I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 58: Ambush

The group spent the next few moments catching their breath, their hearts still pounding from the narrow escape. The image of the ice dragon circling above lingered in every corner of their minds, like a shadow they couldn’t shake.

Vale, remembering the countless human corpses, found it hard to believe that such a high number of people had survived long enough to make a group that large. The memory of half-shredded corpses scattered in the snow flashed through his thoughts, dragging a single, chilling question to the surface.

"Where did they hide?" He frowned slightly.

A place big enough to shelter that many people, shield them from the cold, and stay hidden from the danger above... What kind of place could that even be?

"We should head this way," Dain’s voice echoed through the cavern, snapping Vale out of his thoughts.

The giant student was already moving, pointing confidently toward the widest tunnel branching out from their current chamber.

Before Vale could ask what made him so sure, Klein beat him to it.

"You picked it just because it’s the biggest tunnel, didn’t you?" he asked, a half-disappointed look tugging at his face.

"Of course!" Dain said proudly, a wide grin flashing across his face.

Klein sighed and shook his head, clearly unwilling to waste any energy arguing with Dain’s... unique logic.

Vale wasn’t entirely convinced either, but something had told him to go along with it. Dain might not always make sense... or perhaps ever, but somehow, he always manages to stumble into the correct answer.

Maybe that kind of luck was worth trusting.

Or so Vale thought.

They hadn’t ventured far into the largest tunnel when the sudden ambush came.

Monsters dropped from above, hidden among jagged ice spikes clinging to the ceiling.

Others surged from the darkness ahead and behind, cutting off both their paths.

Vale’s eyes narrowed.

The creatures were bipedal, their bodies cloaked in matted grey fur. Each held crude weapons of jagged ice—swords, spears, daggers—gripped tightly in their stubby, muscular arms. But what made Vale grimace wasn’t their weapons or numbers.

It was their faces.

Rat-like snouts twitched, and rows of sharp yellow teeth gleamed. Dozens of beady, navy eyes locked onto the group with hunger.

"Of course," Vale muttered, his voice flat. "Rats."

A memory of his first kill resurfaced, but he swiftly brushed it aside, his focus narrowing to the battle ahead.

The first wave tensed, preparing to lunge—but before they could leave the frozen ground, Vale was already upon them.

The blade of Hellfire sang as it tore through the air, its enchantment igniting just before impact. A surge of orange flames exploded from the sword, engulfing the tunnel. Ice, snow, and Ice Rats alike evaporated beneath the burning heat.

But only half of Vale’s mind focused on the fight. The other half wrestled with the storm within.

His unique ability pulsed beneath the surface, begging to be unleashed. But he held it back.

Not yet.

Its toll was far too big to be wasted on monsters this weak—and more importantly, he had a goal far more important than slaying the creatures—control. He wouldn’t let his ability set the rules. Not anymore.

And so he continued, keeping his ability sealed and relying solely on his skill to dispatch the monsters.

[ You have slain a D-Rank, Awakened Monster, Ice Rat ]

[ You have slain a D-Rank, Awakened Monster... ]

[ You have slain a D-Rank... ]

The notifications flooded his mind with each kill.

Behind him, the others had already joined the fray. The narrow tunnel echoed with battle cries, clashing blades, and screeching monsters. Despite the ambush, the tide turned fast—ice rats fell by the dozens.

Compared to everything they’d faced so far, these creatures were nothing more than training dummies.

Even Klein had abandoned his usual role as a support caster. He waded into the chaos, wielding a short, unfamiliar sword, his movements awkward but determined.

Vale spared him a glance.

Although he appreciated Klein’s determination, he couldn’t hide a flicker of distaste—the student’s swordsmanship, or lack thereof, left much to be desired.

"He’ll need training," Vale thought, before turning back to the battle.

Another creature lunged toward him, only to be cut down by a wide, flaming arc of Hellfire.

It didn’t take long for the last of the Ice Rats to fall, their shrieks fading into silence. As the final kill notification echoed in Vale’s mind, he surveyed the aftermath.

Countless bodies were piled across the tunnel floor, half-melted by flame or torn by the blade of his sword. A satisfied expression crossed Vale’s face—not just because of the slaughter, but because of something more profound.

Control.

He had kept his unique ability in check. He was the one to set the terms—not the power. Him.

And now, with no enemies left, he could continue to take control.

Vale raised his arm, palm open.

A dark flame ignited around his hand, spiraling up his forearm like a living shadow. He focused, shaping it with thought alone, directing its movement like an extension of his will.

The flame surged forward, consuming the nearest row of rat corpses, then the next, and the next.

He continued until nothing remained.

A surge of mana essence exploded in his core, replenishing his core from within. Even now, the sensation felt alien—unsettling, yet oddly rewarding.

A soft smile tugged at Vale’s lips. He raised his arm, watching the dark flame coil and dance in the dim tunnel light.

Then, with a silent command, he dismissed it.

For a moment, he stood still, taking in the moment of peace.

Then he turned to his allies.

They were already harvesting the mana crystals from their kills, crushing them into shimmering dust and absorbing the essence within.

Like Vale, Dain and Ayla had carved through dozens of enemies. Hills of corpses surrounded them, the remains of a brutal but one-sided battle.

Vale’s gaze drifted to Klein.

Only two bodies lay at the student’s feet. His breaths were ragged, but his grin was wide—satisfaction painted clearly across his face.

Suddenly, two more corpses sailed through the air, landing beside him with a loud thud.

"Here," Dain called out. "You can take their crystals."

"Thank you," Klein replied between gasps, his smile unwavering.

Once the last of the crystals were consumed, the group gathered again, continuing their journey through the massive tunnel, still searching for a way out of this place.