I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 82: Destination

The dragon landed just meters away from the group with a thunderous thud, its claws barely gripping onto the narrow passage.

Vale leapt down from its back. The moment his boots touched the ground, he dismissed the spirit, freeing the space of its massive presence.

Ayla rushed to his side, concern etched clearly on her face.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Vale replied with a soft smile. He turned away without hesitation. "Let’s keep going."

She lingered for a moment. The image of him nearly falling off the dragon flickered through her mind—but before she could dwell on it, the heavy thuds of footsteps behind snapped her back to the present.

She hurried forward to catch up to Vale, who was now walking at the front of the group.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted to the voice’s announcement—he’d received something.

He summoned his status window.

Lines of text shimmered into existence before him as he continued his stride. He called forth Knight to stay on guard, just in case.

*****

Name: [ Vale ]

Core: [ Dormant ]

Core Rank: [ C, 39/1000 ]

Artifacts: [ Ordinary Katana, Titan’s Ring, Flask of Salvation, Ironhide Armour, Hellfire, Frostbite, Cursed Crown, Mirroring Shard, Scavenger’s Treasure ]

Relics: [ Four-Eyed Raven ]

Abilities: [ Spirit Bond, Frostpiercer ]

Spirit Bond Mastery Rank: [ D ]

Spirits: [ 2/2 ]

Unique Ability: [ Ravenous Flame ]

*****

Vale glanced at his Core Rank but saw not much progress since the last time he checked it. Travelling in the larger group meant fewer monsters for him to kill.

He brushed the thought aside and focused on the new line of shimmering text.

Scavenger’s Treasure Artifact Description: [ Stolen by the Scavenger, the shimmering possession became its biggest prize. ]

Scavenger’s Treasure Attributes: [ Moderate Mana Capacity Increase ]

Vale’s eyes widened.

"Increased mana capacity?" he muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

He summoned the Artifact—a ring of dark metal that coiled around his ring finger. Instantly, he felt it—a shift in his essence. There was now more empty space, ready for mana to pour in. His mana capacity had increased yet again.

"New Artifact?" Ayla asked, after noticing the glimmering ring forming from the mana particles.

"Yeah," he said after a brief pause.

His mind turned to his progress. His mana capacity was already enormous—far beyond what most Dormant or even Awakened humans could hope for. But the same couldn’t be said for his companions. Even with their powerful Unique Abilities, limited mana capacity limited by a Dormant Core would always be a problem.

He let out a quiet sigh, then made a decision.

"Give me your hand," Vale said.

Ayla hesitated as he reached for it. "What are you—"

Before she could finish, he slid the ring off his finger and placed it onto hers.

[ Artifact Transfer... ]

[ Artifact Transfer Complete. Lover’s Gift has been transferred successfully. ]

"What?! That’s not—" he began to protest in his mind, but then caught her expression. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink as her eyes dropped to the ground.

"T-Thanks," she whispered.

"My mana capacity is already high," Vale said, scratching the back of his head. "I figured it’d be more useful to you."

But she just nodded quickly—then hurried ahead, as if trying to hide her face.

Vale shook his head. As he did, he caught Knight looking his way.

"What are you staring at?" he asked silently.

The Knight’s visor snapped forward, as if he had never been watching him in the first place.

Soon enough, after a few skirmishes and countless twists along the mountain paths, another day came to an end.

Ayla and Vale hadn’t spoken since he gave her the artifact. No—they hadn’t even exchanged glances. She avoided him whenever possible, her silence louder than words. That evening, the group ate their rations in uneasy quiet before settling down to rest, each person retreating into their own thoughts, preparing for the day ahead.

The days that followed began to blur together.

They saw more action as time passed—nothing too dangerous, but enough to thaw frozen limbs and keep their reflexes sharp. Somewhere along the way, Ayla returned to her usual self. The distance between her and Vale faded, replaced once more by casual conversations and the occasional shared glances.

Now, after more than two weeks of relentless travel, they finally arrived.

Before them stood a small but unnervingly jagged mountain, its narrow peak stabbing at the sky. The ground around them was mostly flat, save for the countless sharp rocks jutting from the earth like broken teeth.

"What exactly are we looking for here?" Klein asked, his voice low.

"An entrance to a lair," Vale replied. "Though Aamon said the monster tends to roam around. We could encounter it at any time, so stay alert."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

There was no more idle chatter. No light-hearted banter between the soldiers. No smiles.

Only tension remained. Thick and palpable, it loomed in the air, as they stepped closer to the battle they knew was coming.

They moved slowly, not because of the terrain, but by intention. With a group this large, stealth was already difficult. No one dared to speak. No sound escaped them other than the soft crunch of boots against the thin snow beneath their feet.

Minutes blurred into hours, and unease grew heavier with each passing moment.

But before it could fully take root, a deafening roar split the air.

Vale turned, his weapon already summoned, ready to strike, eyes locked on the direction of the sound.

What he saw, however, was far beyond anything described in the Demon’s depictions.

A cold shiver crept down his spine.

A blur of motion tore through the rear of the group—soldiers and limbs flung to the sky in a grotesque spray of crimson. The creature carved through them with terrifying ease.

Vale couldn’t even see it clearly—just a figure, a living shadow, slicing through the mass of humans like they were paper. But he felt it—the overwhelming intensity pressing down on them like a storm about to break. The air itself seemed to tremble beneath its presence.

And it was heading straight toward them.