Shane exhaled as he considered what Talent must be removed.
"Alright... letâs clear the clutter first. If Iâm going to gamble, better to start with the weaker ones."
Shane was having a hard time selecting the talent he wanted to remove since he was also worried that a terrible Talent would come out if he just selected the worst ones.
Then, as he scrolled through the list again, he realized that heâd actually get 3 slots open if he fused four of his Talents!
Perhaps, heâd just get something better since he still had two Epic Talent Crystals that he hadnât used yet!
With this in mind, his attention turned to Quick Rest, Minor Beast Affinity, Sound Hearing, Illusion Spark... None of them are useless, but theyâre scattered. They donât form a core identity. Theyâre like loose threads in an embroidery... They were fine on their own, but they donât strengthen the whole picture.
He tapped Quick Rest first.
It was related to recovery speed.
âItâs nice, but I already have Ironblood Survivor for regeneration and stamina boosts. Quick Rest barely matters when I can fight for hours without collapsing. Itâs filler.â
Then his finger hovered over Minor Beast Affinity.
âA chance to calm animals or lowâtier zombies... unreliable. I donât need luck when I have force. Besides, I already command territory and aura... Beasts follow discipline, not chance. This one is expendable.â
Next was Sound Hearing. Enhanced auditory range.
âUseful for scouts, maybe, but I have Aura Master and Telekinesis to sense threats in other ways. Sound alone isnât enough. Itâs redundant compared to my awareness skills.â
Finally, his gaze lingered on Illusion Spark. He hesitated at this Skill.
âThis oneâs trickier. Illusions can be useful... Distraction, deception... Theyâre decent skill, but I guess itâs shallow... If I want deception, I need something deeper, something that bends perception itself. Alone, Illusion Spark is weak. But fused... maybe it can evolve into something greater.â
Shane sighed as he finally made a decision...
âThese four are the right choice. They overlap just enough... Rest, instinct, senses, deception. Together, they might form a Talent that ties survival and perception into one. If Iâm lucky, Iâll get something that sharpens awareness while giving me tools to mislead enemies. If not... at least Iâll free up three slots for better Talents later.â
He clenched his fist.
This was a gamble after all.
With the Talents selected, Shane finally activated the scroll.
[ Talent Fusion Scroll Activated ]
Soon, he tapped the four Talents one by one...
Quick Rest (Rare)
Minor Beast Affinity (Rare)
Sound Hearing (Rare)
Illusion Spark (Epic)
The System immediately responded.
[ Selected Talents: Quick Rest, Minor Beast Affinity, Sound Hearing, Illusion Spark ]
[ Confirm Fusion? ]
[ Warning: Fusion is permanent. Selected Talents will be consumed. ]
Shane prayed silently to get a better result...
âElf Admin... Give me something cool.â
Although he didnât know if the Elven Administrators could help him, he couldnât help but recall those beautiful admins he had seen before.
After the short prayer, he pressed Confirm.
The interface shifted immediately...
[ Fusion Process Initiated... ]
[ Analyzing Talent Synergy...
Quick Rest... Recovery and stamina.
Minor Beast Affinity... Instinct and empathy.
Sound Hearing... Awareness and detection.
Illusion Spark... Perception and deception. ]
The loading bar progress slowed at this point before another progress appeared.
[ Calculating Overlap...
Recovery + Awareness... Enhanced survival.
Empathy + Perception... Influence over creatures and senses.
Deception + Detection... Dual manipulation of sight and sound. ]
[ Generating Hybrid Framework...
Probability: 72% chance of Utility Talent.
Probability: 18% chance of Combat Talent.
Probability: 10% chance of Unique Hybrid Talent. ]
Shaneâs heart pounded as the System continued.
"Give me that Unique Hybrid Talent..." Shane muttered to himself...
Soon, another update was made.
[ Fusion Complete ]
[ Consumed Talents: Quick Rest, Minor Beast Affinity, Sound Hearing, Illusion Spark ]
[ You have obtained a Utility Talent. ]
[ New Talent Acquired: Phantom Instinct ( Epic Talent ) ]
Shaneâs eyes widened as the description unfolded...
[ Phantom Instinct (Epic Talent): The Survivorâs senses and instincts blur the line between reality and illusion. Grants heightened perception of sound and movement, allowing detection of hidden threats within a 50-meter radius. Low-Tier and Mid-Tier Zombies reduce their aggression slightly.
Passive Bonus: Recovery speed increased by 15% when resting.
Active Skill â "Phantom Mirage":
Creates a brief false presence of the Survivor within 10 meters. Enemies are drawn to attack or move toward the mirage for 6 seconds.
(Cooldown: 5 minutes)
Shane couldnât help but smile after seeing the new talent!
It was actually quite good... The 50-meter detection range that was always active even without activation was indeed an Epic-Grade Talent!
âPhantom Instinct... Not bad.â It was not flashy, but itâs versatile. Detection, distraction, recovery... all rolled into one. Better than four scattered filler Talents.
Not only that, but he also confirmed something else...
"I knew it, three empty Talent slots now..."
Although he didnât get the Unique Hybrid Talent that had only a 10% chance of appearing, Shane was still happy about this.
After that, he finally closed the interface...
***
Shane then turned to the two Epic Talent Crystals resting in his inventory.
He hadnât bothered with them before since he had no empty slots, and he was too lazy to decide which Talent to remove.
But now, with three slots freed after the fusion, the timing was perfect.
He materialized the crystals. Both were pure white, and they seemed more like diamonds glowing faintly in his hands.
â
They look cool... but what matters is whatâs inside.â
He checked the description.
[ Epic Talent Crystal: A crystallized fragment of Talent energy. When activated, it grants the Survivor a random EpicâGrade Talent. Consumed upon use. ]
Shane smirked.
â
Random, huh? Well, Iâll take my chances. At least I know it wonât be trash. Itâs Epic Grade after all.â
He gripped the first crystal tightly and triggered the system.
[ Activating Epic Talent Crystal... ]
The crystal dissolved into particles of light before sinking into his chest.
[ New Talent Acquired: Swordmasterâs Domain (Epic Talent) ]
Shaneâs eyes widened as the description appeared.
[ Swordmasterâs Domain (Epic Talent): The Survivor establishes a battlefield aura of sword mastery, enhancing control, and dominance whenever a blade is drawn...
âA sword-related talent? I guess itâs not bad...â Shane mused.