Training my Talents (1)

The Elder Spirit of Nature let out a long sigh, finally relenting.

"Fine, do as you wish," she said, waving a hand dismissively.

She had more important duties to attend to than entertaining a persistent human.

But before leaving, she shot him a warning.

"I may have allowed you to stay, but that doesn't mean you can wander around. Even if you are a guest of Sir Divine Tree, do not even think of venturing deeper into this realm. If you get yourself into trouble, don't beg me to save you."

Ariase simply nodded, offering a grateful bow, "Understood. Thank you for letting me stay."

As soon as she turned away, he clenched his fists in excitement.

'Finally! This will be the first time I can truly test my talent!'

Taking a deep breath, a grin spread across his face as he uttered his world command for the first time.

[Ancestria]

At that moment, a sudden gust of wind surged around him, rustling the ancient grasses as though nature itself had responded to his call.

His Ancestral Spirit Mark glowed a vibrant green, pulsating with life.

A single radiant halo with a single star ignited on his back, its multicolored brilliance swirling with power.

Four distinct mystical forces burst forth from his body, intertwining and resonating with the world around him.

The air trembled as nature and its energy acknowledged his presence, welcoming him as one of their own.

He is now a fully-fledged mystic user of the 1st Halo of Awakening Realm, bearing the First-Star Encirclement.

He covered his mouth as he tried to suppress the massive grin stretching across his face.

His entire body trembled with excitement as he thought, 'Dying once and getting stabbed to death was actually worth it! This feeling of energy coursing through my body is beyond anything I ever imagined. This is really fascinating!'

His heart pounded with exhilaration.

Throwing both hands up to the sky, he laughed like a fanatic, completely immersed in the joy of his newfound power.

The sheer thrill of uttering the world command and transcending the limitations of an ordinary human filled him with an almost religious fervor.

Still basking in the moment, he finally activated his purple-grade passive talent.

[Photosynthetic Carapace]

The moment the words left his lips, the once-hidden leaf venation patterns began etching themselves back on his skin.

Instantly, his body responded.

The absorption of sunlight surged, nearly doubling in efficiency after it was unmasked.

The warmth of the golden rays seeped into his very being, fueling him with an extra mini reservoir of mystic energy.

Ariase lay on the grass, stretching out with a contented sigh.

"Ahh~ so this is what plants feel like when they soak up the sun, huh? It feels so damn good and refreshing. At this rate, calling myself a solar-powered battery wouldn't even be a joke."

His entire body felt light, almost weightless, as the energy slowly stored within each venation steadily increased.

It was like drinking pure vitality straight from nature itself.

He could sense the trapped sunlight and heat converting into raw energy, fueling his strength.

Still, he couldn't get too complacent.

"Well, Tier 1 already lets me absorb and store fluids, sunlight, and heat in my body, converting them into energy I can use. But evolving this talent to the next tier… is gonna be a hassle. I need to form a [Fruition Core] if I want to push it further."

His fingers drummed idly against the grass as he mulled over the process.

It was going to take time, effort, and the right conditions.

Ariase then glanced at his storage bracelet, brimming with resources his uncle had given him—most of which he no longer needed.

Without hesitation, he summoned a Tier 2 Liquified Mystic Stone, its canister appearing in his hand with a faint glimmer.

"Hmm… if my talent can absorb any fluid, then this should work just fine."

Curious to test his theory, he uncapped the container and, without a second thought, poured the shimmering liquid over his head.

The moment it made contact with his skin, his venation patterns reacted.

The liquid seeped into the leaf-like structures, hungrily absorbed as though his body was devouring it.

Ariase's eyes widened as a rush of pure, concentrated mystic energy surged through him, flooding every fiber of his being.

He exhaled a stream of white mist as the excess energy radiated from his pores.

"So I was right… This talent isn't just a body-type talent, it's also a nurture-type."

A knowing smirk formed on his lips as he realized the true potential of Photosynthetic Carapace.

'With this, I can maximize the absorption efficiency of Liquified Mystic Stones… And if I ever get my hands on treasures related to water or sunlight, I might even be able to absorb those too.'

Fueled by excitement, he wasted no time and continued experimenting.

Over the next hour, Ariase absorbed two full canisters of Tier 2 Liquified Mystic Stones.

Each dose brought an overwhelming surge of energy, filling his body to the brim until it felt like he was bursting at the seams.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he clenched his teeth.

His entire body trembled under the strain.

"How could this be...? My body is no longer absorbing the energy directly."

"Crap, I-I need to calm this down and compress it fast... before something bad happens!"

Compared to before, when his body instinctively absorbed the mystic energy within stones and liquid canisters, something had changed.

Now, after the Genesis Essence had been removed from his soul, the condensed energy from the canister no longer merged with him automatically.

Without knowing any proper technique or method, he could only take deep, steady breaths, forcing his body to adapt.

With sheer willpower, he directed his focus toward his glabella, where his Mystic Core resided.

Inside, the energy was rampaging, violently thrashing like wild winds caged in a storm.

At this moment, he could only rely on his purple talent and the knowledge that came with it.

Instead of absorbing the energy around him, he attempted the opposite.

He reversed the flow.

By manipulating his talent, he forced it to release some of the rampant energy from his body.

Seconds passed. Then minutes.

Mist and smoke continuously leaked from the pores of his venation, drifting into the air like evaporating dew at dawn.

Finally, the turbulent mystic energy within his core began to subside, settling into a controlled and refined state.

Ariase let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Whew… That was close. Any more of that, and I might experience an energy overflow."

Despite the struggle, the results were undeniable.

His mystic energy had increased significantly—far more than what he had just an hour ago.

Satisfied, he closed his eyes and turned his focus toward his halo.

The moment his senses reached it, he smirked and said, "To think I'm already thirdway through the First-Star Encirclement after absorbing two canisters."

This was all thanks to his uncle's wealth and generosity.

"Having money and resources really is the best~"

Ariase stretched his body, letting out a grunt as he loosened his muscles.

"I'll continue this later when I have more time. For now… let's see what this Golden Talent is capable of."

With anticipation gleaming in his eyes, he uttered the talent's name:

[Foliage of Four Seasons]

The moment he activated it, he felt something strange yet mystical as if invisible strings had connected him to the leaves on the trees a few meters away.

The sensation was surreal, as though his mind had formed a subtle bond with the surrounding foliage.

Based on the knowledge he gained from the bestowment, he proceeded to extend his left hand forward and focused on a cluster of leaves.

With a simple pull of the air, he willed them to break away from their branches.

Four leaves detached, slowly drifting toward him.

But... the instant they broke free, Ariase immediately concluded his experiment and felt it.

A heavy force weighed upon him, and before he could even control them, the leaves fell helplessly to the ground.

His eyelid twitched as he said, "As expected… everything here is above Tier 3!"

Ariase let out a chuckle, rubbing his chin as realization sank in.

"This place… is a true treasure trove."

From the bestowment earlier, he had gained the ability to decipher and identify the Tier Level of each leaf through his connection with them.

That was how he knew—all the leaves within this Replica were no longer of Human Grade.

They had already reached Earth Grade or higher.

His smirk widened.

"Hehe~ I better steal… I mean, I better borrow as many leaves as possible~"