SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System
Chapter 107: Crystal Gloves

Chapter 107: Crystal Gloves

Daniel reached into the chest and carefully pulled out the gauntlets.

They were thick, cumbersome, and surprisingly heavy, easily weighing over a hundred pounds each.

The material was a translucent red crystal, pulsing with a faint, contained energy.

They looked like something a giant would wear to smash mountains, not a precision weapon.

They felt completely foreign to his quick, agile fighting style.

"Huh. Now those look like they could do some damage," Ayra commented, peering over his shoulder, her Rock Pugilist instincts appreciating the sheer mass.

"They seem a bit bulky for you. You’re more the type to move swiftly and make enemies disappear."

Lia, ever observant, leaned closer, her A-Grade Staff of the World Ash adding its serene light to the scene.

"The energy signature is... powerful. Very raw. Almost untamed. It feels like pure offensive might."

Daniel nodded, already scanning the gauntlets with his Nexus Interface. The information flashed into his mind.

[Item: Diamond Gloves]

Grade: A

Attack: +3000

Effects:

Ignores Normal Attribute Attacks: Physical strikes bypass standard defenses and attribute-based resistances below a certain threshold.

Daniel’s eyebrows shot up. An A-grade item.

Attack +3000, that was a truly immense raw power boost, easily comparable to his S-Grade Blade of The Night’s base attack.

And its "ignores normal attribute attacks" effect was highly effective, rendering defensive stats almost meaningless.

These gloves were designed to hit hard and punch through anything.

"These are exceptionally powerful," Daniel stated, clenching a fist, feeling the raw, untamed energy thrumming within the gloves.

"Attack +3000, and they bypass most conventional defenses. Truly top-tier."

He already had his A-Grade Kinetic Void Gauntlets and A-Grade Phantom Edge Striking Wraps.

The Kinetic Void Gauntlets, his personal preferred handwear, provided +300 Attack per gauntlet, seamlessly integrated with his kinetic skills, and offered feedback protection.

The Phantom Edge Striking Wraps, worn underneath, gave +300 Attack for blade-edge strikes and enhanced dexterity.

Both were perfect for his agile, precise, and explosive fighting style.

These Diamond Gloves, while incredibly powerful, felt... clunky. They didn’t feel like him.

But Daniel didn’t settle for ’powerful’ if ’reality-breakingly overpowered’ was an option.

And he had a surplus of Tier 2 [Soul Assimilation] charges.

He still had plenty left after his various upgrades and the leviathan assimilation.

"Time for a little fine-tuning," Daniel murmured, a predatory glint in his eyes.

He focused his will, pouring one of his precious Assimilation charges into the A-Grade Diamond Gloves.

The energy transfer was intense, far more so than with lower-grade items.

The thick red crystal gauntlets pulsed with a deep hum that made the air crackle.

The wind shrieked around them as raw energy surged, the gloves twisting in his hands while his SSS-Rank talent didn’t just enhance them, it completely reforged their essence.

"BOOM!"

A soft, contained pulse of pure, unadulterated power erupted from the gloves, washing over Daniel’s hands.

The air vibrated intensely, and for a moment, the ground trembled with a subtle, deep resonance.

The red crystal slowly changed, its dense form turning translucent, then perfectly clear like polished diamond.

When the light subsided, the gauntlets in Daniel’s hands looked utterly transformed.

They were no longer red or heavy. They became crystal clear, glowing from within, weightless in his hands, yet radiating pure, unshakable power.

His Nexus Interface chimed, the notification glowing with a regal, golden light reserved for truly legendary events.

[Soul Assimilation successful on A-Grade Equipment: Diamond Gloves!]

[Item Reforged and Amplified by SSS-Grade Talent Synergy!]

[Item Evolved: Diamond Gloves (A-Grade) has become CRYSTAL GLOVES (S-Grade)!]

Daniel’s heart hammered against his ribs. S-Grade!

His second S-Grade weapon, after the Blade of The Night! He eagerly checked the new stats, his hands trembling slightly with anticipation.

[Weapon: Crystal Gloves (Pair)]

Grade: S

Attack: +8000

Effects:

Ignores Normal Attribute Attacks: Physical strikes bypass standard defenses and attribute-based resistances below a significantly higher threshold.

Divine Effect: Absolute Barrier - Active skill. Project a highly durable, crystalline energy shield that can block attacks up to 10 times the user’s Strength. Lasts 5 seconds or until shattered.

He had to read it twice. An attack power of +8000 was astronomical for a pair of gloves.

They now ignored an even higher threshold of defenses, making them capable of hitting virtually anything without penalty.

But the Divine Effect, [Absolute Barrier], that was the real surprise. A shield that blocked attacks up to ten times the user’s Strength?

That was ludicrous!

