[You have gained Three SSS-Ranked Talents!]
[SSS-Ranked Gacha System.]
[SSS-Ranked Soulmancy.]
[SSS-Ranked Bloodline Talent: Blood of the Flamborne.]
Callum couldn't help but flinch.
"Didn't that goddess say one can only gain one Talent? Or am I dreaming?" Callum wondered.
He tried to pinch himself and noticed he wasn't dreaming. It was real... He had just gained three SSS-Ranked Talents from the dim, colorless orb!
"Maybe they're just some shitty, weak talents. I trust the God of Fun is not stupid," he muttered.
[Entrant #1001542678, Callum Drey! Check!]
[All stats have been analyzed and activated.]
[You have been recognized as a Lister... A true being assigned to Glory Expanse!]
[You can now check your stats by simply flicking a finger.]
More information flooded from the red screen again, and Callum gathered that it was some sort of evaluation system.
But this wasn't his main concern at the moment.
He quickly scanned his surroundings again. This time, he began to grasp the bigger picture. Many figures, just like him, were in the same position... inside a large van driving through a deserted road.
Callum didn't know how he got into the van... Just in a blur, things happened like a flash of light, but he was sure he had been transported to Glory Expanse... He already had the information, after all.
Outside the van was a vast land, exactly as he had seen in the very beginning. This world would surely be alien to him, but the atmosphere and air were hard to differentiate from that of Earth.
A smile suddenly slipped onto his face, and he turned to observe the people boarding the van with him.
Some were still stunned by the view, some terrified, while many were excited about it. The rest, like Callum, showed no reaction other than plain curiosity.
It was clear that these people needed orientation.
Soon, the van stopped as they arrived at an area that looked like a base. It was a large space filled with giant buildings and grounds that could accommodate millions of people.
People who had just faced the Curtain Call and arrived at Glory Expanse.
"Okay! Everyone! Step down. Don't rush, stay composed. Everyone to the gathering!"
A young man approached the van and opened the door, urging them to step down.
Different people, all about the different ages and appearances, followed the orders at once.
Callum calmly stepped down when it was his turn and gave the entire surrounding another long glance.
"Holy hell..."
The crowd was crazy, tense... It was as if an entire country had converged in one place, as chaotic chatter shook the atmosphere.
"HELLO NEWBIES! Welcome to the New Listers Base!"
"You are urged to proceed to the blue line at once. Remain orderly! Classification and Placement begin shortly."
A microphone voice sounded from nowhere, drawing the crowd's attention. Before they could react much, men dressed in blue military-like uniforms appeared and began organizing them.
Far upfront, there were many lines with different colors. The microphone voice had sounded across different areas, so Callum believed he should march to the blue line.
"Move! Come on!"
Callum noticed that everyone who had boarded the same van as him was moving to the blue line, so he had no doubts about his choice.
The blue line was crowded, but there was still plenty of space for the overwhelming numbers.
After the queues were organized, two men walked out from a door high on the building facing their line. They were dressed in black suits, their faces vibrant and sharp.
"Welcome once again, everyone! I'm sure many of you are still curious about this strange world. Mixed feelings, I guess. But don't worry too much. What you should be worried about is what's waiting for you out there," one of the men, seemingly middle-aged, said.
"Glory Expanse is a vast world. About five times bigger than Earth. But that's nothing to boast about. This world is five times crueler too."
Murmurs rose from the crowd.
"I said it, we're all fucked! There's no 'Glory Expanse' shit... This is hell!"
"Just kill us already! I want to die again!"
"Bring it on! I'm ten times crueler now!"
It took a while before the murmurs died down, and the man continued after shaking his head.
"All further information will be delivered after the Adoption. Good luck, and be ready for Glory Expanse."
The murmurings rose again as the two men left the stand. The tension in the crowd showed that everyone really wanted answers, but it was no use.
It wasn't until another man, younger, walked to the stand and continued.
"Now it's time for Classification. Every figure is urged to arrange by Class... the Class you obtained during the Curtain Call," the man ordered.
Soon, there was another separation along the blue line as officials directed the crowd based on their Classes.
"Warrior, here!"
"Mage, here!"
"Berserker, here!"
"Assassin, here!"
"Healer, here!"
