NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 110: Talent Evolution Fruit!
[You have accumulated a total of 456,654 contribution points. You have ranked first on the hidden contribution leaderboard.]
'That sounds like a lot of contribution points.' Arthur thought, his lips curling into a smirk. He barely had a moment to savour the thought when another notification appeared before him.
[You will receive the following rewards: 1x Golden Guild Token | 1x City Teleportation Scroll | Talent Evolution Fruit]
Arthur's smirk widened as he read the first reward.
'Golden Guild Token?' He rolled the words around in his mind. "A guild, huh? That could be useful. And 'golden' has to mean it's something exceptional," he muttered, already thinking of ways to leverage it.
His eyes flicked to the second reward. "City Teleportation Scroll… makes sense. Probably something they're giving out to everyone who participated since we are able to leave the village. It's Useful, though," he reasoned, storing the scroll in his inventory.
But it was the final reward that stopped him in his tracks. His heart raced as he read the words.
Talent Evolution Fruit
Arthur's smirk faded, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief. He reread the notification, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.
"I already have an SSS-Rank Talent, Primordial Summoner," he muttered under his breath. "When I entered Armageddon, they said SS was the highest known rank. But…I have SSS. this fruit… does it mean there's something even higher? Something beyond what I already have?"
The implications sent a jolt of excitement and anxiety through him. His summons were already powerful, capable of turning the tide of any battle. If his talent evolved, what would that mean for his abilities—and for the monsters that dared to face him?
Without hesitation, Arthur ducked into the nearby forest, putting distance between himself and the village. As the trees thickened, he stopped in a secluded clearing. It was silent except for the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional birdcall. Perfect.
He summoned Sylvaris, the massive serpent coiling protectively around him with a low hiss. Borak and Hank appeared next, standing guard like vigilant sentinels. Neko, perched on a branch above, gave a dismissive flick of her tail, but her sharp eyes scanned the area.
Arthur pulled the Talent Evolution Fruit from his inventory. It was smaller than he expected—about the size of an apple—but it radiated a golden glow so bright it was almost difficult to look at directly. The air around it hummed with energy.
"Well," Arthur said, flipping the fruit in his hand. "Here goes nothing." Without further thought, he bit into it.
The taste was indescribable—a blend of sweetness and warmth that sent waves of energy coursing through his body. He barely had time to savor it before a new notification appeared.
[Talent Evolution in Progress. Please remain stationary to ensure successful integration.]
Arthur planted his feet firmly on the forest floor, the glow from the Talent Evolution Fruit enveloping his entire body. Energy surged through him, wrapping him in a cocoon of golden light.
His breathing quickened, anticipation building as he braced for the monumental shift.
Suddenly, the glow faltered. A cold shock rippled through him, and his body froze in place.
[Evolution Failed! Talent Ranking too high to evolve.]
Continue your journey on empire
"What the hell?" Arthur blurted, his voice echoing in the still forest. His hands clenched tightly, frustration boiling over. "That's not fair! I just wasted one of the rarest treasures in this world for nothing?"
He growled under his breath, pacing the clearing like a caged animal. The thought of losing such a vital resource stung more than any monster attack.
Before he could spiral further into anger, a new notification appeared.
[Due to unforeseen limitations, the Talent Evolution Fruit was unable to evolve Talent 'Primordial Summoner'. However, the hidden potential within Talent 'Primordial Summoner' has been unlocked, creating a new complementary talent.]
[Congratulations! You have unlocked: SSS-Rank Talent: Evolution Pathway]
Arthur stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the glowing words in disbelief. "Huh?" he muttered, his frustration melting into stunned curiosity. His eyes flicked to the description of his new talent.
---
[Evolution Pathway (SSS-Rank)]
Talent Effect #1: Grants the ability to discern and analyze the full evolution pathway of all summoned entities. This includes the capability to select and set a desired evolution pathway for each summon while simultaneously providing a detailed breakdown of the specific requirements needed to achieve the chosen evolution.
---
Arthur blinked at the notification, reading the description carefully. Once, then twice. His eyes widened with every passing second, and his breath caught as realization struck him.
"Wait… this means I can not only see how my summons can evolve, but I can choose their evolution pathways? Are you kidding me?"
His heart pounded in excitement as the implications sank in. This wasn't just a minor buff or a useful utility. This was game-changing.
"I can customize my summons' growth? I get to decide how they evolve?!" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with a mixture of disbelief and awe. "This isn't just a talent—it's practically a cheat."
Arthur opened Sylvaris's status screen again, his hands slightly trembling with anticipation. Beside the glowing "Evolution Available" icon was now an additional tab labelled Pathway Options.
Without hesitation, he tapped on it, and his screen lit up with a branching tree of possibilities.
[Sylvaris: Evolution Pathway Options]
> Abyssal Devourer
Focus: Offensive combat specialization. Gains increased size and venom potency, capable of devouring entire foes.