With his own Strength rapidly approaching 10,000 points from countless assimilations and Level 12 status, this shield could withstand attacks of truly god-like proportions.

"Holy moly," Daniel breathed, his mind racing.

This was an S-Grade defensive skill, perfectly embodied in a weapon.

However, a faint frown touched his lips as he considered it. He already possessed the S-Grade [Counterattack Storm].

While [Absolute Barrier] offered pure, unadulterated defense, [Counterattack Storm] absorbed all damage for 5 seconds and then reflected it back at the enemy.

Counterattack was active offense and defense, turning the enemy’s strength against them. [Absolute Barrier] was passive defense, a pure block. And [Counterattack Storm] was his S-Grade personal trump card, a skill he understood deeply.

More importantly, these Crystal Gloves, despite their now ethereal weightlessness and crystal-clear appearance, were still gloves.

They didn’t feel right for his agility-focused, Blade of The Night-wielding, shadow-weaving Night Ranger style.

They were bulky and focused on blocking rather than quick evasion or counterattacks.

He wanted his A-Grade Kinetic Void Gauntlets on his fists for combat, and his A-Grade Phantom Edge Striking Wraps for dexterity and hidden blades.

Using these Crystal Gloves would mean sacrificing the integrated kinetic channeling of his Void Gauntlets and the precision lethality of his Striking Wraps.

It didn’t fit his current combat philosophy.

"Still," Daniel murmured, examining the glowing crystal gauntlets, "an S-Grade weapon, especially with a Divine Effect like this... is too powerful to be wasted."

His gaze shifted to Ayra, who was still bouncing on the balls of her feet, an eager, greedy look on her face. Her S-Grade [Primal Fury Berserker] talent, now honed into the Rock Pugilist class, focused on massive physical strength and impenetrable defense.

Her strength was immense, but she lacked a truly high-tier defensive skill like his Counterattack Storm. And those gloves...

A slow, decisive grin spread across Daniel’s face. He knew exactly who these were for.

"Ayra," Daniel said, holding out the shimmering, crystal-clear gloves. "I believe these are more your style."

Ayra stopped bouncing, her eyes wide as she stared at the gauntlets.

She carefully reached out a hand, then gasped as she felt their impossible weight and the immense, raw power radiating from them.

They were heavier than her great-axe, yet they looked like fragile art. She struggled slightly to hold them, her muscles straining.

"Vance!" she breathed, her voice filled with unconcealed awe. "What... what are these?!

They feel like they’re made of pure condensed mountain! And they’re... glowing!"

"S-Grade, actually," Daniel stated simply. "Just upgraded them.

Divine Effect: Absolute Barrier. Blocks attacks up to ten times the wearer’s Strength."

Ayra’s jaw, which had dropped slightly, hit the ground. An S-Grade weapon? For her? And a Divine Effect?

She knew such items were the stuff of legends, whispered about in the highest echelons of the Academy.

Her mind reeled. Ten times her strength?

With her [Rock Pugilist] class and [Primal Fury Berserker] talent, her strength attribute was already pushing past astronomical levels.

With these gloves, she could become an actual, literal, immovable object.

"They’re... they’re for me?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically small, a flicker of disbelief and overwhelming gratitude in her fiery eyes.

"Are you... are you sure? These are... this is insane."

Daniel simply nodded. "Yes, Ayra. They’re for you.

A little something to help you turn those overconfident thugs into fine dust.

They fit your new Rock Pugilist class perfectly. Consider it... a tactical advantage for our team.

And maybe a very, very belated apology for the bathroom incident. These should help you feel a lot less ’clumsy’ down there."

He winked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Ayra’s face flushed a furious crimson at the "bathroom incident" and "clumsy" jab, but her overwhelming joy at the S-Grade weapon quickly surpassed her embarrassment.

She slipped the Crystal Gloves onto her powerful hands.

They fit perfectly, molding to her form like a second skin, their crystal surfaces glowing faintly as they resonated with her immense strength.

"Oh, Vance," she purred, a dangerous, delighted gleam in her eyes. "You are officially forgiven. For everything. Just for now."

She clenched her new S-Grade Crystal Gloves, and the air around her seemed to warp, crackling with contained, unyielding power.

The sheer destructive potential she now wielded was terrifying.

"My combat strength... it just increased tenfold!" she declared, her voice vibrating with pure excitement.

"Come on, Lia! Let’s go find something for me to hit! Something really, really big!

This is going to be so much fun!"

Her S-Grade Berserker talent, combined with her new S-Grade Crystal Gloves, made her an unstoppable force.

Daniel just watched her, a satisfied smile on his face.

Giving these gloves to Ayra made strategic sense.

His team was now more powerful, more capable of facing the immense threats of the Taiji Basin.

And his relationship with Ayra had just improved immensely.

Now, for the final piece of the puzzle: the chest itself!