Abilities and Gambling

Perhaps it was the unique nature of this world that gave the Communication ability a new function. Solam discovered that after using this power, he could communicate directly with Frostfang using his will. For instance, if Solam wanted Frostfang to fetch the clothes nearby, he only needed to hold the thought in his mind and trigger the Communication ability; Frostfang understood his intent naturally, without a single word being spoken.

Just as Solam was enjoying using his new ability to boss Frostfang around, Granny Karom and Aunt Solari entered, the latter carrying a whole roasted Thunder Beast leg.

"I knew you were awake. How are you? Do you feel alright?" Granny Karom sat directly on the edge of Solam's bed.

The moment Solam saw the roasted Thunder Beast leg, he was completely captivated, his mind going blank—he was simply too hungry. He hadn't felt it much while experimenting with his new power, but the moment he saw the fragrant, roasted meat, every other thought vanished, leaving only one word: "Hungry."

Seeing Solam's state, Granny Karom knew that until he was fed, he wouldn't be able to say a word. Besides, the child had never suffered like this since he was small; having gone three days without food, Granny Karom actually felt quite heartbroken, but for the sake of his future, she had to harden her heart.

"Quick, give it to him. Look at his eyes—they're like a starving wolf's, glowing green."

Solam snatched the roasted Thunder Beast leg from Aunt Solari and began to devour it ravenously.

"Slow down, slow down, child. No one is going to take it from you, don't choke." Aunt Solari stood by, feeling both pained and anxious, handing Solam a cup of milk tea as she spoke, terrified that he might actually choke.

"Mmm... mmm..." Solam didn't even lift his head, keeping his face low as he frantically shoved the roasted meat into his mouth.

"Whew... finally, I'm alive again." Solam downed the milk tea in one gulp and leaned back against the bed, satisfied. "I almost thought I was going to starve to death."

"It was hard on you, but there was no other way. The Spirit Communion ritual has been like this since ancient times." Granny Karom stroked Solam's head to comfort him.

"Right, Granny, did my ritual actually succeed?"

"Yes, it succeeded. Not just succeeded, it was a success beyond all expectations." Granny Karom was clearly overjoyed.

"What do you mean by 'beyond expectations'? Also, am I a Spirit Shaman or an Elemental Shaman?"

"You can see that for yourself." Granny Karom didn't answer directly. "You can meditate now to observe your attributes. Take a look and you'll know."

Solam followed the method Granny Karom had taught him to observe his own attributes. (This was similar to a basic skill in a game; as long as one changed classes, it could be used.)

Name: Solam Sakmi Sacklair Tomya (hereafter referred to as Solam)
Race: Beast Elf (Half-Orc, Half-Elf)
Strength: 14 Intelligence: 18 Constitution: 14 Agility: 10 Perception: 16 Charisma: 13
Class: Elemental Shaman (Level 1), Warrior (Level 4)
Spells: Level 1 Elemental Soothe (similar to Soothing Prayer, but for elements; basically useless), Level 1 Elemental Riot (similar to Arcane Missile)
Talent: Elemental Totem (Soulbound): Fire (Level 1), Water (Level 1), Earth (Level 1), Air (Level 1)

Oh ho, both Perception and Charisma went up by one point. I didn't expect the ritual to have that function, Solam mused with a touch of sentiment.

"What is this Elemental Totem? I've never heard you mention it, Granny." Seeing the new Elemental Totem talent in his attribute panel, Solam asked Granny Karom curiously.

"Hahahaha, this is a heaven-sent blessing!" Granny Karom didn't find it strange at all; on the contrary, she laughed with delight and proceeded to explain the origin of the Elemental Totem.

As everyone knew, Shamans used totem poles to enhance their spell effects, so many Shamans used large totem poles as their weapons. Elemental Shamans, in particular, had a much greater need for totems than Spirit Shamans; many of their spells relied on them to be completed, so Elemental Shamans would craft many small totem poles to carry with them for emergencies.

However, the Elemental Totem talent could replace those totem poles to assist in spellcasting, and it could also enhance the spell strength of an Elemental Shaman. It was like a mage gaining a "spell component exemption" talent—absolutely exhilarating.

Furthermore, the utility of the Elemental Totem didn't stop there. A Shaman possessing an Elemental Totem could cast a very special spell after reaching level 15: Elemental Avatar. It allowed them to fully elementalize their body, granting immunity to physical attacks and the ability to attack enemies like an elemental creature. Most importantly, this spell functioned more like a talent and required no energy expenditure.

In the past, this talent had only been heard of in legends; no one had truly possessed it. Seeing it appear on Solam today, one had to say he had stumbled upon incredible luck.