Requirements:
- Kill 100 Serpents (0/100)
- Devour 100 Serpents (0/100)
- A Spirit Core (0/1)
—
> Ethereal Mist Serpent
Focus: Stealth and control. Gains the ability to dissolve into mist and reappear elsewhere. Strong crowd control skills
Requirements:
- Kill 50 Seprents (0/50)
- 1 Mist Louts Petal (0/1)
- A Spirit Core (0/1)
Arthur's eyes scanned the requirements of the Abyssal Devourer and Ethereal Mist Serpent pathways with a focused intensity.
The branching evolution options presented incredible potential, but also a daunting checklist. His gaze lingered on the phrases Mist Lotus Petal and Spirit Core, the unfamiliar terms drawing a deep frown to his face.
He leaned against a nearby tree, muttering to himself. "Mist Lotus Petal? Spirit Core? What the hell are those? I've never seen or even heard of these items before. Are they supposed to be rare drops? Quest rewards? Or do they come from some hidden realm?"
His eyes flicked to the other requirement: Kill 100 Serpents (0/100).
"Killing a hundred serpents though... That's manageable," he said aloud, his lips curling into a half-smirk. "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's grinding. Serpents are common enough. I could probably finish this requirement in a day or two."
But the smirk quickly faded, replaced by a look of quiet calculation. "The real question is where I'll find this Spirit Core and Mist Lotus Petal. If they're rare, I might have to dig deep or travel to other regions. And if they're locked behind some high-level monster or hidden dungeon, this might take longer than I thought."
He opened his map, his eyes darting across the various regions he'd unlocked so far. Most of the areas around Village #420 were familiar to him—forests, caves, and low-level hunting grounds. None of them screamed "exotic loot" or "rare materials." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Looks like I'll have to expand my horizons," he muttered, closing the map. "The Mist Lotus Petal sounds like something that grows in a unique environment—maybe a swamp, or a mystical forest. And the Spirit Core… that sounds like it might come from a boss-level creature."
Arthur's brows furrowed in thought as he tried to piece it together. "If it's tied to spirits, maybe I need to look for creatures with spirit-based abilities. Ghostly monsters, maybe?"
He looked back at Sylvaris, who coiled around him, his emerald scales gleaming under the faint light filtering through the forest canopy. The massive serpent hissed softly, his bright eyes fixed on Arthur as if awaiting orders.
Arthur crossed his arms and nodded toward Sylvaris. "Well, buddy, you're the one evolving here, so I'll be grinding with you. If I'm gonna kill a hundred of your kin to make you stronger, I hope you're ready to do some heavy lifting."
Sylvaris hissed in response, his long tail thumping against the ground with what almost seemed like eagerness. Arthur chuckled.
"I knew you'd be on board," Arthur said with a grin. "But we'll need a plan. If I can find a serpent-infested area, I could probably knock out the kill requirements pretty fast. As for the Mist Lotus Petal and Spirit Core…" He sighed, shaking his head. "That's probably something we will have to look for in the city, we won't be able to find it in this shabby village."
His gaze returned to the list, weighing the two options.
Abyssal Devourer was the more combat-focused path, clearly designed to turn Sylvaris into a venomous powerhouse.
But the sheer number of kills required—100 serpents to be killed and devoured—would mean dedicating a significant amount of time to farming.
Not that Arthur minded; he'd gotten used to the grind. Still, the thought of watching Sylvaris gulp down a hundred corpses made him grimace.
"Devouring 100 serpents? You'd better have a strong stomach, Sylvaris," Arthur muttered with a smirk. Sylvaris hissed again, flicking his tongue as if in agreement.
On the other hand, the Ethereal Mist Serpent path offered stealth and utility. The ability to dissolve into mist and reappear elsewhere would make Sylvaris an invaluable tool for ambushes and escapes. But the requirements—50 serpent kills, a Mist Lotus Petal, and a Spirit Core—seemed more elusive.
Arthur weighed his options, scratching his chin. "Both paths are insane in their own way," he said to himself. "Abyssal Devourer turns him into a tanky DPS monster. Ethereal Mist Serpent makes him versatile and sneaky. Honestly, both sound incredible. But…"
He glanced at Sylvaris again, observing the serpent's sleek, agile frame and predatory gaze. "You're already a natural hunter, Sylvaris. Maybe stealth and control are the way to go for you. Mist Serpent feels like a better fit—at least for now. I'll figure out the rest of the requirements as we go."
Arthur closed the evolution path screen with a decisive nod. He had a few things to do before he left the village.
[Race:] Human
[ID:] Fateless
[Level:] 11
[Class:] Shadow Monarch (SSS)
[Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Evolution Pathway (SSS-Rank), Lucky (SSS)
[Summons:] 7/11
[Health Points:] 150
[Mana Points:] 190
[Magical Damage:] 19
[Physical Damage:] 12
[Damage Resistance:] 15
[Attributes:] Strength 12, Agility 15, Vitality 15, Intelligence 19 (+20%)
[Skills:] Shadow Bind(Legendary), Shadow Dweller(Legendary), Blade Whirl(Epic), Enhanced Senses(Rare), Mana Coating(Rare)
[Attribute Points:] 10
[Skill Points:] 10
[Equipment:] Ring of Darkness (Legendary), Platinum Dagger (Very Rare), Mana Ring(Rare), Iron Necklace (Rare), Backpack (Rare), Iron Boots (Rare), Iron Armor (Rare), ...