Nita immediately opened the description of the talent crystal in front of her. The system disyed a transparent interface with a brief summary. Without hesitation, she pressed the confirmation button to use it.


    The drawing animation began—a swirling pattern of light with various talent icons floating within it. Nita watched intently, her breath slightly held. Beside her, Lein also observed, his expression remaining calm.


    After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the result appeared:


    [Failed to obtain a new talent...]


    Nita froze, her eyes shifting directly to Lein. Her face reflected a sadness she couldn''t hide, despite her efforts to remainposed.


    Lein frowned slightly, folding his arms on the table. "Is it really this difficult, even with a 25% sess rate?" he muttered to himself.


    He then pulled out a ck pouch filled with 100 talent crystals and handed it to Nita.


    "Here," he said as he passed it to her. "Use them until you get a talent." His voice was firm yet understanding.


    Nita epted the pouch with both hands. The soft glow of the crystals inside reflected in her eyes. Yet, a heavy feeling enveloped her heart. She felt as though she was burdening Lein.


    Her small hands gripped the ck pouch tightly. In silence, she made a promise to herself: "I have to obtain a talent. I can''t waste brother trust."


    "Let''s continue thister," Lein said in a more rxed tone, trying to lighten the mood. He took a bite of food from his te, a small smile appearing on his face. "For now, let''s eat first."


    "All right, brother," Nita replied, nodding softly. A faint smile began to form on her lips.


    They resumed their breakfast at the tableden with food. Though the earlier failure still lingered in Nita''s mind, Lein''s warmth and attentiveness kept the atmosphere peaceful andforting.


    ***


    Far from the City of Life, the central hub of the World Market Trade Alliance, a small floating ind approximately 200 meters in length hovered in the vast void of the Divine Sky Realm. The ind was surrounded by several advanced defense towers, their soft blue lights flickering intermittently—a sign that they were ready for activation at any moment. A tense aura enveloped the small ind, as if it were prepared to face an unseen threat.


    On the ind, a group of people in fullbat gear stood in a vignt formation, their sharp gazes fixed on the horizon. Among them, a tall man with fair skin held a bow in his hands. His keen eyes scanned the distance, searching for something that had yet to appear.


    "Still no sign of it," he muttered, his voice low and tinged with impatience.


    Not far from him, a woman carrying an iron shield approached. The sound of her footsteps on the ind''s hard surface echoed clearly in the silence. "We''ve been searching for two hours. Should we return?" she asked, her voiceced with worry.


    Their search came at a steep cost, renting this ind alone was a major expense. If they failed to locate the monster ind within the next few hours, significant losses would be inevitable.


    Their target was a monster ind—a floating ind filled with rare resources.


    The man with the bow didn''t answer the woman''s question. His jaw tightened, and his eyes radiated a restrained fury. If there were someone to me, he might have unleashed his anger without hesitation.


    "Lona, don''t bother the Captain right now," said another man from a distance. He wore a long ck coat that billowed slightly in the wind. His gaze was cold, and his face bore the same tension as their captain''s.


    They were a Hunter team, a group reliant on sessful monster hunts to fund their operations.


    The team''s finances were intertwined—every member shared in both profits and losses. Failing to find the monster ind wouldn''t just mean personal loss for their captain; it posed a threat to the entire team.


    Behind them, around fifty other members stood in orderly rows. However, unlike their captain or the core team, they appeared far less experienced.


    Their auras were weak, indicating strength that hadn''t yet reached level 10. Most of them seemed like novices, their bodies stiff, and their eyes reflecting the tension of facing a real battle.


    A young man, who appeared to be the leader of the novice group, stepped forward. With a firm voice, he issued amand: "Stay alert, everyone. We don''t know when the monster will appear. We must be prepared."


    The team captain remained rooted in his spot, his gaze vacant yet vignt. A cold wind swept through, carrying a tense silence. Suddenly, his eyes caught something. In the distance, he heard a faint sound—the subtle waves of energy slowly approaching.


    With swift precision, he sharpened his hearing and pinpointed the direction of the waves. His hunter instincts instantly triggered an rm in his mind.


