The Ultimate Skill System: Absorb, Upgrade, Create, Transfer-Chapter 24 - : Arcane Nexus

The battle was over.

Keiran climbed down from the massive body of the Luminizard, his feet crunching softly against the charred ground.

The once-gleaming beast now lay lifeless, its radiant scales dimmed to a dull gray.

As the light from the Luminizard faded, the forest plunged into complete darkness, the night sky above shrouded by thick clouds.

The air was heavy with the scent of burnt wood and ash.

The silence that followed was almost deafening, broken only by the occasional crackle of dying embers and the faint rustle of wind through the scorched remains of the trees.

Keiran took a moment to survey the aftermath. The once-lush section of the forest was now a barren wasteland. The trees had been reduced to blackened stumps, their leaves and branches turned to dust.

The ground was scorched, and small embers still glowed faintly in the darkness, like tiny stars scattered across the earth.

The Luminizard's attacks had been devastating, a brilliant explosion of light and heat that had consumed everything in its path.

Yet, despite the devastation, Keiran remained calm, his expression unreadable.

His gaze shifted to the lifeless body of the Luminizard. The creature had been a formidable opponent, its mastery over light making it a dangerous foe.

Its scales had shimmered like molten gold, and its eyes had burned with an intensity that could pierce through the darkest night.

But Keiran had prevailed, as he always did. He knelt beside the beast, his hand resting lightly on its still-warm hide. The Luminizard's body was still radiating a faint heat.

Keiran activated his Divine Inheritance.

A bright golden light began to emanate from the Luminizard's body, swirling and condensing into a stream of energy that flowed into Keiran.

The process was mesmerizing, the light dancing like fireflies before being absorbed into his skin.

He could feel the power coursing through him, a warm, tingling sensation that spread from his fingertips to the very core of his being.

[You have received 7 Skills.]

[Common.]

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[Gleam Burst (Active): Releases a quick flash of light to temporarily blind nearby enemies for a few seconds, reducing their accuracy. Mana Cost: 1.]

[Sunflare Dash (Active): Dash forward covered in light, dealing minor light damage to enemies in your path and slightly increasing your movement speed for a few seconds.]

[Luminous Scales (Passive): Your body shimmers with light, making it harder to detect in bright environments, slightly increasing evasion in daylight or well-lit areas.]

[Uncommon.]

[Solar Lance (Active): Condense sunlight into a blazing spear of light, hurling it at a target with explosive force. The lance pierces through enemies in its path, detonating on impact and releasing a shockwave of searing light that burns nearby enemies. Mana Cost: 5.]

[Living Prism (Passive): Your body refracts incoming light, creating shifting afterimages that make it harder to hit. When struck by light-based attacks, you can absorb a portion of the energy, using it to temporarily increase your speed and sharpen your next attack.]

[Rare.]

[Solarfang Overdrive (Active): Your fangs and claws become infused with the raw fury of sunlight, extending into searing blades of condensed light energy. Every slash and bite releases a cutting arc of light that travels outward, slicing through enemies at range. The longer the Overdrive is active, the brighter and hotter your body becomes, causing nearby enemies to suffer burns just from proximity. Mana Cost: 10.]

[Crown of the Dawn (Passive): You are constantly wreathed in a majestic corona of light, making you immune to blindness, illusions, and most dark-based curses. Allies standing near you feel invigorated, their weapons glowing with light energy that allows them to cut through magical barriers and spectral foes with ease.]

Keiran allowed himself a small smile as he processed the new skills.

The Crown of the Dawn, in particular, caught his attention. He activated it, and a bright golden crown materialized above his head, its light casting a soft glow around him.

The crown was ethereal, made entirely of arcane light, and it gave him an almost regal appearance. The light it emitted was warm and comforting.

"I look like a king," Keiran muttered in his usual monotone voice. "Now that I think about it, being a king must be nice."

He paused for a moment, considering the idea. A hero couldn't be a king, could they? Or perhaps... a hero emperor? The thought intrigued him, though he quickly dismissed it.

There were more pressing matters to attend to.

Keiran left the Luminizard's corpse behind and made his way through the darkened forest.

The ground beneath his feet was uneven, littered with debris from the battle.

He moved with purpose, his steps steady and deliberate. The forest was quiet, the usual sounds of wildlife absent. It was as if the creatures of the forest knew something powerful had been defeated, and they were keeping their distance.

He soon found a small clearing, untouched by the battle, and decided to set up camp there.

The clearing was surrounded by tall trees, their branches forming a natural canopy overhead.

