Chapter 4: Ten SSS-Rank Talents (2)

Before Leon could ask anything else, the sixth slot suddenly lit up, drawing both their attention toward the glowing system interface.

[SSS-Rank Talent: Talent Devourer]

[Description: By defeating powerful beings, you may extract fragments of their innate abilities and potentially incorporate those fragments into yourself. The strength and compatibility of the acquired ability depend upon the target.]

Leon read the description once, then again, making sure he hadn’t misunderstood a single word. His gaze slowly lifted from the screen and settled on the God of Transmigration, his expression turning thoughtful.

"So, does that mean I can steal talents from monsters?"

"From monsters, supernatural entities, and potentially other extraordinary beings, depending on the laws governing the world you enter."

Leon paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as another possibility crossed his mind. "What about humans?"

The god’s expression became slightly more serious. "That is difficult to answer. Your destination world has not yet been selected, so I cannot say what its power system will allow. The exact nature and limitations of Talent Devourer will depend on the laws of the world you enter."

Leon accepted that with a nod. Talent Devourer changed the equation entirely. His other abilities allowed him to grow, comprehend, regenerate, adapt, and evolve. This one potentially allowed him to acquire abilities that had never belonged to him in the first place. The more powerful enemies he defeated, the more possibilities would open before him.

The seventh slot appeared.

[SSS-Rank Talent: Perfect Body]

[Description: Your physical body possesses extraordinary physical development, recovery, resistance, and the ability to withstand supernatural forces will greatly exceed ordinary limits.]

Leon looked at his hands. He remembered those hands trembling while trying to hold a glass of water. He remembered struggling to stand. He remembered the countless needles, medications, examinations, and nights when pain had reduced him to staring at the ceiling while waiting for morning.

Then he slowly closed his fists.

"That one," he whispered, "I like."

The god’s expression softened, as Leon didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to. A healthy body had once been something he considered ordinary, something he never thought about until it was taken from him. Now, seeing a talent that promised him a body capable of growing alongside his power felt more valuable than any anything.

The eighth slot activated.

[SSS-Rank Talent: Lucky Fate]

[Description: Probability will subtly bend in your favor. Rare encounters, opportunities, treasures, discoveries, and favorable outcomes will occur with greater frequency than normally possible.]

Leon stared at it for several seconds.

Then he laughed.

It wasn’t the loud, careless laugh he had used to hide his pain in the hospital. It was quieter, almost disbelieving. "Lucky Fate?" He shook his head. "That’s almost insulting."

The god smiled. "Why?"

"Because I’ve spent twenty-four years being unlucky enough to get an incurable disease and die from it. Then I finally die and receive a talent called Lucky Fate." Leon rubbed his forehead. "The universe has a strange sense of humor."

"Perhaps the universe is finally compensating you."

"Let’s hope it doesn’t consider this sufficient compensation."

The ninth slot opened.

[SSS-Rank Talent: Monarch’s Will]

[Description: Your will possesses extraordinary strength. You gain exceptional resistance against fear, mental interference, illusions, intimidation, domination, soul attacks, and other abilities that attempt to control or weaken your mind or spirit.]

Leon read it carefully.

This one felt different from the others, as it didn’t make him stronger physically, nor did it increase his ability to learn. Instead, it protected something more fundamental. His mind. His sense of self. His ability to make decisions even when confronted by something powerful enough to break another person’s will.

"That one is important," Leon said quietly, his eyes lingering on the description for a moment longer.

The god gave a slow nod. "Far more important than you currently realize. There will be things in your new world that cannot be overcome by strength alone. When that time comes, the strength of your will may matter more than the strength of your body."

Leon met his gaze, then gave a thoughtful nod. "Then I’m glad I got it."

The tenth and final slot remained.

Leon stared at it.

Nine SSS-Rank talents already surrounded him, each one capable of changing an ordinary person’s destiny. Yet he found himself more nervous about the final draw than the previous nine combined. Perhaps it was because this was the last chance. Perhaps some part of him feared that the impossible streak would finally end.

The god noticed his expression.

"You seem tense."

Leon didn’t look away from the slot. "I died once already. I don’t want to waste my second chance."

"You won’t." The god said. "Also there is something else you should know, Leon. In all the countless transmigrations I have overseen, no one has ever received nine SSS-Rank rewards from nine consecutive draws."

"So you’re saying I’m the first?"

"Indeed," the god replied, his voice carrying a weight that made the surrounding darkness seem quieter. "Even I did not expect the result. It appears your luck is considerably more terrifying than I initially calculated."

The final slot opened, and golden light swallowed everything.

[SSS-Rank Talent: Origin Eyes]

[Description: Your eyes can perceive the underlying structure of all phenomenon. As your strength increases, you will perceive weaknesses, energy pathways, hidden properties, flaws, origins, and secrets concealed from all perception.]

Leon didn’t speak.

Ten.

Ten SSS-Rank talents.

He had entered death with nothing, and now, before even stepping into his new world, he had received ten abilities that could potentially make him one of the most terrifying beings alive.

Yet Leon didn’t celebrate. Instead, he asked the question that mattered most.

"Where am I going?"