Alden sat beside his mother for nearly thirty minutes, gazing at her face with deep worry in his eyes.
Seeing her in such a condition pained his heart.
"Things are really complicated," he thought. "I have deep emotions for this woman, and I can't help but feel for her, even when I try to ignore it."
Despite his efforts to suppress it, a surge of affection welled up inside him. Was it because he was here as Sammy?
After a few seconds of reflection, he accepted the feeling since he couldn't do anything about it.
After all, she was his biological mother in this world, so such feelings were only natural.
"I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get back on your feet as soon as possible."
"And I won't allow anything bad to happen to you again," he vowed, gripping her motionless hand as determination flashed in his eyes.
Gently, he rested her hand back by the bedside before standing up.
With that, he turned to leave the room, pausing to take one last look at her before shutting the door and making his way out of the hospital premises.
Standing outside the hospital premises, Alden dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out some cash. "This should be enough for today," he muttered, frowning slightly.
Shortly after, he flagged down a cab.
"To the Talent Registration Center," he told the driver as soon as he entered the car.
Hearing the destination, the driver threw a glance at him through the rearview mirror before driving off.
Alden watched the passing shadows of buildings through the window. This outskirt area was known as the Outer District of the city.
The Outer District was really… really in a terrible state. The buildings, the electricity, the health center—everything here was in a deeply sorry condition.
As the car left the Outer District behind, the surroundings gradually improved. Being new to this world, Alden noted that it was somewhat similar to Earth, though far more dangerous and advanced.
He closed his eyes, silently gathering his thoughts and planning his next steps.
Twenty minutes later, the car came to a halt in front of a massive building with "Talent Registration Center" boldly written at the top.
The center was located in the Middle District of Megan City.
Alden opened his eyes, handed the driver some cash, then stepped out of the car.
"Congratulations, young one," the driver said with a bright smile before driving off.
The driver must have assumed Alden was a Talent Awakener.
Alden stood still for a moment, facing the towering building. It was undoubtedly the tallest structure in Megan City.
The Talent Registration Center wasn't managed by the city but was controlled by officials from Starlake Nation.
As expected, the place was bustling with people going in and out. Security was tight, with guards patrolling the area, armed with various advanced gun-like weapons and melee gear.
These weren't ordinary guards—they were Talent Awakeners themselves. Judging from the aura they emitted, they were likely Level 10 and above. No one in their right mind would dare cause trouble here.
Alden took a deep breath and stepped into the premises, making his way into the building without being stopped.
As he approached the door, it slid open automatically. Inside, the place was packed with people who all shared the same goal as him: to register.
It was illegal for any Talent Awakener or Martial Artist to remain unregistered after awakening. If caught unregistered, the person would be punished harshly by the law.
This was Alden's first step to get registered before deciding his next move.
Looking around, he finally walked toward a less crowded area.
Just as he looked to his side, he spotted someone he hadn't expected to see. He considered hiding his face but decided against it.
"Why should I hide from any bastard?"
At the same time, the boy coincidentally turned to look in his direction.
Ranno was surprised to see Alden there. They were the same age, and he knew Alden had zero potential for Talent Awakening or Martial Arts since childhood.
"What's Alden doing here?" he wondered. "Did he awaken?"
Then he facepalmed himself. "What am I even thinking?"
The boys with Ranno also noticed Alden and laughed, pointing at him as the "weakling" they all knew.
Ranno and his group walked over and stood beside Alden, wearing cruel smiles.
"Grandmaster Weakling," Ranno sneered.
"I suggest you look for a job somewhere else. I know you must be scouting for work, but sadly, this place isn't for someone like you. You're nothing and always will be," he whispered into Alden's ear before walking past with his friends to join a shorter queue nearby. He didn't dare cause trouble here, knowing the guards wouldn't hesitate to kick him out.
[-CHARACTERINFO-]
CHARACTER NAME: Ranno Flint
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 1
TALENT: C-rank [Fire Element Ability]
SKILLS: Fire Control (F)
[-CHARACTERINFO-]
Alden chose to ignore them and instead checked his stats and those of the other boys. None of them even had a B-rank talent.
"Is this why you're all so arrogant?" Alden thought, barely suppressing his laugh.
He maintained his composure and joined another queue, slightly longer than Ranno's.
Even after Ranno and his friends finished their registration, they lingered nearby, watching Alden.
They were slightly surprised to see him in another queue but still laughed among themselves for his foolishness.
"What is the bastard doing?"
"Heh heh, don't tell me he's planning to register himself."
"Such a wasted human. He must be sick in his head."
Soon, it was Alden's turn.
"Sammy Draven," Alden called out his name.
"Talent Awakener or Martial Artist?" the registration officer asked coldly, not even looking up to see who he was talking to.
"Talent Awakener," Alden replied.
Ranno and his friends were shocked. They expected the officer to dismiss Alden immediately, but his confident reply left them stunned.
What big words. He had awakened? The most ridiculous lie ever.
"Big lie," Ranno and the boys wanted to shout aloud but dared not, fearing it would cause a disturbance here.
They were waiting for Alden to embarrass himself.
They thought he was never going to awaken in his lifetime or so they believed.
"Rank?" the officer asked next.
Alden found himself dumbstruck by the question. Should he directly say the truth, or what should he do at this point?
"Doing so could bring both blessings and danger…" different thoughts raced through his head.
The officer, receiving no response, finally looked up and saw the confusion on Alden's face.
Meanwhile, Ranno and his friends were on the verge of laughing, certain this was the end of the road for Alden.
"Young man, don't waste my time," the officer said harshly. "Place your hand on the orb or leave."
Alden reluctantly placed his hand on the orb.
[Ding!.....]
A system notification came in, bringing a smile to his face. The system never ceased to amaze him.