The morning air was crisp. Dew clung to the wild grass, and a soft breeze carried the scent of earth and distant pine. Isaac sat cross-legged beside the creek, the faint glow of the System menu dancing across his vision. Lira was still asleep nearby, her breathing slow and even.
He wasn't focused on the scenery.
Today, he was going to try something dangerous.
[Skill Fusion Protocol – Rank EX]Fusion interface initialized. Please select two compatible skills.
He opened his skill list and hovered over a few non-EX abilities.
[Clawing Swipe – Rank D – Lv. 5][Rot Pulse – Rank C – Lv. 3]
They seemed similar. Both physical, both decay-adjacent."Worth a try," he muttered.
He selected the two skills and held his breath as the fusion window pulsed.
[Error: Incompatible skill structure. Insufficient affinity.]Fusion failed. No resources lost.
Isaac frowned. "Figures."
He tried a few more pairings. [Spiral Rend] with [Rot Pulse], then [Clawing Swipe] with [Fragment Memory]. Each time, the same message appeared:
[Error: Incompatible.][Error: Incompatible.]
Finally, he sat back and let out a low breath.
"So… it's not just about using similar elements."
He stared at the system text for a moment longer.
"…Maybe fusion requires skills of the same rank, or they need to be deeply connected in function or lore. Just being physical or magical isn't enough."
It made sense. Fusing garbage into gold would be too easy. The System demanded relevance—resonance. That explained why weaker skills didn't trigger anything.
But what about his strongest?
His gaze drifted toward the top of his list.
[Soul Echo – Rank EX][Devourer's Core – Rank EX]
Two passives. Both drawn from the same theme—absorption, inheritance, evolution through death.
His heart beat faster.
"If those two don't resonate… nothing will."
He selected them both.
[Confirm Fusion? This process is irreversible. You will lose the original skills.][Fusion Cost: None. Architect's Insight enabled. Skill compatibility: 97%][Proceed?]
Isaac clicked Yes.
The world shifted.
A surge of energy shot through his core like he'd swallowed a star. His breath hitched. The screen blurred, lines of code, symbols, and glyphs twisting into a spiral.
And then—silence.
[Fusion Complete.][New Skill Acquired: Soul Devourer Matrix – Rank EX+]
[Soul Devourer Matrix – Rank EX+]
Absorbs 10% of all base stats from enemies killed.Also absorbs 10% of stats from corpse remnants, even if you didn't land the killing blow.Each absorption carries a chance to gain a skill the target possessed.Skills gained may be upgraded during integration.Passive. Always active.
Isaac's senses sharpened. He felt the change immediately—like something had shifted in how the world responded to him. As if the corpses of enemies weren't just waste anymore… they were resources.
But he wasn't done.
He turned next to two more dangerous options:[Architect's Insight – Rank EX][Limit Breach – Rank EX]
One defined his stat scaling. The other broke the system's rules. Together, they could redefine his future.
He selected them.
[Fusion Detected: Architect's Insight + Limit Breach][Compatibility: 92% – Advanced system restructuring in progress...][Warning: This action may alter System foundation permanently.][Proceed?]
Isaac hesitated… then accepted.
Pain flared behind his eyes. A system core he hadn't known existed flared open like a blooming gate. The rules were being rewritten. Not from outside—but from within him.
[Fusion Complete.][New Skill Acquired: System Override – Rank EX+]
[System Override – Rank EX+]
Removes the level cap, allowing infinite progression.In life-threatening or pivotal events, you may break stat ceilings, skill limits, or other structural boundaries.Every time he gains a stat from any source, there is a small chance to gain bonus stat points.At milestone levels (every 10 levels), Isaac may select 2 new skills instead of 1.Passive.
Isaac blinked.
He could feel it. Something deep in the framework of his System had changed.It didn't feel like he was part of a game anymore.It felt like he was rewriting the rules.
And then… curiosity struck.
He selected [Soul Devourer Matrix – EX+] and [System Override – EX+].
[Fusion Attempt Detected][Error: Skill integrity too high. Fusion failed.][Note: Fusion of EX+ skills may require legendary catalysts or rank advancement.]
Isaac frowned, the message lingering a moment longer than the others.
"…So I've hit the next wall."
He stared at the two skills still glowing in his list—powerful, world-breaking, and yet... still separate.
"What rank would come after EX+?"
There was no answer. Not yet.
But he had a feeling the world would show him.
Eventually.