Game World: I Can Share Talents-Chapter 45: Dragon Soul Furnace

Tudor alighted upon a node in the ritual formation, nodding to the Silver-haired Dragon Lady.

"Your Highness, please prepare yourself. We are about to begin the ritual. If you cannot bear it, please let us know."

"Yes. Begin,"

Reiya said calmly.

"BOOM—"

The furnace, having devoured countless treasured materials, began to roar. Amidst rising, swirling steam, a semi-transparent wall of light enveloped the center of the ritual. Then, a vibrant, glistening crimson liquid was extracted from the furnace, instantly vaporizing into a mist that surged toward the three people at the center.

[Undergoing Ritual]

[Ritual: "High-Level Magic Energy Conversion" is taking effect. Magic Power infusion in progress.]

[Your Life Energy is undergoing a great transition...]

"Ngh..."

Westheid instantly felt his entire body fill with a pure energy. Endless Magic Power cleansed him from within, elevating his physical form. Such a potent yet gentle enhancement was an incredibly rare blessing.

Every cell greedily absorbed the energy. It felt as if his very soul were expanding, and a tingling, ecstatic sensation shot through him like lightning.

POWER! POWER! POWER! POWER! POWER! POWER!

DOMINANCE! DOMINANCE! DOMINANCE! DOMINANCE! DOMINANCE! DOMINANCE!

Westheid was utterly addicted to the ecstasy of becoming stronger. He spread his arms, closed his eyes, and immersed his entire being in the transformation he was undergoing.

Although this strength was a fleeting illusion that would vanish after the Trial, the experience was absolutely real. This chance to perceive the world of a Powerhouse in advance was a rare boon in itself.

The Giant Dragon Execution Officers were not just powerful Warriors; every Giant Dragon spent its long life in constant study and was a master of arts like Techniques. A simple ritual to infuse power was considered elementary knowledge. Having a host of Giant Dragon Execution Officers preside over it was truly using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Thus, the infusion process was quite smooth.

However, no matter how gentle the power, a vessel’s capacity to receive it was ultimately limited.

As the treasures collected by the Scorching Wings over millennia were slowly converted into sustenance for the usurpers, the immense infusion of power became a burden.

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough..."

The first to give out was Yolanda, who lacked the aid of a [Withered Glory Sun]. After a little over ten minutes, the platinum-haired girl was drenched in a cold sweat and began to cough violently.

Despite desperately trying to receive more energy from the ritual, a mortal body has its limits. Yolanda had no choice but to leave the central platform, watching Westheid and Reiya as she composed herself.

Neither the Qinghui Patriarch nor the Silver-haired Dragon Lady noticed Yolanda’s midway withdrawal; both of them were completely immersed in the enhancement from the ritual.

The [Withered Glory Sun] frantically demonstrated its worth as a Tier T0 Talent. The terrifying amount of Magic Power—enough to make a low-tier Transcendent burst—was fully absorbed by the pair and converted into power of the highest purity.

But this kind of forced growth had its limits. It was impossible for a single ritual to allow a mortal to be completely reborn and ascend to the peak. Westheid felt the Magic Power he was channeling begin to "swell," and when his skin started to crack from the strain, he knew he had reached his limit as well.

Reluctantly stepping away from the central platform, Westheid let out a long breath, then stretched his limbs, feeling the power that now coursed through his entire body.

[Magic Power Infusion Terminated]

[Gained Temporary Status: "Ritual Enhancement"]

[Ritual Enhancement (Hero Tier)]

[You have been temporarily elevated by a grand ritual. This power far exceeds the limits your body can withstand and should be causing a constant backlash. However, for some reason, this backlash has not taken effect.]

Westheid glanced at his status bar, then flexed his fingers. A faint crackling came from his bones, and it felt as if a single punch could now shatter mountains and split stone.

His senses were sharper than ever; he could perceive the fluctuations in the surrounding airflow and even the subtle noises carried on the breeze.

PURE! POTENT! ALIVE!

An unprecedented ecstasy washed over him—the feeling of a total, internal release that came from his very life force shattering its limits.

"Brother, how do you feel? I feel like I’m already on par with the [Exemplar] Tier. If I run into that War Knight from last time again, I’m sure I can defeat him!" Yolanda said, walking up to the uncontrollably excited Westheid.

