SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System
Chapter 103: Aquanauts!

Chapter 103: Aquanauts!

"Right, let’s get this over with," Ayra grumbled, though her eyes held a spark of genuine excitement.

"The sooner we find this monster’s piggy bank, the sooner I can get out of this smelly area."

She began to strip off her heavy outer uniform pieces and the bulkier parts of her armor, leaving her in a simple, form-fitting black under-suit that did little to hide her powerful, athletic build.

"Water resistance," she explained with a shrug, pointedly avoiding Daniel’s gaze.

Daniel, for his part, did the same, removing his torn Vanguard fatigues.

He was left in his own dark grey training pants and a sleeveless shirt, revealing a physique that was lean and corded with dense, powerful muscle, a testament to his countless assimilations and brutal training.

The faint scars from earlier battles, already mostly healed by his immense Vitality, were the only marks on his otherwise perfect skin.

"First things first," Daniel said, turning to the massive, half-submerged corpse of the Leviathan.

He walked over to Nyx, who was sniffing cautiously at the dead beast, a low growl rumbling in her chest.

"Nyx, this one is for you. After we get back. Think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet of SS-Grade power. It should give you a significant boost."

Nyx yipped excitedly, her tail thumping against the ground, the prospect of such a grand meal clearly outweighing her fear of the water.

Daniel then took a moment for himself.

He needed to fully assess the aftermath of his rapid, five-level jump.

He found a relatively dry rock, sat down, and accessed his Nexus Interface, pulling up his personal attribute panel.

He took a deep, steadying breath. It was time to see just how much of a monster he had truly become.

The panel shimmered to life, the numbers glowing with a faint, golden light that spoke of immense, almost unimaginable power for a recruit at this stage.

[Daniel Vance]

Level: 12

Class: Night Ranger

Allocatable Attribute Points: 25

Class Skill Points: 5

Skills:

[Solar Flare Fist Art (S-Grade)]

[Earthquake Colossus Form (S-Grade)]

[Twilight Phantom Step (S-Grade)]

[Dragonification (S-Grade)]

His attributes: Strength, Vitality, agility, Spirit, adaptability had all increased significantly.

...and a long, scrolling list of A-grade and B-grade combat, stealth, and utility skills.

Daniel stared at the numbers. They were, frankly, terrifying.

His primary physical attributes, Strength, Vitality, and Agility, had all skyrocketed past his imagination.

He recalled the instructors at Vanguard Academy stating that the average A-Grade Vanguard Captain, a seasoned veteran of the Verge, might have a primary attribute score of around 150. He had surpassed that benchmark as a Level 12 recruit.

The immense gains from the Leviathan’s essence had fundamentally redefined his physical limits.

His Vitality, now his highest stat, meant his stamina and regenerative abilities were off the charts.

His Strength could likely shatter Adamantium with a casual punch, and his Agility, even without activating [Twilight Phantom Step], was fast enough to make him a blur to most observers.

His only glaring weakness, he noted with a frown, was his defensive gear.

His D-grade Deflector Vest felt laughably inadequate. It was like putting a paper hat on a thermonuclear warhead for protection.

His high Vitality and defensive skills like [Earthquake Colossus Form] compensated for it, but against a truly powerful, armor-piercing attack, it was a vulnerability he needed to address soon.

He then looked at his 25 unallocated attribute points. A treasure trove of potential. He decided to hold onto them for now, to see what challenges lay ahead before committing them.

The same went for the 5 Class Skill Points. His Night Ranger template had many locked skills, and he wanted to make an informed choice later.

"You done admiring yourself, Vance?" Ayra called out, already wading into the steaming, waist-deep water. "This lake isn’t getting any less creepy."

"Just reviewing the mission parameters," Daniel replied smoothly, closing the status panel.

The sheer scale of his power was a secret best kept to himself, even from his teammates.

With their plan set, Daniel and Ayra prepared for their descent into the dark, mysterious waters of Yang Lake.

Lia, ever the vigilant support, took up a position on the ravaged shoreline, her A-Grade Staff of the World Ash glowing with a soft, protective emerald light.

Nyx, sensing the gravity of the mission, sat alert at Lia’s feet, her luminous blue eyes scanning the surrounding forest for any signs of trouble.

"Alright, Ayra," Daniel said, adjusting the A-Grade Kinetic Void Gauntlets on his hands.

"Stay close, and try to keep your berserker tendencies in check unless something genuinely tries to eat us. We don’t know what’s down there."

"Don’t worry about me, Vance," Ayra retorted, though her voice was a little less boisterous than usual.

The thought of the deep, dark water was clearly more unsettling to her than a battlefield full of thugs.

They took deep breaths and plunged into the lake. He and Ayra waded deeper into the lake.

The water, still unnervingly warm from the Leviathan’s residual energy, enveloped them.

As they descended, the bright light of the Yang-region sun faded, replaced by an eerie, submarine twilight.

The pressure began to build, a heavy blanket pressing in on them, but with their immense Vitality scores, it was a minor discomfort, more of a strange sensation than a real threat.

The bottom of Yang Lake was a world unto itself.

Giant, glowing corals in soft blue and vibrant purple pulsed gently, casting a soothing light over a garden of swaying, otherworldly aquatic plants.

Schools of small, harmless energy-fish with shimmering, jewel-like scales darted away as they approached.

It was a place of serene, alien beauty, a stark contrast to the apocalyptic battle that had raged on the surface just hours before.

The silence was absolute, a deep, profound quiet that made every movement feel loud and deliberate.

Daniel led the way, his enhanced senses, even muffled by the water, guiding him toward the faint, dormant energy signature he had detected earlier.

Ayra followed closely, her powerful form moving with a slightly awkward grace, her eyes wide as she took in the strange underwater landscape.

For several long minutes, they swam through the silent, glowing wonderland, the only sound being the soft rush of water and the distant, muffled thump of their own heartbeats.

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