Talent Tiers
Robb felt slightly relieved as he read on, no wonder he had never heard of wizards dissecting geniuses for research.
Apparently, special talents couldn't be stolen, at least not at the formal wizard stage...
...Throughout history, those possessing powerful innate talents often climbed higher and farther on the path of transcendence. Just like 'Flame Tyrant' Eldrei, who rose from a common hunter to become a Fire Element Grand Overlord, and 'Eternal Grasp' Lyanna, a village orphan who became a spatial dominator...
The records listed dozens of wizards whose extraordinary talents had led them to greatness. The most astonishing feats came from a few Grand Overlords:
...When 'The Limitless Void' Helbius reached the pinnacle of a Grand Overlord, he single-handedly conquered a foreign dimension known as the 'Ashen Domain' and reshaped it into his personal research territory. It's said his power was so immense he could crush stars at will, alter the orbits of massive galaxies, and even carve out small pocket realms in the void...
...'Time Monarch' Erica was a legend among wizards, able to briefly manipulate causality and distort the flow of time. During her battle against 'xx,' she single-handedly banished over ten 'Godskin Apostles,' and ultimately xxxx. To this day, the ticking of that terminal clock still echoes faintly at the Edge of Ends…
Some sections had clearly been deliberately sealed. Robb had a hunch that prying into them without sufficient strength might bring terrifying consequences.
He continued browsing, searching for entries that piqued his interest.
Clearly, innate talents were categorized by tiers, from low to high, there were three tiers. Those that allowed their bearers to rise to Grand Overlord or even beyond that to Primordial Sage status obviously belonged to the first tier.
First Tier – Chaos Hydra: Grants nine unconditional revivals. After each resurrection, strength, aptitude, lifespan, and all attributes are doubled, and all mental corruption and negative states are completely reset.
"That's absolutely broken..."
There were many terrifying talents involving time, space, fate, and causality. After going through them, Robb felt like even his own infinite class system didn't seem all that impressive.
His only real advantage might lie in its infinite scalability, allowing him to stack careers endlessly until he eventually became the strongest.
A few pages later, he found himself in the second-tier section, where his own "Dual Soul" and full "Solar Blessing" were listed.
Talents in this tier couldn't quite shake the foundation of wizarding history like those of the first tier, but they were powerful enough to make their holders stand out among the talentless.
After a dozen more pages, he found a small but intriguing passage in the corner:
...'Potion Resonance' Orlando had a rare perception ability that allowed him to intuitively sense the effects of potions and even improve formulas by instinct. It's recorded that any potion he consumed would yield results several times stronger than average. This talent enabled him to rise from an ordinary person to a true wizard in just five years and later become a peerless master of Alchemy...
"Potion Resonance", that aligned perfectly with his advancement to the potion master path…
Robb's eyes lit up. This was a second-tier special talent that perfectly matched his chosen profession.
This was exactly what he needed! With this talent as a cover, he could more naturally explain his rapid progress.
He could simply claim he had this kind of talent, and that would justify how he had advanced from an Elementary to Intermediate Apprentice in just two months, it was all due to "potion abuse."
In the wizarding world, special talents explained away miracles far more credibly than mere hard work ever could.
With this unexpected windfall, Robb dove deeper into the records, gathering as much knowledge about special talents as possible and thinking through how to maintain his cover.
He also uncovered a key distinction between the three tiers of talents:
Third-tier talents, aside from being far weaker than the first and second tiers, often came with activation limits and side effects.
He didn't forget his original purpose for visiting the library, either. He also read up on the habits of treants and various illustrated guides about supernatural species.
[Supernatural Biology (Novice) EXP +1]
By the time he left the library, night had completely settled over the Black Mist Forest.
Robb's head was crammed with knowledge about bloodline tuning and special talents, he felt like a waterskin filled to the brim, heavy and taut.
As his thoughts churned, the new information collided with his existing knowledge, sparking flashes of inspiration.
If not for his [Deep Knowledge] trait's memory advantage and his ability to synthesize and organize information, he'd have long since drowned in this sea of data.
He didn't plan to rest once he returned to the workshop.
Right now, time was his most precious resource, not a moment could be wasted.
Upstairs, in the small training room, he assumed his stance, took a deep breath, and began his routine practice of the Solar Breath.
The oil lamp's flickering flame cast wavering shadows across his calm face. Sweat hadn't appeared yet, but he knew the training ahead would be grueling.
"Inhale for seven counts, hold for three, exhale for five…"
He muttered the rhythm softly, controlling his breath with precision.
These instructions were etched into his mind, part of his muscle memory now.
With each slow, powerful breath, Robb felt a warm current circulate through his meridians, like a spring stream pulsing with life.
[Progress: Breathing Body Forging (Novice 97/100)]
"Just three more points to reach Adept level," he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips.
He adjusted his breathing and entered the second phase.
This required even finer control and stronger willpower.
"Inhale nine counts, hold five, exhale seven…"
Sweat began to bead on his forehead and trace down his cheek, dripping onto the wooden floor.
