The Mankeys all looked at Michael with confusion painted on their faces.
For them, water was even more precious than gold. People died in the desert just to get a few drops of water for their family.
But now, Michael wanted to give them all the water they needed. For free. Any person would be confused when someone wanted to give them a bar of pure gold without asking for anything in return.
"We will pay…for the water…with our lives…"
They thought that Michael was someone who simply had a large stock of water in reserve. They thought he was just one of those extremely fortunate beings who was able to witness rain and store it for themselves.
"Don't worry. I can have all the water I need," Michael said as he raised his hand and manifested a ball of water in his hand.
Upon seeing this, the yellow Mankeys prostrated themselves even deeper.
"Wizard!"
"Sorcery! Water-Bearer!"
"We become…slaves for…sorcerer…in exchange for water!"
Michael felt sorry for these Mankeys. As a species, they lived at the very bottom of the food chain. They felt as if they couldn't offer anything to Michael aside from giving him their lives.
Unlike most monsters and demi-humans they didn't have talent in any magic, which meant that their species had absolutely no chance of harnessing the power of the mana elements.
But Michael didn't think they were completely useless. After all, he had heard of a species who didn't have any magic and was able to become the top species of the world with nothing but their intelligence and innovation. It was the humans from his previous life!
Michael knew that Mankeys had the same potential as them. He just had to give them the opportunity.
"Benevolent being…we are…at your service!"
"Yes…we will do…anything…"
Even if it meant slaving away in the heat of the sun, they were willing to do anything as long as they could pay for water.
And in their desperation, one of the Mankeys walked up to Michael and bowed at his feet.
In that moment of contact, Michael heard ChatJK2's voice ring out inside his head.
[Supreme Skill: Gift Bestowal activated.]
[Yellow Mankey]
[Potential Talent]
— S-class Engineer Extraordinare]
[Potential Skill]
— Blueprint Manifestation
—— The user will gain the ability to show a 3-dimensional projection of a blueprint in his mind onto the real world, allowing workers to accurately build the project without any errors or imperfections.
Michael's face lit up as he realized that this specific Mankey was the one he sensed to have incredible talent!
And luckily enough, this Mankey's talent was perfect for his plans in the future.
"If you really want to pay for the water, then there is something that I need help with."
The Mankeys looked up at Michael with anticipation. Finally, they could be of use. Finally, they could offer their lives to save the families back in their village.
"I want you to awaken," he said with a smile.
The Mankeys all looked at each other, confused as to what Michael was talking about. After all, they were Mankeys. They weren't humans who could awaken a talent and transcend into a powerful being.
"Apologies!...we are useless!"
"We cannot…awaken…we have no purpose!"
Michael shook his head. "Just trust me. I can awaken your talents and show you that you have potential. I can show you that you can do much greater things!"
His words made the Mankeys look up at Michael with wonder in their eyes. He looked at them with a different gaze, as if he truly believed that as Mankeys, they could achieve more than begging and scavenging for sustenance to survive.
"First, what are your names?" Michael asked.
The Mankey in the middle looked up at Michael. "Apologies…we have…no name…"
Demi-humans like the Mankeys lived simple lives, needing no names to refer to each other.
"Well, let me give you one then," Michael said as he raised his hand.
ChatJK2, awaken its talent, please.
[Understood.]
[Awakening its talents…]
A golden light shone from his hand, emitting a kind of power that felt cool and refreshing for the Mankey. The creature felt as if it was bathing in the rain, with water nourishing it from the inside and out.
Suddenly, its body started to glow with a white light, enveloping its entire body until it was obscured into a blinding shroud of light.
After a few seconds, the light died down.
The Mankey in the middle used to have a hunched back, with its hands almost touching the ground like an ape.
But now, it was standing upright even taller than Michael.
Fur was still covering its body, but now, there were patterns all over its body that resembled geometric shapes. The previously stained and dirtied color of the fur on its body was now yellow like the sun, with the pattern having a golden streak that seemed to glow under the sun.
Its face looked much more human, with refined facial features that would have made him indistinguishable from other people. However, the fur on the sides of its face made it sure that they were a completely different species from humans.
[What would you like to name this Mankey?] asked ChatJK2.
Michael reminded the Mankeys of a very iconic character in his previous life called Wukong.
Kong…that's his name.
[Downloading the entire syllabus course on Mechanical Engineering to Kong…]
[Complete.]
Kong looked at his body, surprised at his new stature. His mind felt much more open than before, as if an entire new perspective on the world was opening up in its brain.
He felt more conscious, more aware of his surroundings. It felt as if he ascended into a new realm of reality!
[Kong]
[Magic: A class]
[Element Mastery: Unity element]
[Magic Purity: 90%]
[Mana Quantity: N/A]
[Species: Sapient Yellow Mankey]
[Type: Machinist Mankey]
[Talent: S-class Engineer Extraordinaire]
[Realm: 1-star Engineer]
[Skills:]
— Blueprint Manifestation
— Lesser Unity Gathering
— Lesser Unity Defense
Kong looked at his hands, fully aware that he could do so much more than before. He felt like he could do anything!
He immediately looked at Michael and bowed at his feet.
"Thank you, Benevolent Being! You have saved me and given me a new life! I accept my name as Kong and vow to serve as your loyal servant!"