Chapter 21: Ten Days (2)

During the fourth day, Leon encountered another group of monsters.

[Monster Detected: Bramble Viper (x5)]

[Level: 9]

[Innate Talent: Corrosive Fang]

Long, segmented bodies slid silently between the roots, almost impossible to distinguish from the mud and tangled vegetation until the first one suddenly struck. Its fangs caught Leon across the calf before he could pull his leg back.

Ding!

[Corrosive damage inflicted: armor durability reduced.]

Leon glanced down.

That was new.

It wasn’t poison this time. Whatever the viper had injected into him was actively eating away at the plating of his Fanghide Battleplate, corroding the armor rather than his flesh.

Leon clicked his tongue, more annoyed than alarmed, and brought the Bloodfang Edge down through the nearest viper’s skull before it could strike again.

Slash!

Crack!

Two more bolts of Arcane Surge finished off the pair flanking him. The remaining two immediately tried to retreat into the tangled roots, but there was little point in hiding from Origin Eyes.

Leon followed the faint golden outlines tracing their bodies beneath the vegetation, cutting them off before they could disappear completely.

Slash! Slash!

Ding!

[You have killed "Bramble Viper (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

[You have killed "Bramble Viper (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

[You have killed "Bramble Viper (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

[You have killed "Bramble Viper (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

[You have killed "Bramble Viper (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

Ding!

[Lucky Fate has activated!]

[Rare Drop Probability significantly increased.]

[Bramble Vipers have dropped: 320 Eternal Coins, 1 Vipercoil Leather.]

[Talent Devourer: Residual Talent Energy Detected: "Corrosive Fang" (Fragments Available: 5)]

Five fragments weren’t quite enough to form the talent on their own. Leon considered his options for a moment before looking down at the Bloodfang Edge.

He was curious whether a weapon could carry the properties of a talent in the same way his skills could.

There was only one way to find out.

Leon fused the five fragments directly into the sword.

Ding!

[5 Fragments of "Corrosive Fang" fused into Weapon: Bloodfang Edge.]

[Bloodfang Edge has gained: Corrosive Edge.]

[Description Updated: Strikes from this blade now gradually erode the target’s defenses in addition to its base poison effect.]

Leon examined the sword with renewed interest.

He hadn’t even known weapons could accept fusions until that exact moment, and the discovery opened an entirely new avenue for him to explore. If fragments from Talent Devourer could modify equipment as well as skills and talents, then even an ordinary weapon might eventually become something far more dangerous than its original rank suggested.

He made a mental note to experiment with it later.

For now, something else had arrived.

The second threat came from above.

[Monster Detected: Stonewing Harpy (x6)]

[Level: 9]

The six creatures dove in formation, their wings cutting through the air as they descended. A coordinated shriek erupted from the group, striking Leon’s mind like a physical blow. It wasn’t meant to injure him directly. It was meant to scatter his focus, leaving him vulnerable before the harpies reached him.

Ding!

[Hostile Effect Resisted!]

[Monarch’s Will has nullified an attempt at fear-based disruption.]

Leon didn’t so much as blink.

His gaze moved across the descending creatures, and Origin Eyes immediately picked out the thin membrane around each wing joint. It was the structural weakness that kept something of their size airborne, and Leon understood exactly what he needed to do.

He raised his staff.

Three bolts tore through three different wings before the first harpy even reached him.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The grounded creatures became considerably easier to deal with.

Leon closed the distance and finished them one after another.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Ding!

[You have killed "Stonewing Harpy (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

[You have killed "Stonewing Harpy (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

[You have killed "Stonewing Harpy (Level 9)" and gained 55 experience points.]

.....

Five more identical notifications followed in rapid succession.

Ding!

[Lucky Fate has activated!]

[Rare Drop Probability significantly increased.]

[Stonewing Harpies have dropped: 410 Eternal Coins, 3 Harpy Feathers (Uncommon).]

[Talent Devourer: Residual Talent Energy Detected: "Windcore" (Fragments Available: 6)]

[Fuse 6 Fragments to acquire New Talent: Windcore.]

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

Leon didn’t need long to consider his choice.

He had no reason to waste the opportunity.

Immediately the six fragments of Windcore energy floating before him suddenly trembled.

Then they shot toward his body.

A faint gust swept through the surrounding area as the fragments dissolved into countless threads of pale green energy. They entered Leon through his skin, flowing through his limbs before gathering around his core.

For a brief moment, Leon felt as though his entire body had become weightless.

The sensation lasted only a few seconds before the energy settled deep within him.

Ding!

[6 Fragments of "Windcore" have been fused.]

[New Talent Acquired: Windcore — Grade: D]

[Description: Allows the user to generate and manipulate wind-based energy. The effectiveness of Windcore is determined by the user’s attributes, energy reserves, and mastery of the talent.]

Leon blinked as he read the notification.

"Wind manipulation, huh?"

He raised one hand and focused.

At first, nothing happened.

Then—

Whoosh!

A small gust formed above his palm.

Leon watched as the air began to spiral, gradually forming a tiny vortex between his fingers. It wasn’t particularly powerful, but he could feel the energy responding to his thoughts.

He curled his fingers slightly.

The vortex compressed, and the surrounding grass bent beneath the sudden pressure before the miniature cyclone dispersed.

Leon lowered his hand, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

"Not bad."

It wasn’t immediately powerful enough, but that wasn’t what interested him most.

Windcore gave him something he hadn’t possessed before.

A new elemental affinity.

With Talent Devourer and Skill Evolution, even a D-Rank talent had room to grow.

Then, the third fight arrived at dusk, and it was the one that finally pushed one of his skills forward.

[Monster Detected: Mudback Boar (x4)]

[Level: 10]