Chapter 14: Talent Fragments

Leon turned away from the tree line and started back toward the carriage, but before his boot could even touch the first step, a new notification suddenly bloomed before him.

Ding!

[Talent Fragments Available.]

Leon stopped mid-step.

His eyes remained fixed on the notification for several seconds, his expression shifting from curiosity to genuine surprise. Talent Fragments. He had been wondering when he would finally get the chance to make use of his SSS-Rank Talent: Talent Devourer, and he finally got the opportunity.

He tapped the notification.

[Talent Devourer]

[Residual Talent Energy Detected: "Poison Howl"]

[Fragments Available: 12]

[Source: Fallen Fang Wolves (x12)]

[Consume Fragments?]

[Yes / No]

And there it was—Talent Devourer, one of his ten SSS-Rank talents. Leon’s eyes narrowed as he considered the timing of the notification, and he slowly realized that the Talent Fragments hadn’t appeared until after the Fang Wolves’ corpses had completely dissolved.

Every kill seemed to leave behind something beyond loot and EXP, a residual essence tied to the very abilities that had made each creature what it was. It appeared that Talent Devourer could only detect and collect that essence once the corpse had fully broken down and released it into the surrounding environment, which explained why nothing had appeared during the battle itself.

Leon selected Yes without hesitation.

Ding!

[You have consumed 12 Fragments of "Poison Howl".]

[Talent Fragments Stored: Poison Howl x12]

[Fuse 4 Fragments to acquire New Talent: Poison Howl.]

[Or fuse Fragments into an existing Talent or Skill to grant it a Poison Effect.]

Leon read the notification twice, and the second time through, a slow smile crept onto his face.

He then turned the choice over in his mind. Twelve fragments. Four would grant him Poison Howl outright, a talent that let him inflict the exact same stacking effect that had very nearly worn him down twenty minutes ago. That alone would have been worth taking. But it left eight fragments still sitting unused, and Leon had never been the type to leave resources on the table when there was a better use waiting.

Arcane Surge already hit hard. If he could layer that same lingering poison onto every burst of mana it released, he wouldn’t just be dealing damage anymore. He would be dealing damage that kept compounding long after the initial hit, wearing enemies down even after he had already moved on to the next target. Against a pack, against anything that could outlast a single strike, that kind of pressure would matter far more than a standalone howl.

The decision made itself.

"Four for the talent," Leon murmured, "and the rest go into the skill."

He selected the option to fuse four fragments first.

Ding!

[4 Fragments of "Poison Howl" have been fused.]

[New Talent Acquired: Poison Howl — Grade: D]

[Description: Release a howl that inflicts a stacking poison effect on nearby enemies. Effectiveness scales with the user’s Intelligence stat.]

A low, satisfied hum settled in Leon’s chest as the notification faded. D-Rank wasn’t impressive on paper, not compared to the SSS-Rank talents sitting in his Extra panel, but it was a talent he had acquired in the field, less than an hour into the game, from a fight most players wouldn’t have survived without heavy losses. He would take it.

He moved to the second option, selecting Arcane Surge and fusing the remaining eight fragments directly into it.

Ding!

[8 Fragments of "Poison Howl" have been fused into Skill: Arcane Surge.]

[Arcane Surge has gained: Poison Effect.]

[Skill Updated: Arcane Surge (Envenomed) — Grade: Silver]

[Description: A concentrated burst of mana that now carries a lingering toxin on impact, inflicting stacking poison damage over time in addition to its base effect.]

Leon exhaled slowly, staring at the updated description until it fully settled in. His only combat skill no longer just knocked enemies down. It poisoned them on the way there. Combined with the raw damage Arcane Surge already carried, that meant even a glancing hit would keep bleeding an opponent’s health long after the fight had technically ended for them.

"Not bad," he said quietly, closing the panel. "Not bad at all."

He lingered for another moment before dismissing the interface, turning the implications over in his mind. Talent Devourer wasn’t merely a way to collect scraps from the creatures he killed. If his understanding was correct, it could turn every battle into something that outlasted the battle itself, allowing him to transform an enemy’s greatest strength into a permanent addition to his own arsenal.

And If that principle held true against other players—or even against the other beings waiting farther along his path—then what he had discovered today could be the beginning of something far greater than he had imagined.

Still, Leon knew better than to get carried away. Assuming too much about an unfamiliar ability this early had a nasty habit of getting people killed, especially in a world where mistakes couldn’t be undone.

He needed more information, more testing, and preferably a situation where experimenting with his talents wouldn’t end with something trying to tear his head off.

Leon finally climbed back into the carriage and settled onto the worn wooden bench beside Garrick, who was still doing his best to coax the nervous horses into something resembling calm. The merchant glanced sideways at him, one eyebrow slowly rising as he studied Leon’s thoughtful expression.

"You were standing out there talking to yourself for quite a while," Garrick said, giving the reins a gentle flick. "Should I be worried, or is that simply another strange player habit I haven’t learned about yet?"