I Can Copy Talents Chapter 2: 0002

"What exactly is happening?"

Ye Tian felt a sense of disorientation. Initially, he dismissed the sight as a mere hallucination, but he quickly became certain that the scene unfolding before his eyes was undeniable reality.

The data manifesting upon his retina was authentic, not a trick of the mind.

A Goldfinger? No, perhaps this is my own latent talent! Ye Tian contemplated silently.

At thirteen years old, Ye Yu had not yet reached the age required to begin Cultivation. However, since Cultivation talent is inherent from birth, it was natural for her to possess it. As for her Cold Ice talent, it was an auxiliary trait separate from her Cultivation talent—an exceptionally rare gift found in less than one in ten thousand people. Should it awaken in the future, she would undoubtedly dominate opponents of the same rank and might even possess the capability to fight those at higher levels.

It is common knowledge that once one becomes a martial artist, they can absorb vitality to gradually trigger the awakening of hidden talents. However, such individuals are few and far between. I never expected my sister to harbor a rare Ice talent.

But is my own talent simply the power to perceive the talents of others?

Ye Tian suspected his ability was far more profound than that. He immediately began to test his theory.

While observing his sister, he noticed that the Cultivation talent displayed on the virtual interface had a "Replicable" status next to it.

This implied he had the power to replicate her second-class Cultivation talent.

However, because her Ice talent remained unawakened, Ye Tian was currently unable to copy it.

Should I copy it?

Facing this dilemma, Ye Tian ultimately decided against it. Although an inferior talent surpassed his own "weak" grade, it was still mediocre. Replicating it would be a waste of potential.

After his sister left, Ye Tian remained in the room alone to investigate his own status.

"If I can see my sister’s talent, I should be able to view my own as well," Ye Tian muttered to himself.

Focusing inward, a summary of his status soon flickered across his vision.

Human: Ye TianCultivation talent: Weak

It was a starkly simple profile. It confirmed that Ye Tian possessed no hidden gifts beyond a weak Cultivation talent. In the terminology of this era, he was quintessential "trash"—only marginally better than a commoner with no talent at all.

"The situation is clear now. This mystical power must be the strange talent that caused my previous body to explode and die, and it has crossed over with me. It should be called a 'Copy Talent.' I can replicate the talents of others, though I still need to test whether it replaces my own or merges with it. Furthermore, I have to physically touch the person to copy their talent, which is inconvenient. Perhaps that will change later."

Having organized his thoughts, Ye Tian formulated a plan: he needed to copy the Cultivation talent of a genius. With his current "weak" grade, he would never reach the rank of a martial artist in his lifetime.

Without becoming a martial artist, a person had no future in this world.

A year ago, Ye Tian’s parents were killed by beasts, leaving only him and his sister. This was a common tragedy in this era; humanity was fighting for survival, and lives were lost every moment, shattering countless families.

Ye Tian lived in the Linhai Base, a small settlement of 300,000 residents. Out of that population, only about a thousand were martial artists, a class that enjoyed privileges forbidden to ordinary citizens.

His late parents had been martial artists who perished in the wilderness during a mission. Because of their service, the base provided the family with a small subsidy for children under fifteen to ensure their survival.

However, once a person turned fifteen, the subsidy ceased.

Ye Tian had just hit that age limit, meaning his support had ended. Only Ye Yu still received a subsidy, but it was barely enough to sustain one person.

Being young and without income, the siblings had even withdrawn from school early to save money.

In the Linhai Base, schooling was available for those aged nine to fifteen, though it differed greatly from the pre-apocalyptic curriculum.

The lessons focused on language, mathematics, and knowledge of fierce beasts. Having learned the essentials, dropping out had little impact on their knowledge base.

"My parents left a small inheritance that can sustain us for a few years. But if I don't reach the level of a martial artist, I'll be forced to work menial jobs just to survive."

Working a part-time job? That was out of the question. He refused to spend his life as a laborer.

In this age, becoming a warrior was the only path to success!

"Time to head to the streets," Ye Tian decided.

After telling his sister to stay safely at home, he ventured out alone.

The streets were bustling with people. Most were ordinary civilians, though there were several martial apprentices and a few actual martial artists.

These warriors radiated a heavy pressure; standing too close to them made it difficult for an ordinary person to breathe.

Inferior talent... Inferior talent... Weak talent... Inferior talent...

As Ye Tian wandered, he observed that the majority possessed only weak or inferior talents. He didn't see any primary talents, even among the martial apprentices.

"It seems primary talents are quite rare even here in the Linhai Base," Ye Tian noted with a frown.

It made sense upon reflection. Linhai was a minor base where the strongest resident was only a Great Martial Artist. An inferior talent could typically only reach the early stages of a martial apprentice. A primary talent could become a martial artist with some hope of reaching the elite rank, while a medium talent could become an elite martial artist with a chance at becoming a Great Martial Artist.

The Great Martial Artist of Linhai Base was already quite old and likely only possessed a medium talent himself.

"I need to find at least a medium talent to copy. I can't just approach martial artists blindly; if I touch them, they might kill me. Even if killing a commoner is against base rules, a martial artist would likely just pay a fine. For someone like me with no background, no one would seek justice. I can't risk copying from them yet."

"There are 300,000 people here, but my Copy Talent only works within a three-meter range. That's too restrictive. Checking everyone individually would be too slow. My best bet is to find a specific target—someone known for fast cultivation—and check their talent. If they have a medium talent or better, I'll take it. I refuse to believe a base this size doesn't have a single medium-tier talent."

Most martial apprentices were gathered in the local academies. Linhai Base had five. Anyone fifteen or older could enroll. While the prestigious First Academy required either a primary talent or high-level connections, the other schools only required a tuition fee.

"My predecessor wanted to reach primary talent and enter the First Academy. But even if I get a primary talent now, I wouldn't dare go there. They test your talent officially. If people see my talent suddenly improve later, they'd probably kidnap me and slice me up for research," Ye Tian thought helplessly.

He had no choice but to settle for one of the lesser colleges.

Attending an academy was mandatory; without it, he couldn't learn the Body Forging methods. Martial apprentices couldn't yet absorb Qi directly, so they relied on these methods to strengthen their bodies until they possessed the strength of a thousand catties, officially becoming a martial artist.