"River! Are you seriously still sleeping?!"
The sound of someone pounding against his front door dragged River out of his peaceful slumber, and for several seconds, he remained beneath his blanket, wondering who could possibly be making such a racket so early in the morning.
"River Silverleaf! If you make me come inside and drag you out of bed, I swear you'll regret it!"
Recognizing the familiar voice, River reluctantly opened his golden eyes and glanced toward the window, where pale morning sunlight was already slipping through the curtains.
Elara? Again?
He had barely arrived in this world yesterday, yet the beautiful High Elf was already becoming a rather consistent source of headaches.
Not that he particularly minded being visited by a gorgeous woman first thing in the morning, but he would have appreciated it if she could announce herself without threatening him.
"I'm awake! Stop trying to break my door!" River shouted as he pushed aside his blanket and climbed out of bed.
"Then hurry up! The ceremony begins in less than an hour, and I refuse to let you embarrass yourself by arriving late!"
River scratched his messy silver hair before glancing toward the small mirror hanging beside his wardrobe.
His reflection showed a handsome young elf with golden eyes, slightly disheveled hair, and the unmistakable expression of someone who would have preferred another two hours of sleep.
Right. The Talent Awakening Ceremony.
He had spent most of the previous evening examining his system, hoping to discover additional information about his newly awakened SSS-Rank talent.
Unfortunately, Divine Progenitor seemed rather unwilling to reveal anything beyond its basic abilities.
Whenever he attempted to access his locked skills, the same notification appeared.
[Insufficient Bloodline Synchronization!]
[Please Increase Your Bloodline Purity To Unlock Additional Abilities.]
River had eventually given up after realizing that staring at the interface wouldn't magically increase his strength.
Still, he had learned one important thing.
His SSS-Rank talent existed independently of the ordinary talents awakened through the kingdom's ancient crystals.
Which meant that whatever happened during today's ceremony, Divine Progenitor would remain his greatest advantage.
"River!"
"I'm coming, woman! Give me a minute!"
"Don't call me woman!"
River chuckled as he hurriedly pulled on a clean white tunic and a pair of dark trousers.
After tying his silver hair into a loose ponytail, he fastened a brown leather belt around his waist and slipped into his boots.
His wardrobe wasn't particularly impressive, consisting mostly of inexpensive clothing that had clearly seen better days, but the simple outfit suited his appearance surprisingly well.
He examined himself in the mirror for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.
"Not bad. If nothing else, I should at least be the most handsome failure at the ceremony."
When River finally opened the door, he found Elara standing outside with her arms crossed and an irritated expression on her beautiful face.
Unlike yesterday, she was dressed in the traditional attire of a High Elf mage.
A fitted emerald-green robe covered her slender figure, decorated with delicate silver embroidery resembling twisting vines. Her long hair had been arranged into an elegant braid, and a small crystal pendant rested against her chest.
River's eyes lingered on her appearance for a moment before he smiled.
"Good morning, Elara. You look especially beautiful today."
Elara blinked, apparently caught off guard by the compliment.
However, her surprise quickly turned into suspicion.
"What do you want?"
River placed a hand against his chest, looking genuinely offended.
"Can't a young man compliment a beautiful woman without having some ulterior motive?"
"Not when that young man is you."
"Ouch. You're really determined to destroy my confidence, aren't you?"
"If your confidence were any greater, River, we'd have to build another village just to contain it."
River laughed, finding her response considerably more amusing than she probably intended.
Elara watched him for a moment before shaking her head, although the corners of her lips twitched slightly.
"Come on. We should get moving before the ceremony starts."
She turned and began walking along the narrow wooden pathway leading toward the village center, while River followed a few steps behind.
The village of Silvergrove was far more beautiful than the scattered memories in his mind had suggested.
Enormous trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, their thick branches supporting elegant wooden houses connected by suspended bridges and winding staircases.
Colorful flowers grew along the pathways, while glowing crystals hung from carved wooden posts, providing illumination during the evening.
Several small streams flowed through the settlement, their clear waters reflecting the morning sunlight as they passed beneath delicate wooden bridges.
The air itself felt unusually fresh, carrying the pleasant fragrance of flowers, damp earth, and something faintly sweet that River couldn't quite identify.
