Floating Island - Triple S Talent

The taste was extraordinary, and the aroma was enticing, even to those already full. Additionally, they served a soup made from rare ingredients that only grew in a forest infused with a particular energy.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang, displaying Hana's name on the screen. She quickly answered the call.

"Hello, Laras! I'm already out front. Ready?" Hana's voice sounded cheerful and full of excitement.

"Okay, Hana. I'm coming down!" Laras replied with a small laugh. She quickly fixed her hair in the mirror before heading for the door.

When Laras arrived at the front yard, Hana was already waiting. Hana stood under the bright light, which reflected off the long white dress she wore. Her long hair flowed beautifully, and her sunglasses added an elegant touch, despite the fact that night had fallen.

"You look graceful, Hana," Laras complimented as she approached her friend.

Hana smiled, slightly lifting the hem of her dress. "Thank you, Laras. You look beautiful too."

The two of them walked to the gazebo not far from the main entrance. That night, Laras's yard glowed with small lights hanging from every corner, adding a warm and cozy atmosphere. They sat in the gazebo, enjoying the snacks already laid out.

"How was today's battle, Laras?" Hana asked casually.

"Pretty easy, especially since things became smoother when Nita ordered the use of the Galactic Fortress," Laras responded, recalling the battle she had just gone through.

Even with her current Tier-3 strength, she had struggled to deal with some of the foreign enemies.

"Yeah, you're right. Lein's clone also helped out," Hana added lightly. She had interacted the most with Lein after Nita, as she was responsible for leading the troops to establish connections for the World Market Trade Alliance across the islands and into the outer realms during inter-race wars.

The two girls continued chatting, waiting for Nita and Elen to arrive.

Not long after, the sound of an engine approached. A sleek black car pulled up right in front of the house, and the driver got out to open the back door. Elen stepped out hesitantly, wearing a black skirt and a gray jacket, giving off her usual calm demeanor. Her face flushed slightly as she noticed Laras and Hana watching her.

Mustering her courage, she walked toward them with stiff movements, trying to appear calm, though her pretty face couldn't hide her embarrassment.

"Elen! You look beautiful tonight," Hana greeted warmly.

Elen nodded with a shy smile. "Thank you, Kak Hana."

"Yes, you look very pretty, Elen," Laras added, encouraging her. She knew Elen's shy personality, so she tried to boost her confidence.

"Thank you, Kak Laras."

The three of them sat in the gazebo, laughing and chatting about their latest battles.

With her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, Laras began recounting her story first. "You guys won't believe it, but yesterday I had to fight a perverted goblin! Imagine, he even tried to flirt with me in the middle of the fight! Come to think of it, he was totally ridiculous."

Hana burst into laughter upon hearing the story. "I can't imagine! That goblin must not have known who he was messing with."

Laras nodded in agreement, still chuckling. "Exactly, I finished him off with a single attack the moment he started acting up. That was the end of that annoying goblin!"

Elen, who had been silent, finally smiled at their conversation. "I also had… a different kind of experience," she spoke softly, still a bit embarrassed. "When I fainted, Lein's clone suddenly appeared and helped me. He caught me just as I was about to fall, so I ended up being held in his arms…"

Elen couldn't continue her sentence, her face turning beet red as she recalled the moment Lein held her in midair.

"WHAT? You were held?" Hana exclaimed loudly, looking surprised. Her eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

Laras wore a similar expression, feeling a little envious of Elen. "Tell us more, Elen. How did you end up in that situation?"

Elen felt slightly cornered by the two women. Although they asked in a light-hearted tone, she sensed a subtle atmosphere of competition between them.

"What's going on with you two?" Elen asked worriedly, fearing she had said something wrong.

"Nothing, Elen. Just continue, please," Hana said with a forced smile, staring at Elen as if demanding her to finish the story.

Feeling a bit intimidated by Hana's gaze, Elen tried looking at Laras. However, Laras's wide smile was even more unsettling, leaving Elen no choice but to lower her head and recount the incident as best she could.

The three girls continued their conversation until the sound of another engine filled the air. This time, it was Nita's floating car. The vehicle gently landed in front of the house, and Nita stepped out with a light step, her face radiating a bright smile. Upon seeing her friends, she immediately waved and jogged toward them.

"Girls!" she greeted enthusiastically. She hugged each of them, radiating an infectious energy.

Laras patted Nita's shoulder, laughing softly. "Why are you late today, Nita?"

Nita grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "I spent some extra time getting ready... hehe."

Hana and Elen smiled, feeling the positive energy Nita brought. For a moment, they could forget the worries brought on by the battles with the foreign invaders.

Seeing everyone ready and excited, Laras spoke up. "Alright, no more waiting around. Let's go!"

They headed toward Laras's large car waiting out front. Once they were all inside, the driver started the engine and smoothly drove them toward Bintang Restaurant in the City of Life.

***

Meanwhile, inside the soul formation test room, Lein was still busy fusing the souls in his possession.

[3 souls detected. Would you like to combine the souls?]

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

Lein noticed a red notification, but he wasn't bothered for long. He quickly inserted other souls into the three soul-filling circles within the fusion pattern. Without a second thought, he performed another fusion.

[3 souls detected. Would you like to combine the souls?]

"Yes."

(Cosmic Howler - S)

- Soul Energy: 68,000

- Strength: A

- Defense: S

- Intelligence: A

- Agility: B

- Ability: (Eternal Vortex)

- (Eternal Vortex): Creates five cosmic energy vortices that pull all nearby enemies toward the center, immobilizing them and dealing 50% damage per second for 5 seconds. Each enemy pulled increases the damage up to 100%. (Cooldown 600 seconds)

"Damn... failed again?" Lein muttered in frustration. It seemed he had gotten the same results repeatedly, leaving him slightly exhausted from seeing the soul fusion attributes.

On the fusion page, Lein could see his S-rank souls, which only numbered around 60. They all had the appearance of monkeys, though traces of other monster parts were still visible. These souls glowed gold, but a few were plain white, indicating failed fusions that could not reach the S-rank.

"Alright... I've been here too long," Lein said, closing the fusion feature on the soul construction orb.

"So, how do I complete this trial?" Lein asked casually, as if directing his question to someone. Responding to his query, the system appeared and provided instructions on how to complete the trial and exit the room.

[It has been detected that you wish to leave the test room. Do you want to exit?]

Lein tilted his head in confusion, unsure of what the system meant. "What about the souls I've obtained? How do I use them?" he muttered to himself.

The system's voice echoed again, followed by an information panel that materialized in front of Lein out of thin air.

[The souls you have acquired will be stored automatically, and your soul altar will be able to detect them.]

"Hmmm," Lein pondered for a moment, ensuring everything was in order. After a brief pause, he asked the system another question.

"Can I re-enter this test room later?" he asked curiously.

He was delighted to have obtained an S-rank soul fragment, but it seemed everything was limited since he only had one S-rank soul, (Void Monkey Tail - S). After conducting hundreds of fusions, Lein felt he needed different S-rank soul fragments to achieve more varied results.

Regardless of whether the attributes increased or decreased, at least there would be a chance to gain unique and diverse abilities or skills.

[Yes, of course. You can enter it again.]

"Okay," Lein exhaled in relief.

It would have been difficult for him if he couldn't access the trial again, as it would have dashed his hopes of creating an S-rank soul with unique and powerful abilities.