SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 87: Seasoned Negotiator!

The Golden-Armored Blue Ape, the transcendent guardian of the Taiji Mountains, stood perfectly still.

Just moments ago, its ancient sapphire eyes showed calm, cosmic contempt for the tiny human at its feet. Now, those same eyes were wide with pure shock.

Daniel, now empowered by his new S-Grade skill, [Hyper-Sonic Phantom Step], felt the world around him slow to a crawl.

The wind that had been shrieking around him fell silent.

The dust kicked up by the Ape’s earlier stomps hung in the air like a frozen photograph.

He could see everything with a clarity that was almost painful. This was true speed. This was power!

He looked at the Golden-Armored Blue Ape, which was still slowly turning its massive head, trying to pinpoint where its annoying opponent had gone.

A slow, dangerous grin spread across Daniel’s face. He took a single, casual step forward.

"BOOM!"

The sound was not his foot hitting the ground.

It was the sound of the very air in front of him being violently compressed and then exploding outwards in a deafening sonic boom!

The ground beneath his feet shattered into a spiderweb of cracks from the sheer, overwhelming pressure of his movement.

He appeared directly in front of the Ape’s face, hanging in the air for a timeless instant.

The Ape’s giant eyes, as wide as dinner plates, finally locked onto him, but it was a fraction of a second too late.

Daniel didn’t throw a mighty punch charged with solar fire. He didn’t use a kinetic blast. He simply flicked his finger, clad in its A-grade gauntlet and wrap, against the Ape’s massive nose.

"Thwump."

The sound was ridiculously small in the sudden, ringing silence.

But the force behind that simple flick was immense. A visible shockwave of kinetic energy rippled across the Ape’s golden face.

The colossal guardian grunted in surprise and stumbled back a step, shaking its head, a look of utter astonishment on its regal features. It had been touched. Effortlessly.

"Now," Daniel said, his voice calm and clear, seeming to come from everywhere at once due to the echoes of his impossible speed.

"Are we going to talk, or should I keep pulling at your very expensive-looking golden fur until you resemble a giant, bald chicken?"

The Golden-Armored Blue Ape stared at him. It finally understood.

A fight between them now was pointless. The Ape could likely survive anything Daniel threw at it, but it could no longer land a single blow.

It would be an endless, frustrating stalemate that would likely result in the complete destruction of the entire mountain range.

It was a draw.

Just as the tense silence stretched, a small, shadowy figure darted back onto the plateau.

It was Nyx. She had returned, her blue Soulfire eyes wide with worry for her master.

She skidded to a halt between the two powerful beings, letting out a series of sharp, questioning barks, not at Daniel, but directly at the Golden-Armored Blue Ape.

To Daniel’s surprise, the Ape’s furious expression softened.

It looked down at the tiny Shadow Wolf Pup, and its sapphire eyes filled with a deep, ancient sadness.

It let out a low, rumbling hum, a series of complex, melodic tones that sounded like a sad song.

Nyx tilted her head, then barked back, a few soft, inquisitive yips.

Suddenly, a wave of understanding and shared sorrow flowed from Nyx to Daniel through their familiar bond. It wasn’t in words, but in pure feeling.

"Prisoner!"

The feeling came, sharp and clear.

"It’s trapped here! There is an old, powerful magic spell, like chains on its soul. It is the guardian of this mountain pass, but the pass is also its prison. Its real power is being held back, suppressed by the curse. And... it is in pain. It has been in pain for a very, very long time."

Daniel’s eyes widened. A magical curse? That explained everything.

This transcendent being wasn’t at its full power. It was like a king chained to his own throne.

He remembered the lessons from his Hunter class about ancient sealing spells and dimensional anchors.

The magic was far beyond what he could do, but he understood the basics.

He looked at the Golden Ape, his fighting stance relaxing.

"You’re a prisoner," Daniel said, his voice now gentle with a newfound understanding.

