In the Town 2

If it wasn't for Ayame's leading, Kuro may have never found about this place because like the Hidden Leaf Village in Naruto…

No, more accurately, it was like that hidden places in Toriko where it can conceal itself.

Of course Kuro just find out that now and apparently it was because Ayame did her work despite being drunk.

"Kuro~! You finally came!"

From far away—his shouting voice resounding around the town and literally taking everyone's attention.

Soujin came running along with accidentally destroying building. However the crowds returned to their things after finding out who it was.

"Soujin-sama, it's troublesome to fix it so stop destroying our buildings!" Voice of complain came from side, he was slightly overworking to the perfect level.

"My bad my bad, I couldn't help but be happy that my potentially disciple has came."

…Kuro couldn't help but be worried about his carefree attitude. He won't die by mistake, right? What should he do? He just promised her to view his life in importance.

"Now, now. Kuro, come with me. Ayame, go play around the town or come back to our house if you want to." Soujin left the decision to Ayame.

"Non can do! I want to be with Kuro~!"

Seeing his daughter in drunk, Soujin were surprised once again.

"You activated it again? Nice. I am looking forward to it." Soujin just smiled mysteriously.

'Hm? What did I active? Is it bad to active what I activated? No, from his facial expression it shouldn't be…'

'But him being happy doesn't mean I can be 100% happy. This is bad, so uncomfortable.'

No matter how much Kuro asked, Soujin won't bulge and he won't answer what it is no matter what.

***

"We've arrived."

Standing tall in front of Kuro was a building which was higher than most of the building here and rather than the normal house, it was more like of an castle.

"This is Growth Pagoda. It contains 5 floors and each floors is different. The first floor is a training places, the second is a floor where you spars."

"The third floor is a floor where we train our Ki. You seems to have learnt the Ki Sensing but doesn't fully understand how to use it. I recommend you to train your physical body first before training the Ki though."

"The fourth floor is an special floor where you go if you want to experiment your things, well you'll know it if you personally enter there"

"The fifth floor is where you can rest and train at the same time. Think of it as a place to meditate."

"That's the basic concept of the Pagoda—do you have any question, Kuro?"

Since Soujin asked it himself, Kuro didn't hold back.

"How much does this place cost?"

…of course it's about money first. Kuro had the priority right. This priority order had a reasoning. If he unknowingly used this place without knowing how expensive the price can be, it will be bad a he currently, had no valuable things in him.

Soujin was surprised as he didn't expect this question but answered it rather easily.

"This thing can't be used with money. To use it, you need an special currencies exclusive to Nakiri Town."

"And to make that certain special currencies, you need to work/do something hmm… yes. It's like the request given to guild in the Reign Empire."

"After all, what we desire for people to enter this Pagoda isn't some rich person, but a strong person."

As if satisfied with his own explanation, Soujin smiled before looking to Kuro.

'Then doesn't that mean I won't be able to enter this pagoda? What's the point of explaining this place to me?'

'Maybe he want me to stay to this place, work and save up my money until I'll be able to enter this Pagoda?'

Soujin in Kuro's impression began to crumble as he no longer seemed as simple as he look (and behave).

"That's about it. Any other question?"

"Who's going to teach me?"

"Hm? Why that question?"

Kuro just said a sentences against Soujin's question.

"'Potentially Disciple.'"

At Kuro's words, Soujin just stood there… and finally, laughed.

"Haha. Yes. It depends on your talent and aptitude. Come with me. We'll inspect your talent. This time it is free services (discount of being the princess's friend)."

-----

Soujin's action were fast. The moment he said it, he directly went to the place and Kuro just helplessly followed him.

"Well usually your talent is appraised after 7 years old… but it shouldn't be that much different with the evolve of technology nowadays."

Kuro now then felt curious.

"Is Nakiri Town technically evolved places?"

"Yes, compared to other countries and no if you compares it with the Higher Ranked City."

Hmm. Is that so.

Changing the discussion; Kuro had 0 expectations to his talent… excluding his mana controlling talent. His impression of it were like maxing all the stats(talent) to mana control.

Meaning in his mana control being outstanding while all talents except that being trash. This is actually a fortunate thing but no if he trashed that talent.

"By the way, you don't know how talent is appraised, right?"

As for Kuro's answer for this one: Yesn't. 21 has mentioned many cliches about this that he got thhe concept of talent appraising.

While at the same tine, he doesn't fully understand it. So he just nodded to Soujin's question.

"Alright. It's easy. Just stand there and the machine will automatically appraise your talent through blood, muscle, skeleton, mana, etc… however the most important dividing factor is 7."

'So that's why talents is appraised at age 7. Although I don't know what he means by soul. Does the machine have some ability to judge the destiny or something?"

"Like the levelling system of the talents is divided in 6 levels. Level 1, Trash - Level 2, Common - Level, 3 Exceptional - Level 4, Talented - Level 5, Genius - Level 6, Monster. Easy, right?"

"What will be appraised will be the talent on 5 Major Attributes."

Soujin explained much more concept about it but to make it more simple:

the machine will appraise your talent.

You just need to stand the whole time.

5 Attributes (Strength. Constitution, Agility, Technique and Arcane) will be appraised.

The level of talent is not a hard limit, but the speed. Meaning that having Level 1 Talent doesn't mean that you will be stuck at Level 1.

Other than that, the machine will also thoroughly search the body to find out your hidden potential.

The results will be written in paper.

You can choose whether to hide your 'hidden potential' for privacy.

However, you can't choose to hide the 5 Major Attributes.

"Well do you understand it now?"

Kuro nodded and he had no more question.

Exactly, the demon kid who entered before Kuro finished appraising his talent as he took the paper and hid it using both his body and arm.

'That feels familiar. It feels like I've done something like that before.'

While filled with those strange thoughts, Kuro walked foward and stand in front of machine.