Titan

Carl tried to suppress his excitement as he asked, "Can you tell me which templates I can choose from?"

"Of course. There are many templates, such as Yuan Tiangang from Painted Rivers and Lakes, Ge Nie from Legend of Qin, and Wangquan Fugui from Fox Spirit Matchmaker. Each template has unique skills and talents. As long as you draw a suitable one, you'll be able to display formidable strength in the Pirate World."

"Templates only give the host the abilities of anime characters. You'll have to train the various moves and skills yourself to grow stronger; you won't directly inherit an anime character's peak strength."

Excitement gleamed in Carl's eyes. Though he would have to train his abilities himself, that was still better than having no abilities at all.

"System, how many templates can I use at once?"

If he could only use one template, he would have to choose carefully. Otherwise, he would be wasting this wonderful opportunity.

"The host can use multiple panels at the same time without any adverse effects."

That was pretty good. He could combine abilities from all kinds of anime.

"By the way, System, do you have a starter pack?"

Carl was a little puzzled, and his face showed it. After all, surviving on a deserted island as an ordinary person would be extremely difficult without a starter pack.

"I do. Although crossing over here consumed a great deal of energy, the system has prepared a starter pack to help you establish yourself in the Pirate World as quickly as possible."

"Then open the starter pack, System."

Carl spoke impatiently.

Night gradually fell. The cold wind howled past, chilling Carl until his lips turned purple. He pressed himself tightly against the tree trunk, shivering as he tried to find a little warmth.

The roars of various beasts echoed across the island, filling him with fear as he carefully scanned his surroundings.

He knew that if he didn't quickly gain some way to protect himself, tonight could be the end of his life.

"Congratulations, host. Your starter pack contains one talent draw, one skill draw, and one unrestricted draw."

"System, do all three draws for me! There's no time to hesitate."

Carl's voice was urgent. He could hear what sounded like a beast charging toward him through the woods.

He knew that the draw might be his only chance.

A huge golden wheel suddenly appeared before him, its light shimmering as the different reward sections came into view. Carl stared intently at the wheel, ready to draw a talent.

Various talents were listed on it, including Steel Balloon, Titan Power, and Frail and Weak. There was everything from the best to the worst.

Carl silently prayed that he wouldn't draw a talent like Frail and Weak.

"Congratulations, host. You drew Titan Power!"

At the system's announcement, Carl let out a sigh of relief, as if a weight had lifted from his heart.

Thank goodness he hadn't drawn Frail and Weak.

The name Titan Power seemed vaguely familiar, but he had mostly forgotten what it could do.

"System, show me the description for Titan Power."

He was eager to learn what kind of power the talent he had just drawn would give him.

After all, Titan Power already sounded incredibly powerful. He could hardly imagine what it would actually do.

"Titan Power comes from a Chinese fantasy anime world. A fully grown Titan can reach ten thousand meters in height. However, the rules of the Pirate World weaken Titan Power. Even so, it grants the strength to take on ten thousand men. With Titan Power, as long as you stand on the ground, you have limitless stamina and can draw on the earth's power to rapidly heal any injury."

The system's explanation left Carl stunned, though also a little confused. Wasn't Titan Power a bit too overpowered?

"System, what's the upper limit of this ability in the Pirate World?"

The system seemed to know what Carl was thinking.

"Please calm down, host. You drew Titan Power purely because of the starter benefit. This draw was an unrestricted talent draw."

"Ah... Oh, haha. Is that so?"

"Oh, my god! That means fusing with this talent will give me endless stamina and powerful regenerative abilities!"

"Not exactly. Because Titan Power is so strong, it fuses in stages. You can check its development progress on the system panel."

"Uh... Fine."

Carl felt a little awkward. He hadn't expected the system to be so good at dousing his enthusiasm.

Still, Titan Power filled him with excitement and anticipation. He couldn't help imagining how powerful he would be in the Pirate World.

"System, fuse the talent!"

Carl could hardly wait to experience it.

The roars from within the island were drawing closer. He was afraid a beast might suddenly appear, leaving him defenseless and in grave danger.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Chinese Anime System began implanting the talent.

At that instant, Carl felt a tearing pain throughout his body.

The implantation of Titan Power instantly broke down and reassembled his flesh, blood, and bones. It lasted only a minute, yet to Carl it felt like a whole year.

He could feel his blood churning and his bones creaking, as though he were undergoing a trial between life and death.

"System, why does it hurt so much? Can you turn off the pain?"

Carl gritted his teeth in agony.

"There is currently no function to turn off pain."

He wanted it to end at once. The tearing pain was almost more than he could bear.

But since there was no way to turn off the pain, he couldn't make a sound. All he could do was grit his teeth and endure it.

He could feel pooled blood pouring from his body and running down the tree trunk. A faint smell of blood filled the air.

The scent drew more beasts from the woods. Attracted by the blood, they gradually gathered around Carl.

Carl's forehead was drenched in sweat, but he continued to endure the agony without wavering. He knew it was the price of gaining great power.

Throughout that brief, grueling minute, he kept telling himself to hold on and not give up.

He knew that he could only survive in this cruel Pirate World by making it through this.

At last, the minute passed and the tearing pain faded, replaced by a surge of power.

Warm currents coursed through Carl's body, filling him with strength. Even his teeth fell out, only for forty new ones to grow in their place. On Blue Star, those would be considered a sage's teeth.

His body also grew from around 1.8 meters tall to 2.5 meters. From a distance, he looked like a little giant.

He even felt like he could punch a hole in the sky or stomp the earth to pieces. But he knew that was only because his strength had suddenly increased; he didn't actually possess power like that.

Carl could clearly feel the surge of power within him. His muscles swelled, filling him with confidence and strength.

"Crash, crash, crash!"

At that moment, a huge White Tiger nearly ten meters long emerged from the woods. It crouched into a hunting stance and slowly approached the tree Carl was in.

It had clearly been drawn by the smell of blood.

Carl's gaze locked onto the white-striped tiger beneath him. With his feet braced against the tree trunk and his body slightly bent, he prepared for the fight ahead.

The tiger's massive body shimmered faintly white in the moonlight, radiating a fierce, wild majesty.

Its eyes were savage and full of killing intent, as though it meant to tear Carl to pieces.

Carl took a deep breath and tensed his body, gathering powerful strength in his legs.

The trunk beneath his feet began to tremble. Leaves fluttered down, as if answering his will.

With Titan Power bolstering him, he felt as though he were standing on an immovable boulder, without a trace of fear.

The tiger drew closer, each step carrying an overwhelming pressure. It was patient with its prey.

Carl clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on the White Tiger. He knew that only by defeating it could he make it through the night safely; otherwise, he might be devoured on the spot. But as he clenched his fists, he knew the roles of hunter and prey had changed.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, the tiger accidentally stepped on a branch, and it snapped with a sharp sound.