Talent: Genesis Farmer
Rank: SSS+ → Transcendent
....
Sovereign of Land (SSS → SSS+)
Cooldown: 6 hours → None
Mana Consumption efficiency has increased by 500%.
...
Seed of Providence (SSS → SSS+)
Passive Effect has been strengthened by 500%
....
Reaper’s Bounty (SSS → SSS+)
Additional Effect gained: Vitality and mana harvested from crops can be stored in form of potions.
...
Isaac raised a brow, impressed.
The increase in range of Sovereign of Land skill increased his farming and fighting ability by a large range. The removal of cooldown was good too.
The passive effect of Seed of Providence skill improved the fertility of crops. Boosting that 500% was a huge gain.
And lastly...
’The new effect of Reaper’s Bounty skill lets me harvest Mana and Constitution potion.’
’I finally don’t need to waste stats anymore,’ he thought, grinning to himself.
The possibilities stretched out in front of him.
He could create an entire business empire built around endless mana and constitution potions created by him, or he could have a private supply only to strengthen his subjects.
Either way, the future looked much brighter.
He carried Celia to their room. She leaned against him but didn’t look tired in the slightest.
"I’m not really sleepy," she admitted as he set her down on the bed.
"Sleep anyway," Isaac said with a small smile, then paused. "Wait. Before that, I’ll give you the Talent Fragment."
Celia nodded, unable to hide her excitement. "Alright."
He opened his Lord profile and selected her name.
A faint shimmer filled the room, and a screen appeared in front of Celia’s eyes.
[You have been granted an SSS rank Talent Fragment by your Lord.]
[Would you like to absorb it?]
"Yes," she answered without hesitation.
The glow spread across her body.
Talent: Void Traverser
Rank: SSS → SSS+
Celia blinked, then focused, watching as her skill set shifted before her.
The skill she had unlocked at level five was now available from level one. Her level ten skill had been pushed back to level five.
Every skill was strengthened, and their descriptions were subtly altered.
More importantly, the restructuring created a vacant space for her twentieth-level reward.
The gap filled instantly.
Mirror Rift (SSS rank)
Skill Level: 1
Effect: Creates a 5m-wide translucent rift barrier in front of the user with defensive capabilities. Upon impact, there is a 10% chance the attack will be reflected back at the opponent.
Cost: 100 Mana
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Excitement lit her face as she turned to Isaac.
"I got a new skill. Mirror Rift. It creates a barrier, five meters wide, and it even has a chance to reflect attacks. Do you know what this means?"
Her voice carried a rare note of relief.
"My biggest weakness has always been defense. Teleportation takes time. I’m always vulnerable in those few seconds. That’s why I’ve always been the weak link in a group. But with this, I can finally defend myself properly."
Isaac stared at her, his expression unreadable for a moment.
Then he frowned. "Weak link? Celia, you’re not weak. You haven’t even fought in the wilderness before, right? That’s probably why you think that way."
She smirked at him. "Heh, so you already know all my skills. No point pretending, I guess. I have a few attack skills, but I could never use them in front of others. If anyone saw, they’d know I was a devil."
"So you were holding back until now because of that?" Isaac’s frown deepened.
"Yes."
"You don’t need to do that anymore. In fact, you should stop hiding your tail and wings."
Her smirk faltered. "I can’t. Isaac, I’m a devil. The surface world and hell have been at odds since the beginning of time. If anyone knew what I was, they’d hate me. And if they hated me, they’d hate you too."
"No one would hate you," Isaac said firmly. "Besides, that war ended thousands of years ago. People don’t hold grudges that long. Devils aren’t hated anymore."
She hesitated, clearly conflicted.
Her lips parted, then closed again.
Isaac reached for her hands, holding them gently. "If you’re afraid, then put your trust in me. I’ll protect you. Even if gods come, even if the King of Hell himself stands against us, I’ll protect you. So don’t worry about your tail, or wings, or species. You don’t need to hide anymore."
Her eyes softened. She lowered her head slightly, and spoke in a quiet voice. "...Okay."
Isaac touched her wings gently, letting his fingers brush against the smooth edges. "I like your wings. So please, don’t hide them anymore, alright?"
This time her smile was genuine, the kind that reached her eyes.
"Okay," she said again, but with far more confidence than before.
He let his hand linger for a moment before pulling away.
Then he reached into his belongings and produced the Soulbind Pendant, placing it in her hands.
"I’ll go inside now. It looks like the lingering souls of the nannies are about to complete their transformation into spirit warriors."
Celia nodded and held the pendant close.
With a thought, Isaac entered it.
He emerged in the garden of the mansion.
The sun was dipping toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the grounds.
The mansion looked more luxurious than the one he had seen during the Trial.
Its walls were gleaming white, and the gardens were perfectly tended.
Even the monolith he destroyed stood restored, tall and imposing.
He walked toward the entrance, glancing around at the details.
He thought with a smile, ’System, share the improved skills Celia just gained, along with her new one!’
[Previously shared skills from Celia von Rae have been upgraded.]
[Skill Mirror Rift gained.]
Isaac smile deepened.
’Good. Now, system, share her new Talent!’
[Talent Fragment SSS+ rank x1 gained.]
A thought struck him then.
He had realized long ago that potion effects could be shared, even if Emily or Alice had already consumed them.
If that worked, what about Talents?
"It doesn’t hurt to try."
’System, share the SSS rank Talent Fragment I gave Celia earlier!’
[Talent Fragment SSS rank x1 gained.]
[Total Talent Fragments: 1 (SSS+ rank), 1 (SSS rank)]
’It works!’
Isaac grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest.
He took a steadying breath, curbing his enthusiasm, and made his way deeper into the mansion.
His feet carried him to the room where Emily’s life pod rested.
The pod glowed faintly, runes dancing across its surface.
Inside, Emily’s body floated, encased in a cocoon of light.
"Only eight hours left until her evolution completes," Isaac murmured.
His eyes caught something that made his chest tighten.
Emily’s fists were clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
Her face was twisted in distress, and her expression looked pained even thought she was unconsciousness.
"What sort of memories are you regaining that leave you looking like this?" he whispered.
He wanted to reach in, to soothe her, but all he could do was wait.
With a sigh, he turned and walked toward the main hall.
Ten man-sized lights floated there, glowing like stars.
These were the souls of the nannies, still suspended in their halfway state.
He stopped and watched as the lights began to dim.
Slowly, they shifted, reshaping into physical bodies.
One by one, ten women appeared, dressed in maid uniforms.