Chapter 71

Chapter 71: The Thief with a Copy Talent

In the imperial capital, at the Zhou family estate.

The Zhou family was one of the empire’s top aristocratic clans.

The head of the family, Zhou Xingkong, was a formidable level-78 powerhouse. Though he had not yet reached the legendary rank, he was still considered one of the strongest humans in the world.

Furthermore, he served as the Chairman of the Imperial Security Council, overseeing all the security councils in the various provinces of the empire.

The rest of the Zhou family held key positions in different departments, with deep roots in the empire.

But currently, the circles of imperial nobility were buzzing with an intriguing, albeit minor, piece of gossip about the Zhou family.

It was said that after a recent inspection tour of the provincial security councils, Chairman Zhou brought back an eighteen-year-old boy… a secret son.

This caused a huge commotion within the Zhou family, leading to considerable internal strife. The Zhou family’s matriarch, a noblewoman of equally prestigious lineage, was furious.

She had always known that, with Zhou Xingkong’s status, there would be other women—and likely other children. However, acknowledging the existence of a secret child and bringing him into the main family home was a public humiliation!

Yet, Zhou Xingkong had used his indomitable will to suppress all dissenting voices within the family.

And so, the secret son, Zhou Nan, was officially recognized and given a place within the Zhou family. This development sparked intense interest and conversation among the imperial elites.

Most people only knew that this secret son was named Zhou Nan and had awakened as an A-rank class. Other than that, there wasn’t much known about him…

—

At the Zhou family estate.

As one of the empire’s top aristocratic families, the Zhou estate was vast, spanning dozens of miles and filled with serene gardens and grandiose rock formations, creating an elegant environment.

In a secluded part of the estate, there was a modest two-story villa.

Inside, a young man with fairly average looks lay on a bed. This was Zhou Nan, Zhou Xingkong’s secret son. Of course, after being recognized by Zhou Xingkong, he was now an official young master of the Zhou family.

However, the other Zhou family members treated this newly introduced brother poorly. Some ignored him outright, considering an A-rank class to be of little importance, while others were openly hostile. After all, another brother meant someone else to divide the family’s resources, which threatened their interests.

Despite this, Zhou Nan had already received a personal butler, as well as access to some of the family’s resources, including a decent set of equipment from the family treasury.

At this moment, Zhou Nan’s face was filled with excitement—perhaps even pure joy.

“It seems my talent is real. I can really copy other people’s skills and talents! Hahaha, I’m invincible now!” Zhou Nan clenched his fists tightly, his heart pounding with exhilaration.

Just a short while ago, he had managed to copy a full set of skills from his nominal brother, Zhou Jianzhang, the Zhou family’s eldest son.

Zhou Jianzhang was renowned as the family’s top genius, having awakened as an S-rank Necromancer High Priest. At just over thirty years old, he had already reached level 41 and was seen as the family’s best hope, potentially the first to reach the legendary rank.

In contrast, Zhou Nan, this newfound secret son, had awakened as an A-rank Runic Mage. While that was impressive among ordinary people and enough to bring honor to a family, in the Zhou family, it was fairly mediocre and didn’t earn him much attention.

But Zhou Nan knew something others didn’t—he had an extraordinary talent that set him apart from everyone else.

During the Awakening Ceremony, Zhou Nan discovered he had an additional talent, [Copy], which allowed him to duplicate another person’s skills and talents!

The conditions for copying were stringent, however. He needed to maintain physical contact—shaking hands with the target for thirty seconds—while looking them directly in the eyes.

Just earlier, Zhou Nan had successfully copied his elder brother Zhou Jianzhang’s skills by forcibly shaking his hand for thirty seconds and chatting with him.

Zhou Jianzhang, already annoyed by Zhou Nan’s presence, had thought it was some form of provocation and nearly beat him up.

Fortunately, some Zhou family elders had been present, allowing Zhou Nan to complete the copying process before slipping away back to his quarters.

[Skeleton Army Summoning], [Necrotic Flame], [Corruption], [Death’s Bell]…

Looking over the impressive list of skills he had copied, Zhou Nan was beyond thrilled. These were all powerful abilities from the Necromancer High Priest class, and what’s more, they could be upgraded!

Though Zhou Nan was still officially an A-rank Runic Mage, he now had access to skills from an S-rank class. This made him truly unique.

“I’m unstoppable now!” Zhou Nan thought, his heart racing with excitement. With this ability, he believed he was destined for greatness.

Feeling energized, Zhou Nan stood up and shouted, “Butler Sun!”

A middle-aged man with an expressionless face soon entered the room and bowed slightly. “Yes, Young Master Nan?”

This Butler Sun was Zhou Nan’s personal butler, a level-42 professional.

Although Zhou Nan knew this butler didn’t particularly like him, likely due to his loyalty to the matriarch, Zhou Nan didn’t care.

“Who is the number one genius in the empire?” Zhou Nan asked eagerly.

Butler Sun’s expression turned slightly mocking, but he still answered respectfully, “That would naturally be Qin Xian, the eldest son of the Qin family. He’s an SSS-class Oracle Knight, and he also has a second profession. He is widely regarded as the most talented person in the empire.”

As he spoke of Qin Xian, even Butler Sun’s tone held a hint of reverence.

SSS-class—the highest rank possible!

Zhou Nan had grown up in a small town and was unfamiliar with many of these matters, but he understood what the SSS-class represented.

“Can I meet him?” Zhou Nan asked, his voice filled with ambition.

Butler Sun’s gaze grew slightly condescending, but he still nodded. “As the young master of the Zhou family, you will have the opportunity to meet Young Master Qin.

However, it depends on timing. He’s not someone you can just meet casually, and at the moment, he’s in the Hengjiang region clearing the Shattered Heaven dungeon. He won’t return to the imperial capital for a few days.”

Zhou Nan nodded thoughtfully. “When he returns, let me know immediately.”

In his heart, Zhou Nan had already made up his mind. An SSS-class talent! He had to steal Qin Xian’s skills!