Cultivating Talents [LitRPG Mana-cultivation]

A smile tugged on Hector's lips as he read over the list. He'd already decided which Talents he wanted to fuse—both had no use for the foreseeable future. [Growth Touch] and [Light Token] could make an interesting pairing. If anything, Hector hoped the fusion would enhance the [Light Token]'s effects a bit.

Right now, it was of little to no use. The cave needed way more than a measly thirty minutes of light. Torches would be better than that. Not to mention, Lincoln planned to bring down the mana stones they'd taken from the Farmhands.

His eyes then moved to the [Growth Touch] Talent. He brought his hand to the [Talent Grafting] table, before which he stood, and drummed his fingers on its surface. Before everything had happened, he'd planned on giving it to Mirae. His sister might have had some use for it—maybe seeing what a collection of seeds would grow into before she planted them. A party trick, at best.

He had no doubt that it would have brought her some joy. However, right now, she didn't need something like that. She needed something that would keep her safe. If something happened while he was away, she would only have herself. Though with her new cultivation ability, that worry had dampened a lot.

His gaze shifted to the void that seemed so silent, yet hummed with potential. Before he'd come in here, he'd convinced her he had nothing else to hide. What Jodie had said struck a chord with him. She was right. He didn't fully understand how the system worked, and it could always change.

That was more than a plausible excuse for why he would reveal certain things in the future. Though it was risky. If he slipped up and forgot he'd told them something, it could get a little awkward.

I just need to make sure I'm keeping them in the loop with the important things. That's all. Everything else like this can just stay with me. Though I might have to explain what's happening if I want to give their Talents a little boost in the future.

Hector reached forward and grasped at the void. "System, call down the [Growth Touch] Talent and the [Light Token] Talent."

The soul waters at his feet rippled. He took a slight step, adjusting himself and splashing water. Above, two bright white lights burst into existence through the void. They arced across the sky, sparkling with brilliance, blazing a trail across the inky blackness.

A moment later, they dipped from the void and shot towards him in a line of white. The two slammed down into spots just above the crafting table. As a white, rippling circle of light burst from their forms, Hector raised his hand and shielded his eyes. As usual, the system was one for theatrics.

Hector rested a hand on the cool marble of the [Talent Grafting] table. A tingle crept up his spine. Excitement bubbled in his chest as he let out a shaky sigh. Finding a new Talent was fun. But this was different. Until now, he either found Talents or grew them; he never created them.

[Talent Grafting] changed that, because he could now essentially decide what Talent he received. Sure, it wasn't much. After all, he'd still have to find or grow the original two that he fused. But it was more than a start.

He pushed off the marble and reached for one of the two Talents that floated above the table. Grasping it in both hands, he brought it to one of the circular indents on the table's surface before doing the same with the other. Both Talents slotted in with an audible click. Hector smiled.

"Right, what do I do now?" he asked, tracking the swirling symbols on the Talent's surface as white light from the two dappled his clothing.

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///: The host must choose a third Talent to sacrifice in order to fuse the two selected Talents.

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Hector slapped his forehead and grumbled. His eyes moved to the third empty indent, and they narrowed. How could he forget that a price had to be paid? Not only did he need two trash Talents to sacrifice, but he also needed a third. That made things a little tricky.

He brought a finger to his lips and nibbled on it. There was nothing for it; he had to look over the list again. Perhaps he'd missed one, although he doubted that. Every Talent he had could change his life in a certain way. Even something like [Light Token] had its uses, especially once it made it to a higher rank.

"System, bring up the Talent list," Hector said.

A moment later, a screen shuffled to life before him, and the words poured down its white surface.

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///: Loading Talents… … …

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[Growth Touch] (Selected for grafting)

[Street Reader] x2

[Vitality Resonance]

[Awakened Soul] x2

[Moonlight Marionette] | (Mirae: [1])

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[Primal Aspect] | (Jodie: [1])

[Frost Needle]

[Ember Pool] x2 | (Jodie: [1])

[Mud Barrier]

[Light Token] (Selected for grafting)

[Momentum Strike]

[Meditation Circle]

[Iron Skin]

///: Note: Several Talents, though listed, are in the hands of other users and cannot be interacted with by the host.

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His brow knitted, frustration crawling across his features. He couldn't say he had no options. But this. His eyes moved to the [Frost Needle] Talent. In any other situation, he'd have chosen it. But he planned to give that one to Emela; from the sounds of her other Talent, the two would pair nicely.

As for the [Mud Barrier] Talent, that was actually a useful one. It would allow them to block any escape routes and would be excellent for crowd control. Lincoln's name was all over it. Hector brought a hand to his forehead, rubbing it.

He could just use them and give the two something later. But that had its own risk. What had happened to his dad was a warning and a tragedy. If he had a Talent that he could give people, they needed to have it as soon as possible. Danger could strike at any moment, and he didn't want to sit with regret. Not again.

What the hell do I do in this situation? I can either give up some potential safety to satisfy my curiosity, or I can do what I know is right and ensure I've equipped my friends.

Hector bent forward and propped his elbows on the table, gripping his head between his hands. He ruffled his hair, messing up his white locks, and let out a shout in frustration.

