremely talented or extremely lucky.
They are skipping a step.
That's the difference.
Is a dimensional being really behind this ?
This divine skill. I have to see what it is.
Zorat, in addition to being mischievous, is also a very talented demon. How else could one grow themselves into a being equal to and eventually surpassing primordials. During his rise to power, he was ready to lay waste to entire planes of existence, if it meant getting stronger. Thats the type of mindset every powerful demon is born with.
However, he soon plateaued in his growth when he attained the level of a primordial demon king. There was an up, but there was no way to get there if one is missing a certain quality, which is usually possessed innately. And can't be possessed by more than one being in a single dimension.
Zorat noticed the cautious look on the faces of the other students after the Saintess finished speaking.
They didn't trust this woman and none of them wanted to risk being the first to approach the blue crystal ball.
So, they all unconsciously turned towards Andrew who appeared to be in deep thought to take the lead.
Andrew has always radiated a sense of leadership in such situations, and they needed that. Or they just wanted to use him as a test dummy.
And true to his noble bearing, Andrew took two steps forward. He was going to be the one to go first. The faster he went, the faster he could get back to his world. And to his kid sister.
"How is the orb operated ?" He spoke with deep resolve.
"You only have to rest the palm of either of your hands on it for a couple of seconds, and you will be bestowed a suitable divine skill, which will then be displayed on the surface of the blue orb." Saintess Sylvara explained patiently with a practiced smile.
Andrew nodded without saying a word more, and just walked straight ahead and stood in front of the blue crystal orb before slowly placing his left palm on it. The entire royal court and students held their breath in suspense as the seconds ticked by.
To the royal court, it wasn't a question if Andrew would awaken and be bestowed a divine that, because that was a certainty. What they were curious about was what type of divine talent he would awaken. Because even with divine talents, there are slight differences in potency.
While for the students, they just wanted to see if it was safe, and if Andrew would be getting a fantastical power like these people said. Zorat was different because he just yearns to break down what exactly this divine power is.
Soon the crystal glowed radiantly bright before some floating golden characters in a foreign language appeared on top of it.
Immediately, Saintess Sylvara for the first time since her arrival, smiled a hundred percent genuinely warm smile at Andrew, and the entire royal court and the King were also nodding their heads in approval and sharing happy side commentary.
It would seem Andrew had been bestowed a really good divine skill. However, Zorat was smiling for a different reason altogether. He had confirmed his suspicion as soon as Andrew was bestowed his divine skill.
I knew this power was familiar.
Runes.
Complex high level runes.
Different and also the same with the ones from my dimension.
And there is something else…..
Is that really what I think it is ?. No. It can't be.
Zorat was feeling new emotions for the first time. Emotions allowed to flourish so he could experience this revelation in full. Surprise. Shock. Greed.
While Zorat battled with his thoughts, Saintess Sylvara gently walked forward until she was right in front of the crystal orb. Then in an unusually high pitch that still held her soothing tone, she announced.
"Hero of the Blade. Andrew Hayes"
One could tell that such a title was a big deal, because all the ministers of the royal court had started looking at Andrew like he was some prized treasure. While Andrew simply thought he had taken his first step to returning to his world.
"Dear honored hero. Now that you have awakened. You have also been granted an awakened status window. You can access it by simply saying or thinking the word status in your mind." Saintess Sylvara explained with a smile.
Then everyone saw Andrew standing there for a moment, before acting shocked, and gazing at nothing in particular, then he nodded and began walking back to his group of gathered classmates. Though everyone noticed the change immediately. There was now a certain edge and lethality to his movement and demeanor.
I guess they have a system here too.
Interesting.
And that Andrew. He awakened something strong.
But that's not what's important. It's what I am perceiving.
Could it be ?
The rest of the students, seeing Andrew was okay; gained the courage to step up to the podium and awaken their divine skills, and the first to beat the rest to it was of course …
"I, Roberto, The supremely handsome and dashing. Shall now collect my likewise supreme divine skill." Roberto declared aloud.
