Chapter 287: The Fusions
"Whoaaa... You have a built-in weapon now? That’s cool." Kai muttered as he knew that the previous A-Grade Sentinel didn’t have anything close to that.
Atom didn’t answer but it seemed that it was looking really proud of itself.
Kai had a feeling that this Sentinel had gotten more intelligent!
"Mhmm... I guess I have to take this seriously." Kai muttered as he recalled how he obtained several Skill Fusion Crystals from the Aries Faction.
For now, he decided to check his current stat. After all, he had obtained various Skills within the Perfect World and also from the Gene Skill Crystals he had used recently.
Unfortunately, the limit of Level 35 Survivor was still seven for each Active and Passive Skill.
"Alright... Where should I start?" Kai muttered as he checked his status...
[ Name: Kai ]
[ Title: Expert Survivor, Trailblazer, Stronghold Defender, Guardian, Strongest One ]
[ Guild: Codebreakers ]
[ Level: 35 ]
[ Health: 2,640 / 2,640 ]
[ Spirit: 411 / 411 ]
[ Physique Rating: C+ ]
[ Talent: Infinite Gift Pack (SSS) ]
[ Active Skills: Spirit Pulse Lv5, Specter Step Lv5, Fast Appraisal Lv5, Beast Arm Lv5, Armored Dash Lv0, Spirit Chains Lv0, Piercing Roar Lv0 ]
[ Passive Skills: Keen Sense Lv5, Bio Adaptive Constitution Lv5, Battle Trance Lv5, Bronze Skin Lv5, Iron Will Lv0, Spirit Conduction Lv0, Hunter Sense Lv0 ]
[ Skill Points: 6 ]
[ Reputation Points: 64 ]
[ Inventory Slots: 9 ]
Kai stared at the blue screen. His list of skills had grown, but he knew better than to spread himself thin.
Seven active, seven passive... There were too many to manage with limited skill points...
He reached into his inventory and withdrew three crystalline shards for now...
[ Item: Skill Fusion Crystal ]
[ Effect: Allows fusion of two or more Gene Skills into a new hybrid skill. Higher compatibility produces stronger results. Single-use, bound to the Survivor. ]
The crystals pulsed faintly, waiting to be used. Kai clenched his fist.
"Mhmm... I guess Appraisal and Bio‑Adaptive Constitution stay. The rest... I’ll fuse them. Better to focus on fewer, stronger skills."
Kai needed the Appraisal for obvious reasons, while the Bio-Adaptive was also very important as it was the skill allowing him to not be afraid of any modifications, and also, it helped him consume more Gene Enhancements without suffering backlash.
He then activated one of the Fusion Crystals...
[ Skill Fusion Crystal Activated ]
[ Eligible Gene Skills Detected ]
[ Active Skills: Spirit Pulse Lv5, Specter Step Lv5... ]
[ Passive Skills: Keen Sense Lv5, Bio‑Adaptive Constitution Lv5...]
[ Instruction: Select up to 5 Gene Skills to fuse together. ]
[ Note: Minimum requirement is 2 Gene Skills. Fusion will proceed with chosen skills. ]
[ Warning: The more skills selected, the higher the risk of failure or unstable results unless compatibility is high. ]
[ Note: Choose carefully. Fusion outcomes are permanent. ]
Kai exhaled slowly. "Alright... let’s begin. Oh... Atom, just stay there. We’ll spar after this."
Just like that, Kai highlighted Spirit Pulse, Piercing Roar, and Spirit Chains.
[ Selected Skills: Spirit Pulse Lv5 + Piercing Roar Lv0 + Spirit Chains Lv0 ]
[ Compatibility: High ]
[ Fusion in Progress... ]
The crystal glowed, merging the three abilities into one.
[ Fusion Successful ]
[ New Active Skill Acquired: Spirit Dominion Lv2 ]
[ Note: Combines ranged burst, immobilization, and disruption into a single Spirit‑based attack. ]
Kai nodded as he saw it... "Perfect. One skill that covers offense, control, and suppression."
After that, Kai used the second crystal...
This time, he selected Specter Step, Armored Dash, and Beast Arm.
[ Selected Skills: Specter Step Lv5 + Armored Dash Lv0 + Beast Arm Lv5 ]
[ Compatibility: Moderate ]
[ Fusion in Progress... ]
"Moderate, huh... Interesting."
The crystal then pulsed violently before stabilizing.
[ Fusion Successful ]
[ New Active Skill Acquired: Titan Step Lv0 ]
[ Effect: A mobility skill that fuses phasing movement, armored charge, and brute transformation. ]
Kai grinned. "Mobility and raw strength in one. That’s exactly what I need."
He then turned his attention to his passive skills. He knew he couldn’t keep them all as they were... too scattered, too inefficient. He placed another crystal in his hands and soon, it started glowing and pulsing steadily.
[ Skill Fusion Crystal Activated ]
[ Eligible Gene Skills Detected ]...
Kai selected Bronze Skin and Battle Trance.
[ Selected Skills: Bronze Skin Lv5 + Battle Trance Lv5 ]
[ Compatibility: High ]
[ Fusion in Progress... ]
The crystal flared brilliantly, merging the two passives into a single advanced trait.
[ Fusion Successful ]
[ New Passive Skill Acquired: Great Protection Lv0 ]
[ Effect: Combines hardened defense with heightened combat resilience. ]
Kai clenched his fists, feeling his body stabilize... his muscles even started tightening with newfound endurance. "This... this is incredible. Just perfect for what I needed."
He wasn’t finished. He placed another crystal down, this time focusing on Spirit Conduction and Hunter Sense.
[ Skill Fusion Crystal Activated ]
Kai selected Spirit Conduction and Hunter Sense.
[ Selected Skills: Spirit Conduction Lv0 + Hunter Sense Lv0 ]
[ Compatibility: Moderate ]
[ Fusion in Progress... ]
The crystal pulsed violently before stabilizing, merging the two into a better passive.
[ Fusion Successful ]
[ New Passive Skill Acquired: Slayer’s Flow Lv0 ]
[ Effect: Enhances Spirit efficiency while sharpening instinctive awareness of hostile intent. ]
Kai exhaled, satisfied. "Perfect... They’re all fused into one."
[ Active Skills: Fast Appraisal Lv5, Spirit Dominion Lv2, Titan Step Lv0 ]
[ Passive Skills: Bio‑Adaptive Constitution Lv5, Great Protection Lv0, Slayer’s Flow Lv0 ]
Kai stared at the condensed list. From the fourteen skills, he now had a few of them.
He muttered, "This is better. No clutter. Just the essentials."
The crystals had done their work. His arsenal was definitely a lot better than before...
Spirit Dominion gave him control over the battlefield. Titan Step fused mobility and brute force... and Slayer fortified his body and instincts...
Kai exhaled and slowed his breath.
"Now... Atom. What do you think?"
Kai pushed open the door of his small house, stepping into the cool morning air.
Atom followed, its black armor looked so intimidating as well. Since the built-in blade retracted as it moved with silent precision.
Kai stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders, and began warming up.
His muscles tightened under the effect of Great Protection, every movement felt more comfortable and controlled.
He drew in a deep breath, letting Slayer’s Flow circulate Spirit Energy through his body more efficiently than ever before.
"Atom... I’m ready!"