But Robb's focus was absolute. Brow furrowed, eyes unwavering, he seemed oblivious to everything except the energy surging within.
As the breathing deepened, the warmth inside turned searing, like magma racing through his meridians.
It was almost unbearable, but he knew this pain was part of the transformation. Strength was born from it.
Each inhale drew in more energy; each hold circulated it through his body; each exhale purged impurities, refining his form.
His muscles trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the sheer energy coursing through them.
His reforged meridians glowed faintly with golden light, twinkling beneath his skin like starlight.
[Breathing Body Forging EXP +1]
The system prompt was like a jolt of motivation.
He didn't stop, immediately moving into the third phase, the final part of the breathing method's foundational stage.
"Inhale twelve counts, hold seven, exhale nine…"
This time, he focused fully on the image of the sun.
In his mind's eye, the golden sun grew brighter, radiating pure, blazing energy that banished the darkest corners of his soul.
He felt like a furnace, every muscle, bone, and meridian reforged in the solar blaze.
Every exhale was like forging a new inner substance, making it purer and stronger.
The sensation was agonizing yet beautiful, like a snake shedding its skin, or a butterfly breaking free from its chrysalis.
[Breathing Body Forging EXP +1]
Robb could feel his body growing stronger by the second.
His muscles became sleeker, bones crackled as they aligned, and his skin tightened, glowing faintly.
But forging the body had its limits. The final step was always the hardest. He decided to stop for the night.
[Progress: Breathing Body Forging (Novice 99/100)]
He picked up his ironwood sword and gave it a few test swings.
The blade cut the air with a deep, forceful whoosh.
[Progress: Basic Swordsmanship (Proficient 99/100)]
Robb shook his head with a wry smile.
Still stuck on that last point, like an uncrossable gap separating him from mastery.
"What's missing?" he asked himself, sheathing the blade, brows furrowed.
He slumped to the floor, fatigue finally setting in.
Even with his enhanced physique, such intense training took its toll.
Perhaps, as Andre had said, swordsmanship's breakthrough wouldn't come from repetition alone, it needed real combat, life-and-death pressure, to spark true insight.
It was late. Robb decided to rest for now and tackle the problem tomorrow.
He placed his hand on the silver pocket watch, where he had deliberately reserved a bit of energy for this moment.
As the reset effect activated, the black gem within the watch lit up, emitting a soft glow.
A cool sensation swept over his body like a spring rain, washing away all weariness.
[Negative State Reset: Fatigue Cleared. Energy -1]
Robb immediately felt revitalized, as if he had just awakened from deep sleep.
His soreness vanished, and his mind was clear again.
This near-miraculous recovery was how he maintained such high-intensity training.
Lying in bed, he replayed all the insights from the library, especially the entry on "Potion Resonance."
"What a divine coincidence," he thought, drifting into sleep.
The next morning, golden sunlight poured into the workshop, bathing the room in a warm glow.
Robb rose early, and after a quick wash, rushed straight to the lab.
The bloodline modulation theories from yesterday had fired his imagination, he couldn't wait to apply them to the bloodline activation potion.
Last night's exhaustion was gone, replaced by renewed energy and curiosity.
That was the watch's true gift, it freed him from physical limits and let him focus on what really mattered.
"The key isn't in simply mixing various activators, but in extracting the purest bloodline factors and recombining them in precise ratios."
He muttered to himself, flipping open his notebook. The pages were packed with notes, overwritten and edited multiple times, clear proof of his obsession.
On a fresh page, he carefully wrote the new title:
Bloodline Activation Potion – Revised Plan
The dryad stood silently nearby, its calm gaze watching Robb's every move.
Its roots had spread deep beneath the workshop floor, and its vines extended into every corner, forming a subtle network of awareness.
Robb took out several test tubes, each filled with previously tested mixtures.
Some were crystal clear, some muddy, and some in between, each glowing faintly.
"Traditional activators are too general. They can't target older, more ancient bloodlines precisely."
He spoke aloud while sketching a complex chart, detailing materials and reaction conditions.
"If I can isolate the part of the fire lizard's bloodline closest to the Lightlord Dragon, then strengthen it with a special catalyst…"
As the idea crystallized, his hands moved faster.
Yesterday's theory explained how bloodline factors, microscopic energy fragments, determined a creature's traits.
If he could separate and manipulate these with precision, he could awaken specific genes like a scalpel, not a hammer.
He pulled out the Silverwing Separator, a precious tool gifted by Lady Elena. In his hands, it shimmered with soft silver light.
He began extracting the purest essence from fire lizard scale extracts.
A single drop of crimson liquid was carefully placed in the device. Holding it steady, he started a precise rotation and shake pattern.
It was a delicate task requiring absolute focus.
Any mistake could ruin the materials, or worse, create dangerous side effects.
Minutes ticked by. Though mentally drained, Robb's hands were rock-steady.
The separator spun gracefully, dividing the liquid into multiple layers, each with unique hues and energy signatures.
"Interesting... this pale gold layer must be the closest to the Lightlord Dragon bloodline."