Died for a Million Times: I can Copy Infinite SSS Talents!
Chapter 51 -51-The Invincible Being

Chapter 51 -51-The Invincible Being

"Headmaster Ryze, do you know why I trust you so much?"

Link's sudden question made Headmaster Ryze pause in surprise.

"Young man, sounds like there's more to that question than you're letting on."

But Link's expression had already turned serious. He spoke each word slowly and clearly, with unmistakable gravity.

"Headmaster Ryze, there's something else I need to tell you. It's about me."

Ryze raised an eyebrow, his gentle smile still present, but his eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Go on, then. I've had the feeling for a while now that you're hiding something big."

Link gritted his teeth, steeling himself. He had made up his mind.

"The truth is... I know what your talent is, Headmaster Ryze. It's Soul Oath. And not only do I know this, but I can also swear it—on my soul."

As soon as he began to chant his oath, tiny starlike motes of light shimmered to life around his body, illuminating the air.

Ryze's eyes widened in astonishment. Even someone as experienced and composed as him couldn't hide his shock.

"This... this is impossible!"

Even Ryze, who had weathered countless battles and seen the rise and fall of nations, found himself completely rattled by what he was witnessing.

Link, on the other hand, cut off the oath prematurely. He didn't let it reach its full conclusion.

After all, Soul Oath was a talent that came with significant limitations—and value. Its power had to be used wisely. Because it was a talent rather than a spell or skill, it likely couldn't be used again if Link were to return to a prior timeline via some form of reset. That meant he had to be extremely cautious with how he wielded it.

"Wait... does that mean your talent is also Soul Oath?" Ryze asked, his face etched with disbelief.

Link first nodded... then shook his head.

"To be precise," he clarified, "one of my talents is Soul Oath."

The moment his words fell, Link's figure flickered—and in the next instant, he reappeared several meters away.

Simultaneously, lightning and fire alternated in his palm, rapidly shifting forms before finally transforming into a single droplet of water, which gently fell to the ground.

Multiple elemental forces—thunder, flame, water—all coexisted within Link in that moment.

Ryze narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be forming a theory, and his expression grew more solemn by the second.

"This is impossible... How is this even possible?"

Now that Link had decided to lay his cards on the table, he didn't hesitate any further.

"My talent is a UR-rank talent: Death Replication. From the name alone, I think you can guess its essence. When I'm killed, I revive one hour prior—and I replicate the killer's talent."

Even though this explanation was fairly straightforward, it was also deliberately incomplete. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ryze—but Ryze himself had reminded him earlier: you can never fully trust anyone.

Even if Ryze didn't reveal his secret intentionally, there was always the chance that someone else could extract it from him using special methods.

Across from him, Ryze digested the information in silence. Then he asked, half incredulous, "So you're saying... you died an hour ago? At my hands?"

Link scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, Headmaster Ryze, I may have used a little trick."

Ryze gave a slight nod, choosing not to ask further. He seemed lost in deep thought.

Time passed.

Eventually, Ryze looked up, and solemnly said, "I swear upon my soul, that I will never reveal Link's secret—by any method, under any circumstance."

As soon as his vow concluded, the floating starlight condensed in front of him, forming a radiant sigil.

As someone who possessed the Soul Oath talent himself, Link instantly recognized the symbol—it represented a vow bound by one's very talent.

He hadn't expected Ryze to go this far for him.

"Headmaster... why would you do this?"

Ryze waved a hand, his usual warmth replaced by an intense, focused seriousness.

"Link, to be perfectly honest with you, I always believed your talents would one day make you one of humanity's most formidable figures—a pillar of hope for our race. But even with all my assumptions... I still underestimated you."

"You may find what I'm about to say ridiculous, but I'm absolutely convinced of this one thing: your appearance is no coincidence. This has to be the will of the goddess herself. You were chosen—to save humanity."

The goddess's will?

Link couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

If there really were gods in this world, then why had so many humans been slaughtered by the moonfolk? Where was divine mercy then?

Ryze continued, "That UR-rank talent you mentioned... it's beyond even SSS-tier, isn't it?"

"But it makes sense. The ability to come back from death—and copy your killer's power? That goes far beyond what even the highest talents are capable of."

"You're not just blessed with unlimited opportunities to try again and again. You're also gifted with the ability to continuously strengthen yourself. That's what makes your potential truly limitless!"

Ryze's voice began to tremble. He was no longer calm.

"Link... do you know why I left the front lines all those years ago?"

The question stunned Link. A combatant nearing Tier-10—his power was beyond Link's comprehension. If Ryze had remained in the field, his influence could have tipped the war dramatically.

Perhaps there had been some hidden reason?

Link shook his head.

Ryze's expression turned conflicted.

"Most people think I returned to the rear to focus on teaching—so that I could raise a new generation of elites. That by nurturing future heroes, I'd be contributing more than I ever could alone."

"After all, one person's strength is finite. The youth... they are the hope of humanity."

"But that's only part of the truth."

Ryze's voice dropped, and his tone turned somber.

"The real reason is this: I realized humanity has no hope."

His words landed like a hammer.

"The moonfolk are far too powerful. And among them... there exists a being so overwhelmingly strong, it defies comprehension."

As Ryze spoke, an emotion rarely seen on his face surfaced—fear.

"You have no idea just how terrifying that being is. He almost never appears on the battlefield. No one knows what he wants. No one understands his purpose. But everyone who has seen him... agrees on two words."

"Invincible."

Link's heart sank. He couldn't help but recall his own notebook—notes left behind by an alternate version of himself.

That version of Link had wielded immense power. But even then, he had failed to save humanity from annihilation.

Which could only mean one thing.

The invincible being Ryze was talking about... was likely the same one who had defeated the other "him." The true cause of humanity's downfall.

"Scared yet?" Ryze asked softly.

"Because you should be. That entity... is far more terrifying than you can imagine."

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