Novel Full Chapter 86: Acquiring the Elemental Sub-Talents [2]
Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Acquiring the Elemental Sub-Talents [2]
Slash! Boom!
Leon cut down the last monster in his path without even slowing his pace.
After dealing with the initial waves of enemies, he no longer bothered stopping.
He simply pushed forward through the [Elemental Lands], moving like a storm given form.
Spells were released on instinct, blades swung with precision, and any monster foolish enough to stand in front of him was erased in seconds.
Fire exploded behind him. Lightning scorched the ground. Leon didn’t linger to admire the results.
As he advanced, the number of sub-talent scrolls in his [Storage Space] continued to pile up.
Wind, lightning, fire, duplicates of elements he already had or was saving for later.
He didn’t fuse them yet though. His focus was elsewhere. He was searching.
Specifically, he was looking for earth or water-aligned monsters.
Yet, despite moving for nearly fifteen minutes straight and slaughtering dozens of enemies, he found none.
Leon frowned slightly as he cleaved through another monster and kept moving.
’Are they really this rare?’
It didn’t make sense. Water and earth weren’t advanced elements.
They weren’t inherently superior or inferior to fire or wind. Their strength depended entirely on the user, their build, and their talents.
Advanced elements like blood, darkness, or lightning could drastically shift combat balance, but basic elements were meant to be common.
And yet… Leon had encountered fire, wind, and lightning monsters in abundance, but not a single earth or water-based creature so far.
He continued forward, his gaze sharp, senses alert.
Then, eventually, the terrain ahead changed. The open plains gave way to a massive lake.
The water stretched far into the distance, its surface unnaturally calm and faintly glowing with a soft blue light.
Elemental energy pulsed from it in waves, thick enough that Leon could feel it brushing against his skin.
As he stepped closer, the glow intensified.
And then—
BOOM!
The surface of the lake exploded. Water surged upward as something massive burst out from beneath, sending waves crashing outward.
Leon instinctively leapt back, boots skidding against the ground as droplets rained down around him.
A colossal figure emerged from the lake. Seven meters tall. Thick, coiled body. Scales shimmering with deep blue light.
—
[Deep Water Snake (Boss)]
[Level: 25]
[Talent: Deep Water Affinity (B-Level)]
[Combat Power: 73,000]
[Details: A giant snake that lives inside the “Elemental Lake” and will attack anyone that gets close.]
—
Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly. At the same time, the lake began to ripple again.
One by one, glowing blue orbs rose from the water, floating into the air and surrounding the massive snake.
—
[Water Orb]
[Level: 25]
[Exclusive Talent: Water Buff (D-Level)]
[Combat Power: 50,000]
[Details: Powers up the “Deep Water Snake” the more of them there are.]
—
The [Deep Water Snake] threw its head back and roared, the sound echoing across the lake.
ROOOAR!
Water gathered in its open maw, compressing into a dense, spinning mass before being launched forward.
Deep Jett!
A high-pressure torrent of water surged toward Leon with terrifying force.
Darkness Barrier!
Leon lifted his staff calmly. Shadows surged outward, forming a dense barrier in front of him just as the water slammed into it.
BOOM!
The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, but the barrier held. Water sprayed outward, crashing harmlessly to either side.
Leon’s expression remained neutral.
The boss was stronger than the previous enemies, sure, but not enough to concern him.
Its combat power was slightly higher than expected for an S-Rank assessment boss, but even then, Leon still held around 85,000 combat power himself.
To him, this was still manageable. The [Water Orbs] reacted next.
They pulsed in unison, releasing thin beams of compressed water that shot toward Leon from multiple angles.
Leon stepped forward instead of retreating.
He weaved between the attacks effortlessly, droplets brushing past him as he moved.
’My turn.’
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
Storm of Lightning!
Leon raised his staff. The sky above the lake darkened instantly.
Clouds gathered unnaturally fast, lightning crackling within them as the elemental energy in the area went wild.
His spell had always been devastating. Even without enhancements, it could wipe out groups of monsters with ease.
But now… Now it was empowered by [Pure Lightning Affinity (B-Level)].
The air itself vibrated as electricity surged. Before the snake or the orbs could react—
ZAP!
Lightning exploded downward. Bolts slammed into the lake, branching outward in every direction.
