ALL NOVEL Chapter 25: New Talent
Even Ryuji was taken aback by Megumi's sudden and straightforward declaration.
Is she being serious right now?
The most surprising part was how Megumi's calm expression never wavered, not once showing any form of embarrassment or hesitation. She remained as composed as ever, making it difficult to gauge her true intentions.
"Do you even know what you're saying?" Ryuji asked, still a bit thrown off by her boldness.
"If it's you, Ryuji, I'm fine with it," Megumi replied, her voice unwavering.
Megumi wasn't the type to mince her words. Unlike someone like Eriri, who struggled to express her feelings due to her tsundere nature, Megumi was direct. If she liked someone, she wouldn't beat around the bush, even if the person already had someone else by their side.
She lifted her head, locking eyes with Ryuji, waiting for his response with the same calm demeanor.
"..."
From his initial surprise, Ryuji quickly calmed down. Seeing Megumi's unwavering gaze, he couldn't help but smile.
Leaning in slightly, he lowered his voice and whispered, "This is considered as an interest, then."
With a soft chuckle, Ryuji used his abilities to clear the lingering negative energy from Megumi.
Kato Megumi didn't say a word, but her breathing quickened just a bit, betraying the calm front she tried to maintain. Her cheeks might have been impassive, but she wasn't as composed as she pretended to be.
"Successfully contacted a target: Kato Megumi!
A golden entry has been triggered. Do you want to load it?"
Ryuji grinned inwardly, pleasantly surprised. Another golden entry! It seems like Megumi really was something special, earning the nickname "saint" wasn't for nothing.
The lunch break wasn't long, and given that this was Megumi's first time making such a bold move, there wasn't much more that could happen on the rooftop.
When Ryuji returned from clearing Megumi's negative energy, Miko looked over at him with a concerned expression.
"How did it go?" she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity and a bit of unease.
"Don't worry, it was nothing serious," Ryuji reassured her with a wave of his hand and a casual smile.
He then turned to the group and added, "By the way, I'll be heading out tonight for some important business. Do you want to come with me?"
Having already received the two million yen for the job, Ryuji was looking forward to handling things and maybe grabbing a nice meal afterward.
Miko thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "I'll pass. I'll stay home and prepare dinner for you."
She knew her limitations while she could see the supernatural beings, she couldn't really help in dealing with them. Rather than being a burden to Ryuji, she preferred to wait for him at home.
"Just be careful," she added, her voice soft but sincere.
"Don't worry," Ryuji replied with a warm smile, pulling Miko into a hug before she left for the day. She was always so thoughtful and considerate it was one of the reasons he appreciated her so much.
---
With some time left before afternoon classes resumed, Ryuji decided to check out the talent entries he had triggered on the rooftop during lunch.
The first entry came from Eriri.
"Golden entry: Blond Loser!"
"...Huh?"
Ryuji blinked in disbelief. This is a gold entry? What kind of trash is this?
"Blond Loser: A person unable to accurately express their feelings. When competing for something or someone, they are destined to fail."
Reading the description, Ryuji couldn't help but fall silent. This is definitely fitting for Eriri. So beautiful, yet this is the talent she gets?
Without hesitation, he muttered, "Decompose."
Why would he keep such a useless talent? Thankfully, decomposing golden entries earned a decent amount of points. This one, though disappointing, would at least be worth something.
Next was Utaha's entry.
"Purple entry: Literary Genius!"
Finally, Ryuji smiled. Now this is a talent with some growth potential. It perfectly suited Kasumigaoka Utaha, considering she was a best selling author. However, in terms of practical use for him, it wasn't all that beneficial.
"Let's decompose this too," Ryuji muttered to himself.
It wasn't that the entry was bad it was just that, in a world filled with supernatural beings and potential battles, being a literary genius didn't offer him much utility. After decomposing it, he gained another chunk of points.
The decomposing of the two talents Eriri's golden entry and Utaha's purple one had given him a total of 11,000 points. Not bad, but nothing spectacular either.
Now, for the last one Megumi's entry. Considering her reputation as "Saint Megumi," Ryuji had high hopes for this one.
"Gold entry: Tranquility!"
Ryuji's eyes lit up as he read the description.
The talent allowed him to remain calm in any situation, no matter how stressful or dangerous. In a world where emotions could easily cloud judgment or throw someone off balance, maintaining a composed, clear mind was invaluable.
"Now this is a must keep," Ryuji said, grinning. He knew just how crucial it was to keep calm during critical moments especially in battle.
"You really are something special, Megumi," he thought to himself as he loaded the talent.
The entry joined the rest of his already impressive collection:
---
Talent Entry System
Host: Ryuji Hoshino
Bloodline: Human
Loaded Entries:
- Soul Devourer [Red]
- Yin-Yang Eyes [Gold]
- Presence Concealment [Gold]
- Tranquility [Gold]
- Iron Fist [Purple]
Points: 11,120
---
With the addition of "Tranquility," Ryuji felt more confident in his ability to handle any situation, whether it be in combat or otherwise. After all, staying calm under pressure could make all the difference between victory and defeat.
He also reflected on his overall progress. Given that it only took 10,000 points to extract a purple entry, and that he had amassed over 11,000 points from decomposing talents, he was in a good position to continue growing stronger.
However, Ryuji wasn't in a hurry to spend his points. Drawing a purple entry was always a gamble. And below purple entries like blue, green, or white were practically worthless. They offered little to no real benefit to someone at his level.
What he really wanted was another red entry like his Soul Devourer ability. But the cost to extract a red entry was astronomical one million points. At his current rate, it would take time, but Ryuji wasn't one to rush. He knew that patience, combined with smart decisions, would eventually pay off.
In the meantime, there was no shortage of protagonists in this world. Opportunities to trigger new and useful talent entries would keep coming.
---
After school, as promised, Ryuji met up with Eriri, Utaha, and Megumi at the school gate. All three girls had been waiting for him, and they seemed ready for whatever was to come.
When Ryuji's eyes landed on Megumi, they lingered a little longer than usual. He couldn't help but recall what had happened on the rooftop during lunch.
It was hard to imagine that this expressionless girl had been so bold just a few hours ago.
Megumi had shocked him by taking the initiative, even pinning him to the wall at one point. It wasn't something he'd expected from someone who usually blended into the background so effortlessly.
Tsk, she's braver than she looks, Ryuji thought, his lips curling into a smirk.
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