Awakening

Lily had mentioned several times that this treasure was extraordinarily valuable and must be obtained. The scrying sigil also indicated it was a mysterious artifact. Given its designation as a treasure, the item within the Corpse Mother must be exceedingly precious, far more than abilities like 'Gluttonous Fang' or 'Soul Devour.'

With resolve steeled, Simon bit down hard and propelled himself downward with all his might, rapidly approaching the stem. He aimed to dive as deep as possible, seeking safety in distance from the monstrous flower above. As he descended, he kept a vigilant eye on the flower's movements. Suddenly, the trembling ceased; the Nightmare Beast within had stopped struggling entirely.

"Not good." Simon acted swiftly, seizing the stem with his left hand while his right wielded the machete, delivering a powerful strike. Fearful that one blow might not suffice, he was prepared to use the Gluttonous Fang from his left hand if necessary. His concern proved unwarranted as the stem was severed cleanly with a single stroke.

The moment the stem was cut, a torrent of blood gushed forth, staining the water crimson. The translucent flower above convulsed violently, its petals unfurling frantically as it descended in pursuit.

"It didn't die instantly?" Panic surged through Simon as he fled downward with all his strength.

The Corpse Mother moved with alarming speed, expelling the Nightmare Beast from within its petals. The expelled beast was now lifeless, its once-mighty form reduced to a shriveled husk, its muscles desiccated.

Though Simon swam desperately, the Corpse Mother rapidly gained on him. As it chased, it began to wither, its once translucent hue marred by spreading black spots, resembling corpse blotches. The six petals wilted and fell away, while the flesh tendrils disintegrated, rotting as they dispersed.

When it finally reached Simon, he looked up to see the once-terrifying and enigmatic creature now reduced to a visage with only a face, covered in corpse blotches. The face, distorted in a silent scream, bore a semblance of a mouth but emitted no sound.

Witnessing this, Simon's fear dissipated. He halted in the water, watching as the face of the Corpse Mother continued to decay, the blotches consuming it entirely until it withered and hardened, lifeless and devoid of its former malevolence.

Suddenly, cracks appeared on its surface. As it shattered completely, a radiant orb emerged at its center, about the size of a fist, and it merged into Simon's forehead.

"Is this a Spirit Source? I've never seen one so immense and resplendent," Simon marveled inwardly.

At that moment, a series of messages resonated within Simon's mind:

"Level 3 Spirit Source User: Spirit Source 29/30"

"Acquired Spirit of Talent."

"Fusing Spirit of Talent, talent activation commencing..."

"Talent successfully activated."

"Acquired Talent: Enhanced Favor."

Simon sensed the messages in his mind, absorbing the information with an expression of disbelief. Killing the Corpse Mother had increased his Spirit Sources from 13 to 29 in one fell swoop, an extraordinary leap, though not entirely unexpected given the creature's formidable power.

However, the mysterious artifact left Simon astounded.

"The Spirit of Talent, a treasure capable of activating innate talents, and my talent is... Enhanced Favor."

"Enhanced Favor: When performing basic enhancements, this talent will activate, granting an additional enhancement opportunity. This extra opportunity will not trigger the favor again."

As Simon processed this information, his shock gave way to immense joy. 

"A talent like this, no wonder it is called a treasure, no wonder Lily emphasized obtaining it. With this talent, it means that whenever I advance, I get an additional enhancement opportunity."

Simon grasped the profound implications of this talent. While others could only enhance once per level-up, he could enhance twice. Initially, the difference might seem slight, but over time, with each advancement, the disparity would become astonishing.

Imagining the future possibilities, Simon felt an irrepressible delight, overwhelmed with glee.

Having obtained the treasure and reaching his breath-holding limit underwater, Simon swiftly ascended to the surface.

The Nightmare Beast is a leader-class monster; killing it would have guaranteed the acquisition of ultrasonic or infrasonic attacks. Unfortunately, it was slain by the Corpse Mother. Simon felt a pang of regret but was not overly attached to this loss, given the astounding talent he had acquired. He was completely satisfied.

This expedition had yielded immense rewards. In high spirits, Simon surfaced and climbed through a window on the thirtieth floor of the building. He settled on the windowsill, exhaling deeply to calm his mind. Once more, he focused on the information, fearing that everything he had just experienced was an illusion. He needed to confirm it once again.

Assured that he had indeed gained 16 Spirit Sources and truly possessed the talent, Simon let out another breath and softly hummed a tune. The sky was enveloped in darkness, and the mist over the water had vanished without notice. Simon gradually regained his composure from the overwhelming joy and thought of Long, Millie, and Lily. He also noticed the floating corpse ship not far away.

This corpse ship, created by the Nightmare Beast from numerous human corpses, was its lair and a place where it kept newly captured humans. Though the Nightmare Beast was dead, the corpse ship remained afloat, neither sinking nor disappearing.

"Where have they gone?" Simon pondered about Long and the others. He quickly jumped down from the windowsill and dashed towards the rooftop.

"Brother Ding! Lily! Millie!" Simon called out loudly as he ran.

If they were hiding somewhere in the building, they would surely hear his calls and respond immediately. If they had taken a boat, they shouldn't have gone far in such a short time; reaching the rooftop might still allow him to see them.