Free Web NovelChapter 27: Chapter 27: The S Grade Talent Fruit
Qin Yuheng did not touch the S Grade Talent Fruit immediately.
He sat in silence, staring at the items from the SSS Grade Ancient Origin Black Stone Chest.
Each reward was beyond anything a first-floor climber should possess.
The Origin Black Stone Heart pulsed with a deep, ancient rhythm. The SS Grade Skill Book radiated heavy pressure, as if a mountain and thundercloud had been sealed between its pages. The SS Grade Origin Inventory Expansion Stone shimmered with spatial light far denser than the previous one he had used.
The Ancient Origin Tower Coin Bundle sat quietly, but Qin Yuheng could feel that its value was not small.
And then there was the S Grade Talent Fruit.
It was dark brown and silver, with shadow-like lines moving beneath its skin. A faint beast-like awareness seemed to emanate from it, as if it could sense Qin Yuheng looking at it.
His panel displayed its details.
[S Grade Talent Fruit: Earth-Shadow Battle Sense]
[Type: Talent Fruit]
[Effect: High chance to awaken Earth-Shadow Battle Sense, a combat perception talent combining danger sense, terrain awareness, and instinctive battle prediction.]
[Estimated Awakening Chance: 72% - 81%]
[Eligible for Primordial Origin Evolution.]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes narrowed.
Earth-Shadow Battle Sense.
This talent would be extremely suitable for Qin Yuchen or Qin Lian.
Qin Yuchen already possessed strong tactical prediction. A battle sense talent could transform him into a terrifying combat analyst. Qin Lian, as a scout and assassin-type fighter, could also benefit greatly from danger sense and terrain awareness.
But the Qin family’s younger generation had future paths to consider.
Talent slots were limited.
Each person could normally hold at most three talents.
A single S-grade talent was precious, but Qin Yuheng had the ability to prepare even stronger talents later. If he let someone consume this fruit now, it might occupy a slot that could be used for a more suitable SSS-grade talent in the future.
This was the kind of problem only Qin Yuheng could have.
For others, an S Grade Talent Fruit would be eaten immediately or guarded like a clan treasure. freēwēbnovel.com
For him, it was valuable but not necessarily final.
He could enhance it.
If an S-grade Talent Fruit became SSS grade, its awakening chance and quality would rise drastically. It might become suitable for one of his siblings or cousins.
But should he evolve it now?
Once evolved, it could not be multiplied.
If multiplied, he might get many S-grade fruits, enough to increase the Qin family’s talent foundation significantly. But copied fruits could not be evolved again.
S-grade fruits were already rare beyond measure.
Quantity Multiplication could create a strategic family resource.
Quality Enhancement could create one heaven-defying fruit.
Qin Yuheng closed his eyes and thought.
His long-term goal was not just to make one person stronger.
It was to raise the Qin family.
But the earliest stage required peak individuals, not broad distribution. If too many S-grade Talent Fruits appeared, controlling secrecy would become extremely difficult. Even inside the family, sudden mass awakening would draw attention.
A single SSS-grade fruit could be hidden and used at the right time.
He decided not to evolve it yet.
The choice was too important.
He stored it separately in his expanded inventory.
Then he inspected the SS Grade Origin Inventory Expansion Stone.
[SS Grade Origin Inventory Expansion Stone]
[Effect: Increases system inventory capacity by 100 slots and adds origin-stabilized storage layering.]
[Eligible for Primordial Origin Evolution.]
Another expansion stone.
Since he had already used an SS Grade Spatial Expansion Stone, his inventory capacity was 120 slots. This one could increase it further. If enhanced, perhaps it could become SSS grade or higher.
Storage was always useful and low-risk.
He chose Quality Enhancement.
[Quality Enhancement selected.]
[SS Grade Origin Inventory Expansion Stone]
↓
[SSS Grade Inner Origin Storage Stone]
[Effect: Increases system inventory capacity by 300 slots.]
[Additional Effect: Creates hidden classified storage layer. Items placed within the hidden layer are harder to detect by ordinary storage scans.]
[Use?]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes brightened.
Hidden classified storage layer.
This was even more important than capacity.
"Use."
The stone dissolved into dark gold light.
His inventory expanded again.
[System Inventory]
[Capacity: 420 slots]
[Storage Stability: Excellent]
[Hidden Storage Layer: Activated]
[Hidden Layer Capacity: 50 slots]
Qin Yuheng immediately moved his most sensitive items into the hidden layer.
Primordial-related rewards.
S Grade Talent Fruit.
Ancient Black Stone Altar Fragment.
Black Stone Altar Key Fragment.
Origin Black Stone Heart.
A Grade Spatial Retreat Talisman.
SS Grade Skill Book.
The hidden layer gave him another level of safety.
Next, he inspected the Ancient Origin Tower Coin Bundle.
[Ancient Origin Tower Coin Bundle]
[Contains: Gold Tower Coins x100]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
Gold Tower Coins.
One Gold Tower Coin equaled 100 Silver, and each Silver equaled 100 Copper. For ordinary early climbers, even a few Silver Tower Coins could be meaningful. One hundred Gold was an enormous sum for a first-floor reward.
Qin Yuheng smiled slightly.
Currency could be evolved too.
The question was quality or quantity.
Quality Enhancement might turn Gold Tower Coins into Crystal Tower Coins.
