Chapter 291: Success
If he had given just one Talent Crystal to the Guardians earlier, they might have fought to the death, risking their lives for that single crystal.
How difficult was it to obtain a Talent Crystal? Extremely difficult, of course. "I needed to achieve an SSS rank evaluation just to get one," Lein said with pride.
"Well… whatever it is, as long as there's a chance of success, let's try it." Lein chose to stay positive. He then confirmed the use of the Talent Crystal.
[Successfully used Talent Crystal...]
[Failed to acquire a new talent...]
[Enhancing talent (Infinity Duplicate - SSS - Version 3)...]
20%...45%...80%...
The enhancement progress bar began to move, the percentage ticking upward slowly. Lein observed the indicator with intense focus, his eyes fixed on the screen as if afraid to miss even the smallest detail. In his mind, he envisioned the effects that might emerge if this enhancement succeeded.
98%...
Lein held his breath. Just one more percent, he thought. But suddenly, the system displayed a notification:
[Enhancement failed… please try again.]
Lein flinched. "What? What kind of lousy system is this?" he shouted, frustration lacing his tone. He stared at the words "Please try again" with rising anger.
The phrase reminded him of a childhood memory on Earth, where he often encountered the same disheartening message in small lottery games: "Better luck next time, please try again." The sting of failure felt like reopening an old wound.
Lein shook his head, trying to clear away the negativity. "Calm down, Lein. It's just a 22.5% success rate. This failure is reasonable," he reassured himself.
Remaining composed, he grabbed another Talent Crystal from his spatial ring and initiated the process again.
The enhancement began once more. This time, Lein waited with less expectation, attempting to stay relaxed. But the result was the same:
[Enhancement failed… please try again.]
Lein wasted no time. He immediately used another crystal. The thousands of Talent Crystals he possessed gave him confidence that he could endure failure after failure. He understood that perseverance was key to success. Even so, repeated failures gradually wore on his patience.
Minutes passed. Finally, a different notification appeared:
[Enhancement succeeded… please select an enhancement path.]
1. Increase duplication quantity by 10 times
2. +5% chance to enhance item quality
3. Reduce cooldown by 25%
"So the success rate only increases by 5%?" Lein grumbled, his voice tinged with disappointment. He muttered under his breath, feeling the system was stingy.
Still, he realized that increasing the success rate was the most crucial improvement for him at this point.
Without much hesitation, Lein chose the second option. To him, raising the success chance to a total of 15% was a logical move.
[Congratulations, talent (Infinity Duplicate - SSS - Version 2) successfully enhanced.]
"Version 3 again?" Lein frowned. "So it still says Version 3? No name change?" he murmured, dissatisfied that the system didn't grant a new title despite the ability's growth.
Lein opened his talent panel to check the latest updates:
(Infinity Duplicate - Version 3)
- SSS Rank
- Duplicate 1 item into 10,000
- 15% chance to enhance item quality
- Cooldown: 30 minutes
Lein stared at the description for a moment. His expression gradually softened into a smile.
"Well, it's still a good improvement," he said, encouraging himself. This time, his curiosity spiked. He was eager to test out his upgraded ability.
However, just as he reached for another Talent Crystal, a different notification popped up on his system panel.
[Private Message]
Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-NovelBin.net
- (Cute Cat) Big brother, how are things out there? Are you doing okay?
"Haha, I forgot about them because of these crystals," Lein chuckled to himself. He had become a Guardian, the strongest individual, yet he had neglected his own domain.
"We'll continue this later. Besides, I'm curious about the talent Nita will get," Lein said with a hint of hope in his eyes.
He had long noticed his younger sister's desire to be useful to him, though she couldn't directly contribute in most ways.
Well, there were people far away who considered her useless, after all.
Lein scanned his surroundings, ensuring nothing was overlooked, then opened a massive rift and stepped through it.
***
Heavenly Divine Realm – Tree of Life's Origin
In the void of the heavenly divine realm, a colossal tree floated gracefully, as though it upheld the world atop its roots. The Tree of Life's Origin stood majestically, its enormous roots sprawling in every direction, suspended like endless bridges.
Its sturdy trunk rose as high as a mountain, connecting a massive base to a crown resembling a verdant green island.
The lush leaves glowed softly, radiating beauty in various hues—emerald green at the center, gradually transitioning to orange, red, and finally gold at the edges.
The place resembled a small paradise, with many people enjoying its splendor; children ran gleefully along its broad branches, while groups of adventurers sat leisurely, chatting beneath the tree's shade.
At the tree's pinnacle, on a vast flat area, the core group of the Alliance stood in a circle.
Haikal Emanuel, usually calm and laid-back, appeared different this time. His face bore a worried expression, his gaze fixed on Nita, who stood not far from him.
"Princess Nita, have we received any response from Lord Lein?" he asked, his tone more serious than usual.
Nita, dressed in a simple white gown with radiant eyes, turned to him. Her lips curved into a small smile.
"My brother will be here shortly, Lord Haikal," she replied softly yet firmly.
Her words immediately brought relief to those around her. Laras, standing beside Haikal, let out a long sigh accompanied by a faint smile.