CHAPTER 211: LEVEL 4 TALENT

Rhys landed first, followed by Dalin and the others as they hopped down from the hovering vehicle onto the city walls, rain beating against their shoulders in steady sheets. Without wasting a moment, they moved toward the group gathered there, footsteps splashing against the soaked stone.

As Dalin spotted a familiar face, she stepped forward, her eyes narrowing with interest. Her fiery gaze swept over the figure standing before her, analyzing every detail with open scrutiny.

"Good to see you didn’t let the Ravencourt surname fall into disgrace," she said, her voice sharp with its usual arrogance. The mocking tone in her words made her intent clear—this wasn’t praise; it was a jab.

She could clearly see her cousin hadn’t just survived the trials of the other world—she had held onto her player identity and risen to become the strongest in the city, carrying that truth with the pride of a crown worn in plain sight.

"I can’t say the same for you, little cousin," Evangeline replied, her smile polite but her eyes piercing. There was a quiet sting behind her words, sharpened by familiarity and rivalry.

As her gaze moved past Dalin to the rest of the group, it became clear that Dalin wasn’t the strongest among them.

Her eyes paused on Selina.

Even under the heavy rain, Selina stood out. Her expression was calm, almost detached, as if the chaos around her didn’t concern her in the slightest. Strands of midnight-purple hair stuck to her face and shoulders, but she didn’t seem to notice. There was something steady about her presence, something that made Evangeline pause.

She’s strong.

Then her attention shifted to Victor.

That same smug, idiotic grin was plastered on his face, like it had never left. He looked as if he didn’t take anything seriously, but Evangeline could sense otherwise. There was something coiled beneath that laid-back, fake demeanor. A pressure. A weight. A talent too immense to be hidden completely, even under the mask of a fool.

As a member of the Ravencourt bloodline, she shared Dalin’s natural talent for recognizing power. Looking at the trio, Evangeline could tell each of them was as strong as she was—if not stronger.

And if that wasn’t enough, there was also a monster from that same team currently facing a mutant army.

Why does Shelter City 9 have so many talents? Evangeline wondered quietly.

While the two girls exchanged words and sized each other up, Rhys ignored them and approached Defense Minister York. "Minister York, hope we’re not too late."

The minister chuckled. "Well, we’re still standing, so..." He smiled and added, "Not sure, but do you need any assistance?"

Rhys shrugged. "Not sure. I’m just here as an observer. Talk to them." He nodded toward Selina and the others.

Selina quickly understood her role and stepped forward, calm and composed. "We appreciate any assistance for our mission to locate the case under this siege, sir."

Her tone was professional and clear. This was the order Adyr had given them: to find the mastermind behind the mutant army.

Just as Minister York was about to respond, the battlefield shifted.

The oppressive black, smoky Presence that had frozen the mutants suddenly vanished. The creatures that had been motionless, attacking the walls, stirred to life. They descended from the walls and, as if following a new command or shifting priorities, moved away from the defenses toward where Adyr stood.

The Defense Minister’s calm faltered, a trace of urgency creeping into his voice. "Are you sure you don’t want to assist that young man?"

From a distance, Adyr’s silhouette appeared, sword in hand, locked in battle with the surrounding mutants. Strangely, every mutant on the field had now turned its attention to him.

Selina glanced briefly at the fight unfolding, then met the minister’s gaze with steady confidence. "Our mission is clear, sir. We’re here to find the mastermind behind this siege. If our captain needs help, he will give new orders."

Her words caused a pause among those present. Even Victor and Dalin seemed surprised by Selina’s unwavering trust in Adyr.

"Alright," the Defense Minister agreed without objection. He had already seen the strength and certainty Adyr brought to the field. At most, he would observe from a distance and send reinforcements if Adyr found himself in trouble.

Turning to Evangeline and the others, he said, "You will join their team for the mission. Is that acceptable?"

Evangeline cast a quick glance at Dalin’s arrogant face but nodded. "Yes."

Better to be part of something than sit and wait for it all to end—even if it meant putting up with her insufferable cousin.

And with that, a new investigation squad was formed under Adyr’s command, allowing him to continue his energy crystal farming and talent upgrading season uninterrupted.

—

"Finally, you’ve decided to fight back," Adyr muttered with a faint smile, slipping effortlessly past the clawed fingers snapping toward him.

He had spent some time provoking the frozen mutants, waiting for them to shake off their fear and strike again. Now, at last, they were moving.

Even more telling, it seemed a new order had been given. The mutants attacking the city were pulling back, while those who had been frozen shifted their focus, charging directly at him as the main threat.

"Good. The more, the better," he said quietly, ducking and weaving through the relentless onslaught, his sword flashing in calculated parries.

This was exactly the moment he needed to test his Observer talent.

Before, he’d used it mostly to pick up traces and reconstruct past events. Now, he pushed it further—reading every twitch of muscle, every glance, every shift in balance. The mutants’ next moves played out in his mind like clear, unfolding visions.

He avoided each strike with unnerving precision, sidestepping attacks from unexpected angles as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

His [Will] stat was so high that his natural speed and reflexes far outmatched those of the mutants attacking him. Now, surrounded by over a thousand creatures, he moved like a shadow in a game of tag—constantly evading and repositioning without showing any intention to strike.

He maintained this rhythm for a while, his mind fully focused and working overtime. He analyzed the chaos around him, reading attack patterns down to the smallest millisecond detail. Every movement was weighed and calculated like a grandmaster planning moves on a chessboard.

Finally, the system message he had been waiting for appeared.

"Heh, I was right. Reality is far more effective than any simulation," he thought with satisfaction as he read the message before him.

[Talent Recognition: "Observer (Lv4)" confirmed.]

- Talent has been identified based on sustained high-level perception, pattern analysis, and continuous application across dynamic environments.

- Proceed with registration to the Status Panel?

- Cost: 400 Energy

- Reward: 80 Free Stat Points

When Adyr saw the energy cost required to register the talent, he almost got caught by a mutant’s jaws mid-lunge. He slipped away at the last second, regaining his focus with a sharp breath.

"What the hell is this absurd jump?" he muttered.

It was frustrating enough that the talent hadn’t evolved into a Genesis-class. But to see the cost leap from 100 to 400? That was worse.

He took a quick look at the wave of mutants still closing in, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like this energy struggle would never end.