My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly!
Chapter 155: What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger!

The shirtless man kept kicking, again and again, until Zarek's eyes fluttered shut, his consciousness slipping.

"Hmph. Who said you could sleep, brat?"

He raised his leg and brought it crashing down.

A sharp cry tore from Zarek's throat as a sickening crunch echoed through the room. His eyes shot open, bloodshot, veins bulging across the whites.

His brows knit tightly.

It felt like his nerves were being twisted into knots. Every fiber of his body screamed in agony.

But the man didn't stop.

The relentless kicks came one after another, merciless and brutal.

But, amidst the storm of pain, something changed. Slowly, Zarek's body began to adapt. His flesh toughened, his bones mended, and his strength began to grow, quietly, steadily.

'What a masochistic way to grow stronger,' he thought with a strange mix of awe and disbelief.

He truly embodied the phrase:

What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.

As long as he didn't die, Zarek would continue to adapt.

His bones, his organs, everything being battered, were slowly toughening, evolving through the torment.

In a desperate attempt, Zarek unleashed his Telekinesis toward the shirtless man. But the moment it made contact, it shattered instantly.

A thick blue vein throbbed on his forehead.

His mind reeled.

Everything blurred. His world twisted into madness.

Suddenly, he was in what looked like a candy land, slimy bubblegum beneath his feet, towering candy cane pillars along the walls.

Zarek blinked—and the world shifted again.

The shirtless man now looked like a towering chocolate monster, mercilessly beating him black and blue.

The creature snickered:

"Scared yet, brat?"

Zarek's voice was cold, even as his mind reeled from the backlash of his shattered Telekinesis:

"No."

"Oh?" The man shrugged with mock curiosity. "So, if I beat you to death, would I get in trouble?"

Zarek stared at the chocolate-skinned brute, his gaze unwavering.

"No," he said, not a single trace of fear in his tone.

"Very well."

A grin spread across the man's face. He raised his leg and brought it crashing down onto Zarek's chest.

A horrible crack echoed through the air as his ribs caved in.

Zarek bit down hard, jaw clenched, enduring the pain with an unnatural, almost monstrous tenacity.

Zarek ground his teeth, a strange, grating sound echoing through the room.

His legs were already broken. His ribs shattered. His mind was lost in a haze of confusion and pain.

Only his hands remained intact.

If those were destroyed too, he'd be nothing more than a sack of broken bones, barely clinging to life.

The shirtless man showed no mercy.

With a single brutal motion, he crushed Zarek's hands.

"AHHHH—!"

Zarek's scream tore through the room, raw and ragged.

The man grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him into the air.

His eyes locked onto Zarek's boundless blue eyes, fingers slowly reaching forward, hovering inches from his eyes.

As if ready to gouge them out at any moment.

Zarek's pupils dilated.

The shirtless man leaned in, his voice low and cruel.

"Your eyes… they're fascinating. I've never seen anything like them. And that unbreakable will of yours? I want to crush it. Completely destroy it."

His fingers crept closer, inch by inch, until they pressed against Zarek's eyes.

A sharp pain surged through him as blood began to stream down his cheeks, pouring from his eyes like tears.

Zarek trembled, feeling the edge of total blindness approaching, until suddenly, the pressure stopped.

The man paused, then let out a dry, ironic chuckle:

"Well, that was certainly interesting."

Without warning, he raised Zarek high and hurled him against the wall.

Bang!

The stone cracked under the impact.

Zarek collapsed to the floor with a dull thud, barely conscious. His vision swam, everything around him a blur of noise and color.

Darkness threatened to consume him.

"Brat, let's fight again another time. For now…" the shirtless man glanced around, then smirked. "You'll sit in this prison."

His gaze fell on the decapitated guard nearby. Without hesitation, he extended his hand and slowly clenched his fingers into a fist.

Bang!

The corpse exploded into a mist of blood and flesh, painting the air red.

Without another word, the man turned and walked away, footsteps fading.

He left behind a bleeding, coughing Zarek with his body broken, his mind fractured.

With great effort, Zarek raised a mangled hand and pointed weakly toward the door. Blood smeared his cracked lips as he whispered:

"You… will regret this."

Then his arm dropped, and he collapsed, eyes closing, body going still.

But only minutes passed before consciousness returned.

His vision cleared. The haze in his mind lifted.

No longer disoriented. No longer lost.

