Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Lein stared at the confirmation panel in front of him, clasping his hands together in anticipation. He closed his eyes and muttered a luck incantation, like an experienced shaman performing a ritual.

"Die once, live once, get lucky once," he murmured seriously, as if the chant had been proven effective. "Goddess... please," he whispered softly, completing his ritual before finally pressing the confirmation button.

[Open (Epic Chest), are you sure?]

"Yes."

The epic chest before him began to tremble, shifting slightly on the metallic floor. A low hum echoed, as if energy was gathering, ready to explode at any moment. The purple lid creaked open slowly, releasing a blinding white light that intensified until it turned into a swirl of golden radiance filling the room.

For a moment, it felt like time had stopped around Lein, the world waiting in suspense to reveal what treasures lay within.

With a soft click, the lid opened fully, revealing the contents inside, shining with brilliance. As the light dimmed, the hidden treasures were unveiled.

[Successfully opened (Epic Chest), obtained:]

- High-grade Energy Crystals x21

- Agility Boots - Level 40 x1

- Blood Pendant - Pure Artifact x1

- Black Sand x12

- Pure Blood x4

...

"Nice... a pure artifact on the first try," Lein said enthusiastically. His gaze locked onto the shimmering red pendant within the chest. He reached out, lifting it for closer inspection.

(Blood Pendant - Pure Artifact)

The Blood Pendant is an ancient vampiric artifact, usable only by those with strong resolve. It glimmers with a dark crimson aura, striking fear into enemies while granting extraordinary regenerative abilities. Ideal for frontline fighters, the pendant absorbs the power of enemies to strengthen its wearer.

- Type: Active/Passive Artifact

- Grade: Pure Grade

- Essence: 8,000

- Abilities: Blood Pact (Active), Crimson Veil (Passive), Vampiric Strike (Active)

1. Blood Pact (Active): Absorbs 15% of the enemy's HP with each attack for 30 seconds, healing the wearer. 5-minute cooldown.

2. Crimson Veil (Passive): Increases physical and magical resistance by 50% and provides immunity to poisons and curses. If HP drops below 20%, it automatically activates a blood shield that absorbs 30% of incoming damage for 10 seconds.

3. Vampiric Strike (Active): A counterattack that crystallizes the enemy's blood, increasing damage based on the HP absorbed. Applies the "Blood Decay" debuff, reducing the enemy's HP regeneration for 15 seconds.

Lein scanned the item description casually. To most people, the Blood Pendant would be extraordinary, but for him, it was average among other pure artifacts. Even so, its effects were dangerous enough to make anyone willing to fight to the death for it. With this pendant, long battles would no longer be a problem.

"Hmm... the descriptions are very detailed," he muttered. After the inter-race war had ended, Lein noticed the system was now providing more precise information. He wondered if this signaled a change in the system.

"Ah, whatever," he shrugged, dismissing the thought.

Lein pulled another chest from his space ring. This time, a purple chest adorned with gold trim sat elegantly before him, waiting to be opened. He took a deep breath, readying himself before pressing the confirmation button again.

[Open (Epic Chest), are you sure?]

"Yes."

Once again, a burst of colorful light erupted from the chest, making the room shimmer like a festival of radiance. Lein remained focused, hoping for even more valuable items.

[Successfully opened (Epic Chest), obtained:]

- Night Bow - Level 30 x1

- High-grade Energy Crystals x10

- Sanyu Seeds x10

...

Lein glanced at the materials, plant seeds, and the black bow with leafy tassels that had emerged. Uninterested, he skipped over the item descriptions.

"Lame... moving on," he sighed in disappointment.

This time, Lein pulled out over a hundred epic chests from his space ring at once. He summoned a few clones to assist him.

"Hey... come over here and help me," he called out.

The clones, who were near the soul portal, quickly responded to his summons. "At your service, Master. How can I assist you?" one of the clones asked curiously.

"Sit down and help me open these chests," Lein ordered, gesturing toward the rows of chests.

The other clones gathered, following Lein's instructions with enthusiasm, enjoying the cool breeze circulating through the trial room.

"If anyone finds a Heaven-grade artifact, I'll treat you to roasted venison!" Lein announced, dangling a tempting reward. The clones' eyes gleamed hungrily as they focused on their tasks, their fingers swiftly pressing the confirmation buttons.

Lein also began opening the chests before him.

[Open (Epic Chest), are you sure?]

"Yes."

The over one hundred clones worked in unison, opening the chests with a synchronized hum. Flashes of white light flickered across the room. Whenever golden light emerged, Lein knew it meant a high-grade artifact had appeared. One by one, the chests revealed their contents—potion ingredients, weapons, skill books, talismans, and more.

[Successfully opened (Epic Chest), obtained:]

- Fire Spear - Level 35 x1

- Crystal Dew x5

- Wind Barrier Skill x1

...

