I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 51: Familiar Spirit

Vale lingered for a while, pondering over Ayla’s unusual behaviour, before shaking the thoughts away.

The aftermath of draining his core had been devastating, but it still paled in comparison to the aftermath of his unique ability.

After spending a few moments regaining his strength, Vale finally stood up, his legs trembling beneath his weight. He took in the scene before him.

The battlefield, once swarming with countless monsters, had been emptied. Their presence had been wiped away—erased by the black flame. Nothing but ice remained. Vale eyed the passage, wondering if the mana crystals had been consumed or destroyed by the attack—either way, he felt beyond ecstatic with the outcome.

Though he hadn’t managed to take down every single enemy, his group had fought through the remaining creatures after he lost consciousness. It was only once the last monster had fallen that they were able to wake him up.

His companions eyed him with perplexed expressions... but who could really blame them? No ability should be this destructive—definitely not before he fully awakens.

Ayla’s expression differed from the rest, though Vale wasn’t quite sure in what way.

For some reason, his memory of the attack felt fractured. The last moments played like a broken slideshow—still images jumping abruptly from one to another, impossible to stitch together.

One thing, however, was painfully clear—he should only use that move as a last resort. If his group weren’t there... despite killing most, he would’ve been killed by the ones that survived.

He clenched his fist slightly, the ache in his core a sobering reminder of how close to death he’d come.

"Why the long face, my friend? Your attack was magnificent!" Dain’s booming voice rang out behind him, full of laughter and unshakable confidence. His heavy arm landed on Vale’s shoulder with a thud.

"Was that the same spark you were feeding into those mana crystals?" the massive student asked, his voice rumbling with curiosity.

Vale gave a half-smirk—barely more than a twitch of the lip. "Yeah," he muttered, his eyes drifting across the battlefield before finally settling on the towering student.

"Looks like Dain’s in a better mood," he noted, watching as the boy beamed with enthusiasm once again.

Relieved to see Dain back to his usual self, Vale turned his attention inward—toward his status window.

*****

Name: Vale

Core: Dormant

Core Rank: [ D, 102/500 ]

Artifacts: [ Ordinary Katana, Titan’s Ring, Flask of Salvation, Ironhide Armour, Hellfire, Frostbite ]

Relics: [ Four-Eyed Raven ]

Abilities: [ Spirit Bond ]

Spirit Bond Mastery Rank: [ E ]

Spirits: [ 1/1 ]

Unique Ability: [ Ravenous Flame ]

*****

"One hundred and two..." Vale murmured under his breath. The number had climbed faster than he’d expected.

At this rate... He caught himself, shaking the thought away.

No need to get ahead of things.

His thoughts shifted to the newest addition, the new Artifact—Frostbite.

Frostbite Artifact Description: [ In the endless cold, a flicker of hope ignited. Before death could take him, a spark of strength returned. ]

Frostbite Attributes: [ Moderate Cold Resistance, Moderate Vitality Increase ]

"Moderate cold resistance and vitality increase?" Vale’s lips curled into a faint smile. In a place like the Snowveil Mountains, he couldn’t have asked for a better item.

Without delay, he summoned the new artifact.

Mana particles came to life, and a crystal-like ring coiled around his index finger, its surface glittering like frozen starlight. At first, it felt icy—but then, warmth surged through him.

The bitter cold that had gnawed at his bones now seemed distant, tamed by the artifact’s power.

Vale smirked at the sensation. The changes didn’t stop with the feeling of warmth. His body felt revitalised—stronger and steadier than before, as if fresh blood had surged through his tired veins.

Suddenly, snapping Vale out of his good mood, a lone ice golem erupted from the ground, sending snow and shards of ice flying into the air.

Caught off guard, Vale’s eyes locked onto the creature lunging at him. In an instant, he shifted his thoughts toward his spirit—summoning it with a single thought.

The Dark Knight materialized.

The moment it took form, a black longsword pierced clean through the golem’s torso, halting its momentum mid-air. Then, with a swift twist, the blade sliced through the creature as if it were made of paper, so effortlessly that the entire group froze, momentarily awed by the spirit’s prowess.

[ You have slain a C-Rank, Awakened Monster: Ice Golem. ]

Vale lingered for a moment, his eyes stuck on the Dark Knight standing over the shattered remains of the monster, before a familiar voice called out from behind him.

"Why didn’t you use him earlier?" Ayla asked, her tone curious but not accusatory.

"I needed all the mana essence I had to pull off that last attack," he replied, already dismissing the spirit.

"Ahh. Makes sense," she said, nodding as if the explanation satisfied her.

Relieved she accepted the lie, Vale turned away and strode swiftly toward the golem’s remains, hoping she wouldn’t realise he’d only just now remembered the spirit even existed.

After a frustrating search through countless chunks of shattered ice, he finally found the mana crystal. Without hesitation, he stretched out his palm, letting the dark flame absorb it.

The surge of mana coursed through his body, sharp and electrifying. He wasn’t used to the sensation, unlike everyone else who had done it ever since coming to the Demon Realm.

Now, with all the monsters dealt with and the group having recovered as much as they could, they were ready to move forward, deeper into the endless corridor of ice and snow.

The end still wasn’t in sight.

Hours dragged on as they trudged through the endless corridor, exhaustion and hunger clinging onto them like leeches. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

A few more ice golems emerged the deeper they ventured, but none posed a real threat. The group dispatched them swiftly—almost instinctively now—before the monsters had a chance to rise fully.

Then, at last—before the hunger or fatigue could claim them, they saw it.

The corridor opened up.

Two sheer walls of ice gave way to a vast, glistening expanse bathed in pale moonlight. The ice below shimmered like glass, casting eerie reflections that danced in the dark.

They approached the threshold cautiously.

Just a few steps from the exit, the path split—one route veering to the left, the other to the right—but that wasn’t what caught their attention.

Far in the distance, a flicker of light burned through the thick fog and the velvet night sky. Too distant to make out its source—yet close enough to know it was real.

The group froze, their eyes fixed on the light. Hearts thudded louder in their chests, breath caught between fear and hope.

"People?"

The thought hit Vale like a hammer. His mind raced, questions spinning faster than he could form them.