The ground was soft and covered in a thick layer of moss, and a small stream ran along the edge of the clearing, its waters clear and cool.

Keiran gathered some dry wood and started a fire, its warm glow pushing back the night's chill. As the flames crackled, he pulled out the Horned Rabbit he had caught while collecting woods.

It was a small creature, but its meat was tender and flavorful. He skewered it on a stick and began roasting it over the fire.

While he waited for the meat to cook, Keiran opened his status board. He had 120 stat points to allocate, a reward from his recent level-ups.

After a moment of consideration, he distributed the points evenly: 20 to Constitution, Dexterity, and Agility, and 30 to Intelligence and Strength.

The changes were immediate, his body feeling stronger and more agile, his mind sharper. He could feel the power coursing through him, a sense of readiness and anticipation building within him.

As he bit into the roasted rabbit, his eyes scanned the list of his Uncommon skills. There were many to choose from, each with its own unique utility.

But one skill stood out to him: Mystic Convergence. It was a skill he had created himself, and he had always felt it had untapped potential. Now was the time to unlock it.

Keiran activated Sacred Elevation, an ability that allowed him to upgrade a skill by sacrificing ten others of the same rarity.

He selected Mystic Convergence as the skill to upgrade and chose ten others to sacrifice: Rending Frenzy, Skittering Nightmare, Predator's Maul, Spectral Rend, Cyclone Crash, Solar Lance, Living Prism, Wind's Favor, Shadowforge Carapace, and Aqua Devour.

The process began, a surge of energy flowing through him as the skills merged and transformed.

Keiran felt a deep connection to Mystic Convergence, understanding its intricacies and potential like never before.

The energy swirled around him, a kaleidoscope of colors and light.

Because Keiran had created this skill himself, he had full control over determining which growth path it would follow.

After carefully reviewing the available options, Keiran ultimately selected one of the possible paths and finalized the process, locking in his choice for the skill's future development.

[Congratulations! You have upgraded a skill from Uncommon to Rare.]

[Arcane Nexus (Passive): The user becomes a living conduit of magical power, passively absorbing ambient mana and magic essence from the surroundings, as well as from nearby spells cast or magical attacks that strike the user. This absorbed energy enhances both the user's magical and physical attacks while significantly boosting HP, MP, and SP regeneration, enabling sustained combat performance. The continuous flow of mana and essence also temporarily increases the user's magical affinity and resistance, allowing adaptation to hostile magic. All effects scale with the density of mana and the potency of magic essence in the environment, granting far greater benefits in areas rich with magical energy or during intense spellcasting battles.]

Keiran smiled faintly at the result. Arcane Nexus was a powerful skill, one that would make him a formidable opponent against any mage. He was now, in essence, an anti-mage.

[For upgrading a skill from Uncommon to Rare, you have received experience points.]

[You leveled up 2x.]

[You have received 24 Stat points.]

"Not bad," Keiran said aloud, his voice calm and measured.

[You are now strong enough to face the final challenge of the Forest of Fiora — the strongest monster in this forest.]

Keiran's interest was piqued. He had been wandering the forest for weeks, honing his skills and growing stronger. The idea of a final challenge excited him.

"Tell me where to find it," he said.

[Very well, Master.]

•••••

NAME: Keiran Graywood

CLASS: Hero

SUBCLASS: Skillmancer

LEVEL: 101

HP: 2,587

MP: 3,874

SP: 3,874

[STATS]

CONSTITUTION: 199

INTELLIGENCE: 298

STRENGTH: 298

DEXTERITY: 199

AGILITY: 199

AVAILABLE STAT POINTS: 24

[SKILLS]

DIVINE BLESSINGS: Divine Inheritance, Sacred Elevation, Arcane Creation, Blessing of Bequeathal.

COMMON: Iron Fist, Enduring Spirit, Mud Spit, Stone Skin, Rapid Hop, Predator's Rush, Venomous Bite, Ghost Cloak, Gleam Burst, Sunflare Dash, Luminous Scales.

UNCOMMON: Elastic Fluid Body, Hellflare Dive, Eternal Blaze, King of the Wilds, Wraithbound Reflexes, Carver's Grasp, Infernal Arcana.

RARE: Colossal Frenzy, Titan's Resilience, Abyssal Execution, Sovereign of the Unseen, Howling Tempest, Windborne Regeneration, Eclipse Shatter, Umbral Sovereignty, Solarfang Overdrive, Crown of the Dawn, Arcane Nexus.

•••••