I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

Chapter 1196: The Catacombs

Northern propelled himself forward, short limbs and serpentine body coiling through the land, plunging deeper into the terrain. After destroying the Crimson Bulwark, the breathing walls of the cliff had ceased, and now everything lay still.

But also eerily silent. The rhythmic pulse in the walls—Northern had grown so accustomed to it in such a short time that he actually missed it now that everything sat perfectly still.

Soon, the obsidian terrain shifted. Northern entered what looked like catacombs. The air here hung heavier, slightly distorted—not enough to bother him, of course, but Northern had to acknowledge that any other Paragon would buckle under it.

Trees wrapped in glowing red webbing lined the passage. Or at least they resembled trees, though with a more grotesque and unsettling structure. But it made no sense—why would so many trees exist in catacombs, situated in the depths of a canyon? There was no sunlight to nurture any form of nature in this corrupted land.

Guessing they had to be something else, Northern used Third Eye. The X-ray vision revealed their truth.

His jaw slackened.

These weren’t trees at all—calcified remains of ancient monsters, every single one. Several web canopies stretched between the structures, creating a multilayered maze.

The entrance to the catacombs was cold. Not that Northern cared about temperature, but still, a certain chill pressed against him that he couldn’t help but notice. As he pressed deeper into the webbed catacombs, the air warmed, favoring the Slag Wyrm’s physiology.

[Essence Drain detected]

’Ah, that’s right... I noticed too.’

From the moment he’d stepped into the pressurized air of the catacomb, Northern had suspected something was bleeding away from him. But he’d ignored it, given how insignificant the amount was. However, as he crawled deeper into the maze, the drainage grew more alarming. Which was why Aoi, at this point, had to speak up.

But currently, there was no way to stop it.

’Or is there?’

[Currently, you have no ability that can stop essence leakage.]

Northern paused, thoughtful.

’What if I use Infinite Iteration to regenerate the cells degrading from the essence loss?’

[That is a brilliant idea. However, it is equivalent to filling a leaking bowl by pouring more water—it doesn’t fix the problem, it just buys you more time.]

[The optimal method would be to return to your original form, where you don’t need essence to maintain yourself. This will render the essence leakage negligible until you’re at least able to destroy this place.]

’However, I’ll have to clear this layer fast so I don’t lose too much essence—considering I still have to fight the others, especially the master of this place.’

[Correct.]

Northern sighed internally.

’Looks like our opponent wants to play difficult this time.’

Northern undid his transformation. The Slag Wyrm’s massive form disintegrated into a spray of black sparks that merged back into him.

He stood there, his attire intact, every body part accounted for. For a moment, he contemplated the stark difference of experiencing another form yet felt stunned by how undifferentiated and unoverwhelming it was.

Strange. He’d felt like he’d always been a Slag Wyrm, and now, standing as a human, it felt like he’d always been human and never been a Slag Wyrm. He didn’t forget the experience—it was more that both were separate things his brain sorted effortlessly. His identity as a Slag Wyrm felt as valid as being himself right now, neither interrupting the other.

A small smile crept across Northern’s face.

’I guess this is what it truly means to be the Daemon of Form. I’m the King of all forms—I can be everything, one at a time, and wear it as naturally as if I’ve always existed in it.’

He confirmed the reduction in essence leakage and continued forward. Now that he’d figured this part out, he had to find the damn spider and deal with it quickly.

But there seemed to be no end to the maze. Northern moved through the catacomb passages, his footsteps silent against stone. The webbing grew denser with each turn—glowing crimson strands crisscrossing between the calcified remains of ancient monsters. The red light pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat.

After an hour of walking, Northern had reached such depths that the webbing walls had thickened considerably. They appeared ordinary enough, yet a premonition stirred in his gut.

[You’re using Third Eye]

Through the X-ray vision, he saw them. Thousands of small heat signatures clustered within the web structures. Waiting. Watching.

[Warning: Multiple hostile entities detected]

[Fiend rank entities: 2,847]

[Savage rank entities: 341]

[Beast rank entities: 47]

[Hellion rank entity: 1]

The numbers kept climbing as his vision penetrated deeper into the catacombs.

Northern’s face didn’t change.

”A welcoming committee. That’s an awful lot of weak mobs.”

They waited instead of attacking. And that mass of fodder? It painted a clear picture.

This monster had designed its habitat for a war of attrition. Bleed the intruder dry without lifting a finger. The mobs were probably there to finish whatever remained without much hassle. Or feed.

Northern paused, his jaw clicking as he worked through the problem.

’It would be really nice if I had a taunt ability... do I, Aoi?’

[No]

”Well, there’s that... Talent Weave—we can merge two talents to create one, right?”

[Yes]

Northern’s shoulders lifted in a casual shrug, a smile playing at his lips.

”So, what are your suggestions?”

[Currently, you have a taunt-adjacent ability: ECLIPSING DREAD - Dread Manifestation, which radiates supernatural fear that affects enemies]

[While this is more intimidation than taunt, it does draw attention and affect enemy psychology. Intensity increases in darkness]

[Possible combinations to create taunt effects:]

[Option 1: ECLIPSING DREAD (Dread Manifestation) + SOUL THREAD (Soul String) - Use Dread Manifestation to draw psychological attention. Attach Soul Strings to targets to manipulate their focus toward you. The emotional manipulation from Soul Thread combined with fear could compel enemies to target you.]

[Option 2: SOUL THREAD (Fate’s Needle) + ECLIPSING DREAD (Dread Manifestation) - Pierce targets with soul threads to puppet their movements. Use Dread Manifestation to psychologically compel them to attack you. This creates a forced aggro effect.]

[Option 3: FULL IMPACT (Remorse) + ONE’S TRUE SELF (Soul Synchronization) - Link souls with enemies and make them feel guilt for attacking anything other than you. Make attacking you specifically feel ”necessary” or ”inevitable” through the soul link. Psychological compulsion rather than mechanical taunt.]

At the third option, a wide grin split Northern’s face.