SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 142: A Big Gift

The next morning, Daniel slid into the driver’s seat of the Voidshadow, the limited-edition origin-power sports car growling with a low, predatory hum that promised ludicrous speed.

"The gull-wing doors hissed shut, enclosing him in the sleek cockpit. At a thought, the car surged out of the villa’s private hangar and merged into Rivernorth’s main traffic lanes."

"BOOM!

Even at a quarter of its potential, the car generated a soft sonic boom as it accelerated, a sound that made a few nearby students jump and spill their morning nutrient smoothies.

Daniel just grinned. Vice-Principal Aslaug was right, this car definitely tempted one towards excessive velocity.

He zipped through the gleaming crystal structures of Astralis Academy, the sleek vehicle standing out against the worn, battle-hardened students he passed.

He saw them everywhere, sparring in open-air arenas, meditating in serene energy gardens, their faces engraved with a grim determination.

They were the elite, the best of the best, working with a focus that was impressive, if somewhat unfamiliar to him.

His SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] talent had given him a shortcut to power so profound it almost felt like cheating.

He respected their dedication, but deep down, he knew that a single successful hunt could earn him more than they might achieve in a lifetime. It was a lonely, slightly alienating truth.

He arrived at the Combat Techniques School, a stark fortress of dark metal and reinforced plasteel, always showing signs of ongoing repair.

The air here was thick with the smell of sweat, ozone, and sheer effort.

He could hear the constant sounds of impacts from the numerous training halls, the shouts of instructors, and the grunts of straining students. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

This was clearly Ayra’s natural habitat.

As he walked through the main hall, he saw students engaged in brutal, full-contact sparring matches, their bodies wreathed in the light of their various talents.

A group of recruits were doing push-ups on a floor that was intermittently electrified.

Another group was trying to dodge high-speed projectiles fired from automated turrets.

It was less a school and more a high-tech, extremely dangerous gladiatorial training camp.

He found Vice-Principal Travis Standen in the central combat arena, a vast, open space with a floor scarred by countless battles.

Travis was currently screaming at a hefty young man who had failed to properly execute a kinetic shield maneuver.

"What was that, you whimpering little cave-born shitstain?!"

Travis roared, his voice resonating through the arena.

"A shield? My grandmother could punch through that, and she’s been a disembodied spirit for three decades!

Again!

Until you can stop a charging Stonehide Crusher with it!"

The terrified recruit scrambled back into position, his face pale.

Travis then spotted Daniel approaching, and his entire demeanor shifted in an instant.

The furious, drill-sergeant glare faded, giving way to a wide, almost manic grin.

"Vance! My boy!" he called out, striding over and clapping Daniel on the shoulder with a hand that felt like a solid granite slab.

Daniel didn’t even flinch, his immense Vitality and S-Grade [Earthquake Colossus Form]’s passive resilience easily absorbing the impact.

"Good to see you! Ready to get your hands dirty? Ready to learn how to truly unleash that monstrous power of yours?"

"Something like that, Vice-Principal," Daniel replied calmly.

"Actually, I was hoping to address a specific weakness in my current skillset. My Night Ranger class has an Assassinate tree, but it’s currently... empty.

I lack a foundational assassin-type skill. Something fast, precise, and lethal."

Travis’s grin widened. "An assassin’s art, eh? Excellent choice!

A warrior should know how to strike from the shadows as well as the front lines. Very well.

As a sign of my... personal interest... in your development, I will grant you access to one A-rank skill from the Academy’s collection.

Choose wisely." He waved a hand towards a nearby console.

"But be warned, Vance. An A-rank skill is a complex beast. Even a genius like yourself will likely need weeks, if not months, of dedicated practice to achieve basic mastery.

The details of its energy flow, the required physical conditioning... it is not something to be taken lightly."

Daniel just nodded, a faint smile on his face.

He knew his SSS-Talent didn’t care much for practice or details. It preferred a more direct approach.

"Just one, Vice-Principal?" he asked, his tone deceptively mild. "I was hoping for... a more comprehensive curriculum."

Travis let out a booming laugh.

"Comprehensive? Boy, you have no idea what you’re asking! One A-rank skill is a gift most veterans would kill for! You think you can just... download them like cafeteria recipes?"

Daniel met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "Let’s make a wager, Vice-Principal."

Travis’s laughter stopped. He leaned in, his scarred face intrigued. "A wager? I’m listening."

"You give me access to the A-rank assassin skill of my choice," Daniel said calmly.

"If I can demonstrate complete mastery of it... let’s say, by this time next week... you will grant me a big gift."

Travis threw his head back and laughed again, the sound resonating through the arena.

"A week?! To master an A-rank art? Boy, your confidence is as big as your reputation!

It’s impossible! Most geniuses take half a year! What is this ’big gift’ you have in mind?"

"If I succeed," Daniel said, his voice dropping slightly, a predatory glint in his eyes, "you will grant me access to the entire A-rank assassin skill collection in the Academy’s vault. All of them."

The arena fell silent.

The nearby students, who had been trying to discreetly listen in, stopped their training, their jaws agape.

The entire A-rank collection? That was a treasure trove of legendary techniques, a resource of immense value.

Travis Standen stared at Daniel for a long, silent moment, his mind processing the sheer audacity of the request.

Then, a slow, dangerous grin spread across his scarred face. This kid is not just talented, he’s certifiably insane. And Travis loved it.

"You’ve got a deal, Vance," he roared, slapping Daniel on the back again, this time with enough force to make the ground tremble slightly.

"You master one A-rank skill in a week, and I’ll personally unlock the entire assassin’s vault for you.

But when you fail, and you will fail, your punishment will be a month of one-on-one sparring sessions. With me. Every single day. From dawn until dusk."

A collective ripple of fear passed through the eavesdropping students.

A month of personal training with Travis Standen was less a lesson and more a prolonged, systematic near-death experience.

Daniel just smiled. "I accept your terms, Vice-Principal."

He knew, with absolute certainty, that he wouldn’t need a week. He wouldn’t even need a day.

He just needed a quiet place and some time.

The entire A-rank assassin’s arsenal was as good as his.

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