"Ah, you know what? Screw it." He pushed off the marble and stepped away from the [Talent Grafting Table]. He couldn't decide right now, so it was probably best to just decide later.

Giving myself some time to think is for the best. I don't want to waste anything useful, anyway. And I should probably see how Mirae is doing. I also need to cultivate myself.

Hector trod through his soul waters. The five marble pedestals glimmered as the brown plant pots on their surface seemingly watched him leave. They would be ready in a day or two. The watering process had become a lot less intense after the upgrade, so he'd have to check on them later.

As he splashed down into the soul water, getting into the lotus position, Hector took in his Talent garden once more. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, following the rhythm deep within, and the world melted away.

A few moments later, Hector's eyes flickered open. The dome formed by his [Gentle Sanctuary] hummed around him while Mirae sat with her eyes closed. His sister looked comfortable in her lotus position. He couldn't blame her. To actually feel you were making progress in your cultivation—it was addicting.

"Ah, you're awake," a voice said. Hector turned his head. Behind him, just inside the dome, stood Jodie, a bulging bag of supplies on her back, a smug smile pulling on her lips. "Look who I found," she said, gesturing to the two girls beside her.

Hector smiled, nodding at Emela and Nyx as his eyes met theirs. He'd been worried it would take them a while to meet up, but it seemed those worries had been baseless. "I'm glad to see that you two are okay."

Emela's face fell as her eyes searched his features. Her head dropped, and she let out a sigh. "I'm so sorry, Hector. Jodie told me what happened." She looked up at him while her feet shifted towards him. But she paused. "I wish there had been something I could have done."

Hector shook his head. Letting out a heavy sigh, he climbed to his feet and made his way over. He'd wished the same thing. The only difference was that there had been something he could have done. If he'd helped his dad and shown him his abilities, maybe he could have lived. Maybe if he'd seen the Talents, his dad would have taken him and his sister to see the room under the shack a lot sooner.

With that cultivating speed, he could have fought off the Collar Gang before they even touched his dad. But that was in the past now.

I still need to find my dad's body so I can give him a funeral. That's at least the last thing I can do for him.

"There wasn't anything any of you could have done," Hector said, stopping before them. "All I want to do now is make sure they pay for what they did."

As Hector went to ask how they'd found the trip to the cave, Emela slammed into him, embracing him in a tight hug. Nyx frowned, her eyes narrowing at him, her stance shifting. It was as if she thought he was going to attack her. But the only reaction that came to mind was blankness.

All the while, Jodie stood there stunned, her mouth falling open. "I didn't think she had such emotions."

Hector didn't know if he should return the hug or just let it happen. Thankfully, a moment later, Emela released the hug. Stepping back, a tinge of red crawling up her cheeks, she straightened out the ends of her tunic and coughed into her hand. "Sorry about that. So, what are your plans now?"

— — —

"Yeah, that's a little strange," Emela said, cringing as Jodie blinked at her. Her eyes had morphed back into those of the hairless rats. Jodie had thought it'd be cool to show the other girl, but from the look on Emela's face, she didn't appreciate it too much.

Jodie laughed. A moment later, her eyes shifted, the pupils shrinking while the irises took on their usual blue. "Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I think I might take the claws from those things next time. Because Hector's the only one with a weapon right now," Jodie said, turning to him.

Hector inclined his head to the girl. With a light smile, he then turned to Emela. "I have a Talent for you, actually. As soon as I'm able, I'll pass it to you."

Emela frowned. She raised an eyebrow at Jodie, who just shrugged. Emela then glanced at Nyx. The black-haired girl returned the confused look. "What do you mean by 'pass it to you'?" Emela asked. "I thought you could only awaken them in others."

"Yeah, it turns out Hector doesn't exactly know how his abilities work either," Jodie answered for him. A wave of appreciation washed through him. It was one thing to say it himself, but if he could get others to say it for him—well, that gave the excuse a lot of credibility.

"Yeah, it's like awakening for some, but I can extract Talents and pass them to others," Hector said, shifting on his sleeping bag. Mirae, who sat next to him, placed her hand on his leg—a show of support. "I'm still learning, but there seems to be a limit to what I can do."

Emela shot Nyx a look. Her hand reached up for one of her ponytails, and she began to stroke it. "That's… interesting."

As she went to continue, a voice broke into the cavern. "Hector, I have some info." Lincoln burst through the passageway and into the area, a smile running across his lips. "I know where Adrien is going to be, and better yet, I know when."

Hector turned towards his friend, his features falling flat. "Really? When? How? You only left a few hours ago."

Chuckling, Lincoln stepped into the small circle they had formed and nodded at Emela and Nyx. "Well—" Lincoln paused. He raised a hand and pointed towards the back area within the dome. "Since when did you get a tent?"

Hector glanced back, admiring the structure that Jodie had brought them. The thing was fairly large, about the size of his kitchen back home. With the pegs holding it to the ground, pulling the leather tight, and the lack of wind, it wasn't going anywhere. It was perfect.

"Jodie got it," Hector said, turning back to Lincoln. "But never mind that. What have you heard about Adrien?"