Chapter 132: Five-Hundredfold Return! A New S-Rank Talent! (fixed)

Saint Laurent Empire, Northern Territory.

Alves Duchy.

Sunlight streamed through the half-open curtains, spilling across the carpet, while a faint floral fragrance still lingered in the air. Victor, who had just finished the treatment at the Moonlight Sacred Spring, was now seated in his room, his attention completely focused on the System interface before him.

[Ding!]

[Fate Deviation Assessment Complete!]

[Investment Target: Cecilia!]

[Target Potential Rating: SS!]

[Investment Item: Moonlight Sacred Spring Usage Qualification — Estimated Value: 3,200,000 Gold Coins!]

[Investment Plan: Purify the Abyssal Heart Erosion Curse!]

[Need Compatibility: 100%!]

[Detected: This investment has successfully eliminated a major fate crisis threatening the target!]

[Investment Return Calculation Complete!]

[Congratulations, Host! This investment has triggered a 520-fold return!]

Victor’s originally calm expression finally changed.

He had already guessed that helping Cecilia completely eliminate the Abyssal Heart Erosion Curse would bring him an astonishing return. Back then, the System had estimated a minimum of five hundred times. Even so, seeing the final number appear before his eyes still made his heart race.

After all, this time, he had used the Moonlight Sacred Spring, an extremely precious special resource belonging to the Alves family. Combined with the fact that he had chosen the full purification rather than relying on the Sacred Spring alone, the multiplier had naturally gone far beyond the Spring’s original estimate.

Sure enough, as the first System notification gradually disappeared, the interface rearranged itself. The previous calculation vanished, replaced by three separate panels displaying the rewards available for selection.

[Please Select Your Investment Return Reward!]

[Option One: S-Rank Permanent Talent — Abyssal Resistance!]

[Option Two: Permanent Attribute Reward — Spirit +60!]

[Option Three: King-grade Special Item — Sacred Radiance Purification Core!]

"This..."

Victor stared at the three options before him, momentarily unsure which one to examine first.

Sixty Spirit points! If he chose the second option, his current Spirit attribute of just fifty-three points would instantly increase to one hundred and thirteen!

Such an exaggerated increase would probably be enough to push his spiritual power control beyond that of the vast majority of First Tier professionals.

For a magic swordsman who needed to coordinate sword techniques with mana manipulation, that degree of control would be particularly valuable during combat.

The King-grade special item offered by the third option was equally impressive too. Although the System hadn’t provided a detailed description of the Sacred Radiance Purification Core, its name suggested a connection to purification, making its potential applications difficult to judge at a glance

After all, the Astral Origin Crystal he had obtained previously had already shown him just how precious resources of this level could be.

Despite all that, Victor’s gaze remained fixed on the first option.

An S-Rank permanent talent!

Abyssal Resistance!

"To think there’s actually a reward like this..."

He couldn’t help sitting up straighter.

If it were an ordinary professional faced with these three options, they might prioritize the permanent attribute reward that could immediately increase their combat strength.

But Victor already possessed Mana Devour S+.

This talent allowed him to absorb certain types of abyssal energy and convert them into resources for his own growth, but that didn’t mean he could recklessly expose himself to every form of abyssal corruption.

His previous battle against the Abyssal Bone-Spike Wolf was the best proof of that.

Even though he could devour abyssal mana, his left arm had still been contaminated, ultimately forcing him to undergo treatment at the Academy Medical Center.

And that had only been a Level 45, Second Tier magical beast.

If he encountered even more powerful abyssal creatures in the future, or special contamination methods similar to those used during the previous screening incident, relying on Mana Devour alone clearly wouldn’t guarantee his safety.

With that thought in mind, Victor made his decision.

Attributes could gradually be increased through leveling up, cultivation, and other investments. There was also no guarantee that he wouldn’t obtain another precious item in the future.

But an S-Rank talent perfectly suited to him wasn’t something he could simply find whenever he wanted.

Moreover, a smile gradually appeared at the corners of Victor’s mouth.

He also possessed Infinite Evolution SSS.

With Infinite Evolution, a talent like this wouldn’t remain fixed. It could continue growing alongside him.

As for how far an S-Rank talent could eventually evolve, even Victor himself had no answer yet.

"Looks like there’s no need to hesitate much longer this time. Choose the first option."

[Ding!]

[Reward Selection Successful!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the S-Rank Permanent Talent — Abyssal Resistance!]

[Talent: Abyssal Resistance]

[Rank: S]

[Effect: Significantly increases the Host’s tolerance and resistance to abyssal energy, reducing the corrosive effects of abyssal contamination on the body and mana circulation.]

[Note: This talent does not provide complete immunity to high-level abyssal contamination.]

As the System notification ended, a strange transformation suddenly spread from deep within Victor’s body.

It felt as though his body was gradually adapting to a power that had never belonged to him before. Within just a few seconds, he felt a faint warmth travel through his limbs before disappearing completely.

Victor raised his hand and flexed his fingers.

On the surface, nothing seemed to have changed.

His strength hadn’t suddenly skyrocketed, his maximum mana hadn’t increased, and even his physical agility remained exactly the same as before.

But he wasn’t disappointed.

Mana Devour and Abyssal Resistance served different purposes, yet their effects complemented each other to a certain extent.

Nevertheless, Victor was already extremely satisfied with this investment.

A single treatment had not only freed Cecilia from the curse that had tormented her for years but had also earned him a permanent talent with tremendous potential for future growth.

As for the improvement in their relationship and the other benefits that might arise in the future, those were things that couldn’t be measured simply in Academy Contribution Points.

With that thought, Victor reopened his status panel to check his progress.

...

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