I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

Chapter 1149: Blessing in Disguise

The space prison felt no different than it had a few moments ago, when he was seated alone. The ventilation seemed slightly more restricted—that was all.

However, Northern soon noticed the drastic difference. He leaned his head back to nap, but mere seconds later, his dangling eye snapped back into its socket, his face smoothed over, and his mangled bones straightened with startling speed.

At the slow rate his healing was working, this should have taken close to a day. Yet it was accomplished in mere seconds.

The realization jolted his eyes open and he sat up, properly processing Ul’s words.

’Is time really flowing differently here?’

No doubt it was. His healing felt slow, but the results were instantaneous—it had to be the space prism’s doing.

A slow smile spread across Northern’s lips as the truth sank in: time was accelerating for him in this space.

He didn’t know the exact rate, but it felt like barely a minute had passed since Ul left.

’She must have expended a great deal of power to create this, especially restrained by a mortal body. How is she even able to... she was dying just hours ago.’

Northern shook his head sharply.

’That’s not the point.’

He sighed, sat up straight, crossed his legs, and called upon his status.

[Profile]

Name: Rian Artemis Reimgard (Northern Longguard) True Name:[Unwritten], [Burning Storm] Attributes:[Omniform... (evolving)], [Endless], [Demon...] Soul Rank:[Transient] Talent Fragments:[13,985/6,000]

[Copied Talents]: [6/6]

[Owned Talents]: [4]

[Owned Items]: [Illusioned Hefter], [Moonlit Scale], and 19 others.

Northern stared at his talent fragments. After his soul purge, and after the origin seed was influenced by Omniform to become Endless, his talents had been drained. The voyage to South Drywall, however, had earned him more.

The one good thing about the war was the abundance of monsters for him and his summons to kill.

’Tsk, maybe I’ll miss this?’

No. He wouldn’t.

War was hell.

’My entire back aches like mad. Why would I want to go through that again?’

He sighed and leaned back.

’Now, all that’s left is to wait for the remaining three months to pass. And the damn penalty should be averted.’

Northern wasn’t sure it would happen, or if it would work—if the system could be deceived by the twisted time flow of the space prism’s reality Ul had constructed.

’It better. This is the Origin of Space’s authority.’

Northern glanced at the system’s interface as he waited.

Now that Chaos and Void were gone, it felt sparse... leaving an almost wistful taste in his mouth.

’Tahhh! It happened for the best. I can fare well without them.’

He looked at his hands.

’I will carve my path with blood and fire. This time, my sweat and my bones may cry out, but they will prove that what I become was not born of luck or grace, not by stumbling on a dead Origin’s vestige or some memory of the Void. It will be purely my raw, unstoppable will.’

He clenched his fist and waited.

The seconds, or minutes, or hours—Northern wasn’t sure how to classify them—flew by quickly, each one making his body feel stronger.

Until his flesh was fully healed and his eyes regained their sharp, dangerous azure glow. His sharp white brows and white hair were pristine again, as if he had grown new ones.

His skin was slightly pale but flawlessly smooth. The molten vein armor had been destroyed, so Northern wore his tattered school uniform, which made him look more like the Origin of Madness than Kryos ever had.

The wait continued, and a thread of nervousness wound through him. He hoped this would work. He hoped he wouldn’t just grow old in this place.

Becoming an Ascendant, or possibly a Paragon, was just one facet of the plan. He still had to find a way to break out of the space prison.

Northern sighed and closed his eyes, awaiting either his failure or his miracle.

Suddenly, a mighty roar of wind filled the space. A green tornado smashed into the ground before him. Northern frowned immediately—he knew no one who wielded wind with color.

The gale dispersed, and Thalen strode out, hurrying toward him and dropping to one knee.

”Northern! Are you alright?”

Northern looked at the headmaster for a long moment. A smile touched his lips.

”You’re alive...”

Thalen straightened, slightly stunned.

”What?You expected me to be dead?”

Northern let out a short laugh.

”Aha...no, no, not at all.”

His laughter died as he exhaled, his expression shifting to one of serious gratitude.

”When I was fighting Kryos,I noted the destruction around us. I wondered if I, as a mundane person, could have survived it. I tried to control the damage, but that would have meant holding back—a luxury I couldn’t afford.”

He offered a somber smile.

”I just hoped all of you were safe.What about Raven, Jeci, Lynus, and that Paragon...”

Thalen smiled in response.

”They are all fine.You need not worry about us; you have shouldered too much alone. You are hardly in a position to be worrying about us again.”

His gaze then fell, his expression darkening.

Northern noticed and leaned forward, his expression concerned.

”What’s wrong, Headmaster?”

Thalen clenched his fists on his knees, hesitating. Just then, Raven landed beside them.

”Northern! What is this?”

She asked, frowning as she examined the prism trapping him.

He glanced at her.

”Ul constructed this safe space for me.”

He then returned his focus to Thalen.

”Headmaster? What is it?”

His gaze darted to Raven.

”Is there something I should know?”

Raven exhaled and looked away.

”The Paragon...he’s dead.”

The news hit Northern like a physical blow, freezing him in place. It was unbelievable.

”That’s not possible. He was the strongest of you all.”

Raven lowered her head.

”Ul commanded him to commit suicide...and he did.”

Northern’s expression darkened.

”What? Why? How?”

Raven’s tone was clear and direct.

”Apparently, because we have been listening to her voice since the day we awakened, she planted a command in everyone’s mind. She can simply order anyone to do her bidding.”

Northern’s eyes flared with alarm.

”Jeci! Is she okay?!”

Raven nodded with a small, grim smile.

”She’s fine. I have no idea how twisted she is. The way she overcame the command was... eerie.”

Northern chuckled slightly, recalling his first encounter with her.

”She is an eerie person, generally.”

He looked at both of them. ”How are both of you—”

He suddenly froze mid-sentence, his body trembling.

Raven and Thalen looked at him with immediate worry. Raven poised her black wing to strike the prism, but Northern cried out.

”Hey! Stop that!”

Raven, confused, quickly halted her attack and stepped back.

”What’s wrong... you seem to be in pain.”

Thalen worriedly inquired, moving closer.

However, Northern was smiling, though sweat beaded his brow as he nodded at them.

He strained to speak.

”Y—You t–two... d–don’t worry about me. Leave. I need a moment to myself.”

Thalen hesitated, his worry deepening. But Northern sighed and shooed them away.

”Leave! Chase Ul down; this whole thing is about to end!”

Thalen looked at him, then nodded with resolve. He turned to Raven.

”Lady Raven...”

He surged upward on a tornado of green wind. Raven looked at Northern and asked:

”Is it like that time?”

Northern managed a slight nod, suppressing a groan.

”Something like that, I think...”

Raven smirked slightly and took off.

Finally, Northern collapsed to the ground, releasing a painful, guttural scream as if his insides were being gutted.

[Status penalty has been served]

[You have gained 6,000 talent fragments]

[Your soul is evolving]

[Another distinct evolution has been detected]

[A strange phenomenon is occurring]

[Your soul evolution is being consumed by this strange ongoing evolution]

[Tyranny of Change, Tyranny of Emulation, Endless, Unwritten, Infinite-Eyes... Omniform is bringing it all together]

[The system is evolving...]

[YOU ARE EVOLVING...]

Northern saw the notifications and groaned painfully.

’Yeah... this is certainly going to hurt like never before.’