Unholy Player
Chapter 199: Unexpected Talent (Part 1)

Chapter 199: Unexpected Talent (Part 1)

[Talent Recognition: "[Tactician (Lv3)]" confirmed.]

- Talent has been identified based on consistent multi-layered strategic thinking and real-time decision-making across high-pressure scenarios.

- Proceed with registration to the Status Panel?

- Cost: 100 Energy

- Reward: 20 Free Stat Points

"Nice." Adyr glanced at the system message, satisfied. It had taken him just over 30 minutes to secure overwhelming victories in every game, all set to the highest difficulty available.

Though the time spent was short, it demanded complete focus. For half an hour, his mind operated like an overheated machine, running through dozens of scenarios, evaluating each move, and executing the most efficient paths to victory across every simulation.

He also ran a quick calculation on what it would take to trigger the level 4 confirmation. The conclusion was clear—it would be far more demanding and time-consuming, at least for now.

Registering [Tactician (Lv3)], he moved on to his next target. This time, he chose [Tracking (Lv2)] and [Scouting (Lv2)], having recently discovered a simulation game perfectly suited for developing both talents at once.

He closed all the previous game tabs, scrolled down through the simulation menu, and opened the one that had caught his attention before, Find Anomalies. Now, it was time to put it to the test.

The rules and gameplay were straightforward. The real goal was to locate hidden targets scattered across unfamiliar terrain, relying solely on indirect clues.

There were no minimaps, no glowing trails, no guiding markers, only subtle signs in the environment. Broken branches, crushed grass, scattered feathers, fading heat signatures, muffled sounds, or distant echoes. Each clue had to be carefully observed, weighed, and followed step by step.

The simulation dropped players into randomized biomes such as dense jungles, rocky canyons, snowfields, or ruined cities and assigned a moving target. Sometimes it was a wild beast, other times a rogue humanoid. The catch was that these targets were always trying to escape. They never stayed still, constantly circling, hiding, masking their trails, and even setting false paths to mislead the pursuer.

It was not enough to simply spot them. Players had to pursue them, track their movements over time, anticipate their behavior, and intercept them without being detected.

Targets left behind layered, complex trails that required constant analysis and prediction. This forced the player to interpret faint, overlapping signs and make split-second decisions, directly sharpening the Tracking talent.

At the same time, players had to explore unknown terrain without any guidance, memorize layouts, find vantage points, and avoid hazards such as traps or predators. This pushed the development of Scouting, improving environmental awareness, navigation skills, and strategic positioning.

Each level grew more difficult with more deceptive trails, multiple targets, and harsher conditions. The game’s name, Find Anomalies, came from the fact that at the start, players didn’t even know what the target was—they had to discover it themselves by detecting subtle irregularities and hidden discrepancies in the environment.

Originally, this simulation was designed to prepare STF members for field operations by sharpening their environmental awareness. It created scenarios where sustained focus and observation were necessary to train their mental endurance. Since the formation of the PTF, however, the simulation has been further developed into a comprehensive training tool to improve multiple talents.

When Adyr started the simulation at level one, it was very simple. He spawned in a dense forest and quickly realized the target was a polar bear—an anomaly in the middle of the forest.

He then spent several minutes tracking the bear, found its den, and discovered several civilians held hostage inside. With that, he easily completed the first level.

"It’s really a strange concept," Adyr muttered with a smile as the environment around him shifted in digital distortions and he moved on to level two.

More than the concept, the simulation’s realism was what caught his attention. He could smell, touch, and even taste everything with about 70 to 80 percent accuracy. This level of immersion played a crucial role in developing his talents.

After completing each level up to 10, the difficulty increased exponentially.

At this stage, the environment was a crowded shopping mall, and it took Adyr some time to realize that his target was a disguised alien.

Finding this shape-shifting alien among thousands of people required him to use his Observer talent at an advanced level along with his Tracking and Scouting talents. To confirm the identity of the target, he had to notice dozens of subtle details.

For example, the alien’s feet had only three toes instead of five hidden inside its shoes, it lacked nipples, and its tongue was slightly longer than normal. Of course, Adyr had to discover all these without alerting the alien—a process that could easily fill an entire episode on its own.

After three hours, he was certain he had found the right person. He followed the alien to a secret room hidden in the mall’s restroom, where the alien stored state secrets, and completed the level.

Upon completion, the system message greeted him with a reassuring notification acknowledging his talent upgrade.

[Talent Recognition: "[Tracking(Lv2)]" confirmed.]

- Talent has been identified based on the accurate interpretation of physical and environmental clues during extended pursuit scenarios.

[Talent Recognition: "[Scouting(Lv2)]" confirmed.]

- Talent has been identified based on efficient terrain navigation, hazard awareness, and successful location of hidden targets.

[Talent Recognition: "[Stealth(Lv2)]" confirmed.]

- Talent has been identified based on the consistent avoidance of detection through controlled movement, concealment, and tactical timing.

- Proceed with registration to the Status Panel?

- Cost: 100 Energy per talent

- Reward: 20 Free Stat Points per talent

"Nice," Adyr commented, especially when he noticed the unintended third upgrade—Stealth.

While tracking the shape-shifting alien and confirming it was indeed his target, he had done so entirely unnoticed. The fact that he managed to observe and analyze without raising the slightest suspicion had effectively showcased his talent in action.

Especially the part where he had to inspect the alien’s body to be certain—and discovered it had no nipples and only three toes—required a carefully calculated scenario. One that lured the target in and forced it to remove its clothes without raising any alarms.

Now, with that done, he only had six Level 2 talents and one remaining Level 1 talent, Sword Art of Existence, left to upgrade.