Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 25: Talent

The goddess you fantasized about in your subconscious confesses to you in an extremely aesthetic atmosphere, how would you feel?

Dreamy, blissful.

And then there’s the vague feeling after rationality returns, as well as the sense of loss when reality sets in again.

Lyle was a man of self-awareness, he could recognize his own weakness, but he wouldn’t change it, such psychology prompted him to learn a skill.

That is compromise.

Compromise with setbacks, with strength, with life.

And in his heart, he found excuses for himself, so that his submission did not seem so lowly.

This seemingly hopeless man had not left himself without an escape, it was a door of hope, a locked door, and this door could only be opened from the outside, someone else must open it for him.

Building one’s confidence on the validation of others is cowardice. Yet, it is also miraculous, because you could liberate a personality that has been constantly suppressed, just with some encouragement.

However, in reality, such people usually don’t get to meet the one who opens the door, and they drift through life with that ephemeral yearning for the hope of being needed.

Lyle realized Alianna’s true intentions; she just liked this novelty, it wasn’t the fondness of love, or even that of friendship, but rather, the liking one has for an object that even time could dull.

"Thank you, Alianna."

Clearly, Alianna was not an ordinary goddess.

"Am I really that uncharismatic?"

Alianna’s voice, full of grievances, suddenly appeared in Lyle’s ear, which, to him, seemed somewhat unreal.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because what you have witnessed is just my talent, sometimes I think, maybe without this talent, I would look plain, or even ugly. Your reactions to me, isn’t that just superficial, as if you feel nothing at all."

The beautiful swan was crying about her ugliness just like the ugly duckling, leaving Lyle feeling helpless.

"Is Alianna actually quite insecure?"

"I guess the only thing I’m proud of is my singing voice."

No no no, how can there be such a twisted perception, you think everything about you is bad, yet you think well of the Dirge of Death.

"Alianna, I still don’t understand, what exactly is talent, is it a concept or something more concrete?"

"Talent, it’s a gift from the heavens. On the Mystic Side, human innate cognition is divided into three parts, Id, Ego, and True Self. The Ego is one’s own volition and sense of self, the Id is one’s external manifestation, an objective impression, and the True Self is existence, unchangeable, undying and indestructible. The Ego is determined by oneself, the Id by others, and the True Self, by the gods. The gods created people and taught them farming, animal husbandry, weaving... A person’s destiny is already set at birth, this information is inscribed in one’s True Self, which is talent."

"You are a seed, that’s your root, but what fruit you bear is up to you."

"Some seeds have already sprouted, and some are still longing for the soil. The True Self signifies one’s uniqueness—no two leaves are identical in this world."

"So in essence, talent is a part of oneself."

"Yes."

"Then can talent be stripped away, like completely destroyed?"

"Some can be tamed, some can’t, but they’re not abandoned, not even by death."

Lyle began to understand, in other words, talent was actually a part of the body, like the limbs, and Alianna was complaining that her appearance was so beautiful that it overshadowed her inner charm.

This sounded somewhat like whining over nothing to Lyle, appearing as if she were showing off on purpose to others, although he knew that she was only fixated on an insignificant fault.

But even so, this obsession only made the goddess more vivid and dreamlike; no reason is needed for the charm that talent brings, it needs no reason.

"Alianna, is your talent this astonishing charm?"

"The words revealed on the slate are ’Demonic Throat,’ which means the main function of this talent actually lies in the voice."

So at that time, my body was actually having a pleasant reaction to the thought of death.

Can I even imagine that this is the consequence brought about by the ultimate singing voice?

If this charm is just a side effect, what would the real ’Demonic Visage’ look like? One glance and you’ll be fatally enchanted by beauty?

I’m really envious of this ability.

"Alianna, does this mean that actually, everyone has their own talent?"

"Yes, and multiple talents are not out of the question, but everyone has them."

"Then, what is Gentleman’s talent?"

"The Eye of the Soul. Gentleman can notice every minute detail of any sentient being; he can judge the goodness or evil within their souls. That’s also why the Gentleman became the tester for new recruits."

I can understand why the Gentleman is popular—he’s like a walking, living stamp of approval.

If you’re friends with him, you’re a good person; if you’re not on good terms with him, that’s surely your fault.

Feeling pleased with himself that Gentleman had initiated conversation with him, Lyle felt smug about being a good person.

"And what about the dragon, sir?"

"Undying and indestructible. His body cannot be altered or destroyed by any means. Even if the dragon sir were reduced to just a pile of dust, he could restore himself back to his original form at any moment he wished, healing in an instant."

The dragon sir is a bit twisted. Is it an example of ’like species, like individual’? Such a godlike, tank-like talent, coupled with his nearly three-meter stature, he’s a born war god. So why is he now a Necromancer Teacher with a fondness for animals?

Just as Lyle was feeling regretful, Alianna said something that sent a chill down his spine, "Dragon sir has a hobby of collecting his own bone fragments. He would dismantle parts of his body, which would quickly regrow, and if you ever visit his living quarters, don’t be surprised. The skeletons there are all his own, including the skulls."

Lyle shuddered, recalling the dragon sir’s words, "Plague Doctor doesn’t have to worry about materials, just use my thigh bone."

"I want to ask about the dragon sir’s magic wand..."

"It really is his own thigh bone, crafted by his own hands. He once recommended his skeletal materials to me and Gentleman as well."

Perhaps Gentleman is the most normal person here.

In the end, Lyle finally asked the question he most wanted to know, "Then what’s my talent?"

Alianna looked at Lyle, "The Plague Doctor’s talent probably hasn’t awakened yet, right? Indeed, there are many who aren’t naturally awakened, and they make up a significant portion."

"Is there a way to awaken it?" At this moment, Lyle was filled with intense longing, a desire that even surpassed his obsession with wealth. This was because of his True Self, on the Mystic Side, talent seemed to be defined as ’what the divine thinks of you,’ and Lyle was eager to know what the divine thought of him.

"Plague Doctor, the ability to awaken talents, Andrey indeed possesses it, but the talent has been deemed by the Executive Committee as a non-essential ability. There are many in Andrey without awakened talents, and they are still outstanding. The non-essential nature of talent means that you have to initiate it yourself, and it requires a considerable price," replied Alianna.

"Is the ritual expensive?" Lyle wanted to estimate how long he would have to work at the Cup of Luxury to save up a substantial amount of money.

"It’s not expensive in the way you understand it. Most people in Andrey have forgotten their desire for money; our concept of currency is very low, and most of it is just collected as decoration."

"So, the magic community that offers the service of awakening talents for a fee, they will ask you to prepare the materials for the ritual yourself, and they are not responsible for the outcome, plus a fee of twelve hundred thousand Oliou, or the casting materials they happen to need."

So this is their idea of not being money-driven? Maybe the cost of living in Andrey is just too high, and because they treat Gold Coins like marbles, their actual purchasing power has decreased. Lyle felt his plans were going down the drain.

Alianna seemed to notice his disappointment, "If you really want to go through with the ritual, the Cup of Luxury can cover the cost, you’ll just need to sign a debt note. However, you will still need to find the missing materials yourself, after all, it’s your concern."

Lyle heard a heavenly voice, "Alright." It’s just an indenture contract, right? I’ll sign; what’s one more debt! Debt won’t crush me, not with this one more ticket!