Damn. This place is practically a fantasy paradise.
He watched a group of young elves practicing archery beneath an enormous tree, their movements graceful and precise as they released arrows toward distant wooden targets.
Nearby, several female elves were arranging baskets of fruit and freshly baked bread outside a small marketplace.
Most of them possessed the same elegant features and pointed ears that River had begun associating with his new race.
And naturally, quite a few were exceptionally attractive.
Unfortunately, his appreciation of the scenery didn't go unnoticed.
"River."
"Hm?"
"You're staring at women aren't you."
River turned toward Elara, who was watching him with an expression of mild exasperation.
"I'm admiring the scenery."
"The scenery?"
"Of course. Beautiful trees, wonderful architecture, gorgeous women. This village has everything a man could possibly appreciate."
Elara closed her eyes for a moment, looking as though she were silently asking the heavens for patience.
"Could you at least pretend to behave yourself until the ceremony is over?"
River grinned.
"I'll do my best."
"Somehow, that doesn't reassure me."
Their conversation was interrupted when a cheerful voice suddenly called out from behind them.
"River!"
River turned just in time to see a young woman approaching along the pathway.
She had shoulder-length chestnut hair, bright amber eyes, and a cheerful expression that immediately made her seem approachable.
Her pointed ears were slightly shorter than Elara's, identifying her as a wood elf, and she wore a simple green dress decorated with small embroidered flowers.
River searched his inherited memories and quickly recognized her.
Lyria Fernwood.
A nineteen-year-old wood elf who had grown up in the same neighborhood as the original River.
Unlike most of the villagers, Lyria had never completely avoided him despite his terrible reputation.
Although she frequently scolded him for his ridiculous behavior, she occasionally helped him with his studies and sometimes brought him food from her family's bakery.
In other words, she was one of the few people in Silvergrove who still treated him like a normal person.
"Morning, Lyria," River greeted with a smile. "You're looking rather cheerful today."
"Of course I am! It's the awakening ceremony!" Lyria replied excitedly, coming to a stop beside him. "I've barely slept all night because I kept thinking about what talent I might awaken."
She clasped her hands together, her amber eyes shining with anticipation.
"My mother thinks I'll awaken something related to nature magic, but my father says I might inherit his archery talent. Personally, I'd be happy with either one, although becoming a healer would be wonderful too."
River smiled at her enthusiasm.
"Sounds like you've already planned your entire future."
"Well, someone has to think ahead." Lyria tilted her head before giving him a curious look. "What about you? Are you nervous?"
River considered the question.
"Nervous? Not particularly."
"Really?"
"Why would I be? Whatever happens, happens. There's no point worrying about something I can't control."
Lyria blinked, clearly surprised by his response.
She had expected River to complain about his terrible magical aptitude or make some ridiculous declaration about awakening a talent powerful enough to impress every beautiful woman in the village.
Instead, he sounded strangely relaxed.
"You're acting a little different today," she observed.
River raised an eyebrow.
"Different how?"
"I don't know. You just seem… calmer."
"Maybe I've finally matured."
Lyria stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! River, that's the funniest thing you've said all week!"
Even Elara couldn't completely suppress her amusement.
River looked between the two women with an expression of exaggerated disappointment.
"Wow. It's nice to know everyone has such high expectations of me."
"Don't be like that!" Lyria replied, still giggling. "I just wasn't expecting you to say something so serious."
She moved closer and lowered her voice.
"Actually, I'm glad you're coming today. I thought you might decide to hide at home."
River glanced at her curiously.
"Why would I do that?"
Lyria hesitated.
"Well… you know how some people can be."
River understood immediately.
With his terrible reputation and miserable magical aptitude, there were undoubtedly plenty of villagers looking forward to seeing him embarrass himself.
He wasn't particularly bothered by that possibility, but Lyria's concern was rather touching.
"Don't worry about me," River replied, gently patting her shoulder. "I can handle a few unpleasant comments."
Lyria smiled.
"Good. Then let's hope we both awaken something amazing!"
River returned her smile, although his thoughts had already wandered toward the mysterious awakening crystal waiting at the village center.
Something amazing, huh?
He already possessed an SSS-Rank talent.
The real question was what the ancient crystal would reveal about him.