The water conducted the electricity instantly, turning the entire surface into a lethal field.
The [Water Orbs] shattered one after another, their glow extinguished in flashes of light.
The [Deep Water Snake] convulsed violently before collapsing, its massive body going limp as the lightning tore through it.
Silence followed. Leon lowered his staff, satisfied.
’As expected. Water is weak to lightning.’
Elemental interactions were fundamental knowledge.
Fire was weak to water. Water was weak to lightning. Lightning was weak to earth. Earth was weak to fire.
And so on…
Every element had at least one weakness that could be exploited. That was why experienced mages sought versatility.
A single element could dominate in some fights and fail miserably in others.
Leon, however, was steadily covering all his bases.
Ding!
[You have killed “Deep Water Snake (Boss)” and x12 “Water Orbs”]
[100% Drop Rate has triggered…]
Leon opened his [Storage Space] immediately. Only one sub-talent scroll appeared.
[Sub-Talent Scroll: “Deep Water Affinity (B-Level)”]
The [Water Orbs] hadn’t dropped any scrolls. Their talent was exclusive, after all.
Instead, a set of materials appeared in Leon’s hand.
[Deep Water Stone x12 (Epic)]
Leon glanced at them briefly before shrugging.
“Oh well.”
Without hesitation, he poured his mana into the sub-talent scroll.
Fwoosh! Ding!
[Congratulations, you have learned the B-Level Sub-Talent: “Deep Water Affinity.”]
A wide grin spread across his face.
“Nice.”
With that, he had secured three out of the four basic elements: Fire, Wind and Earth.
“Only earth left.”
Leon opened the new panel briefly to check the description.
[Deep Water Affinity (B-Level): Your mana and body have become deeply attuned to water. Your control over water-based abilities has improved greatly, allowing smoother manipulation and stronger flow control. Water-related attacks will deal less damage to you.]
He read it once and closed it. Satisfied.
’I’m close.’
Leon resumed his advance. As he moved forward, the elemental energy in the air began to change.
It grew denser. Heavier. The ground hummed faintly beneath his feet, and the wind carried a strange resonance.
Then—
Ding!
[The “Altar” is near.]
Leon’s eyes lit up.
“I guess it was easier than expected.”
Ahead of him stood a massive structure. An ancient monument rose from the ground, carved from stone and infused with elemental markings.
Four pedestals stood at each corner, empty, as if waiting for something.
At the center of the structure, Leon spotted it immediately: an exit portal.
It pulsed softly, ready to take him out of the assessment the moment he stepped through. Leon slowed to a walk.
Compared to the first S-Rank assessment: the divine hall, the statues, the pressure from the gods, this one felt… lighter.
Almost underwhelming. Still, he didn’t let his guard down.
As he approached the altar, movement caught his attention.
The ground ahead shifted. Stone cracked. Figures rose from the earth itself.
—
[Earth Guardian (Mutated)]
[Level: 25]
[Talent: Earth Affinity (C-Level)]
[Combat Power: 66,000]
[Details: Guardians that fused with the Earth to strengthen themselves, their goal is to defend the “Altar”]
—
Several of them emerged, massive stone bodies grinding as they took form.
Leon didn’t hesitate. He pointed his staff forward, eyes gleaming.
Blood Beam!
This was the first time he used this spell since he acquired it. He focused for less than a second.
His [Blood Monarch (S-Level)] sub-talent reacted instantly, crimson energy surging through the staff as the spell was amplified.
BOOM!
A one-meter-wide beam of condensed blood energy erupted forward, tearing through the guardians.
The moment it struck them, their bodies shattered. Stone crumbled. Energy dispersed. They never stood a chance.
Ding!
[You have killed x4 “Earth Guardian (Mutated)”]
[100% Drop Rate has triggered…]
Leon opened his storage.
[Sub-Talent Scroll: x4 “Earth Affinity (C-Level)”]
He stared at them for a moment. Then smiled.
Without wasting a second, he poured his mana into one of the scrolls.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have learned the C-Level Sub-Talent: “Earth Affinity.”]
The moment the notification faded—
Ding!
A new sound echoed.
[All Basic Elements have been detected on the player.]
Leon froze.
“Huh?”
The air around the altar began to shift. And something ancient stirred.