[Successfully opened (Epic Chest), obtained:]

- Skill Book (Thunder Domain - Rare) x1

- Energy Crystals x8

- Keloir Leaves x6

...

"Lame... next," grumbled one of the clones, frustrated at the lack of valuable items.

"Hey, did you get anything good?" another clone asked.

"No," replied the clone beside him, sounding disappointed.

Lein observed his clones interacting with each other. "Do they even know each other?" he thought, puzzled by how lively they seemed despite being mere shadows of himself.

"Master, I've found an artifact!" one of the clones suddenly shouted, running toward him with a chest in hand.

Lein focused intently. From within the chest emerged a small blue crystal etched with intricate patterns.

- Chrono Crystal - Heaven Artifact x1

Lein's eyes locked onto the crystal, sensing the gentle pulse of energy flowing from it, as if it were calling forth power from the universe. His hand trembled as he picked it up, realizing the immense strength it contained.

(Chrono Crystal)

A deep-blue crystal adorned with intricate glowing patterns. When touched, it emits a soothing, cold aura, as if stopping time around it for a brief moment. Inside, a swirl of blue light moves slowly, indicating its connection to the flow of time.

- Type: Active Artifact

- Grade: Heaven Grade

- Essence: 178,000

- Time Freeze (Active): Halts time for 10 seconds, freezing everything around the user while allowing them to move and plan their next steps without interruption. This effect can be activated once every 24 hours, providing a strategic opportunity to change the tide of battle or evade danger. Use wisely!

Lein stared at the crystal in awe. "Ten seconds…" he whispered to himself.

"Ten seconds to decide between life and death," he said lightly. He loved this item for its ability to stop time. "But how far does its range extend?" Lein wondered curiously.

"And the one-use-per-day limit?"

"Heh..."

Lein chuckled softly. He didn't care too much about the 24-hour restriction. His plan? Duplicate the Chrono Crystal 10,000 times, allowing him to activate it 10,000 times a day.

After admiring the heaven-grade artifact in front of him, Lein glanced at the clone who had discovered the item earlier.

"Here, eat this. You can rest for ten minutes," Lein said casually, handing the clone a piece of leftover venison.

"Thank you, Master."

The clone gratefully accepted the meat and expressed his thanks sincerely. He then turned around, eating freely, like a child enjoying his favorite ice cream before running off to play.

"Haha… ah, life," Lein muttered, smiling in satisfaction. He laughed at the strange yet lifelike behavior of his clone—it was just one of those odd, beautiful moments that made existence meaningful.

Lein stopped observing his clone and turned around. But as he did, he noticed all the other clones staring at him, hoping for some meat too.

"Shoo… back to work," Lein said, waving his hand dismissively.

Without hesitation, the clones resumed opening chests tirelessly.

Lein went back to opening his own, lightly pressing the confirmation panels on the epic chests.

Loot after loot appeared endlessly.

From a bird's-eye view, Lein and his clones resembled laborers performing a monotonous task, opening chests non-stop. Their movements were repetitive and dull, like a factory assembly line.

Flashes of light illuminated the entire area, like fireworks bursting in broad daylight.

Minutes passed. Thousands of epic chests had been opened, yet no new pure-grade artifacts appeared, let alone another heaven-grade one.

"Master… I found an artifact!"

The voice Lein had been waiting for finally rang out. One of the clones sprinted toward him with great enthusiasm, sitting down quickly to present his discovery.

Lein looked inside the chest to find a small hourglass with silver sand swirling softly. Each grain of sand seemed to dance in defiance of gravity, never quite falling but spinning elegantly through the air.

Lein stood still, entranced by the artifact. Time itself seemed to stop as he examined the delicate hourglass. His hand reached out slowly, almost reverently, to touch it. The moment he did, a calm yet mysterious aura washed over him.

(Temporal Hourglass)

A small hourglass made of clear glass, framed by polished silver. The silver sand inside defies gravity, floating like tiny stars in an endless dance. When activated, the sand spins backward, granting the owner the power to reverse time and correct fatal mistakes.

- Type: Active Artifact

- Grade: Heaven Grade

- Essence: 182,000

- Temporal Rewind (Active): Rewinds time by 30 seconds, resetting all events within that timeframe. This ability grants the user a second chance to correct mistakes, evade deadly attacks, or make different decisions. Can be activated once every 24 hours, but beware—careless use may result in temporary disorientation for the user. Use with caution to turn the tide in critical moments!

"Woah... another item with time-manipulating abilities," Lein muttered in awe as he read the artifact's skill description.

Just like the (Freeze Time) ability, the (Temporal Rewind) skill on the hourglass could only be used once every 24 hours. But that didn't matter to Lein—he could duplicate it effortlessly and multiply its usage.

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