His body had already recovered, at least halfway, and he could move if he wanted to.

But Zarek didn't.

He lay still, unmoving.

Minutes passed.

And then… complete recovery.

He felt it.

Stronger. Faster. Better.

An overwhelming surge of energy coursed through his veins, flooding every corner of his body with raw power. It was unlike anything he had felt before.

How strong am I now? the thought echoed in his mind.

But Zarek remained on the ground, eyes shut, body limp, playing the part of the broken and beaten.

For now, he couldn't afford to move. Not yet.

Revealing his strength too soon would only bring trouble.

'Once I can handle a Level Nine, I'll break out of this place.'

Zarek's eyes opened just a sliver, a sharp glint flashing within then quickly shut again as he returned to feigned slumber.

To test his strength, he applied the slightest pressure to his handcuffs.

Crack.

A jagged fracture formed instantly, the cuffs on the verge of shattering.

Zarek immediately stopped, letting his body fall still once more.

No need to reveal his hand, not yet.

If they sensed anything unusual, it would only invite unwanted attention. For now, silence was his ally.

A true hunter lets the prey wander, unaware, unguarded until the moment arrives.

And when it does—

"The time to strike will come," Zarek murmured in his heart:

"I will destroy everything right in front of you."

He didn't know how much time had passed.

But eventually, the heavy cell doors swung open with a metallic groan.

Two guards entered, clad in standard-issue soldier uniforms.

"Is he dead?" one of them asked hesitantly, eyeing Zarek's limp, motionless form on the ground.

The other scoffed and walked over, a frown etched into his face. He grabbed Zarek by the hair and lifted his head.

"What are you so scared of? He's just a damn prisoner."

He gave a short chuckle, glancing down at Zarek again—

Then he froze.

His eyes met Zarek's, those boundless blue pupils glowing faintly beneath half-lidded lashes.

The soldier's face drained of color, turning pale as paper. Without a word, he stumbled backward, releasing Zarek immediately and bolting toward the door.

A sharp, sour stench followed him.

He was scared shitless.

Zarek slowly rose from the ground, his movements steady, deliberate.

He took a step forward, then another, closing the distance toward the two guards.

The first soldier stiffened, swallowing hard. Fear flickered in his eyes, but he forced himself to stand his ground.

Zarek stopped in front of him.

"Lead the way," he said calmly.

"Eh?" the soldier blinked, confused.

"I said, lead the way," Zarek repeated, his voice low but firm. "Aren't you here to make me mine?"

"Y-Yes!" the soldier stammered, still stunned but inwardly sighing in relief. At least Zarek wasn't tearing them apart yet.

He turned, casting an annoyed glance at the second soldier, who was still clutching the doorway like his life depended on it.

Who was it that was talking about being brave earlier? he grumbled internally.

The second soldier was trembling violently, reeking of fear, literally. The disgusting stench wafting from his body made it clear.

One didn't need to imagine his condition. It was written all over him.

"Cough, cough." The second soldier cleared his throat, cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink as he spoke in a casual tone.

"Don't think I was scared. I was just being tactical, calling for reinforcements while… Well, the smell messes with his Telekinesis, makes it harder to focus."

The first soldier fought the urge to roll his eyes and a stronger urge to beat the second one to a pulp.

But instead, he glanced sideways at the pale-skinned young man with long golden hair and piercing blue eyes.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Umm… follow me."

Zarek nodded obediently and stepped forward without hesitation.

The first soldier pushed open the heavy door, and for the first time in what felt like ages, Zarek saw the outside world again.

At first, the sudden flood of light overwhelmed him, forcing his eyes to squint and adjust.

But as his vision cleared, he was utterly flabbergasted.

The entire place sparkled with countless crystals, their glow illuminating the vast dome-like chamber.

Above him stretched a transparent, glassy dome, beyond which lay an endless void, dark, infinite, and silent.

'Where is this place?' This thought raced through his mind as he took in the surreal beauty around him.

The first soldier cleared his throat, regaining some measure of confidence:

"Alright, follow me."

"Okay," Zarek replied with a steady voice.

Soon, Zarek was led deeper underground.

At first, the floor beneath him was cold metal, but gradually it gave way to damp, muddy earth.

Around him, many others like him were being escorted, mostly with a single guard, though a few were flanked by two.

When the prisoners caught sight of the two guards accompanying Zarek, their eyes widened in horror.

One by one, they avoided his gaze and stayed far away.