NOVEL WEB Chapter 88: More Skills
After Grakar, Ryu focused on empowering himself.
[Frost Shard Lancer] (F) – Unleashes a barrage of ice shards in a straight line.
[Slime Absorption Field] (F) – Temporarily absorbs minor elemental attacks.
[Snow Panther Pounce] (F) – Grants a triple-speed leap with a short stun on hit.
[Crystal Skin Reinforcement] (E) – Temporarily boosts defense by forming a crystalline layer.
[Ice Giant's Grip] (E) – A powerful hold technique that freezes whatever it grabs.
[Frozen Echo Step] (E) – Moves with ghostly speed, leaving behind afterimages.
[Dire Wolf Howl] (E) – Temporarily increases allies' strength and lowers enemies' morale.
[Chillbite Fang] (F) – Imbues melee strikes with biting cold.
[Avalanche Guard] (E) – A defensive stance that reduces frontal damage.
[Beast Sense] (E) – Heightens awareness and perception for five minutes.
[Arctic Cyclone Wingblade] (E) – Creates an ice cyclone upon activation.
[Cicada Veil Mirage] (E) – Creates a mirage clone that acts as a veil for the user.
Afterward, Ryuzen began fusing the twelve skill books he had obtained from the Arctic Den Dungeon.
Due to the chaos of the Wave and the constant tension afterward, he hadn't had the chance to fuse them until now.
But now that he was finally free and had a moment to breathe, he could focus.
It was time to evolve them.
Inside the Fusion Lab, the 12 skill books hovered in mid air.
Each one shimmered with its own light — blue, silver, and a pale ghostly white.
Ryuzen stood calmly in his human form, choosing suitable skills for Fusion. He hope this he could acquire a D-Rank skill, though his level was far D-Rank.
"It's time," he whispered.
[ Fusion Process Initiated... ]
The system began to hum. Icy tendrils of energy rose around him, linking the skill crystals like veins of power. Each skill had its own theme — ice, beast, stealth, defense — but the true question was whether they could harmonize into something greater.
[ Fusion 1: Snow Panther Pounce + Frozen Echo Step + Chillbite Fang ]
> Result: [Frostfang Blitz] (E)
A rapid assault technique that combines a triple-speed leap, cold-infused strike, and leaves an afterimage to confuse foes. The first hit has a high chance to stun.
Ryuzen sighed. "Still no D-Rank skill... Next!"
[ Fusion 2: Crystal Skin Reinforcement + Avalanche Guard ]
> Result: [Glacial Fortress] (E)
A temporary state that coats the user in crystalline ice armor. Reduces incoming damage by 30% and makes the user immune to knockback for 10 seconds.
"Defense solidified... Good."
[ Fusion 3: Frost Shard Lancer + Arctic Cyclone Wingblade ]
> Result: [Permafrost Spiral Lance] (E)
Launch a piercing cyclone of frost shards in a wide arc. Freezes enemies hit and applies bleeding due to ice shards.
His expression hardened. "Now that's deadly."
[ Fusion 4: Beast Sense + Dire Wolf Howl ]
> Result: [Alpha Instinct] (D)
Temporarily heightens perception and releases a powerful howl. Increases movement speed, reflexes, and empowers nearby allies' morale.
A draconic growl echoed from his throat. "Finally! A D-Rank Skill!"
But then, he sighed,
"But alas.. It's not a attack type skill."
[ Fusion 5: Ice Giant's Grip + Slime Absorption Field ]
> Result: [ Devour's Hand ] (D)
A devouring skill that absorps attacks into a different space.
"Ah, This one is Great. Sounds like a Certain Blue Slime's Op ability. I wonder if I can make it a True Devour Skill one day.." he mused to grinning to himself.
Behind him, Grakar stood obediently, watching his Lord's face with confusion.
Nevertheless, the Fusion process was over.
[ Fusion 6: Cicada Veil Mirage (E) ] (Remained Unfused)
> System Note: Unique signature detected. Cannot be fused with existing set. Recommended to evolve separately.
Ryuzen glanced at the last one. "So you're special…"
All six fusions were complete. The ice around the Fusion Lab cracked, releasing mist with every breath he took. His back steamed with the release of power. Cold, focused, and ready.
[ Skill Fusion Complete. ]
> You have acquired 2 new D-Rank Skills and 4 E-Rank Skills.
After acquiring the six new skills, Ryuzen decided to open his status window to check how many skills he now possessed.
What he saw left him stunned.
[ Name: Ryuzen De Manus ]
[ Bloodline: Solarfrost Imperial Dragon (S) ]
[ Age: 6 Years ]
[ Lifespan: 300 years ]
[ Level: 15 ]
[ Strength: 220 ]
[ Agility: 219 ]
[ Vitality: 223 ]
[ Mana: 1707 ]
[ Skills: Devour's Hand (D), Alpha Instinct (D), Cicada Veil Mirage (E), Permafrost Spiral Lance (E), Glacial Fortress (E), Frostfang Blitz (E), Sun Dragon's Gaze (E) Frost Armor (E), Twin Eclipse Ascent (E), Sunflare Glacier Roar (E), Night Berserker (E), Phantom Claw (E), Windleap Dash (E), Tunnel Gore Strike (E), Shell Sense (F), Water Resistance (F) ]
[ Skill Tree: Manus (D)
"Sixteen skills…" Ryuzen muttered, shocked.
The number was growing at a frightening pace. He began to worry—
Will acquiring too many skills going to cause a backlash?
So he asked, "Dracina, is it alright to obtain this many skills? I mean… other Evolvers don't have nearly as many, do they?"
Dracina's voice responded quickly:
[ There's no need for concern, Host. You are the bearer of the Dragon God's System. You are destined to be different from others. As long as you continue evolving your body, your Soul Core will expand accordingly—allowing you to acquire and manage more skills. ]
[ However, having fewer powerful skills is far better than collecting many weak or redundant ones. In cases where your skill list becomes bloated, you may use the Codex to extract and fuse your equipped skills again—just like you did once before. The process will be painful... but the rewards will be well worth it. ]
Ryuzen nodded. "Yes, exactly what I was planning. But for that… I need to mentally prepare myself first."
His gaze shifted to the glowing orb of dragon blood hovering on the fusion platform.
"For now, let's use the three Self-Fusion attempts with the Sun Dragon bloodline. I know I won't get a bloodline upgrade from this… but at the very least, I'll gain some attribute points."
[ Host is correct. ]
Dracina's voice confirmed his plan without hesitation.
With that settled, Ryuzen got to work.
He placed the S-Grade Sun Dragon bloodline into the core of the chamber and initiated the Self-Fusion sequence.
Fiery golden light enveloped him as the ancient dragon essence seeped into his body.
As soon as it did, his veins bulged. Muscles tensed. His bones felt like they were being restructured from within.
For the rest of the night, the low, muffled groans of Ryuzen echoed through the quiet space of the Fusion Lab.
Here, deep in the heart of the pocket realm, no one could witness the pain.
No one could pry into his secrets.
And no one could stop what he was becoming.