Granny Karom was currently feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Although she had gotten her wish and made Solam a Shaman, she had always felt a bit guilty seeing the resentful old face of Chief Kramsh every day, fearing that if Solam couldn't become an excellent Shaman, it would not only harm Solam but also ensure her family could never hold their heads high in front of that old man again. Now that the Elemental Totem talent had emerged, Solam's future was immeasurable—you can imagine how pleased Granny Karom was.

However, there was one minor drawback: she was a Spirit Shaman. It was fine for the early stages; after all, she had been a Shaman her whole life, and while the schools were different, she had at least seen how the other side operated, so teaching Solam the basics was easy enough.

But ultimately, the schools were different, and the further one progressed, the greater the divergence in cultivation methods. She would still need to find a teacher for Solam. While a master's instruction wasn't considered vital for a Shaman—as it relied mostly on personal enlightenment—having a teacher could help one avoid many detours in the early stages.

But that wasn't something to consider right now. As for the present? It was time to celebrate! Everyone knew that every Shaman was vital to a clan, so whenever someone successfully became a Shaman through the Spirit Communion ritual, it was a grand occasion that absolutely demanded a massive celebration.

Three years later.

Lava Mountain, the settlement of the Forge Clan, was located in a mountainous region south of Avalon. There were many active volcanoes there, and Lava Mountain was one of them. However, the volcano's activity was not violent, and at the foot of the mountain lay a large volcanic fissure. Through this fissure, the Forge Clan could fish for molten metal in the lava river below using crucibles.

Because orcs truly lacked any talent for mining, they had to rely on this somewhat absurd method to collect metal. However, the metal content in this lava river was quite rich, so the Forge Clan's annual "harvest" was passable, just enough to satisfy the basic needs of all the orcs in Avalon—though anything more than that was just wishful thinking.

Beside a volcanic furnace, a young man with white hair was swinging a massive iron hammer. The hammer struck a glowing red battle-axe with a rhythmic cadence.

This young man was completely different from the other orcs. First, his appearance was vastly different, with a pair of silver eyes and features that leaned toward those of a human.

Secondly, his physique: although the young man stood 1.9 meters tall and was covered in balanced, powerful muscle, compared to the hulking brutes around him who all exceeded 2.2 meters, he was considered a "third-rate cripple."

Yet, watching him swing the massive iron hammer with such ease, no one would ever call him a weakling.

At this moment, an elderly orc with a tall frame, white hair and beard, and arms and torso covered in black tattoos walked over.

"Lam, you really are idle. Your younger brother is only three, and you're already forging weapons for him?" The old man said, tossing another battle-axe toward the young man.

"Damn it." The young man hurriedly dropped the tool in his hand and caught the incoming battle-axe. "I'm telling you, Old Man Blackhand, are you trying to commit murder? Can't you see I'm busy?" The young man looked up and began to complain to the orc elder.

This young man was none other than our protagonist—Solam. As for why he was here, that was a story that began two years ago.

After a year of instruction from Granny Karom, she had found him a new teacher: the Old Man Blackhand standing before him, the level 18 Elemental Shaman Black Tasta Blacktooth Mobrick. He was also an exceptionally skilled blacksmith. Because this guy was incredibly shrewd in business and had a particularly "black hand" when it came to setting prices, others called him "Blackhand." Solam's grandfather had been fleeced by him. Since everyone called him "Blackhand" so often, they had forgotten his real name.

"Tch!" Blackhand was clearly dismissive of this. "Don't talk about that nonsense. Here, your battle-axe has been reforged. Damn you, to make this axe for you, I had to sacrifice the rare metals I've collected for years."

Solam held the battle-axe, turning it over to inspect it. He saw that his imitation Bloodfire battle-axe had been completely renewed; the dark, gleaming axe head now shimmered with a faint red light. Looking closely, one could see many fine, red veins resembling blood vessels on the axe head, and it had become heavier. Although he hadn't tested it yet, the faint chill radiating from the blade suggested it was absolutely razor-sharp.

"Don't make it sound like I'm swindling you. A bet is a bet, and you were the one who insisted on dragging me into this, old man."

After Solam arrived at the Forge Clan, he found things rather dull, so he introduced some gambling games from his past life, like Pai Gow and poker, which subsequently took the entire Forge Clan by storm. The Blackhand standing before him claimed the title of Gambling King of Lava Mountain, yet he had never gambled with Solam. For one, Solam felt it inappropriate to gamble against Blackhand since the old man was his teacher; for another, while these Forge Clan orcs loved to gamble, their skills were truly lackluster, making it quite boring. Thus, after teaching them these games, he rarely played himself.

In the end, no one knew who told Blackhand that he would only be the true Gambling King of Lava Mountain once he defeated Solam.

Consequently, to legitimize his title, Blackhand pestered Solam incessantly for a duel of the century. Solam eventually found him so unbearable that he had no choice but to accept the challenge.

As for the result...