Chapter 815: System, Are You There? |
Entering the talent world once more, Lin Moyu was far more experienced and prepared than before.
Without hesitation, he seized the next talent seed.
Enduring the agonizing flames that swallowed his body, he swiftly left the talent world and began the journey back.
Within the endless darkness, a fiery path appeared once again. Ahead, a burning figure led the way.
"Pain is fleeting, but glory is everlasting."
Lin Moyu murmured the words like a mantra, forcing himself to ignore the agony that would have driven an ordinary person mad as he carried the talent seed back to his soul world.
A streak of purple light pierced the distant darkness like the first ray of dawn, bringing hope and illumination.
It also served as a beacon, guiding Lin Moyu through the darkness and showing him the way forward.
Following the light, Lin Moyu quickened his pace.
The first talent he had transported was also the first talent he had awakened: Comprehensive Amplification.
It had accompanied him longer than any other talent, providing immeasurable support at every stage of his growth.
Even now, the reason his undead army and law arts could break past their limits and unleash overwhelming power was because of it.
As his level increased, Comprehensive Amplification grew stronger alongside him.
Without it, Lin Moyu knew his greatest achievement would have been remaining invincible among those of the same level.
Cross-level combat would have been nearly impossible.
No matter how many undead he commanded, a level 80 version of himself facing a level 90 God-level powerhouse would have been crushed with ease.
Everything he had achieved today owed a tremendous debt to this talent.
This unique godly talent had been the first blade in his hand, allowing him to cut through obstacles and crush every enemy that stood before him.
Having come this far, Lin Moyu now understood many things.
The greater world rune had cursed him, severely weakening all of his law arts and skills.
Fortunately, Comprehensive Amplification had counteracted that suppression, greatly diminishing the curse's effects.
It was almost as though the talent itself existed specifically to oppose the greater world rune.
His thoughts drifted to the system. It hadn't appeared in a long time.
The talent he was transporting now had itself been granted through the system's optimization.
His third talent had likewise been obtained through the system's fusion and optimization.
During skill demonstrations, the system had appeared in the form of the Necromancer.
He had seen it during talent awakening as well.
The system had always been there.
Always helping him.
Always appearing at the most critical moment.
Then, suddenly, realization struck.
A mystery that had lingered in his mind for years became crystal clear.
"The system… it's the system that's helping me fight against the greater world rune."
"The greater world rune used its supreme power to curse me, suppressing not only my skills but my talents as well."
"And the system opposed it, allowing me to obtain godly talents and wield immense power."
"No wonder I saw the system inside the talent world."
"And no wonder it appeared during the skill demonstrations."
"It really has been here all along."
Everything finally clicked into place.
With the second talent seed in hand, Lin Moyu returned to the soul world.
He released the talent seed and allowed it to transform his entire soul into a sea of flames.
The soul world trembled violently.
This second tempering by fire would make it even more resilient, strengthening it once again.
At the same time, his soul grade continued its rise.
A brilliant golden radiance enveloped his entire body.
He had already reached the threshold between 2nd grade and 3rd grade.
Only one final step remained.
Once he broke through, his soul would advance to 3rd grade.
Antares noticed that something seemed slightly off about Lin Moyu and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I'm just thinking about something."
Naturally, Lin Moyu would never speak a word about the system. It was his greatest secret—one he would take to the grave without ever telling another soul.
Antares let out a grunt, "What are you thinking about? I can clear up any doubts you have."
"You can't."
"You dare underestimate me? I am all-knowing!" Antares shouted indignantly.
Lin Moyu rolled his eyes, "I was wondering... what exactly lies at the deepest depths of the soul world?"
"Uh..."
Antares instantly fell silent. He genuinely didn't know the answer.
Lin Moyu smiled, "I was just thinking out loud."
Antares, however, warned him earnestly, "Thinking about it is fine, but don't ever go there. Curiosity killed the cat."
"I know."
As he watched the second talent flame stabilize, the temperature of the soul world rose once more. Warmth spread throughout the entire realm.
The closer one was to the talent flames, the higher the temperature.
Lin Moyu rested for a while. Once his soul had fully recovered, he headed toward the talent world once more.
The purple glow stretched a long distance behind him before gradually fading.
Lin Moyu suddenly felt that the entire soul world resembled a boundless starry sky, while the area occupied by his law art stars and talent flames was merely an insignificant speck within that endless expanse.
It reminded him of the solar system from his previous world: nothing more than a tiny dot in the vast universe.
It felt as though he were leaving his homeland and venturing into the endless darkness of deep space.
The thought had appeared suddenly, yet the more he considered it, the more fitting the comparison seemed.
Before long, Lin Moyu entered the talent world again.
Inside, the final talent flame still burned fiercely.
This was his third talent: Comprehensive Rebirth.
At first glance, it looked no different from the other two talent flames.
Purple firelight danced across his soul.
Lin Moyu didn't act immediately.
He had witnessed the birth of this talent flame with his own eyes.
Back then, he had awakened one talent and then gained a fourth talent through the Talent Divine Stone.
Both had been golden talents, clearly inferior to a purple one.
If the system hadn't intervened, he might have ended up with four talents—or perhaps his body would have exploded under the strain.
After all, it was common knowledge that humans could possess no more than three talents.
The System had appeared at the critical moment, fusing and optimizing the two talents into the unique godly talent before him.
It was this very talent that had allowed him to transform his skill star cores into law art stars, dramatically increasing his power.
The system had played a crucial role in helping him reach his current level.
"System, are you there?" His soul-echo rose throughout the talent world.
No response came.
The talent world remained utterly silent.
"System!" Lin Moyu called out again, but there was still no reply.
He knew the system was there. It simply never revealed itself unless a critical moment demanded it.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Moyu reached into the talent flame and grasped the talent seed.
Instantly, fire engulfed his entire body.
Excruciating pain drilled into him like a venomous serpent burrowing through his flesh.
Lin Moyu remained silent. He had long since grown accustomed to such suffering.
Carrying the talent seed, he left the talent world.
Lin Moyu glanced back and froze.
The talent world was still there.
"What's going on?"
Once a talent world lost all its talents, it was supposed to close. Just like the skill space, it should have disappeared completely.
Yet the talent world remained.
This wasn't right.
It defied common sense and contradicted what Antares had told him.
Shrouded in fire, Lin Moyu used its light to peer toward the entrance of the talent world.
A figure had appeared there.
"System!" Lin Moyu recognized it instantly.
Or rather, it was a projection manifested by the system.
He had seen it many times before during skill demonstrations.
Though he couldn't make out its face, he could clearly sense that it was looking directly at him.