SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will - Chapter 403 Second Merged Skill

Moon forced himself to calm down. The thoughts racing through his mind were exciting, but it wasn’t the time nor place, he had more important things at hand.

He turned his attention back to the notification. The six skills were all relatively weak, providing insights into their respective disciplines or paths, nothing that would shake the world on its own. But if the merge produced even a Rare-rank skill from these foundations, it would be worth it.

[Merging Success Rate: 45%]

[Cost: 500 Lives] [Confirm?]

500 lives were deducted when Moon confirmed.

[500 Lives Consumed. Merge Failed.]

Moon pressed again without hesitation.

[500 Lives Consumed. Merge Failed.]

Third time.

[500 Lives Consumed. Merge Failed.]

Moon expression remained natural despite the fact that 1500 lives were spent in mere seconds without any benefit. Moon continued, attempting to merge the skills for the fourth time. He was ready to lose five thousands lives before he begins to re-think his decision.

[500 Lives Consumed. Merging has been successful!]

[Your skills Dagger Arts, Piercing Sword, Archery, Spear Arts, Swordsmanship, and Empowering Shield have merged to form: Weaponmaster.]

Moon let out a slow breath. Two thousand lives total. In the grand scheme of things, it was nothing. He had been bracing himself for ten or twenty failed attempts.

He pulled up the new skill immediately.

[Weaponmaster] [Order: First] [Rank: Epic] [Level: 10] [Details: You have attained mastery over daggers, swords, bows, spears, and shields. Damage dealt with these weapons is increased by an additional 200%. Only one armament may empower you at a time, granting a 100% increase to defense. This effect does not stack.]

Moon’s eyes widened.

An epic rank skill, starting at level 10. Six weak skills had fused into something that surpassed every single one of them by a margin so wide it wasn’t even up for debate.

The damage bonus alone was staggering. 200% increased damage with any of the listed weapon types. Swords, daggers, spears, bows, shields. It didn’t matter which one he held. The moment he picked up any of them, his strikes would hit three times harder than they would without the skill.

But the real beauty was the defensive component.

Whichever weapon he wielded granted him an additional 100% increase to his defense. Not from a shield specifically. From any of the listed armaments. If he held a sword, he gained the defensive benefit passively. If he switched to a spear, the same bonus applied. It was as if an invisible shield sat on his off-hand at all times, protecting him without restricting his movement or his grip.

The skill appeared restrictive on the surface since only one armament could empower him at a time. But in practice, it wasn’t restrictive at all. It combined offensive and defensive benefits into a single active weapon, eliminating the need to sacrifice mobility by carrying a shield or switching between weapons mid-fight.

His close-range capabilities had just increased several fold in a single moment. Every sword swing, every dagger strike, every arrow he loosed would carry the weight of this skill behind it.

And this was only level 10.

Moon could only imagine what the skill would become at Second Order. If the merge had produced this at the base level, the evolved version could push his melee combat into a realm that most dedicated warriors would never reach despite spending their entire lives on a single weapon.

‘Two thousand lives…really good investment,’ Moon thought, a grin spreading across his face. Although he had lost six skills, the trade was more than worth it. He had gained an additional Epic-rank skill, one more that could be placed into an acupoint as a whole, undivided foundation.

Moon wasn’t going to settle for anything less than Epic when filling his acupoints. That was a rule he had set for himself, and Weaponmaster met the standard perfectly.

He turned his focus inward and peered into his second acupoint. The Thunderclap Raiju foundation was solidifying well, the lightning threads woven firmly into the acupoint structure. Spiritual energy had been accumulating steadily over the past two days, but it wasn’t close to full yet. He would need more time and stronger kills to complete it.

Still, there was enough spiritual energy settled inside to grant him a noticeable boost. The foundation was holding, and every bit of energy that flowed through it amplified his lightning output a little more.

‘The underground hideout needs to be conquered by tomorrow. I don’t have the privilege to delay any longer, I must take over that place by force…I need to start hunting spirits in preparation for the tournament coming up in about four days.’

Moon watched his team fighting in the clearing ahead. They were ready.

“Kill the beasts you’re fighting and stop! We’re retreating to the hideout, tomorrow is the promised day!” Moon called out.

The brute’s axe split a beast’s skull down the middle. He ripped it free and turned toward the group with a wild grin.

“You heard the boss! Finish these things off, brothers!”

“Hell yeah!” The tank roared, slamming his shield into the last standing creature and sending it tumbling backward into the archer’s waiting arrow.

“Tomorrow we take back our home!” One of the mages shouted, fire still crackling in her palms.

The group erupted in a cheer, their weapons raised, fists pumped in the air, and for a brief moment the floating island felt less like a prison and more like a battlefield they had chosen to stand on.

Moon watched them before turning around with a small smile on his face. Once the beasts were dealt with, the team began making their way back to the hideout. The mood was high.

Laughter and chatter filled the air as the group walked back to the hideout.

They were within a few meters of the cave entrance when Moon’s face darkened.

“Stop.” His arm shot out, blocking the brute’s path just as the man was about to step inside into the hideout.