"Go ahead dear hero" Saintes Sylvara replied with a smile, stepping aside, while Roberto swaggered to the podium and placed his hands on the blue orb.
Everyone watched in suspense, as a radiant blue light like the one before, spread through the area before characters of gold shimmered into life atop the crystal orb.
Saintess Sylvara and the royal court nodded in approval, as she announced with a bright smile.
"Hero of the Spear. Roberto Wells"
"Ah . the spear. Quite fitting I must say. Almost as elegant as I." Roberto muttered, brushing his sleek orange hair back, before swaggering back with his chin up.
And so the awakening continued, with Broddy going up next and being bestowed the divine skill of Strength. The Hero of strength.
Jacob: The Hero of Lightning.
Julian: The Hero of Shield
Ava: The Hero Of Stealth.
Ariana: The Hero of Flame.
Erica: The Hero of Bow.
Lily: The Hero of Healing Light.
The awakening proceeded smoothly and all the students awakened befitting divine skills that resonated with their affinities, and Zorat noticed he was the last one remaining, and from the whispers from the royal court, it seems he will be awakening as the hero of spirits. One of the ten divine skills, and a very powerful one as well, comparable to the hero of blade. So people of the royal court were excited.
Zorat wasn't much concerned with what he awakened; he just wanted to figure out the power system of this new world completely, and also get this whole thing over with, so he could go do what he should have done immediately when he arrived in this world.
Zorat walked through the students, none other had conversed with him since they arrived here, other than Ava who seemed to have nothing else to say when he got up, and was just staring.
Zorat wasn't surprised by that; the former Caleb wasn't friends with any of these people. He might know them since they are popular on campus; but he doubted they knew him.
Hmm.
These women though.
How are they all so gorgeous and sexy?
Popular group for a reason. Hehehe.
Zorat, who had been paying attention to this group of five female classmates, could not help but appreciate their flawless looks as he walked ahead towards the podium before placing his noticeably small hands on the blue orb.
And as expected, he felt a familiar force being imprinted upon his body, and even traced where it was placed to his abdomen. But what excited him the most, and even caused him to take a step back in awe of its profundity, is the fact that his earlier guess was also true.
The thing he has been perceiving in these divine skills made of complex runes.
Fragment.
This divine skill is a fragment of an Authority?
Hehehe. Now this….
This is a fun development.
Not wasting time, he immediately called out the status of this world in his mind to see how this world's system displayed an individual's information.
*****
[Name: Caleb Cole]
[LV: 1 ]
[HP: 100/100 ]
[MP: 10/10 ]
[STR: 4 ]
[DEF: 1 ]
[SPD: 2 ]
[Affinity: Space]
[Skills: Null ]
[Divine Skill: Item Box]
****
Hmm. So weak.
I love it. Hehehe.
Though I wonder what stats the others have.
Maybe I should use my authority to find out.
However, what's with this divine skill ?
Nobody said anything about an item box divine skill.
Zorat scratched his jaw in confusion, but he immediately decided not to dwell on it. Afterall, he could still feel the powerful fragment of authority embedded in this divine skill.
And he had a daring thought he couldn't wait to implement. But first, he needed to go do what these people had caused him to dealy for minutes now.
However, what Zorat failed to notice was that the entire throne room had gone completely quiet at the moment.
He slowly turned around to see Saintess Sylvara's face was as pale as a sheet, and the entire royal court had looks of heavy disappointment, some scorn, and others pity.
Oho ?
Did I miss something ?
Zorat was perplexed. But when he focussed, he heard the barely constrained whispers from the ministers of court.
"The eleventh divine skill ?"
"Our kingdom awakened a trash Hero."
"What a shame"
"He's useless."
Zorat and the rest of his classmates were confused, looking around and seeing such reactions.
Seeing the look of bewilderment on the students' faces. Saintess Sylvara stepped ahead, composed herself, and made the announcement. This time lacking her usual practiced smile, and warm luster.
"Hero of item box. Caleb Cole."