SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 131: Testing the Limit!

The vast plaza of Astralis Academy’s Upper House, moments ago a storm of shock and awe at Daniel’s battle record, now settled into a tense silence.

All eyes, from the thousands of bewildered aspirants to the four formidable Vice-Principals and Director Gareth Sterling on the dais, were fixed on the final testing pod.

Daniel stood calmly, a quiet figure amidst the swirling currents of expectation.

He had watched Lia, Olenna, and Ayra face the daunting challenge of Sango, the virtual opponent designed to test their limits of endurance.

He had seen Lia’s unwavering resilience, Olenna’s cunning evasion, and Ayra’s furious, record-breaking brawl.

He felt a surge of pride for his teammates.

But now, it was his turn.

He wasn’t thinking about impressing the Vice-Principals anymore.

His battle record had already done that, perhaps too well. He wasn’t thinking about endurance, or time scores, or proving his worth.

His mind was focused on a different goal entirely. He looked at the polished surface of the test pod, knowing it was connected to the Academy’s Origin Power Core, the source of this virtual construct.

This wasn’t just a test of survival, it was an opportunity to push his own limits in a controlled environment, a chance to see the absolute peak of his power without the risk of unintetionally redecorating the entire universe.

And perhaps... just perhaps... a chance to learn something new.

He stepped into the gleaming white pod. The air inside was sterile, cool, and hummed with a low energy.

The door hissed shut behind him, sealing him off from the watching eyes.

The world dissolved, replaced by a blank, infinite white space. There were a few simple, stylized trees scattered across the empty landscape, looking eerily out of place.

Then, it appeared.

In the center of the virtual space, a figure materialized in front of him.

It was a smooth, faceless figure, giving off a calm and controlled strength.

It held a long, virtual spear, its tip glowing with a soft, steady light.

This was Sango, the virtual opponent.

According to Director Sterling, its strength was adaptive, calibrated to be 1.5 times that of a normal Awakened at Daniel’s current level.

It was designed to be unbeatable, to regenerate instantly from any damage.

The objective was simply to survive its relentless, perfect attacks.

The virtual opponent, Sango, raised its spear, its featureless head turning towards Daniel.

It didn’t speak, didn’t make a sound, but its purpose was clear: engage and eliminate.

It moved with a fluid, predatory grace, its virtual muscles rippling beneath its smooth surface. It radiated a formidable presence, the distilled essence of combat prowess.

Daniel stood calm, his expression unreadable.

He didn’t immediately activate any of his S-Grade speed skills or draw his S-Grade weapons.

He had a different plan. He wanted to test his team first. His most powerful, and arguably most terrifying, teammate.

He focused his will, sending a clear command through his familiar bond.

"Nyx," he thought, projecting his intent, "Game on, girl. Time to show them what you can do."

In the blink of an eye, a vortex of shadow, ice, and fire erupted beside Daniel.

The small Shadow Wolf Pup he usually carried vanished, replaced by a terrifying, massive wolf-like creature easily the size of a small car.

"Her form was a striking blend of midnight-black fur, radiant ice, and crackling flame, crowned by two heads, one wrapped in cold blue soulfire, the other crackling with pale, icy frost

Her eyes, four of them, blazed with fierce, intelligent light.

This was Nyx, the SS-Grade Ice and Fire Draconic Wolf, Level 20, a pseudo-dragon forged in the crucible of the Taiji Basin from the essence of a Leviathan.

"BOOM!"

A low, guttural growl, a sound that felt like grinding ice and erupting fire, resonated from Nyx’s massive form.

The ground of the virtual space trembled slightly under her weight.

The wind shrieked around her as she materialized, displacing the air with her sheer presence.

The virtual opponent, Sango, hesitated for a microsecond.

Its programmed response was to engage a single human Awakened, calibrated to their strength. It had not anticipated facing a giant, two-headed elemental dragon-wolf.

1Its spear remained raised, but its smooth head tilted, analyzing the unprecedented variable.

Nyx didn’t wait for Sango to make the first move. She let out a dual-toned roar, one head howling with chilling soulfire, the other with searing frost.

"HOOOOWL! ROOOOAR!"

She launched herself at the virtual opponent. It was a storm of elemental fury.

The ice head unleashed a torrent of freezing white light, instantly followed by a devastating beam of blue fire from the soulfire head.

It was a perfectly coordinated, brutal assault of opposing elements.

"Boom!"

The two elemental beams converged on Sango. There was a blinding flash of light where they hit, a vortex of clashing energies.

The force of the impact was immense, shaking the very framework of the virtual space.

On the outside, in the plaza, Director Sterling and the Vice-Principals, who had been watching the test on large holographic screens projecting the virtual space, gasped.

"What in the Verge was that?!"

Travis Standen roared, his scarred face contorted in disbelief.

"That wolf! It’s not just a familiar, it’s a high-tier beast! And the energy output... it’s off the charts!"

"An SS-Grade familiar," Aslaug Winnick murmured, her voice filled with awe. "At Level 20. To reach such a grade and level in the lower Verge... it’s... it’s impossible."

Back inside the pod, Sango’s form wavered under the devastating, dual-elemental onslaught.

Its energy flickered, dimming significantly. But as Daniel had observed in the Leviathan fight, it was designed to regenerate instantly.

Before its form could completely dissolve, before its energy signature could fully dissipate, it began to mend itself, weaving back together from raw data and light.

But Nyx was ready. She had sensed Sango’s vulnerability, the fleeting moment before regeneration fully kicked in.

She unleashed a final, devastating bite with both sets of her massive jaws.

Her teeth, infused with the remnants of the Leviathan’s power, clamped down with bone-shattering force.

"KRA-KOW!"

The sound of Sango’s virtual form being shattered was like tearing silk mixed with grinding metal.

The opponent’s energy matrix was utterly overwhelmed, ripped apart faster than its regeneration could repair it.

Sango’s body exploded, dissolving into a shower of data motes that vanished instantly.

The virtual space fell silent. The threat was eliminated.

[Virtual Opponent - Sango - Defeated. Time: 0 minutes, 46 seconds.]

An instant kill. The first one in the history of the Actual Combat Test.

Director Sterling and the Vice-Principals stared at the screens in stunned silence.

"It... it defeated Sango?" Director Sterling stammered, his voice barely audible. "In forty-six seconds?

That wasn’t even enough time for the system to fully calibrate its strength!"

Travis Standen was speechless, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

Robb Naharis actually dropped the specialized wrench he’d been idly fiddling with. Yara Fairley’s eyes were wide with shock.

The thousands of aspirants in the plaza, who had witnessed countless recruits being pummeled relentlessly by Sango, were equally dumbfounded.

They had expected Daniel to last a long time, perhaps set a new endurance record. They had not expected this.

Daniel stood calmly in the silent virtual space, Nyx beside him, her massive form radiating a quiet, triumphant power. He smiled.

"Well," he thought, looking at his SS-Grade familiar, "that was a decent warm-up for you, girl. Time to give the Academy something to think about."

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