The Ultimate Skill System: Absorb, Upgrade, Create, Transfer-Chapter 22 - : Infernal Arcana

The forest was quiet, save for the soft rustling of leaves in the night breeze. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale silver light over the clearing where Keiran stood.

His body, once a towering mass of translucent, shimmering water, began to shift and shrink. The giant slime form dissolved into a swirling pool of liquid, and from it emerged Keiran in his human form.

His dark hair clung to his forehead, damp from the transformation, and his sharp eyes scanned the area with calm precision.

Before him lay the lifeless body of the Shadowcarver, its black, scorpion form glistening under the moonlight. The creature's exoskeleton was slick with moisture, a remnant of Keiran's earlier attack.

Its massive claws, once razor-sharp and deadly, now lay limp at its sides. The tail, tipped with a venomous stinger, was curled awkwardly beneath its body. Keiran stepped closer, his bare feet pressing into the soft earth as he approached the fallen beast.

He walked over to where his tracksuit lay discarded on the ground. Picking it up, he shook off the dirt and leaves before slipping it on.

Once dressed, he returned to the Shadowcarver's body, his expression unreadable.

"You came here to hunt me," Keiran said, his voice low and steady. "But in the end, you became my prey."

He knelt beside the creature and placed a hand on its carapace. Closing his eyes, he activated his Divine Inheritance.

A faint, dark energy began to rise from the Shadowcarver's body, swirling like smoke before being drawn into Keiran.

[You have received 7 Skills.]

[Common Skills.]

[Shadow Sting (Active): Coats its stinger in dark energy, injecting a venom that weakens the target's vision and reduces movement speed for a short time. Mana Cost 1.]

[Carapace Cloak (Active): Briefly blends into surrounding shadows, reducing visibility to enemies and lowering chances of being targeted. Lasts for a few seconds. Mana Cost 1.]

[Umbral Fortitude (Passive): The Shadowcarver's body passively absorbs a small amount of dark energy from the environment, slightly increasing resistance to dark-based attacks.]

[Uncommon Skills.]

[Carver's Grasp (Active): The Shadowcarver's claws become coated in razor-sharp shadow energy, allowing it to tear through magical barriers and armor with ease. When striking a foe, tendrils of shadow bind the target's limbs, reducing their speed and making them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Mana Cost 5.]

[Shadowforge Carapace (Passive): The Shadowcarver's exoskeleton passively absorbs ambient darkness, gradually hardening into an obsidian-like armor. This carapace reduces physical and magical damage taken, especially from non-light-based attacks, and slightly reflects damage back at melee attackers. The darker the environment, the stronger the effect.]

[Rare Skills.]

[Eclipse Shatter (Active): The Shadowcarver channels condensed shadow energy into its tail, forming a spear-like stinger of pure void. When launched, the stinger pierces through multiple enemies and detonates in a massive eruption of cutting shadows, dealing severe magical and dark-elemental damage in a wide area. This can obliterate weaker enemies instantly. Mana Cost 10.]

[Umbral Sovereignty (Passive): Darkness itself bends to the Shadowcarver's will. In areas of complete darkness, the Shadowcarver's body partially merges with the shadows, making it untouchable by physical attacks. Its attack power, speed, and regeneration are dramatically enhanced, allowing it to fight entire squads without pause. Even light-based physical attacks struggles to fully penetrate its shifting, shadow-cloaked form, making it a near-untouchable force within the abyss.]

Keiran's eyes flickered as he processed the new abilities.

One of his eyebrows raised slightly, the closest thing to surprise he ever showed. "Neat," he muttered under his breath.

[For acquiring 7 unique skills, you have received experience points.]

[You leveled up 5x.]

[You have received 60 Stat points.]

[Your HP, MP, and SP have been replenished.]

The notifications faded, and Keiran turned his attention to his surroundings.

The campfire he had lit earlier was now nothing but a pile of cold ashes. He walked over to it and picked up a stick of meat that had fallen to the ground.

Brushing off the dirt, he held it in one hand while his other hand ignited with a small flame. Using his Eternal Blaze ability, he lit the campfire once more, the flames crackling to life and casting a warm glow over the clearing.

Keiran sat down by the fire, the stick of meat in hand. He began to eat, his movements calm and unhurried, as if he hadn't just defeated a powerful enemy moments ago.

The meat was tough and slightly charred, but he didn't seem to mind. His mind was already elsewhere, focused on the next steps.

As he ate, he opened his status board and began assigning his newly acquired stat points.

