Talent Potential

Ethan Carter stared at his Talent Description with a furrowed brow. There was no mention of a maximum poison damage cap. If there were an upper limit, it would likely be explicitly stated. The current value of 240 points didn't feel like a hard limit. Instead, it seemed more closely tied to his level. At Level 12, the damage was exactly 20 times his level—a clear correlation.

"But why 20 times and not 10 times?" Ethan wondered aloud. His thoughts drifted to the introduction he had read about the Hall of War Gods. It mentioned that increasing one's Realm could improve Talent Potential.

This must be what "Talent Potential" referred to. It seemed that every player's talents had a growth limit. By advancing their Realm, players could increase this upper boundary.

"If that's the case, my talent's cap should be my level multiplied by 10. But since I've advanced one Realm, it's doubled to 20 times my level." This explanation felt logical to Ethan, and it could easily be tested.

"If I gain another level and the poison damage increases to 260, then advancing to the Bronze Realm tomorrow will confirm my theory," Ethan thought.

Determined to test his hypothesis, Ethan resumed slaughtering black bears in Black Bear Ridge. Before long, he had killed 76 more bears, leveling up to Level 13. Not stopping there, he ventured deeper into the wilderness and encountered a group of massive red lizards. As always, he began with Insight to size up his new foes.

[Flame Lizard]

Level: 18

Health: 28,000

Physical Attack: 150

Magic Attack: 380

Physical Defense: 150

Magic Defense: 160

Speed: 50

Skill:

Flame Breath: Spews fire in a 5-meter cone, dealing 100% magic damage per second to all targets within the area for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds.

"A magic-attack monster?" Ethan paused. This was the first time he had encountered such an enemy. Its skill, Flame Breath, seemed particularly dangerous. Even with over 2,000 health, Ethan doubted he could withstand the full duration of its skill without retreating.

However, magic-attack monsters relied entirely on their skills for damage, just like mages. Without skills, mages posed no threat at all. That said, the basic mage skill, Fireball, had only a three-second cooldown, low mana consumption, and was instant-cast—essentially functioning as a normal attack. So, it was almost impossible for a mage to be without skills, but if they ran out of mana, they would become nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

This magic-attack monster didn't even have a skill like Fireball. Its basic attack relied on that pitiful 150 Physical Attack? Ethan smirked. At most, it could barely break through his defenses.

Despite the danger, he felt no real pressure. As long as he avoided their skills, the Flame Lizards weren't a major threat. However, this wasn't a group he could handle with his usual crowd-pulling tactics. If multiple lizards used Flame Breath, the battlefield would become a sea of fire, leaving him with no place to run.

Deciding to play it safe, Ethan opted for single-target combat. He lured out one lizard at a time and struck twice to apply his poison. Though the lizards moved quickly, they couldn't catch up to Ethan. He took care to avoid their skills, but even when he got caught in the Flame Breath for a second, his high health ensured it wasn't fatal.

After a little over a minute, the first Flame Lizard fell.

"Ding! You have killed [Flame Lizard]. You gained 220 experience points. Bonus: 110 experience for defeating a monster 5 levels higher. Your pet, [Silverfang], received 66 experience points."

"Ding! Talent effect triggered. Poison damage increased by 1 point. Current poison damage: 241."

"Ding! Immortal Physique effect triggered. Maximum health increased by 1 point. Total increase from Immortal Physique: 297."

True to his theory, Ethan's poison damage increased. To confirm the pattern, he killed 20 more Flame Lizards, raising his poison damage to 260 points per second before it plateaued again.

"So, my Talent Potential really is tied to my level and Realm," Ethan concluded, relieved. His biggest fear—that his talent's growth had been permanently capped—was now gone.

"At 20 times my level, my poison damage is already overpowered. At this stage, no player can withstand my attacks. As long as I keep advancing my Realm, I'll stay ahead," Ethan thought confidently.

Seeing that it was already past 9 p.m., Ethan decided to log out for dinner and rest. With his talent temporarily maxed out, he felt no urgency to grind further.

After removing his headset, Ethan stretched and rubbed his temples. "I really need to save up for a gaming pod," he muttered. Since arriving in the main city, he hadn't earned much money. It was time to start hunting bosses again.

Ethan grabbed a quick meal outside before heading back to sleep. Setting his alarm for six hours, he collapsed into bed, exhausted from the day's efforts.

Meanwhile, other players in the main cities were making rapid progress. In Golden Ridge City, the streets were now bustling with players. Sophia Mueller walked out of the Hall of War Gods with a thoughtful expression. She had attempted the War God's Trial, only to fail. For a mage, solo challenges were inherently difficult. Without spell-boosting gear, her magic attacks weren't strong enough. Worse, her frail defenses couldn't withstand the trial's heavy damage output.

"Maybe Ethan has some magic gear I could borrow," Sophia thought. Opening her friend list, she saw that he was offline. Her eyes drifted to his level: 13.

"This guy is insane. He eats, sleeps, and still stays miles ahead of everyone else. What kind of monster is he?" Sophia muttered before heading out to grind for levels and equipment.

Shortly after, Sovereign and his party entered the Hall of War Gods. With the Bronze Gear and Black Iron Gear they had acquired from killing the Wild Boar King and Silver Wolf King, along with their remaining potions, they managed to complete the trial. Sovereign emerged with a satisfied smile, having significantly boosted his strength.

Ethan woke up at 4 a.m. to his alarm. The world outside was still pitch-black. "My sleep schedule is completely flipped now," he mused as he ate the fried noodles he had packed the previous night. After his meal, he logged back into the game.

He reappeared in the Flame Lizard's Zone but decided to head back to the Hall of War Gods to test his theory about Talent Potential. As he pulled out a Return Scroll, a ferocious roar echoed from Black Bear Ridge.

Ethan's eyes lit up. "That's definitely a boss," he thought. Stashing the scroll, he sprinted toward the source of the sound.

When he arrived, he saw a massive black bear chasing a heavily injured soldier. The soldier was moments away from death. Ethan quickly commanded Silverfang to intercept the bear's strike, saving the soldier.

At Level 10, Silverfang now had 10,200 HP and 220 Physical Defense. It managed to tank the hit without issue. Ethan cast Insight on the massive bear:

[Black Bear King] (Bronze-tier Boss)

Level: 17

Health: 300,000

Physical Attack: 750

Physical Defense: 420

Magic Defense: 240

Speed: 85

Skills:

Smash: Slams the ground, dealing 140% physical damage to all targets within a 2-meter radius and reducing their movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds.

Earth Splitter: Slams the ground, creating a forward crack that deals 160% physical damage and knocks targets airborne. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Petrified Skin: Hardens its skin into stone, doubling its defense and reducing the physical damage of nearby targets by 50%. Lasts 30 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.