"That’s why you’re so angry. You’re in constant pain."

The Ape let out a soft, low grunt, a mournful sound, and gave a slow, deliberate nod. It was true.

An idea, bold and ridiculously opportunistic, sparked in Daniel’s mind.

This was a chance for something far greater than just getting through a mountain. "I can help you," he said, projecting his intent clearly and confidently.

"I have studied ancient magic, curses, and binding seals. I probably can’t break your curse completely, not with my current power.

But I think... I think I can loosen the chains a little. I can ease your pain, even if it’s just for a while."

The Ape’s sapphire eyes fixed on him, a bright spark of hope warring with centuries of weary doubt.

"In exchange," Daniel continued, pressing his advantage like a seasoned negotiator, "you let my team and me pass safely through this tunnel to the Yang region. And, you will owe me a favor. A very big one. One time, in the future, when I call for you, you will come. You will fight for me. We can make a temporary contract. A deal, between us."

The mighty guardian stared at Daniel for a long, silent minute.

This tiny human was impossibly fast. He had fought it to a standstill. He had shown mercy by not killing the Silverback Apes when he easily could have. And now, he was offering a moment of relief from a pain that had lasted for ages.

It was a gamble, but what did it have to lose? After a moment that felt as long as a season, the Golden-Armored Blue Ape gave another slow, heavy nod. It was a deal.

"Excellent," Daniel said with a triumphant grin.

This was better than finding a thousand Yin Cards. He turned to Nyx.

"Go get Lia and Ayra. Tell them the giant, angry ape wants to be friends now. And please, tell Ayra not to try and hit him with her axe."

Nyx yipped happily and darted back down the rocky slope, a blur of shadow. A few minutes later, she returned, followed by a very nervous-looking Lia and a very, very suspicious Ayra.

"Vance, have you gone completely insane?!"

Ayra hissed, her hand gripping her great-axe so tightly her knuckles were white.

She stared at the colossal golden guardian, which was now sitting calmly, watching Daniel with an expectant look.

"You’re not actually going to try and pet it, are you?"

"It’s called diplomacy, Ayra.

It’s a very advanced technique you might want to look into," Daniel said with a straight face.

He quickly explained the situation: the curse, the pain, and the deal he had just made.

Lia looked fascinated by the prospect of ancient magic, but Ayra just looked completely baffled.

"So, let me get this straight," Ayra said slowly, pointing her axe from Daniel to the Ape.

"So, you had a staring contest with a god-monkey, discovered it had some kind of magical injury, and now it’s going to be your temporary, giant sidekick?"

"Basically, yes," Daniel confirmed. "Now stand back. This part might get a little sparkly."

Using the knowledge he’d gained from his Hunter class templates, Daniel drew a complex, six-sided pattern on the ground between him and the Ape.

The lines glowed with a faint purple light.It wasn’t a full summoning circle, but a temporary contract array.

"Alright, big fella," Daniel called out. I need a drop of your blood, golden energy juice, or whatever you’ve got on tap."

The Golden-Armored Blue Ape extended one massive finger.

A single, glowing drop of liquid gold, humming with immense power, fell from its fingertip and landed in the center of the array.

Daniel pricked his own thumb and let a drop of his blood fall beside it.

The array flared with a brilliant purple light, sealing the temporary pact between them.

Daniel felt a new, faint connection form in his mind, a thin, fragile string tied to an ocean of unimaginable power. He now had a direct line to the Guardian of the Taiji Mountains.

The Ape led them towards a previously hidden crack in the mountain face, which now glowed with a soft, inviting light.

The tunnel to the Yang region was open. Ayra was still staring, completely bewildered.

"How did you even manage that?" she asked, finally.

Daniel just shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips.

"I’m strong," he said simply. Ayra looked like she wanted to argue, but couldn’t.

Lia, however, looked at him with a knowing smile, suspecting there was much more to his story.