"Me? I feel... I’m close to the [Hero] Tier. No, an average [Hero] is only about this strong!"

Yolanda’s eyes widened. "You’ve reached that level?"

Westheid rolled his shoulder, continuing to stretch. "Yeah. After all, they used so many rare treasures and even drew upon the tower’s Magic Pool. It’d be strange if we didn’t get stronger."

’Of course, my raw stats are merely comparable to the [Hero] Tier. I haven’t accumulated [Merits] for a proper ascension. This is just a shortcut, brute-forcing my numbers. It’s like those artificially-inflated powerhouses from a Dream Creator, nothing more than a part of a Dream Creation Beast Team.

My physical constitution is the only thing at the [Hero] Tier. I lack all the corresponding skills, Specialties, and traits. A truly seasoned Powerhouse would crush me like a disposable mob.

But reaching this level is more than enough. Being turned into a peerless Powerhouse through direct Empowerment... that’s something I wouldn’t even dare to dream of.’

"The effects are this dramatic? Then what about Her Highness Reiya? How long can she last?"

Yolanda looked toward the Silver-haired Dragon Lady, who was still bathing in the crimson mist.

And Westheid’s reply was:

"Until the end."

At the center of the ritual, now the sole recipient of all the Magic Power, Reiya closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and gently spread her arms.

Her ability to last longer than Westheid wasn’t, of course, because the original version of [Withered Glory Sun] was of higher quality.

It was for another reason entirely.

"CRACKLE—"

Azure lightning erupted across the surface of Reiya’s body. Thick arcs of the azure thunder danced through the air, tearing apart the dense, crimson mist.

This pure and noble Dragon Thunder emitted a crisp crackling sound as it arced out toward the Dragon Descendants outside the ritual area, instantly piercing dozens of them.

The azure lightning crackled, pulverizing the forms of these unlucky souls. From flesh to bone, they were annihilated into nothingness. Then, as if it were a living, crimson entity, the lightning licked the area clean, not leaving a single trace of residue behind.

The Dragons of the High Court trembled with fear, yet not a single one dared to rise and flee. They could only allow the rampaging Dragon Thunder to randomly select its "lucky" Dragon Descendants.

Even the Giant Dragon Execution Officers could not help but bow their heads before the roaring Dragon Thunder, watching the scene of devouring destruction with pious and fanatical gazes.

Pure Dragon Thunder was a power exclusive to those of the Dragon God’s True Blood.

In other words, it was the very instinct of the noblest True Dragons—an absolute power of domination and destruction.

Whether temporarily strengthening its wielder, casually forging Divine Weapons, or directly casting grand Magic, the Dragon Thunder could accomplish it all with ease.

Merely listening to the sound of the azure thunder was enough to paralyze the other dragons with awe.

After the Dragon Thunder slaughtered a group of Dragon Descendants, a thin layer of crystal formed over Reiya’s body. Her aura stabilized significantly, and she resumed absorbing the Magic Power infused by the ritual.

"Reiya has the [Dragon Soul Furnace], after all," Westheid sighed.

The strange phenomenon currently unfolding was a manifestation of Reiya’s other Tier T0 Talent—one of absolute, domineering power.

[Dragon Soul Furnace]

[The ultimate manifestation of a True Dragon Soul. A Dragon is the embodiment of greed and ego. All things in the world shall be offered unto me; all throughout the cosmos shall sing my name.]

[Go forth, slaughter and conquer! Go forth, manifest the Dragon’s will! The flesh and souls of the vanquished shall serve as kindling for an eternal flame.]

The Talent’s description may be somewhat obscure, but to put it simply: any enemy killed with Dragon Thunder has their blood and soul drained, turning them into sustenance for the wielder.

It was basically a cheat ability on the level of "Get Hit by a Truck and Reincarnate in Another World with a Super-Strong Talent to Live a Long Aotian Life"—a power that truly defied the heavens.

The only flaw of [Dragon Soul Furnace] was that reckless absorption could easily cause "indigestion." If this were her only Talent, it would be difficult to wield its power so wantonly.

However, Reiya also had [Withered Glory Sun]—a Talent with compatibility so great it defied the heavens.

When these two Talents with such excellent synergy were combined, well... the resulting chemical reaction was...

It was like stepping on your left foot with your right and flying straight up into the sky.