Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Lein slowly opened his eyes, squinting as he tried to adjust to the searing heat. The air around him felt heavy and suffocating, with the pungent smell of sulfur filling every breath, causing him to grimace slightly.

"What a strange smell," Lein muttered, fanning his nose as if to drive the scent away.

He stood at the edge of a steep mountain, the ground beneath his feet glowing bright red, radiating extreme heat. Cracks along the surface emitted a yellowish-orange glow, shimmering as though alive. Below him, a stream of lava flowed sluggishly, sending up waves of heat that spiraled into the air like thin wisps of dancing smoke.

[You have successfully entered the Soul Gate.]

"Where is the guardian soul? Where's the golem?" Lein asked himself, his voice echoing among the silent rocks. He turned his head, scanning the area with full alertness, searching for signs of life. Yet, all he found was an expanse of lava-covered rocks, occasionally puffing steam, as if the place had been abandoned long ago.

Far ahead, Lein spotted a small hill. From the cracks along its surface, hot steam billowed out, forming a thin curtain that floated in the air. Curious, Lein decided to approach the hill, carefully treading along the edge of the steep mountain.

Throughout the journey, he moved cautiously, aware that even the slightest misstep could send him tumbling into the boiling pool of lava below.

Plup… plup…

Soft bubbling sounds from the lava echoed around him, like a whispered threat. Despite having reached level 50, Lein could still feel the tension building in his chest, swallowing hard as the bubbling grew louder. No matter how strong his body had become, his human instincts kept him vigilant. His survival instincts remained as sharp as ever.

"Phew… It's really hot," he muttered, wiping the sweat trickling down his temple. Lein paused for a moment and opened the spatial ring wrapped around his finger. His fingers moved quickly, searching for something inside the storage space.

"Ah, found it!" he exclaimed cheerfully as a book appeared in his hand. The book was blue, encased in a glowing white cover that looked both elegant and sturdy, protecting its contents from damage. A brief description of the book surfaced before his eyes, clear as day.

(Aqua Barrier)

Creates a water shield that protects against fire attacks. The user gathers soul energy, forms a water sphere in their hand, and hurls it forward, generating a shield that extinguishes flames and reduces heat.

- Level: 1 (0/10,000)

- Base Defense: 1,200

- Rarity: Rare

- Cooldown: 1 minute

- Requirement: Level 20, Universal

Without hesitation, Lein decided to learn the skill.

[Do you want to learn the skill book - Aqua Barrier? Yes / No]

"Yes."

[Congratulations! You have learned the skill (Aqua Barrier)]

[Congratulations! You have acquired a new skill: (Aqua Barrier)]

Lein raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Hmm? The system seems smoother now. Has it finally recovered from its chronic issues?" he muttered, confusion evident in his expression. Usually, the system's information was sparse and unreliable, like a broken machine. But this time, everything appeared detailed and well-organized.

"Good."

Lein shrugged it off. He opened the skill description panel for (Aqua Barrier) and found two new features: [Upgrade] and [Forget]. Intrigued, he selected the upgrade option, and a pop-up window appeared before him.

[Please insert (Insight Stone)...]

The system panel displayed a slot to input the number of (Insight Stone) required for the upgrade.

(Insight Stone)

Contains universal insights and can be absorbed.

- Insight Points: 100

- Insight Level: Low

- Type: Universal

Lein checked his inventory and found over 100,000 (Insight Stones). However, he decided to use only 10,000 for now, preferring to save the rest for emergencies.

[Using (Insight Stone) x 10,000 to upgrade (Aqua Barrier) skill level.]

[Successfully upgraded (Aqua Barrier) to Level 6.]

Hearing the successful notification, Lein smiled with satisfaction. He checked the skill panel and saw that (Aqua Barrier) was now at level 6 with 40% progress toward the next level. "This should be enough," he muttered. Without further delay, he activated the skill.

Immediately, a blue shield with ripples reflecting light appeared around him, encasing him like a serene sphere of glass. Lein felt as if he were inside a protective bubble, shielded from the scorching heat outside.

"Much better." The oppressive heat vanished, replaced by a soothing coolness. "Must be the effect of reaching level 6," Lein remarked with a slight smile, satisfied with his wealth and progress. Few could level up their skills this high in one go, and he was among the privileged few.

"Let's move on."

With the water shield surrounding him, Lein resumed his steps along the edge of the lava pool, heading toward the nearby hill, suspecting it might hold the soul guardian he was searching for.

Argh...

Lein heard a deep groan from behind the hill, the sound reverberating through the hot air. His suspicions were confirmed—the guardian soul was here. With determined steps, he reached the hilltop and surveyed the area beyond.

There, a vast lava pool stretched out, one side spanning approximately 30 meters. The pool glowed with a fiery orange light, releasing steam that made the air even more stifling with its sulfurous scent.

In the center of the pool, a colossal figure immediately captured Lein's attention—a massive stone creature, towering at 10 meters tall. Its entire body was made of hardened rock, coursing with molten lava that flowed like blood. Its glowing round eyes burned with life and fury, locked onto Lein.

(Lava Golem)

A creature born from ancient magma that hardened over millennia, carrying heat potent enough to melt crystals. This monster's molten skin radiates with deadly force, launching fireballs and slashing with lava claws. Each of its steps leaves a fiery trail, transforming the ground into an impassable sea of magma.

- Rank: Soul B

- Soul Energy: 40,000

- Defense: 3,000

- Attack: 2,400

- Inferno Rampage: The Lava Golem heats its body to extreme temperatures, then detonates, dealing 200% of its total attack damage. Afterward, the surrounding ground turns into magma, inflicting 10% damage per second for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

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