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

Grey halted mid-air, his gaze fixed sharply on the towering castle below. His voice cut through the silence, low and firm:

"Who are you?"

A deep, authoritative voice echoed from within the palace walls:

"I am the king of this kingdom. And you, how dare you trespass on my land, demanding to see my daughter. You've got some nerve."

Grey remained unmoved. "I just want to see Lucy," he said coolly. "If you can prove she's safe and here of her own will, I'll leave."

The king's voice thundered back in outrage, "How dare you!"

"You invade my land, and instead of begging for mercy, you stand there and demand things?"

"Hmph."

Grey raised his hand and pointed toward the castle, his expression devoid of fear.

Drayken moved from behind Grey in a blur, tearing through the space before him as a bolt of lightning surged forward.

However before the lightning could even strike, a radiant barrier erupted around the entire castle, impenetrable and absolute. Even that devastating strand of lightning, which could seemingly annihilate anything in its path, failed to break through. Grey's eyes narrowed, a subtle frown appearing.

Still, not a flicker of emotion touched his face.

"So, you intend to bar my entry, King of Celestria?" Grey asked coolly.

"I do," came the king's voice, sharp and cold. "And more than that, you have trespassed into my kingdom. You will be captured and sentenced to ten years in prison."

The two old men wore bitter expressions on their faces, but they still obeyed the command and advanced toward Grey.

At the same time, four terrifying Grandmaster-level presence emerged, each one suffocating in its intensity. They remained behind the barrier, not stepping out, clearly a warning to Grey not to make a move.

The Celestria Kingdom was among the strongest in the land, with few that could rival its might.

The kingdom where Lucy once managed a library was far weaker in comparison, and yet even it had a Grandmaster. From that alone, Grey could assume that Celestria possessed far more than just one.

And their methods might be beyond anything he had imagined.

These Grimoires could bend reality itself and that was the most dangerous part of this world of Book Tamers.

Until now, Grey had relied on brute force to overwhelm his enemies. But when facing opponents equal to, slightly stronger, or even slightly weaker than him, the battle could quickly become unpredictable, filled with tricks and manipulations that defied even his comprehension.

Yet Grey didn't hesitate. He wasn't here to doubt himself.

Behind him, Drayken slowly closed his dragon eyes. In the next moment, his consciousness began to expand. But the instant it tried to reach beyond the barrier, it was disrupted.

'You think a mere barrier can stop the Dragon Emperor?' he sneered inwardly, as his consciousness fused with the surrounding lightning, flowing, flickering, and then silently slipping through the barrier.

Sure, Grey could take on these individuals, but his priority was to understand the situation inside and whether Lucy was there.

'If I find out she's been harmed even a little,' he thought, tightening his fist until his knuckles turned white, his eyes burning red with silent fury. He waited patiently for the answer.

The two old men, both High-tier Masters, exchanged wary glances. Seeing that Grey made no move, they held back as well, none were foolish enough to risk their lives recklessly.

Besides, a chilling premonition gripped them both: the moment they attacked Grey, it might very well be their last.

***

Drayken's consciousness, now merged with lightning, surged through the barrier and slipped silently into the palace grounds.

The moment he fully sensed the interior, even he had to admit, Damn, this was the most exquisite place he had ever seen.

A lush, expansive garden bloomed with rare flora and fauna, filling the air with a refreshing, almost magical scent.

Hundreds of maids and servants moved gracefully through the grounds, tending to every detail to maintain its pristine beauty.

Scattered across the estate were numerous smaller palaces, each seamlessly connected to the grand central structure. The floors shimmered like diamond, and the entire palace sparkled with gold and embedded gemstones.

It was easily one of the most extravagant and masterfully crafted architectures he had ever witnessed.

Drayken began searching every corner, from the lush garden to the heart of the main palace, scanning for any trace of Lucy. But even after a thorough sweep, he found nothing. Not a single sign of her presence.

This only made him more anxious.

Just then, he caught faint whispers from a group of maids casually hanging laundry nearby.

"Poor Princess Lucy," one of them murmured. "She escaped the palace hoping for a peaceful life, but politics dragged her back again."

The second maid let out a quiet sigh. "I heard she's been locked away in the Cold Palace... and will be married off to another kingdom in some diplomatic arrangement."

"What!? Is that true!?" the first maid gasped, eyes wide and mouth forming a perfect 'O' in shock.

"Yeah, it's true," the second maid confirmed, lowering her voice. "I overheard it when the Queen and King were speaking. They said she fell in love with someone from an enemy kingdom, a man who tamed a Diamond Grimoire during his first taming ceremony. He's expected to become a powerful figure… How could they allow that?"

"I… I see," the first maid stammered, her voice trembling.

'The Cold Palace?' Drayken's consciousness registered every word of the maids. Though he only frowned inwardly, he could feel the fury of Grey.

Grey's rage was boiling to the brink of eruption.

'Celestria Kingdom… you'd better pray she hasn't been harmed,' Drayken thought darkly. 'Because if she has, my brother will slaughter every last one of you.'

His awareness sharpened, and with a subtle surge of electric energy, his consciousness expanded once more merging with the flow of electric current in the air.

'Now then… where is this so-called Cold Palace?'

Just a moment later, Drayken's eyes snapped open as he stared downward, his voice silent but certain:

There it is.

His consciousness once again slipped into the earth, riding on threads of electric impulses. It weaved through darkness, deeper and deeper, until it reached the frozen layers beneath the palace.

And then, he emerged beneath an icy floor.

The moment he arrived, a chilling sound echoed. Screams. Countless, tormented screams.