My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly!

As Zarek extended his hand to pick up the sword, his gleaming blue pupils studied it with quiet curiosity.

The blade was as plain and unassuming as it could be, something you might expect to find in a cheap cosplay shop for just a few bucks.

A tense anticipation hung in the air. Mirabella, Alice, and the lean man with glasses all kept their eyes locked on him.

In that moment, their gazes flickered. Each took a deep, deliberate breath, their hearts pounding violently.

If Zarek truly was the one chosen by the Human God, then everything would be turned upside down.

Even Mirabella, normally so cold and calculated, showed a fleeting trace of hesitation in her eyes. It vanished in an instant, but it had been there.

Zarek placed his hand lightly on the hilt of the sword and gave it a tug.

"Hmm?"

He could feel the deep resistance, so intense that he couldn't move it even a fraction.

Veins bulged along his arms as he applied more force, his muscles straining.

But even then, the sword didn't budge.

Not even an inch.

From behind, Alice let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head with clear disappointment on her face.

Mirabella remained calm and composed, not a flicker of emotion betraying her thoughts.

The lean man stood in silence, entirely unresponsive.

"I can do it…" Zarek muttered under his breath.

Gritting his teeth, he dug in his heels, summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, every fiber of his being focused on one goal.

To pull that sword free.

Alice shook her head.

"If the sword rejects you, then no matter what you do, you won't be able to lift it."

Zarek paused, then turned toward her, his voice calm:

"What if I lift it?"

"Then you win," Alice said with a chuckle, her golden eyes gleaming with interest.

"Alright."

Zarek turned back to the sword. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the hilt and closed his eyes, focusing all his strength into his arms.

Then, with a roar, he pulled with everything he had.

His muscles convulsed, blue veins bulging across his body. His eyes reddened, turning bloodshot from the sheer pressure he was unleashing.

At first, nothing happened.

The sword remained unmoved, firm and still as a statue, utterly unshaken.

Not even a tremble.

"Hmph." Alice snickered in disdain. She glanced sideways and saw her mother grinning.

It seemed Zarek's fate was already sealed.

But just then, a deep rumble echoed through the ground. The entire chamber trembled, and dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.

"Eh? What was that?" Alice blinked, puzzled.

Her gaze shifted to Mirabella and the lean man, both frozen, their eyes wide.

Alice followed their gaze.

And she, too, was stunned.

Right before them, Zarek stood, his entire body slick with blood, veins bulging like coiled cords across his skin.

He looked less like a man and more like a monster, his muscles twitching uncontrollably.

His grip tightened around Excalibur as it began to move, slowly, inch by inch and with it, the entire underground chamber started to tremble and collapse.

It was as if the whole place was bound to the sword itself.

Zarek let out another guttural roar, and before the stunned eyes of the three, they watched him gradually lift the blade. At this moment, his Telekinetic power surged outward, to decrease the gravity around the sword.

"He's about to pull out?" Alice whispered, her voice laced with nerves. Sweat dripped down her forehead, yet she was excited.

A man capable of lifting Excalibur, he would be the one. The chosen one. The man who would directly become the saint of the entire human race.

But her mother had a different thought as she looked on. Mirabella's pupils widened, and a flicker of fear appeared in her eyes.

She panicked for a moment, her fists clenching tightly.

'This should be impossible. The Human God clearly stated it wasn't time for him to be born, let alone be an adult.'

Truthfully, she was greedy, greedy for the power Zarek had displayed.

A power that allowed him to grow stronger simply by enduring. It was almost complete invincibility.

'If I could attain such powers, then I wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again,' she thought, a blush rising, not the kind born of love or embarrassment, but of cold sadism.

Mirabella didn't care whether Zarek was truly allied with the dragons or not. What she wanted was his power.

'But…' Her pupils flashed with contemplation as Zarek came mere moments away from fully lifting the sword from the hill.

A murderous intent flickered in her eyes.

Suddenly, Zarek froze in place. A divine light erupted, bathing the entire cave in its glow.

Ahhh—

A scream of pain tore from Zarek's lips.

His whole being was wracked with unbearable agony, rippling through every fiber of his body.

The golden light struck him directly.

Zarek barely had time to resist before he was launched through the air, crashing through the ceiling.

He face-planted into the rubble above.

This power was overwhelming, even he couldn't adapt to it at first. Moments later, he fell face-first onto the cold, hard ground.

His consciousness dimmed instantly, and he slipped into unconsciousness, his body being torn apart by an unfamiliar energy.

But in just a moment, that energy vanished as Zarek adapted to it.

[You have adapted to a wisp of Supreme Divine Energy]

[Your exclusive skill bound to <Adapt>: <Divine Bearer> has leveled up]

…

<Divine Bearer> [Level 2]

You can now harvest the emotions of your followers when they pray upon your sacred image, converting them into low-grade Divine Energy.

…

Zarek's consciousness gradually returned.

The holy light faded, and everything around him settled back into place.

"Hmph," Mirabella said disdainfully:

"He tried to lift it by force, and the Human God intervened."

Shaking her head, she approached him. Zarek's eyes remained closed.

The golden chains immediately wrapped around him, binding him completely once again. He was sealed inside the golden cage and carried away.

"I know you're awake, brat. Wake up." Mirabella's tone was colder than ever.

Zarek's pupils met hers calmly as he muttered, "You will die soon."

"Haha, we'll see about that," Mirabella's voice echoed through the cave.

***

[Your body has been introduced with spiritual energy]

[You have gained the title of <Book Taming Disciple>]