"Umm…Lord Michael? Is this your idea of a birthday party?" Sheina asked, disappointed.
When Michael announced to them that they were going to 'party', they all thought of large festivities all around the territories of the Nation of Reborn: the Kings region, Neo Orcus, and Angora City, with everyone chanting Michael's name in honor for his birthday.
But instead, Michael gathered the new adopted employees of the Reborn company from the previous HammerStone company and began awakening their talents one by one.
"Of course, Sheina. It's a skill give-away party!" Michael said enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, the leader of the adopted Rebornians, Butch, approached Michael with worried steps.
"Umm…boss? What are we supposed to do?" he asked.
Michael sat in his birthday seat (it's just a normal wooden chair) and gestured for Butch to come closer.
"Tell me what kind of skill you want? What kind of power do you dream of having?"
Butch looked at Michael, not knowing if his boss was being serious. He thought this was some kind of weird job interview.
After thinking it through, Butch came up with an answer. "I want…I want something that will turn me into a volcano," he said.
"A volcano, you say?" Michael uttered, activating his gift bestowal skill.
ChatJK4, can you do your magic?
[Very well. Creating a customized skill perfect for Butch…]
[Complete!]
[Bodily Magma Eruption]
— ★★★★
— Earth and Fire element
— This magic allows the user to erupt with their inner power, excreting magma out of their pores.
A bright light suddenly glowed out of Butch's chest, which grew bright enough to blind anyone that looked at him.
After a few seconds, the light subsided, leaving Butch the same as he was before.
Butch looked at his hands, with his eyes flashing with understanding as the magic theory flashed through his brain.
"Erupt!" he shouted, and suddenly, magma pooled out of his bald head and down into his forehead, creating a literal fiery hot hairstyle.
"Woah! HAHAHA YES!" Butch shouted in happiness.
"Okay, next!" Michael said, gesturing for the next person to approach.
Michael spent the rest of the day giving away skills and spells to anyone who wanted them. Luckily, he also found a couple of people who could have a second awakening, which led them to find their true talent in another job.
At the end of the day, Michael was too busy to attend the lavish and luxurious party that Sheina and the rest of the Rebornians planned out for him.
Michael could hear the sounds of drums banging and trumpets ringing outside the Reborn headquarters from the festivities going on in the streets of Angora City.
There were posters plastered everywhere with Michael's face painted on it, forcing everyone to celebrate his birthday.
And if Michael looked at Neo Orcus and the Kings region, he would see an even more fervent celebration. Fireworks and drinks flowed heavily, with everyone treating it as a local holiday to thank the man that gave them everything they had right now. Even the Dwarven King participated in the feast in the Parched Lands.
Of course, Michael didn't really want his birthday to be such a big deal in the first place, so he was very thankful to have an excuse to miss it.
Michael now sat in his bed, alone and satisfied.
Knock knock
"It's Yuna," she said.
Michael got up and opened the door, seeing Yuna with her hands behind her back.
"What's up?" he asked her.
"I just wanted to give you something to celebrate your birthday. I don't know if you'll appreciate it, since I'm bad at making things."
Yuna revealed a small wooden sculpture of a globe. But not just any globe, it was the Earth that he was so familiar with back in his previous life.
"It's a reminder that no matter how crazy things may happen here, I want you to know that you can talk to me if you get homesick. We're in this together after all."
Michael looked at the crude sculpture and realized that Yuna used no magic to create this. She shaved the wood all by herself, mistakes, imperfections, and all.
But this made it all the more special. After all, Michael had been so used to magic that he used it for everything he needed.
This small gesture was heartfelt.
"Thank you," he said to her.
Yuna smiled. "That just means you'll have to work harder to get me my favorite ice cream, okay?"
Michael laughed and swore that he would do so soon. After making him do a pinky promise, she left, leaving Michael all alone in his room.
He put the globe statue near his bed and went to sleep.
…
…
…
The next day, the Golden Road project continued at full force.
As for Angora City itself, Michael instructed the Rebornian Engineers to start the full restoration of all the buildings caught up in the fighting.
The library that had been out of commission for the past week was quickly built anew in just a matter of a full day! The houses whose roofs were destroyed were quickly patched up within just a few hours as well.
This showcased the full potential of concrete to the citizens of Angora City!
"How did they do it so fast?!"
"They used that liquid stone thing…and it hardened in just a few hours…how is that possible?!"
"Look guys! They opened a new floor in the Reborn Department Store! And I think it sells sacks of this 'concrete' thing!"
The clear difference in quality between the Reborn company and everyone else in Angora City showed why they were truly deserving of that #450 rank in the Golden 500.
And it didn't stop there.
A few days after that, the citizens of Angora City woke up to see a wide road suddenly constructed out of their gates leading to the horizon!
Sharp-eyed people recognized the material they used in this road to be concrete, which meant that this was the handiwork of none other than the Reborn company.
And not even a few hours later, the citizens of Angora City were once again surprised at the appearance of large automobile trucks that came into the city.
These trucks carried lots and lots of products and resources that stocked up the Reborn Department Store with unique products only available in the Kings region.
"Isnt this the Woodash powder?! It's so rare but they have a whole cart here available!"
"How did they transfer Potbreak herb here from the Kings region without it dying? I heard it dies after a week of getting uprooted!"
"Hey…that road…where does it lead to?"
It wasn't long before people began to travel the Golden Road, leading them straight to Neo Orcus. There, they discovered a society so advanced that it completely blew their mind.
But then, they were told that to see the true extent of the Reborn company's power, they should visit the Parched Lands.
And just like Michael hoped, people began to travel to the Kings region to see the end of the road, the Nation of Reborn!
The Golden Road allowed people to finally travel between Angora and Neo Orcus within just a few days of travel.
This was already an amazing fact that brought the Reborn company a lot more praise and recognition from the citizens of Angora City.
However, the real game changer came when they offered a taxi service using the metal carriages called 'automobiles'.
This was where the public truly realized the true potential of cars!