SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System
Chapter 88: Daniel,The Sorcerer!

Chapter 88: Daniel,The Sorcerer!

As Daniel, Lia, and Ayra walked through the long, dark tunnel, led by the colossal Golden-Armored Blue Ape, the air began to change. The heavy, cold feeling of the Yin region slowly started to fade, replaced by a faint, gentle warmth that seemed to seep in from the other end of the passage. The tunnel itself was a natural crack in the mountain, wide and tall enough even for the giant Ape to walk through without stooping. The only light came from the Ape’s own golden fur, which cast long, dancing shadows on the stone walls.

Lia, walking close to Daniel, couldn’t help but look at him with a sense of wonder. Her calm grey eyes, now free from the immediate terror of the fight, were full of questions. "Daniel," she murmured, her voice soft in the quiet tunnel. "Your power... it grows so quickly. Just a few hours ago, you were fighting those other apes and seemed just a little bit faster than them. But against their king... you were like the wind itself. I have never seen anyone get so much stronger in such a short amount of time."

Daniel just gave a small, mysterious smile. "I’m a fast learner," he said, which wasn’t exactly a lie. He was learning how to use his SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] talent better every single day.

Ayra, who was walking just ahead and trying to look unimpressed, grumbled loudly. "Are we there yet? This tunnel is more boring than watching paint dry. And it smells like old rocks and disappointment." She kicked a loose pebble, sending it skittering into the darkness.

Just then, Nyx, who was trotting quietly beside the Golden Ape, seemed to receive a message. The little Shadow Wolf Pup trotted back to Daniel and sent a series of feelings and simple pictures through their familiar bond.

The tunnel door... it only opens when a very strong person appears, the feeling came, accompanied by an image of the tunnel entrance sealed with stone. It stays open for three days. After that, it closes again for a long, long time.

Daniel blinked. He understood immediately. "So, you’re saying this tunnel would have opened for me anyway, just because I was strong enough?" he asked the Golden Ape, projecting the question.

The Ape let out a low, rumbling hum, and Nyx yipped in confirmation.

Daniel felt a little bit cheated. He thought his brilliant deal-making had been the key to opening the pass. It turned out, he was just the key the lock had been waiting for. He let out a quiet sigh. "Well, a deal’s a deal," he thought to himself. "And getting a giant, god-like ape as a temporary friend is still a pretty good prize, even if I could have just walked through the door anyway."

They walked for what felt like another hour, the tunnel slowly sloping upwards. Finally, they saw a circle of bright, warm light ahead. They had reached the end. The Golden-Armored Blue Ape stopped just before the exit, turning its massive, intelligent sapphire eyes towards Daniel. It was waiting for him to keep his side of the bargain.

Daniel nodded. He looked at the faint, purple lines of the temporary contract that still seemed to connect him to the Ape. He tried to cancel it completely, as he had planned. He focused his will, and the purple lines of the contract array faded, but a single, very thin, almost invisible string of light remained, linking his spirit to the Ape’s. It felt like a phone number he had saved but couldn’t quite delete. It was a weak connection, but it was still there.

The Golden Ape didn’t seem to mind. It seemed to understand that this was the best Daniel could do.

"Alright, big fella. Now for the hard part," Daniel said, taking a deep breath. He took out the strange, glowing herbs and crushed beast bones he had collected and saved for a moment just like this. Using the magical knowledge he’d gained from his Hunter class, he began his work.

He crushed the materials into a strange, glowing green paste. Then, he walked to the stone floor in front of the Ape and began to draw. He drew a new pattern, a complex, six-sided star made of glowing green lines. It was a curse-weakening array, a simple one he had learned about in theory. He hoped it would be enough.

He placed his hands on the ground, channeling his own energy into the green pattern. "This might hurt a little," he warned the Ape.

The green star began to glow brightly. As the light touched the Golden Ape, the massive guardian shuddered. It threw its head back and let out a roar, but this was not a roar of anger. It was a roar of pure, unimaginable pain!

"BOOM!"

The ground beneath them shook violently! The wind inside the tunnel shrieked and howled as a wave of uncontrolled energy blasted out from the Ape. Lia and Ayra were thrown back against the wall, shielding their faces from the intense light and pressure. Daniel gritted his teeth, pouring more energy into the array, trying to hold it stable.

The Ape’s roar of pain continued for a full minute, its massive body trembling. Then, slowly, the sound began to change. The pain faded, replaced by something else, something new. The roar became a sound of pure, unrestrained joy and relief!

The golden fur on its body began to glow, brighter and brighter, until it was like staring at a small sun. Another shockwave blasted outwards, but this one was warm and felt... happy.

"BOOM!"

The joyous energy washed over them, pushing them back again but without any harm. The Ape stood up to its full, towering height, its body no longer slumped from centuries of pain. It felt a small portion of its suppressed power return, a trickle of strength in a river that had been dammed for far too long. The curse wasn’t broken, but the chains were looser.

The Ape looked down at Daniel, and its sapphire eyes, which had held so much pain and weariness, now shone with deep, profound gratitude. It couldn’t speak in human words, but through Nyx, the message came through to Daniel, clear and powerful.

Thank you, little warrior. You have kept your promise. I will keep mine. One time. You call. I will come. I will save your life. That is my reward to you.

Daniel nodded, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. A one-time-use, "save my life" summon from a transcendent being? That was a reward worth more than any treasure chest.

The Ape then sent one final feeling through their weak contract link, a feeling of immense, newly released power. Be careful, little one. Even with this small bit of my true strength returned, I am now far, far stronger than you. Do not grow too proud.

Daniel understood. He was strong, but there were levels of power in the universe that he could still barely comprehend. He noted in his mind that he would probably need some kind of special space-magic skill to actually summon the Ape from a distance, but that was a problem for another day.

He, Lia, and Ayra said their goodbyes. The Golden-Armored Blue Ape gave them one last, respectful nod. Then, it turned. It did not run. It did not jump. It simply vanished. One moment, the colossal golden titan was there, filling the tunnel exit with its presence. The next, it was gone. The only sign it had ever been there was a single, deep footprint that had cracked the stone floor and a small whirlwind of golden fur that slowly settled in the air.

Ayra and Lia stared at the empty space, their jaws hanging open.

"Did... did it just teleport?" Ayra stammered, her voice faint. "It moved so fast, I didn’t even see a blur!"

Lia nodded slowly, her calm grey eyes wide with awe. "That kind of speed... it’s beyond anything I thought was possible."

Daniel just grinned. He now had a very powerful ace up his sleeve for a very rainy day. He looked out of the tunnel into the bright, warm light of the Yang region. "Come on," he said to his stunned teammates. "The day is wasting."

Lia looked at the bright sun high in the sky. "Daniel, it’s noon. According to the data you got, that’s the most dangerous time in the Yang Region. The fire-element beasts are at their strongest."

Ayra, her confidence returning, hefted her great-axe. "Perfect! I’m ready to fight! And after seeing what that giant ape could do, I’m feeling extra motivated to get stronger!"

Daniel agreed. They were strong now, and they were short on time. He was confident they could handle whatever the Yang region threw at them. He stepped out of the tunnel and into the new, dangerous world, ready for the next challenge.