    "Everyone, get ready!" he shouted, hismanding voice breaking the silence.


    The captain''s call spurred the entire team into action. Both the novices and core members moved quickly, taking their positions, organizing formations, and readying their weapons. A heavy tension nketed the ind.


    From the distance, a sight they had been anticipating began to emerge. An ind approximately 300 meters wide floated toward them. Its surface was shrouded in a thin mist, whilerge shadows moved ominously within.


    The approaching ind looked terrifying. It resembled the ruins of a once-grand city, now in decay and filled with horrors.


    The remaining structures appeared as skeletal towers, their walls made of white bone overgrown with dark green moss.


    At the center of the ind stood a massive gate shaped like an open skull''s jaw, both inviting and menacing. ck mist veiled most of the ind, while the faint sound of rattling bones echoed from afar.


    Meanwhile, back on the Hunters'' ind, one of the core team members was organizing the formation of the novices they had brought along.


    "Everyone, form a five-line formation! Stay behind us and don''t act recklessly!" his voice was firm, calming those who were trembling in fear.


    The atmosphere among the novices was varied. Some were visibly shaking, gripping their weapons with unsteady hands. Others whispered softly to encourage themselves or theirpanions. A few appeared eager, their eyes zing with anticipation for their first battle.


    At the front, the main team stood in a line. The captain held his bow tightly, his sharp eyes scanning every corner of the approaching ind.


    A man with a magic staff stood beside him, his aura calm as his hands traced small magical symbols in preparation.


    Lona, the woman with the iron shield, was already in a defensive stance, asionally ncing at the novices. The leader stood at the forefront, arms crossed, exuding confidence.


    The two inds were now only a few hundred meters apart. The wind carried the stench of decay from the skull ind. The novices began whispering among themselves, some taking deep breaths to steady their nerves.


    The captain suddenly raised his hand, signaling for silence.


    "We only have one shot," he said quietly but firmly. "Stay focused."


    From atop the skull ind, a line of monster troops came into clear view. Standing before the bone gate was a figure that appeared to be their leader, floating with a massive skull staff in its grasp.


    Its eyes glowed a fiery red, radiating a terrifying aura. The level was disyed above its head:


    [Lich - Eternal Sorcerer]


    - Level: 21


    - Type: Undead Sorcerer


    - Attributes: Str 330, Int 522, Agi 352, Res 298.


    - (Necrotic Aura): Increases dark magic potency, granting +30% damage to all magic attacks and reducing opponents'' magic resistance by 20%.


    - (Phantasmal Form): Disappears into shadow form for 5 seconds, increasing movement speed by 50% and reducing iing damage by 30% during the effect.


    ...


    Behind it, ranks of skeletal soldiers armed with swords, spears, and shields stood in formation.


    Beside them, specialized skeletal units equipped with ranged weapons like bone bows and magic staffs readied themselves. Some were visiblyrger, likely elite guards for the leader.


    "Level 21... that''s a Tier-2 Lich," the captain muttered under his breath.


    "This won''t be easy."


    Lona nodded. "Their forces are organized. That''s unusual for monsters. Our novices must be extra cautious."


    The man with the magic staff added, "There are ranged skeletons—bows and magic staffs. We need to take them out first."


    The novice leader nodded. "Captain, you focus on the initial assault. I''ll manage the novices. We need to form a defensive line."


    As the two inds finally connected, a loud rumbling echoed. The strong vibrations caused some of the novices to nearly lose their footing. The skeletons immediately advanced, marching steadily toward the Hunter team.


    The Lich floated above them, letting out a chillingugh as its staff began to glow with crimson energy.


    The captain stepped forward with his bow in hand. "Rain of arrows!" he shouted. In an instant, glowing arrowsunched toward the skeleton troops, striking the front lines and shattering several monsters.


    But from the Lich''s side, the leader cast its magic. A massive meteor ball wreathed in blue mes lit up the sky, hurtling toward the Hunter ind.


    "Take cover!" the novice leader shouted. Lona raised her shield, while the man with the magic staff began chanting a protective spell.