[Ding! Congratulations! You have drawn the 4,000x rebate!]

[Ding! The replicated S-rank Astral Earth Defense has been enhanced 4,000x times!]

[Ding! You have gained the SSS-rank talent: Earth Maestro!]

[Ding! SSS-rank talent — Earth Maestro merging with host!]

Staring at the list of notifications, Ulric couldn’t help himself as an exhilarated chuckle tore from his throat. He was on a roll.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the air around him rippled violently before bursting outward, releasing waves of pure brown energy that drilled into his body in overwhelming waves.

At the side, Lyra and Tara stared blankly. Before Lyra finally found her voice again.

"A-again?"

Tara wasn’t much better off. Her eyes blinked rapidly, almost as if trying to force herself awake from a dream or illusion. All of this was too surreal to be real anymore.

Across the realm, she had read stored records of dual-awakened geniuses with two awakened talents. Some even awakened later on after the awakening ceremony.

When he was bathed in resplendent golden energy, it had been unbelievable, but she had attributed it to that. After all, with all the feats he had accomplished, perhaps he could even be called a monster in the outer world.

But this... a third talent? She mused before pausing. Her thoughts growing dry. How sure was she this was even the third talent if he could awaken so easily? What was stopping him from accumulating a horde of them?

Gulping audibly at the thought, her lips twitched slightly as her face furrowed into a small pout. Did the rules of the realm even apply to him at this point?

It couldn’t help but make her wonder about the future with his ever-growing monstrous feats, while pitying anyone who would think he was just a genius.

Heck, she supposed he had at this point surpassed the term "monster," and she didn’t know what he could be called anymore.

While the two girls spiraled deeper and deeper into their thoughts, a thoughtful expression formed across Ulric’s face.

Alongside the burst of energy filling his body to form his new talent, a slew of insights also flooded his mind.

The mechanics and core aspects of the SSS-rank Earth Maestro Talent.

Amber’s talent focused more on sturdy defense and close combat attacks, greatly limiting its use.

But his was vastly different. If he could compare, it closely resembled his darkness, as its range extended to almost everything related to the earth element.

He could feel a subtle connection with the earth growing, stretching to extend thousands of meters. The range only increasing with every second.

He could track movements through vibrations like Amber. Previously, his spiritual field had played a major role in most of his battles.

Now his connection with the earth was almost similar, just hundreds of times bigger. Even if a little stretched out, he could already see its helpful future applications.

With this, he could sense the presence of enemies or opponents thousands of meters away before they could even spot him. Use it to scout for danger and so much more.

The benefits were just endless. And as if to prove it, his gaze shifted to a wooden chair lying at the edge of the room.

Concentrating slightly, he clenched his fists. Instantly after, the chair exploded, bursting into countless splinters.

Eliciting gasps from Tara and Lyra.

"Woah." Ulric chuckled with excitement. He could wield concepts. Amber had yet to even tap into them as he had done.

Using the heavy pressure and gravity of the earth to crush items and so on. Just now he had folded the pressure twice on itself. Yet that was just the tip of it.

He was confident if he concentrated hard enough, he could fold pressure a hundred times over, making it exceedingly crushing.

Enough to reduce an initial C-rank powerhouse into a mist of blood and bone with just a simple gesture.

A power others could only dream of, now he played with so easily. Resting at the tip of his fingers.

Crouching down, he was unable to stop himself from exploring some more.

Holding out a hand over the earth, the ground below trembled violently. Before shards of rocks and rubble burst out.

They hovered in the air mystically with the help of his earth pressure. Clenching his hands softly, an image formed at the back of his mind.

Instantly after, the rocks shimmered with a liquid-like light. As they easily melded to take on that form.

A few seconds later, a mini golem the size of his palm formed, gleaming with a dirt-brown color.

At first glance, it looked seemingly ordinary. But a trained eye saw beyond the facade. Flicking his fingers gently.

The wind screamed violently as he poked at it, causing the ground to shake slightly just from the sheer force.

But when his finger clashed into it, the sound of steel clashing with steel echoed. The mini golem remained intact without even a single mark.

"Haha! Incredible." Ulric chuckled boyishly. The sturdiness was far beyond his expectations.

Though his attack had seemed light, if Thunderblade were there, he would be shocked. The force of the attack exceeded by a great margin what he could even unleash at the heights of his power.

Exhaling quietly, green particles seeped out of his mouth to cover the small golem. Its eyes glowed with a green hue.

Its stationary body slowly moved animatedly, executing commands he cast through their mental link.

He was drawn into his thoughts for a while. Before he waved his hand once more as the little golem was reduced into fine particles. Flickers of green energy flowing back into him.

Of all his replicated talents, he was coming to like this one more and more. Its applications just seemed... endless. Only limited to his imagination.

He could delve into its abilities until he lost track of time. But he didn’t have much time... well, save for one last ability.

Ulric coughed. Of all the abilities Amber had been able to execute, one had intrigued him the most. Perhaps it was the strongest of them all.

Breathing softly, he clenched his hand over the earth once more. This time he didn’t call upon the earth as something different rose.

Vines summoned by his earth elemental heritage. Already thick and exuding a terrifying aura, but he wanted to try something else.

Holding one palm, he conjured a blade of darkness. Before swiping it across his palm, only for it to leave a white mark as he smiled wryly. He had almost forgotten how tough his body was, even when faced with an SSS-rank talent.

Swiping again, this time he applied more force as he drew out a drop of his blood. Gleaming with a golden-red sheen.

When it dropped over them, an explosion suddenly rang out. The blood fizzled the veins that tried to absorb it like acid. It was only through great effort that they were finally able to absorb it.

And when they did, a monstrous change took place.

The green vines thickened monstrously, turning blood-red but still not stopping. Until they turned a menacingly dark color, emitting chills.

Staring at it, Ulric stared blankly. Not sure of how to react. Whether to be shocked that he could feel the vines emitting almost peak C-rank deathly energy. Or to be pleased that his blood was now something of a mystical treasure.

Pondering over it for a moment, the wry smile on his face widened as the vines sank back into the earth.

While he rose back to his feet, the last of the brown energy seeping into his being. And with that, the final film of insight settled in as he murmured.

"I see... so that’s how it is."