Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

As Alex's hand neared the shine coming from beneath the pile of soul orbs, he couldn't help but feel his heart rate increase.

The closer he got, the more intense the energy pulsing within came.

The orb was larger than all the others — by at least twice the margin — and it shimmered with a blend of deep gold and vibrant purple hues.

"Is that what I think it is…?"

Alex once again spoke out loud, whispering to himself this time.

His voice was barely audible, but Mira and Rothwind still heard him clear as day.

They had already figured out by now that he was fiddling with his details, but were still curious to know what had him so locked in.

Alex had a hunch that he knew what this soul orb was the moment he saw the colours.

Gold and purple — colours that usually signified royalty back in the middle ages, since gold was a precious ore, while purple used to signify wealth since it was such an expensive colour.

Royal colours on a soul core…?

It could only mean one thing.

He hesitated for a moment with his fingers hovering mere inches away from the orb's surface.

He was almost scared to touch it, afraid that his expectations would be let down if he did so.

He didn't know what to expect.

Even though he had defeated the King of Evermoor, this was the first time he had even considered that its soul orb might have been looted.

If he was right, then this wasn't just any ordinary soul orb…

The thought sent a thrill through him.

Even more so after hearing what Rothwind had to say about the King of Evermoor having a Dragon bloodline.

Surely a King class dragon bloodline beast's soul orb would be even more valuable than a normal King class beast?

Right?

Slowly, with trembling fingers, Alex reached out and laid his hand upon the orb.

The moment his illusory skin made contact, a surge of raw power coursed through his body, almost knocking him off his feet.

It was like touching a bolt of lightning, every nerve of his was alight with energy.

The orb responded to his touch, radiating its full aura outwards for him to take in.

"Holy shit…"

Alex gasped, his entire body nearly shaking by this point.

With the aura pressing down on him, it was confirmed.

It was a King class soul orb.

Mira and Rothwind watched him in silence, their expressions now shifting between curiosity and annoyance quickly.

"Alright, lad! That's enough suspense for one day. What in the hell has got you acting like you've struck gold and silver all at once?"

Rothwind's booming voice came out of nowhere and snapped Alex out of his trance.

Alex blinked and looked up, suddenly aware of the two pairs of eyes staring at him — Mira's curious and Rothwind's practically bursting with impatience.

They were both watching him like he was some sort of museum attraction.

Taking a deep breath, Alex closed his inventory and shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts.

He still couldn't fully process the fact that he was lucky enough to have obtained a soul orb from the King of Evermoor.

"Uhh… my bad."

He laughed awkwardly as he realised he had just gone through that whole spectacle while Mira and Rothwind were waiting that whole time.

It was all purely unintentional though!

How was he supposed to know there were some amazing things he had missed??

"Well, don't keep us waiting, lad!"

Rothwind's booming voice, tinged with frustration, came flying at Alex once again.

It was clear that he wanted to know what all the fuss was about before his impatience got the better of him.

Alex swallowed, hesitant to respond.

For a moment, he seriously considered just staying silent and brushing off their questions.

His gaze flicked over to Mira and lingered on her for a few moments, and she could see the deep hesitance and reluctance in his gaze.

Immediately, she could tell it probably had something to do with stuff he couldn't just reveal openly.

Mira, unlike anyone else, was the only person other than Alex himself who knew about his Soulforge talent.

It was a massive secret which he had no plans on revealing for the foreseeable future.

But Rothwind…

They'd only known each other for a week or so. Was it really wise to reveal such a huge secret to someone who, though he seemed trustworthy, was still practically a stranger?

He hesitated again, unsure of what to do.

Yet it seemed Mira had already sensed his inner turmoil.

She stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm, turning to Rothwind with a soft smile.

"Would it be okay if Alex and I had a moment of privacy?"

She asked politely.

"It's not that we don't trust you, but… this is something very sensitive."

Rothwind raised a thick brow, his expression slowly shifting from annoyance to understanding.

He glanced between the two of them and nodded slowly.

"Ah, I see." He said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Say no less, lass. Didn't mean to intrude on your personal matters."

Despite his calm demeanour, there was still a flicker of curiosity in his eyes that he was unable to suppress.

He had originally thought Alex had found some other rare or extraordinary item or material laying around that he wanted to see, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Alright then, I'll step aside. You two talk things out."

Rothwind said, as he raised a hand.

A faint shimmer appeared in the air between them, creating a barrier that dulled the sounds from both sides.

"Privacy field's set. Just tap on it and it'll disappear when you're done."

Alex and Mira glanced at the flickering barrier, stunned for a few moments.

Apparently A ranks could also set up privacy fields, cool.

However, after testing it out and finding that Rothwind could neither see nor hear what they were doing, Alex finally revealed it to Mira.

He pulled the King class beast core out of his inventory, no longer hesitating, and Mira understood what all the fuss was about immediately.

"Is that…?"

She asked, unsure of what she was looking at, since Alex was the one with all the expertise in soul orbs.

"The King of Evermoor dropped it."

Immediately, Mira's jaw practically hit the floor.