I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

Chapter 1190: Corrupted Domain

Northern stared into the depths of the canyon, his gaze blank yet tinged with amusement as he observed the hostile eyes below.

[A passive effect of willingness has been identified. The willingness is suppressing caution and fear]

[Effect has been canceled using Nullify]

Northern’s smile widened. He continued staring down at the seemingly endless chasm coated in viscous darkness.

’There’s something unnatural about this place. The entire canyon itself is rubbing me the wrong way...’

[Would you like to run an analysis using your eyes]

Northern scoffed.

’I don’t need to do that to realize this is a soul world... but there’s something off about it. Perhaps because it’s marinated enough to count as real terrain, it feels like a world of corrupted essence, yet at the same time feels normal.’

[Would you like to run an analysis using your eyes]

’Suit yourself, Aoi.’

Knight Chryslar held both swords low, legs bent, coiled to lunge. Knight Eskedar stood with a rectangular shield in one hand and a simple, double-edged longsword in the other. Sparks crackled over his head, his face hidden behind a helmet with a sharp V-shaped visor.

”Your Highness.” His voice cut through the tension. ”We are ready... on your order!”

Northern pulled his gaze from the two knights and refocused on the depths. The monsters gazing up from below weren’t particularly dangerous—judging by the weight of their presence and his experience, he concluded they were savage ranks at most.

He examined them using Shingan. His eyes blazed for a few moments as he selectively analyzed the ones with the most pronounced presence.

He raised his head to the knights, gesturing sharply.

”They’re called Hollow Scrubs—savage ranks at best. Highest danger level is Catastrophic: the Queen Hollow. She’s hidden somewhere among them. They’re hive monsters, so expect coordinated attacks. They also have Worker Grubs—calamity level. Scout Grubs—disaster level. Soldier Grubs—also calamity. Watch out for the soldiers and cover each other’s backs. Head for the Queen first. Kill their voice of cooperation and you’ll scatter them. Makes them easier to deal with.”

Knight Chryslar straightened, confusion flickering across his face.

”And you... sir?”

Northern’s smile sharpened.

”Me? I’m going deeper. Much deeper. See if I can end this quickly and harvest the rest of this place for talent fragments. Until then, try to stay alive.”

He turned to leave, then paused.

”Oh, right. I need as many as I can gather, so I’m leaving you two lesser echoes. Should hold their own well enough. I could’ve dropped the stronger ones, but you want to grow stronger—can’t interrupt that.”

Northern snapped his fingers. From his shadow, blue light surged, coalescing into two figures.

Both were quadrupedal creatures. One was named Crystalline Blight, the other Ember Carrion—both variants of Rabid Rots. Northern hadn’t fully confirmed it yet, but he suspected that once souls were echonized, Endless attributes applied to them as well, triggering endless evolution. First, dividing the base form into two variants.

The Rabid Rot had ceased to exist and multiplied instead. At higher levels, even the Ember Carrion would multiply, evolving into two different pathways. The same would happen to Crystalline Blight—which was where Recursive Generation came in, he suspected.

All these abilities worked in perfect tandem, breaking his origination of endlessness into a slow-paced process to avoid overwhelming him.

The Crystalline Blight had a body that appeared frozen mid-decay, with translucent crystalline growths in sickly pale and blue. Frost perpetually emanated from its form, its breath creating clouds of freezing vapor. The Ember Carrion was the Blight’s opposite—smoldering crimson tissue that constantly burned with low, hungry flames. Its eyeless head exhaled smoke and sparks, its maw burning with inner fire.

Each was a beast-rank echo monster that had evolved from disaster level to calamity level.

Northern glanced at Knights Eskedar and Chryslar. Doubt clouded their eyes.

”Don’t worry. They’ll be useful allies.”

He leaped down, vanishing into the darkness.

The two knights stared at each other, then at the echo monsters standing beside them.

”Eskedar, do you happen to know what a talent fragment is?”

Knight Eskedar shook his head.

”Please, let’s focus on making it out alive.”

A smirk tugged at Knight Chryslar’s lips.

”Remember—growth, not survival.”

His blue eyes blazed with intensity. He brandished his swords and, with a yell, leaped downward.

Eskedar shook his head.

”Oh Chrys, so reckless!”

He followed. The two echo monsters glanced at each other, then plunged after them.

***

Northern summoned Supreme Shadow from Eclipsing Dread, wrapping himself in a cocoon of darkness. Spikes burst from the cocoon in all directions, tearing through the chitinous skin of Hollow Grubs as they swarmed and hammered against the barrier.

The spikes impaled their bodies effortlessly while death notifications flooded Northern’s vision.

[You have slain a disastrous savage, Worker Grub]

[You have gained 2 talent fragments]

[You have slain a disastrous savage, Worker Grub]

[You have gained 2 talent fragments]

[You have slain a hazardous savage, Worker Grub]

[You have gained 2 talent fragments]

[...]

When the spikes ceased and the monsters crushed against the cocoon’s wall, their mandibles shattered on impact, rendered useless before fresh spikes erupted and pierced through their segmented, wormlike bodies.

Northern plummeted through the first ring of the canyon, dropping into the second. The twisting black cliffs became more pronounced, less obscured by the pervading darkness.

The cocoon’s descent suddenly accelerated—as if a massive gale from below, equal in power to gravity itself, was dragging him in. Like a whale opening its maw underwater, drawing in hundreds of fish with the sheer force of suction.

Except in this case, the entire canyon was the whale.

[Shingan - Demon Eyes have successfully completed analysis]

The moment Aoi spoke, information flooded Northern’s mind in a torrent.

[You were correct. However, this is not just a Soul World. The Soul World has evolved into a Corrupted Domain, belonging to an Apex Belial]

Northern’s thoughts stilled.

’Soul Worlds can evolve?’

[As you said, it has matured enough to become reality for more than just its creator, as well as many other creatures. This Corrupted Domain is, in simpler terms, a Dungeon. Except this Dungeon is alive and has a mind of its own]

Northern nodded slightly, still plummeting.

[A map of all six rings of the canyon has been created during analysis. You can copy the canyon]

[Since a map exists and the place is covered in shadows, would you like to teleport to a specific location? Perhaps the heart of the canyon where the Apex Belial resides?]