Dual Talent Unlocked

Of course Lucas chose to upgrade.

Without hesitation, he confirmed the prompt.

A surge of raw energy coursed through his body, rippling outward like a tidal wave. His veins pulsed with power. The surface of his skin flushed crimson, heat radiating off his entire body like a furnace.

Lupo barked nervously from the side, pacing back and forth.

Lucas clenched his jaw. He understood what was happening—the Energy Crystals were remaking him from the inside out.

He had already reached the absolute limit of human physical potential. To go further, the system had to break those limits. Reforge his very biology.

The heat was unbearable. His skin prickled. Muscles tensed and trembled under the pressure.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun... it was over.

The red faded from his skin. The heat receded. His body adjusted.

Ding! Congratulations. You have advanced to Awakener – Phase 1.

Talent System Unlocked.

Before him, a vast Talent Tree unfolded in midair.

It stretched upward like a digital web of possibilities. At the bottom, only a few nodes flickered with light. But further up, the branches split into dozens—hundreds—of potential abilities.

Please choose your evolution path:

Genetic Enhancement

Energy Modification

Warning: This is a one-time choice. Once selected, the other path will be permanently locked.

Lucas narrowed his eyes and studied the descriptions.

[Genetic Enhancement Path]

Reconstruct your physical biology to enhance speed, strength, endurance, and regeneration. Ideal for melee combat and resistance-focused builds. Pairs well with energy-based weapons.

[Energy Modification Path]

Refine your ability to harness Energy Crystals. Creates a personal energy field that boosts offense and defense. Power scales with crystal reserves. A "caster" archetype built around sustained ranged combat.

So one was a warrior path, the other a mage-style build.

Both had clear advantages.

Too bad I can't have both...

Lucas hesitated.

Then—another system notification popped up:

Ding! Consecutive breakthrough detected: From Exceptionally Strong → Peak Human Limit → Awakener within 2 hours.

Hidden Reward Unlocked: Dual Talent Evolution.

Eligible survivors may activate both talent paths.

Energy Crystal requirements will be significantly higher.

Would you like to activate dual evolution?

[Yes] / [No]

A small glowing prompt hovered beneath the message:

Tip: Hidden evolutions are always superior. Maximize both sides now—you won't get another chance.

Lucas didn't hesitate this time.

"Yes."

WHOOOSH!

White light engulfed him.

When the glow faded, both talent trees lit up—Genetic and Energy Evolution—side by side.

Congratulations. You have unlocked the following talents:

[Hardened Physique] 1/1

Your body has evolved.

Regeneration speed increased x10

Immune to minor viral infections

Strength, agility, and reflexes +50%

[Awakening Aura] 1/1

You are surrounded by pure energy.

Damage dealt +10%

Damage taken -10%

Energy Crystal drop chance +20%

Each tree granted one default talent at Awakener Phase 1.

Any survivor choosing a single path would receive either Hardened Physique or Awakening Aura.

But Lucas had chosen both.

From now on, each level-up would grant him 2 talent points—one for each tree.

He could also exchange extra Energy Crystals for talent points, allowing more rapid growth at a cost.

Lucas noticed that both active talents were marked 1/1, meaning they were unlocked and maxed. No further upgrades were available.

Other talents were labeled 0/5 or 0/3, indicating upgrade potential.

Just like a skill tree in an RPG.

He smirked. "I can work with this."

Lucas opened his status panel again.

Next Advancement: Awakener Phase 2

Progress: 51 / (800 × 2)

Most survivors would need 800 Energy Crystals to level up from Phase 1 to Phase 2.

But because he had chosen the dual path, his requirement was doubled.

"Fair trade," Lucas muttered. "More power, more cost."

He stretched, rolling his shoulders. The soreness was already gone.

Time to earn more.

He scanned the nearby apartment blocks, then stepped into a quiet streetfront diner.

It was clean. No blood. No signs of struggle.

A safe place to eat and rest.

Lucas tossed Lupo a chunk of Mutated Fertilizer. The wolf devoured it greedily.

Meanwhile, Lucas pulled out a seared steak and started eating.

Between bites, he organized his inventory.

Food was currently his strongest resource. But it was still finite—until he found a way to replenish his supply, he couldn't afford to trade it away for crystals.

Besides, it was only Day 3 of the apocalypse. Most survivors were still hiding.

Even if Lucas wanted to trade food for crystals, who could actually afford the deal?

That's when his eyes fell on the Precision Longbow Blueprint.

He could sell weapons.

The Sharpened Tang Sword was too dangerous to mass-produce—handing it out would be like giving a tiger claws. It could backfire.

But the longbow? That was different.

Safe for ranged kills. No threat to him directly.

Perfect trade bait.

Once he finished lunch, Lucas returned to the alley.

The zombie corpses had already vanished after harvesting, leaving only dark stains on the pavement.

Along both sides of the alley stood evenly spaced trees—each about as thick as a dinner plate.

"Let's test that new harvesting skill."

He approached the nearest tree.

[Harvestable Resource Detected]

Tap to collect: [Wood] ×3

A flash of light.

+3 Wood acquired

The wood appeared in his inventory as thick planks, neatly stacked.

"No chopping? Just collect directly?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Convenient."

He moved to the next, slightly thicker tree.

+5 Wood acquired

With a smile, he rolled up his sleeves.

It was time to start crafting.