Quantity Multiplication might create thousands or more Gold Tower Coins.
Because Tower Coins could be used in the real world and were untraceable once obtained, quantity was extremely valuable. But creating too many at once could tempt reckless spending.
He chose not to evolve the coin bundle yet.
Again, flexibility mattered.
Finally, he looked at the SS Grade Skill Book.
[SS Grade Skill Book: Primordial Stone Thunder Body Art]
[Type: Body tempering and defensive combat art]
[Effect: Combines stone endurance, thunder activation, and origin marrow refinement principles.]
[Requirement: Extremely strong body foundation and thunder compatibility.]
[Current user compatibility: High.]
[Eligible for Primordial Origin Evolution.]
This skill was almost made for him.
But it was already SS grade. If enhanced, it might become SSS grade and possibly too difficult to practice early. Still, he could use only the first layer, just as with Void Thunder Shadow Step.
He chose to enhance it.
[Quality Enhancement selected.]
[SS Grade Primordial Stone Thunder Body Art]
↓
[SSS Grade Origin Thunder Emperor Body Scripture]
[Effect: Supreme early-to-high stage body scripture combining origin stone marrow, thunder emperor circulation, body defense, explosive strength, and law-resistance foundation.]
[Current usable portion: First Layer — Origin Thunder Marrow Tempering]
[Learn?]
Qin Yuheng felt his pulse quicken.
This was not merely a skill.
It was a cultivation foundation.
"Learn."
The scripture dissolved into countless runes and entered his mind.
Pain followed.
Not physical pain, but pressure—the feeling of a mountain being placed inside his consciousness. Diagrams of bones, marrow, meridians, thunder circulation, stone pressure, and origin refinement appeared one after another.
The first layer imprinted itself slowly.
[Skill learned.]
[SSS Grade Origin Thunder Emperor Body Scripture]
[Current Mastery: Beginner]
[Available Layer: First Layer — Origin Thunder Marrow Tempering]
Qin Yuheng exhaled.
His current body was already strong due to Primordial Thunder Emperor Body, but this scripture gave him a method to develop it properly. Without a method, talent was raw potential. With a method, potential became structured growth.
He did not practice immediately.
The first floor had just ended. His body had leveled twice, fought multiple elite beasts, and absorbed many experiences. Practicing an SSS body scripture without preparation could harm him.
He needed guidance, environment, and gradual tempering.
The next morning, Qin Yuheng went to the main hall.
Qin Wanshan was waiting.
The old man looked at him for a long moment.
"You have something to say."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"I gained some resources from the first floor. Some are suitable for the family."
Qin Wanshan’s eyes moved slightly.
Qin Yuheng took out only a portion.
C Grade Strength Fruits.
C Grade Agility Fruits.
C Grade Constitution Fruits.
B Grade Black Stone Wolf King Boots.
B Grade Stone Shadow Step Skill Book.
Some Black Stone Cores.
Some Beast Cores.
And one A Grade Black Gold Marrow Liquid.
He did not reveal the SSS chest rewards.
Not yet.
Even trust required timing.
Qin Wanshan looked at the items silently.
After a while, he said, "This is too much for an ordinary first-floor clear."
"SSS evaluation gave more than expected."
"That explains some."
The old man looked at the A Grade Black Gold Marrow Liquid. freewebnøvel.coɱ
"This does not."
Qin Yuheng was silent.
Qin Wanshan did not press immediately.
Instead, he waved his hand and activated a privacy formation around the hall.
"Yuheng," he said slowly, "the Qin family can protect secrets. But first, we must know whether a secret needs protection."
Qin Yuheng met his grandfather’s gaze.
The time had not come to reveal Primordial Origin Evolution fully.
But perhaps the first layer of truth could be given.
"I can sometimes improve the quality of certain rewards," Qin Yuheng said carefully.
Qin Wanshan’s eyes narrowed.
Qin Zhengyuan, who had entered quietly from the side hall, stopped walking.
Mu Qinglan’s gaze sharpened.
Qin Yuheng continued, "Not everything. Not without limits. But some Tower rewards resonate with me after I obtain them."
The hall became silent.
Qin Wanshan did not ask the exact talent name.
He did not ask the grade.
He did not ask how many times.
That restraint made Qin Yuheng respect him even more.
After a long moment, Qin Wanshan spoke.
"Who knows?"
"No one outside this room. My team suspects I have secrets, but they do not know details."
Qin Zhengyuan’s voice was low.
"Can this ability be detected?"
"Not easily. The Tower reacts, but it accepts the result."
Qin Wanshan’s expression changed for the first time.
"The Tower accepts it?"
Qin Yuheng nodded.
Qin Wanshan and Qin Zhengyuan exchanged a glance.
Mu Qinglan’s eyes became deep and unreadable.
Qin Wanshan finally said, "From today onward, you will not reveal this to anyone else without speaking to me first."
"I understand."
"Resources you improve must enter the family through reasonable channels. We will create explanations."
Qin Yuheng nodded again.
Qin Wanshan looked at the A Grade Black Gold Marrow Liquid.
Then he smiled faintly.
"The Qin family’s younger generation may truly be changing."
Qin Yuheng looked at his grandfather.
"This is only the beginning."
And for the first time, Qin Wanshan did not treat those words as youthful ambition.
He believed them.