He distributed 20 points each to Constitution, Dexterity, and Agility, and 30 points each to Intelligence and Strength. The changes were subtle but noticeable—his body felt stronger, his movements more precise, and his mind sharper.

Once he was done, he lay down beside the campfire, the warmth of the flames lulling him into a deep sleep. The night passed quietly, the forest undisturbed by any further threats.

When Keiran woke the next morning, the first rays of sunlight were filtering through the trees.

He sat up, stretching his arms as he glanced at his status board. His eyes lingered on the list of common skills, a long catalog of abilities he had accumulated over time.

[COMMON: Iron Fist, Enduring Spirit, Mud Spit, Stone Skin, Rapid Hop, Ferocious Bite, Predator's Rush, Venomous Bite, Shadow Slither, Venomous Strike, Static Jolt, Thunder Dash, Conductive Fur, Ember Slash, Flame Gust, Heated Feathers, Wild Flurry, Raccoon Rampage, Iron Pelt, Phantom Strike, Ghost Cloak, Silent Predator, Wind Claw, Gale Charge, Stormhide, Umbral Fortitude, Carapace Cloak, Shadow Sting.]

Keiran's expression remained neutral, but his mind was already working. Many of these skills were useful, but they were scattered and unrefined.

He needed something more versatile, something that could adapt to different situations. Physical attacks were effective, but he had noticed a growing number of monsters immune to them. He needed to address that weakness.

With a deep breath, Keiran activated Arcane Creation.

The process required sacrifices—20 skills to create a single, more powerful one.

Without hesitation, he selected the skills he was willing to part with:

[Silent Predator, Wind Claw, Gale Charge, Stormhide, Umbral Fortitude, Carapace Cloak, Shadow Sting, Heated Feathers, Wild Flurry, Raccoon Rampage, Iron Pelt, Phantom Strike, Shadow Slither, Venomous Strike, Static Jolt, Thunder Dash, Conductive Fur, Ember Slash, Flame Gust, Ferocious Bite.]

As the skills were consumed, a series of glowing runes and ancient tomes materialized around Keiran, floating in the air as if guided by an unseen force.

The process was quick, taking only a few seconds, but the result was undeniable.

A new skill had been created.

[Infernal Arcana (Active): Unleashes a surge of ancient fire elemental magic, engulfing all enemies in range in searing flames. Deals moderate fire magic damage to all enemies, with bonus damage against enemies with physical immunity. Additionally, it deals increased damage to water and rock-type defenses or armor. Upon hit, all affected enemies are afflicted with Weakened Ward, reducing their physical and magical resistance for a short duration. The caster also gains Blazing Surge, which increases their magic attack power for a brief period. This skill doesn't harm entities the user perceives as allies. Mana Cost 5.]

[For creating one Uncommon skill, you have received experience points.]

[You leveled up.]

[You have received 12 Stat points.]

Keiran's lips curled into a small smirk, the closest thing to satisfaction he ever showed. "Exactly what I wanted," he said quietly.

The new skill was perfect—a versatile, area-of-effect attack that could handle multiple enemies at once. It addressed his need for a reliable magic-based ability, and the added effects made it even more potent.

•••••

NAME: Keiran Graywood

CLASS: Hero

SUBCLASS: Skillmancer

LEVEL: 89

HP: 2,301

MP: 3,445

SP: 3,445

[STATS]

CONSTITUTION: 177

INTELLIGENCE: 265

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

STRENGTH: 265

DEXTERITY: 177

AGILITY: 177

AVAILABLE STAT POINTS: 12

[SKILLS]

DIVINE BLESSINGS: Divine Inheritance, Sacred Elevation, Arcane Creation, Blessing of Bequeathal.

COMMON: Iron Fist, Enduring Spirit, Mud Spit, Stone Skin, Rapid Hop, Predator's Rush, Venomous Bite, Ghost Cloak.

UNCOMMON: Rending Frenzy, Skittering Nightmare, Aqua Devour, Elastic Fluid Body, Mystic Convergence, Hellflare Dive, Eternal Blaze, Predator's Maul, King of the Wilds, Spectral Rend, Wraithbound Reflexes, Cyclone Crash, Wind's Favor, Carver's Grasp, Shadowforge Carapace, Infernal Arcana.

RARE: Colossal Frenzy, Titan's Resilience, Abyssal Execution, Sovereign of the Unseen, Howling Tempest, Windborne Regeneration, Eclipse Shatter, Umbral Sovereignty.

•••••