SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 84: The Ultimate Test!

The cycle repeated itself throughout the long, oppressive Yin-region night.

Ayra, fueled by Lia’s tireless A-Grade healing and her own seemingly inexhaustible berserker fury, would charge the edge of the Silverback Blue Apes’ plateau, her roars and the sound of her great-axe reverberating through the foothills.

She’d engage a small group, drawing their attention, while Daniel, now moving with the truly terrifying speed of his S-Grade [Sonic Ghost Strike], would become an invisible, untouchable phantom, plucking silver fur with his surprisingly effective D-Grade [Emptyhanded] skill.

The Apes grew increasingly frustrated. They were A-Grade, Level 18 sentinels, intelligent and powerful, yet they couldn’t land a solid blow on the crimson-haired she-devil who kept healing, nor could they pinpoint the invisible force that was subtly de-furing them one tuft at a time.

Their roars of rage became more frequent, their attacks more desperate, the ground trembling with their increasingly agitated stomps.

The wind shrieked around them, carrying their confused and angry howls.

Daniel, meanwhile, was having a field day. Each successful "fur run" yielded more Sonic Shards.

His Tier 2 [Soul Assimilation] eagerly absorbed their essence, further enhancing his [Sonic Ghost Strike].

The passive disorienting sonic booms from his movement became more potent, the duration of his active speed boost lengthened, and his "Sonic Blinks" became faster, almost instantaneous.

He was a blur within a blur, a whisper of impossible speed.

Lia watched, her calm grey eyes filled with a mixture of awe and slight disbelief.

Daniel’s growth was exponential, terrifying.

Ayra, though taking a beating each time, seemed to be thriving on the challenge, her own S-Grade Berserker talent pushing its limits, her combat instincts sharpening against these powerful foes, always knowing Lia’s healing touch was just a moment away.

They were becoming a surprisingly effective, if unorthodox, fighting unit.

By the time the first faint, ghostly rays of the Taiji Basin’s simulated dawn began to pierce the oppressive gloom of the Yin region, Daniel had amassed an impressive thirty-two Sonic Shards.

His [Sonic Ghost Strike] felt like it was on the verge of another evolution, its speed already bordering on the preposterous.

He could now sustain his S-Grade speed for nearly a full minute, phase through minor energy barriers, and his sonic blinks could cover almost thirty meters, leaving behind disorienting echoes that confused even the Apes’ keen senses.

He rejoined Lia and Ayra at their temporary camp, a small, defensible hollow at the base of the foothills.

Ayra was covered in bruises and minor cuts, but her eyes blazed with a fierce, satisfied light.

Lia looked tired but resolute, her emerald staff still pulsing faintly.

"Alright, Vance," Ayra panted, accepting a healing draught Lia offered. "That was... invigorating. And infuriating.

Those blue-bottomed baboons are tougher than they look.

"And you, darting around like a supercharged hummingbird... it’s just not fair

She punched a nearby obsidian boulder playfully, leaving a spiderweb of cracks.

"Boom!"

The ground shivered.

Daniel just grinned. "All part of the service, Ayra. And I believe my speed is about to get another... upgrade."

He focused on the thirty-two Sonic Shards, feeling the familiar hum of [Soul Assimilation].

His Nexus Interface chimed, a clear, resonant tone.

[Detected significant compatible essence: Sonic Shards (x32) and existing S-Grade skill [Sonic Ghost Strike].]

[Attempting Major Skill Evolution...]

[Evolution Successful! [Sonic Ghost Strike] (S-Grade) has undergone a profound qualitative transformation, evolving into QUADRUPLE SONIC PHANTOM (S+-Grade)!]

Daniel felt a wave of pure, unadulterated speed surge through him, so intense it almost buckled his knees.

This wasn’t just an enhancement; it was a leap to an entirely new tier of velocity.

[Skill: Quadruple Sonic Phantom (S+-Grade): Passive/Active Skill. Passively, user exists in a state of constant hyper-sonic displacement, rendering them virtually undetectable and untouchable by conventional means.

All movements generate controllable, powerful sonic disruptions. Aura is completely cloaked and reality around the user subtly distorts at high speeds.

Actively, for 1.5 minutes, user can move at speeds exceeding quadruple the speed of sound, phase through most magical and physical barriers with ease, and perform up to ten ’Phantom Echo Blinks’.

User becomes a living embodiment of untraceable speed and sonic force. Very significant initial mana cost, high upkeep. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]

Quadruple the speed of sound. Controllable sonic disruptions.

Daniel felt like he could run to the Yang region, grab a Yang Card, and be back before Ayra finished her next protein bar.

"Vance?" Lia asked, noticing the almost visible distortion around him, the way the air seemed to bend and shimmer. "Are you... vibrating?"

Before Daniel could answer, a new, far more powerful presence made itself known from the top of the Silverback Blue Apes’ plateau.

The ground didn’t just tremble; it heaved.

A dazzling golden light erupted from the summit, so bright it momentarily banished the oppressive gloom of the Yin region, making all three of them shield their eyes. freeweɓnøvel.com

When the light subsided slightly, they saw it. Standing calmly amidst the now silent and subservient Silverback Blue Apes was a new figure.

It was another ape-like creature, but easily twice the size of the others, its fur not blue and silver, but a magnificent, burnished gold that seemed to radiate an ancient, regal power.

Its eyes were not the keen silver of the sentinels, but a deep, intelligent sapphire blue that held the wisdom of ages.

It wore no armor, yet its presence alone felt more impenetrable than any fortress.

Daniel’s Nexus Interface struggled, flickering erratically, unable to provide a full scan. The only information that appeared was:

[Guardian of Taiji Mountain – Golden-Armored Blue Ape]

Level: ???

Potential: ???

Stats: ???

Abilities: ???

Threat Assessment: UNKNOWN. TRANSCENDENT. DO NOT ENGAGE. FLEE. IMMEDIATELY.

"Oh," Ayra whispered, her earlier bravado completely gone, replaced by a very primal, very understandable terror.

"That... that is not a regular ape. That is an ’Oh, we are so incredibly doomed’ ape."

Lia’s face was pale, her hand tightening on her staff. The sheer pressure radiating from the Golden-Armored Blue Ape was overwhelming, suffocating.

It felt like standing before a living god of the mountains.

Daniel, however, felt a strange sense of calm amidst the overwhelming power.

His new S+-Grade [Quadruple Sonic Phantom] skill thrummed within him, a quiet promise of impossible speed.

He couldn’t fight this thing, not head-on. But maybe, just maybe, he could outrun it. Or, perhaps, talk to it?

His [Animal Affinity] had worked wonders before, though this felt less like an animal and more like an ancient elemental spirit given form.

The Golden-Armored Blue Ape looked down at them, its sapphire eyes seeming to pierce through their very souls.

It raised a massive, golden-furred hand, not in aggression, but in a clear, unmistakable gesture: Stop. You go no further!

The pass to the Yang region, it seemed, had a final, and utterly terrifying, gatekeeper. And Daniel’s newly upgraded speed was about to be put to the ultimate test.