Talent Purgatory

The night was like a massive slab of black jade, so thick it would not dissolve.

Deep within the ruins, a half-collapsed research base stood alone, like a weathered tombstone silently telling of the apocalypse's cruelty.

Lu Chen stood outside the high walls, his cheetah-sharp gaze sweeping over the glaring searchlights atop them and the patrols wandering like ghosts. An amused smile curved his lips.

"Looks like this place is a 'talent furnace,'" he murmured, his voice tinged with anticipation, excitement, and a trace of... bloodlust.

Then he abruptly drove his right foot down, stomping hard on the ground.

Crack! The ground split in an instant, spiderweb-like fractures spreading in every direction.

Using the recoil, he flashed forward like a ghost. Within a few breaths, he vanished into the darkness and slipped silently into the base.

On the first basement level, the air reeked of blood and disinfectant, a nauseating combination.

Dozens of survivors were bound like livestock to cold laboratory tables by thick chains, their eyes vacant and numb.

They had long since lost all hope of living, leaving them with nothing but endless despair.

Linda and A Kai were among them.

Linda still looked like an ice-cold beauty, though her delicate face now showed signs of exhaustion and resignation.

She struggled desperately to break free of the chains, but it was no use.

A Kai looked a little frightened, his small body trembling, but he still clenched his fists, a glimmer of defiance in his eyes.

The sound of footsteps drew closer.

Hei Yao walked slowly over, a sickly smile on his face.

A black chain of energy coiled around his hand, its eerie glow sending chills down the spine.

"Another lunatic with a death wish?" He stopped in front of Lu Chen and looked down at him, his voice cold and contemptuous. "Do you know where you are? This is Obsidian Base. It's... a forbidden zone!"

Lu Chen did not answer.

He merely stood there quietly, an inscrutable light flickering in his deep eyes, as if he were sizing up an interesting toy.

He could feel the energy fluctuations emanating from Hei Yao. They were the power of the B-rank [Restraint] talent.

A good talent. Too bad it's serving the wrong master, Lu Chen said silently to himself.

The next second, he silently copied Hei Yao's B-rank [Restraint] talent and used [Infinite Replication] to upgrade it to SSS rank in an instant.

A flood of information poured into his mind: the essence of the [Restraint] talent, how to use its power, how to bring it to its utmost potential... In an instant, he mastered every secret of [Restraint], becoming even more proficient in it than Hei Yao himself.

How should I play this next? Lu Chen's lips curled up slightly. He already had a plan.

Hei Yao sensed that something was wrong.

He could not shake the feeling that the man before him was strange, that something about him seemed different.

But he could not put his finger on it and could only put it down to his imagination.

"Enough of your tricks!" he roared, abruptly swinging his hand. The black chain shot out like a venomous snake, slicing through the air with a piercing whistle as it lashed viciously at Lu Chen.

The chain was incredibly fast, reaching Lu Chen in the blink of an eye.

But just as it was about to strike him, a faint metallic sheen suddenly spread across his skin, as if he had donned an invisible suit of armor.

Bang!

The chain struck Lu Chen hard, landing with a dull thud.

But Lu Chen did not budge. He did not even frown.

"What?!" Hei Yao's pupils contracted sharply, disbelief written across his face.

He could not believe that his full-power strike had done nothing to the man before him.

While he was stunned, Lu Chen moved.

His figure flickered, and he vanished from the spot like a ghost.

The next second, he appeared behind Hei Yao.

SSS-rank [Extreme Speed Storm]!

Lu Chen pushed his speed to the limit, closing the distance to Hei Yao in an instant like a bolt of lightning.

Boom!

He clenched his right fist and drove it toward Hei Yao's back.

Terrifying power gathered in his fist, even tearing through the air with a piercing sonic boom.

Hei Yao felt a chill at his back, and a powerful sense of danger welled up in him.

He had no time to react. Relying on instinct alone, he darted several meters to the side.

Lu Chen's fist missed and slammed into the ground.

The ground cracked instantly, leaving a massive crater as rubble flew and dust billowed.

"That was close!" Hei Yao stared at the crater, still shaken, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He knew that if he had not dodged just then, he would probably be a corpse by now.

"You... you can actually copy my talent!" He pointed at Lu Chen, his trembling voice filled with fear and disbelief.

He could not believe that someone in this world could copy another person's talent and wield it so skillfully.

It was simply... inconceivable!

At the same time, Linda seized the opportunity.

While Hei Yao was distracted, she struggled desperately to break the chains binding her, then released a great mass of icy mist. It spread rapidly, freezing the surrounding guards into ice sculptures.

A Kai was not about to be outdone.

He waved his hands, directing the electricity in the air to interfere with the base's surveillance system and bring it to a halt.

Not bad. They both have potential, he said silently to himself.

Then he activated [Infinite Replication] again and began copying Linda's [Frost Manipulation] and A Kai's [Lightning Affinity].

Both talents were likewise upgraded to SSS rank in an instant.

For a moment, it was as if countless gears were spinning wildly inside Lu Chen. Energies of different attributes intertwined and fused within him, producing a wondrous chemical reaction.

He felt as though he had become a furnace of energy, capable of controlling every element and creating any miracle.

"This feeling... is incredible!" He could not help letting out a low growl, his voice full of excitement and desire.

Watching everything unfold before him, Hei Yao completely fell apart.

He could not accept that he had been defeated by a man who had copied his talent, and that he had even watched helplessly as his own subordinates were rescued by the other man's people.

It was simply... a humiliating disgrace!

"I'll kill you!" he roared. His eyes turned blood-red, and the energy fluctuations around him grew even more violent.

He would unleash his [Restraint] talent at full power and crush the damned man before him completely!

For a moment, the entire base seemed to be enveloped by an invisible force. The air grew heavy, suffocating...

Hei Yao roared like a beast driven into a corner.

Mad flames burned in his blood-red eyes, as though they would reduce everything to ashes.

As he unleashed his [Restraint] talent at full power, the entire underground base began to tremble. The air grew thick and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

Spiderweb-like cracks began to appear on the walls, as though they might collapse at any moment.

Lu Chen, however, bared his teeth in a provocative grin.

Around his body, three energies-flame, ice, and lightning-surged wildly and intertwined, forming a dazzling, bizarre three-element domain that made him look like a descending god.

Scorching heat distorted the air, icy cold froze the dust, and violent arcs of electricity tore through the darkness. The three entirely different powers fused perfectly around him, forming a balance that made hearts tremble.

"You said this place was purgatory?" Lu Chen's voice was deep and magnetic, with a hint of irreverence.

He lifted his head slightly, his gaze imperious, like a king looking down upon his subjects.

"Then I'll be your tyrant."

Before the words had faded, he moved.

Lu Chen vanished from the spot, leaving only a blurred afterimage.

The next second, he appeared before Hei Yao, moving so fast he had surpassed the limits of what the naked eye could follow.

The wind howled like wailing ghosts, whipping Hei Yao's hair and robes.

Feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from Lu Chen, Hei Yao's face instantly turned as pale as paper, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He opened his mouth wide, wanting to say something, but found that his throat seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand. He could not make a sound.

He could only watch helplessly as Lu Chen slowly raised a hand and spread his five fingers, like the god of death pronouncing his fate...