I Found a Forbidden SSS-Rank Nanosuit After Being Abandoned

The new shadowy figure didn't rush at him.

Instead, it circled around him, dragging its blade over the ground as it did.

Zion's full attention was on the figure, slowly turning around with it.

Suddenly, the shadow shot forward, its sword raised high.

'It's faster,' Zion thought, as he raised his sword to block the incoming strike.

But instead of continuing the attack, the figure took a step back before swinging its sword at Zion's ankles.

'Too fast,' Zion thought, his ankle pierced by the time his sword got there.

Instead of just a simple tingling feeling like last time, it felt like his entire ankle had been taken away.

He immediately struggled to maintain his balance.

Taking advantage of Zion's still lowered sword and instability, the figure lifted its sword and cut through Zion's neck.

'Ugh,' Zion thought, the blade between his knuckles disappearing as he raised both his hands to grip his throat.

[Level 2, failed,] Uriel said as Zion's surroundings turned back to look like the corridor.

Zion sat on the ground, still feeling his throat.

"That felt too real…" he mumbled as the tingling sensation disappeared.

A small diagram opened up inside his eye again.

[Current Suit State: Seraph-X Nanosuit]

[Rank: F]

[Progress to E-rank: 82%]

Zion read quietly and frowned.

"Uriel, how come I'm already so far?" he asked.

[The host's physique has already matched the requirements,] Uriel started. [Only the synchronization of your nerves and the suit is insufficient.]

Zion gave a small nod. It made sense.

Silence fell as he sat on the ground, resting from the training.

Eventually, Zion broke the silence.

"Uriel, you mentioned something about a war earlier," he started. "What happened? How come an Echelon-class ship like this got so damaged?"

Uriel stayed silent for a long moment.

[Apologies, host,] it said softly. [Currently, you have not reached the thresholds to gain access to that information.]

Zion let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"Could've seen that one coming," he muttered.

Looking up again, he stood up.

"Shall we get another round started?"

[If host wishes so,] Uriel replied flatly.

Zion gave a small nod. "Alright, start the training simulation up again."

[Training mode initializing…]

Zion's surroundings shifted again—the white room returned, and a shadowy figure appeared before him.

"Focus," he mumbled.

Like that, days flew by.

One simulation turned into five. Five into twenty and twenty into hundreds.

Occasionally, he beat a level as his combat skills improved alongside the suit's sync with his nerves.

With each level, the training grew more brutal—blades to the neck, arms severed, spine shattered. It was all simulated, but the pain was real.

At times, his muscles shook from the phantom pain, and his body would jerk, making the sword slip from his knuckles. Sometimes, he forgot it wasn't real... then there were moments when he almost wished it was.

And yet, each time he collapsed, he stood up again.

[Progress to E-rank: 84.3%]

"Again."

[Progress to E-rank: 84.7%]

"Let's go."

[Progress to E-rank: 88.2%]

'Come on,' Zion thought, remembering his parents. 'I have to push harder.'

[Progress to E-rank: 93.8%]

Zion stood before the shadowy figure again, feeling numb.

His swings had gotten a lot cleaner, his footwork had grown smoother, and his instincts had greatly improved.

Despite all of that, Zion still saw his parents' faces when he closed his eyes.

His mother's screams and his father's last words echoing through his mind whenever he rested.

'The reality is only really setting in now,' Zion thought, sitting on the ground sweating.

[Don't worry, host,] Uriel said, his voice a little less robotic each day. [At the rate you are improving, it'll only be a year or two before you catch up to their strength.]

Giving a small nod, Zion exhaled before standing up again.

"How far am I away from reaching E-rank now?"

[Host has done an outstanding job the past five days, pushing past my initial seven-day calculation,] Uriel said, sounding cheerful. [The current progress to E-rank is 99.7%.]

"Time to get the required resources to break through to the next tier then," Zion said, a small map opening inside his eye.

As he walked, Zion thought about the upcoming breakthrough.

'Uriel mentioned it being extremely painful,' he thought, paying close attention to the map. 'My muscles will get pierced and filled with nanobots.'

He didn't even want to mention the additional resources he needed to inject in order to create more and upgrade existing nanobots.

Remembering the last injection he'd had in his spine, he wanted to shiver, but the numbness didn't allow him to.

'As long as I'm alive, I'll do whatever I can to get revenge for my parents,' he thought, determined.

Walking through the long corridor, Zion couldn't help but notice all the damaged areas within the ship.

"It really must've been a fierce war," he mumbled, his fingers tracing across the surface of the walls. "To think the highest-tier ship in existence suffered so much damage."

[…]

Uriel remained silent.

Following the map, Zion arrived in front of a smaller metal sliding door.

A rusted plate covered in strange symbols sat beside it.

[Opening door,] Uriel said, its voice cold, mechanical.

Zion raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in tone.

The door creaked before slowly sliding open.

A wave of cold air washed over him as the lights inside flickered on.

Zion's eyes widened, and he froze in place.

"What… What is this?" he asked, his eyes widening.

Without hesitation, he backed away from the door.

Inside the room sat a massive metallic body with its legs crossed.

The bed beneath him had long since collapsed, most of it rotted away.

After observing the body from a distance, Zion slowly approached.

'It doesn't appear to be living,' he thought. 'But is it a statue or a corpse?'

Zion double-checked the map Uriel gave him, then carefully stepped into the room.

He observed the massive statue up close, noting several strange things.

'The texture of the metal… it's… strange,' he thought. 'And what are these wings on its back?'

"Uriel," Zion called, wishing to confirm his suspicions. "What exactly is this?"

[Those are the resources required for your evolution,] Uriel answered, a trace of sadness in its voice.

Its voice got softer as it continued. [It was once one of us.]