"Ran... Tsk! Ranger, here!"
'What's with that look?' Callum stared at the man in disgust.
He went ahead and settled into the line where the Rangers stood. Compared to others, the Rangers were the fewest.
And unlike the rest, they looked... overlooked.
"I guess Rangers aren't much of a big deal here," Callum thought, flexing his hand unconsciously.
After the Classification was set, Placement followed. A giant door opened right in front of them, and they were urged to go through it.
All of them... all Classes. Through different doors.
They ended up in a large hall with many open balconies. A considerable number of people could be seen outside, but it was nothing compared to the number from the other Classes.
Again, the fact that the Ranger Class was underrated was obvious.
However, Callum didn't really care about that. He only wanted to know what the "Adoption" meant.
'If it's the Adoption I know... then they must be joking! I'd rather live independently,' he mumbled.
Soon, different people — visibly rich and influential — began to come forward.
It was already busy at the other sites, and the sound of officials shouting price tags could be heard faintly in the distance.
"Warrior Class! 130 Thousand Dollars!"
"Berserker Class! 125 Thousand Dollars!"
"Mage Class! 220 Thousand Dollars!"
"Assassin Class! 155 Thousand Dollars!"
"Healer Class! 150 Thousand Dollars!"
"Ranger Class... 30 Thousand Dollars. Meet us for a discount!"
"Adopt a potential talent today!"
As officials promoted their sections, more people came forward. Even though the Ranger Class was the cheapest, they still had the lowest interest.
'Too bad...' Callum cursed.
For quite a while, only a few Rangers were adopted, and unfortunately, Callum wasn't one of them.
Sometimes, he would get sighted by someone, but within a minute, that person would lose interest.
'Maybe it's because I'm too slim. Too pale. My messy black hair sucks,' he guessed.
On second thought, he figured that people who chose to adopt Rangers were those who couldn't afford the high price tags of the other Classes.
He was beginning to believe that being a Ranger had placed him in front of hell yet again.
However, while he was still lurking on one side, a blonde, middle-aged man approached the stands. He was dressed in a simple black modern outfit, his arms folded behind his back as he observed each figure.
The Rangers rushed to get noticed, desperate to get out of there after waiting for hours.
Callum was not one of them. Even after noticing the man's arrival, he remained in a corner, his head facing the concrete floor, lost in thought.
The man, slightly disgusted by the Rangers' rash approach, shook his head. Then, with a small turn, he spotted Callum Drey, who was calm and careless about whatever was going on.
"Hey... Hey you."
Callum raised his head, snapped out of his thoughts by the thick voice.
"What's your name?" the man asked.
"Callum... Callum Drey," he responded.
"Callum Drey, how did you die?" the man nodded and asked.
"Won't talk about it," Callum declined.
The man wasn't surprised. He simply nodded.
He then moved to the official managing the Ranger Class.
"I'll pay Fifty Thousand Dollars for him. Get his papers signed," he said.
"Got it, sir."
After making the payment, the man and Callum left the base, with Callum not having a choice after seeing some hefty armed men guarding their way.
It was as if he was in bondages.
The blonde man had a black car that resembled a Range Rover, but the logo at the front was different. It was written "Lord." Something Callum had never seen before.
They stepped in and drove off the arena... Callum was not himself at this point.
He kept asking himself, "Should I escape?"
His arms and legs seemed to jerk uncontrollably, terrified by how powerless he felt.
"Don't worry, kid. You're not a slave. You're an investment."
The man seemed to have noticed his discomfort and decided to ease his fear.
"Where am I? Where are we going?" Callum summoned enough courage to ask.
"This is Glory Expanse, often called the realm of the dead. But it's not. The living reside here too. Even those that had died, are never truly dead."
Callum rolled his eyes in confusion.
"You see that city far over there?" the man pointed.
Callum raised his head and saw a large range of buildings in the distance. So large, it could be compared to Los Angeles...
"That's Optal Mesa Refuge. That's where we're heading. It's one of the strongest Refuges in the North Pole," the man said.
Callum slightly nodded, still unsatisfied.
"Do you mind telling me the Talent you obtained, kid?"
"Not disclosing," Callum declined the man's request again.
"Smart. You seem stubborn. But it's alright..."
"I like stubborn kids."