Chapter 363: Zodiacs ( Part 1 )

Kai gritted his teeth as he saw the two warnings just now.

So this was the danger Cornelio had mentioned.

He could feel something being altered inside him, and although the sensation wasn’t unbearable, there was an unmistakable feeling that he was crossing a boundary that could not easily be undone.

The system continued.

[ Analyzing Survivor’s soul structure... ]

[ Adjusting compatibility... ]

[ Compatibility adjustment in progress... ]

Kai remained still.

He had no idea what the final result would be, but there was no turning back now.

After what felt like several minutes, the strange sensation finally began to fade.

The pressure inside his mind gradually disappeared, and his surroundings slowly returned to normal.

Kai took a deep breath.

Then the notification appeared.

[ Requirements have been completed.]

[ Forge Your Legacy: Complete. ]

For a moment, Kai simply stared at the words.

Then another notification appeared.

[ Breakthrough Requirement fulfilled. ]

[ Level 39 restriction has been removed. ]

[ Reward: Evolutionary Ascension. ]

[ Veteran Physique Evolution unlocked. ]

[ Advanced stat growth, increased resilience against environmental hazards, and improved compatibility with higher-tier Gene Skills and Zodiac Enhancement.]

[ Title upgraded. ]

[ Expert Survivor to Veteran of Humanity. ]

Kai smiled as he saw it...

He had finally done it.

For so long, Level 39 had been an invisible wall.

He had accumulated enough experience to advance long ago, but no matter how much he hunted monsters, completed missions, or participated in battles, his level remained fixed.

Now that restriction was gone.

Kai slowly clenched his fist.

"Finally."

He had completed his breakthrough requirements... But there was one more thing left...

Kai’s smile slowly faded as another notification appeared before him.

It was different from the previous notifications.

This time, the system interface occupied almost his entire field of vision.

[ You have leveled up! ]

[ New Evolutionary Path detected. ]

[ Zodiac Trait System unlocked. ]

"Zodiac Trait System... It’s finally here."

He was already aware of the Twelve Zodiac Factions before and was aware that he would be part of it as well.

The system continued.

[ The Survivor has reached Level 40 and fulfilled the conditions required to select a Zodiac Trait. ]

[ Twelve Zodiac Traits are available. ]

[ Each Survivor may select only ONE Zodiac Trait. ]

[ Warning: Once selected, the Zodiac Trait cannot be changed through ordinary means. ]

Kai became serious.

’One trait.’

That meant this wasn’t something he could casually choose.

The system then displayed the available options.

[ Aries: Reverb Trait ]

[ Trait Type: Active Gene Skill Enhancement ]

[ Effect: Active Gene Skills can be repeated once within 3 seconds after activation without consuming additional Spirit. ]

...

[ Taurus: Anchor Trait ]

[ Trait Type: Defensive / Strength Enhancement ]

[ Effect: When using defensive or strength-based skills, gain temporary immunity to knockback and stagger for 5 seconds. ]

...

[ Gemini: Mirror Trait ]

[ Trait Type: Adaptive Support ]

[ Effect: Every 60 seconds, copy the last Active Gene Skill used by a target and cast it at 70% efficiency. ]

Kai was already somewhat aware of the Aries’ traits because of Cornelio and the others...

This was the same with Taurus’s trait after he had seen them in the previous raid in Citadel-09...

However, the Gemini’s trait came as a surprise...

"Copy another person’s skill?"

This one was different.

Unlike Aries and Taurus, Gemini didn’t strengthen a particular style of combat.

Instead, its usefulness depended on the opponent or ally he was fighting.

If he encountered someone with an exceptionally powerful Active Gene Skill, Mirror could potentially allow him to use that ability himself.

The 70% efficiency was a limitation, but it was still extremely useful.

Kai stared at the description for several seconds.

If he understood it correctly, this meant the stronger his opponent was, the more valuable Gemini could become.

Of course, there was also a sixty-second interval between uses.

Unlike Reverb, which immediately provided additional offensive power, Mirror required him to wait for the right opportunity.

In any case, he continued checking the other traits.

[ Cancer: Shell Trait ]

[ Trait Type: Defensive Enhancement ]

[ Effect: Defensive skills automatically trigger a special and additional barrier at 50% strength for 10 seconds. ]

...

[ Leo: Radiance Trait ]

[ Trait Type: Offensive Enhancement ]

[ Effect: The first offensive skill used in combat deals 30% additional damage and briefly silences the enemies within range. ]

...

[ Virgo: Precision Trait ]

[ Trait Type: Offensive Enhancement ]

[ Effect: The first strike of an offensive Active Gene Skill is guaranteed to become a critical hit. ]

"W-whoa~"

Kai couldn’t help but pause for a moment as he felt like it was getting really difficult to choose which Zodiac he should take!

He had originally expected the choice to be relatively simple. After all, each Zodiac represented a different combat style, and he could simply choose the one that best suited him.

But after seeing the traits in detail, Kai realized that each one had a completely different kind of value.

His gaze returned to the three traits that had caught his attention the most.

Kai immediately began imagining how useful they could be in an actual battle.

The first one he considered was Cancer’s Shell Trait.

An additional barrier would automatically appear whenever he activated a defensive skill, although it would only have 50% of the original skill’s strength and would last for ten seconds.

Kai thought about it for a moment but shook his head...

It was certainly useful...

If his original defensive skill was broken by a powerful attack, the additional barrier would still remain afterward. That could give him enough time to recover, reposition himself, or launch a counterattack.

More importantly, the additional barrier would activate automatically. He wouldn’t need to spend more Spirit or activate another skill just to gain the extra protection.

However, it wouldn’t suit him at all...

Kai then moved on to Leo’s Radiance Trait.

The first offensive skill he used in combat would deal 30% additional damage and briefly silence enemies within range.

Kai’s expression immediately became more interested.

"Thirty percent additional damage... and silencing them. Wait, does it mean that I’m stopping them from using any Survivor Skills? "

Without a doubt, the silence effect was what made the trait even more attractive.

He could potentially gain control of the battle from the very beginning with this ability!