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

Grey's instincts screamed—move—even before the silver spear closed the distance.

But it was futile.

An overwhelming force locked onto him like fate itself. A suffocating pressure crashed down, rooting his limbs in place. He couldn't even twitch.

'What is this feeling?'

Panic bloomed in his heart.

In the blink of a nanosecond, he felt it, his death. Not as a possibility, but as a certainty. As if the universe had already recorded his end.

Even before the spear touched him, blood welled from his chest, no wound, just raw pain searing through his chest.

The spear's power seemed to transcend space and time itself.

Grey's heart quaked with dread.

He has already used Drayken's Aura Lightning and his body has faced a terrifying backlash, there was no escape for him.

Only death awaited.

***

"Do you wish to join the Mount Hua Sect, expert?" asked a middle-aged man wearing traditional Taoist robes, his sword-like eyebrows sharp and dignified. His tone brimmed with respect.

"Yes," the youth opposite him replied casually. He had long golden hair and striking blue pupils.

"Very well. Although your background seems a little complex, we might be able to grant you an honorary position as an elder, considering how powerful you are." The middle-aged man smiled pleasantly.

'Well, a little boring… but I can get used to it,' Eryke muttered inwardly, a lazy expression tugging at his brows.

He wasn't interested in joining the sect at all. What he truly wanted were the sword techniques of the Mount Hua Sect. With them, he might be able to strengthen his Sword Will and advance further along his path.

Just then, Eryke froze. His brows lifted, then drew together into a tight frown.

'One of my clones is in danger.'

He had to act fast. If not, Grey would die.

A blue panel shimmered into view in front of Eryke as he focused his will on the system shop.

Five skills appeared:

—

[Body Overload] – 200,000 Destiny Points

[Monster Creator] – 300,000 Destiny Points

[Atmosphere Controller] – 100,000 Destiny Points

[Flicker] – 1,000,000 Destiny Points

—

"What the hell, a million points!?" Eryke blurted out loud, unable to hold back his thoughts. First published on M|V|L!EMPYR.

Several disciples of the Mount Hua Sect turned to look at him with strange expressions. Even the middle-aged elder's face twitched slightly in confusion.

Eryke met their gazes with unbothered eyes and gave a casual shrug. There wasn't the slightest hint of embarrassment on his face:

"You guys can continue. I was just thinking about something."

"Okay," the elder said, his face showing a hint of hesitation.

"Good."

Eryke turned his gaze back to the blue panel, his expression growing more serious.

While the cheaper skills seemed powerful in their own right, none of them were enough—not for Grey's situation.

Time was critical, and he had to act fast.

Without hesitation, Eryke selected the [Flicker] skill.

…

[Flicker]:

Allows for the extreme movement of the user to essentially cross space itself within a distance of 1 meter.

…

The skill's description was deceptively simple, but it was exactly what Grey needed right now.

Although the price tag made Eryke feel extremely bitter about it.

***

Just as the silver spear was about to pierce through Grey, his figure vanished in the blink of an eye.

The spear sliced through the air, missing its target entirely, and slammed into the wall behind him.

Bang!

It was like a meteor had struck, the impact caved in the wall, sending shockwaves through the ground. Dust exploded into the air, engulfing the entire scene in a thick cloud.

Grey reappeared a meter away from the destruction, his breath shaky as he looked down, pupils dilated.

'Such power,' he murmured inwardly, slowly turning his head.

And then, he froze.

Standing before him was someone who made his senses blur, as if he were staring at an illusion.

"You… you aren't dead?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

It was the King of this kingdom, the same man he had just obliterated with his Aura Lightning, erased down to the last atom.

But now, the man stood tall, completely unharmed, clad in gleaming silver armor and holding a lance. Not a single mark marred his body, and his presence… It was unmistakable.

"Haha! Brat, did you really think it would be that easy to kill me?" the King laughed, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

Four Grimoires rotated around the King in a continuous orbit, radiating immense power.

"The Celestria Kingdom isn't so weak that we'd fall to just a mere brat!" the King sneered. Without wasting another word, he raised his lance and lunged toward Grey once again.

Grey met the incoming threat with a calm expression.

His body was still injured, summoning Drayken was out of the question for now. But his other Grimoires were still functional.

Silently, they emerged from his body, swirling with energy. Grey gripped his quill pen and began writing in one of them, channeling his spiritual energy.

The two clashed in a terrifying exchange.

The ground trembled as though begging for mercy, and the clouds above were blown away, scattered by the sheer force of their collision.

The entire palace, already weakened by the battle, finally crumbled into ruin. The aftermath of the fight unleashed complete chaos throughout the capital city.

By now, word of the commotion at the royal palace had spread. Brave, or perhaps foolish, souls ventured toward the scene, only to be horrified by the bloodbath they witnessed.

They quickly carried the news back to the people.

Fear gripped the citizens. Many hastily packed their belongings and scrambled to flee the city.

With little manpower available to control the stampede, the capital descended into utter chaos.

The terrifying boom of the ongoing battle echoed relentlessly from the palace, growing louder and more violent by the minute. The shockwaves caused several houses to collapse, though fortunately, most residents had already evacuated in time.

The battle raged for a full hour, lasting until the silver light of the moon bathed the earth.

Amid the ruins and collapsed remains of the palace, Grey stood tall. His body was drenched in so much blood that he was barely recognizable, some of it even his own.

The King… lay split in two.

But despite the victory, a strange unease gnawed at Grey's heart. Something felt off, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.