novelraw Chapter 80: god Among Us! pt 2
Chapter 80: god Among Us! pt 2
Suddenly, the crowd roared.
"SSS-Grade?" a student near the front shouted. "That can’t be true! The machine must be broken!"
"Did you see the list of monsters?" another student cried out, pointing a shaking finger at the screen. "He killed a Level 7 Elite monster all by himself! I needed a whole team just to survive a Level 4!"
"He wiped out all the bosses in the dungeon!" The students who had made fun of him, back in the Verge, the ones who had called him a "salted fish" and laughed at him while he was sleeping, turned very pale.
They moved backward slowly, trying to hide in the crowd because they were terrified that the powerful monster on the screen might remember their faces.
Sansa Valtor, who was usually very calm and cool, stared at the screen with her mouth open. Her hands were shaking as they rested on her swords. She wasn’t jealous, she was scared because she realized she was looking at someone much stronger than her.
John Draven, the leader who was proud of his strength, looked defeated. The difference between him and Daniel was huge. Daniel stood by himself near the door of the Medical Bay.
He felt the mood in the room change.
Hundreds of heads turned to look at him at the same time. They weren’t looking at him like a friend anymore. They were looking at him like he was a dangerous weapon that had suddenly appeared in the room.
He looked back at them without blinking. The system had revealed his secret, but as he looked at their scared faces, he realized it was a good thing.
"Let them be afraid," he thought. "Fear will keep them away from me." A soft sound came from his Databand, interrupting his thoughts.
A private window opened in his vision that only he could see.
[Congratulations, Aspirant Daniel Rivers!]
Rewards:
[Due to achieving Rank 1 in the phase 2 Assessment, you have been awarded the following:]
[-Golden Vanguard Cache (Phase Two Apex Reward): Contains unique, high-value items or skill impartations.
[- Priority Resource Allocation Token (Rank SS): Grants supreme priority access to Academy resources, facilities, and mission selections.]
[- Vanguard Commendation coins: +3000 (Usable in Academy Exchange for high-tier items/services.)]
[- Free Attribute Points: +15 to all stats]
[- Direct Mentorship Opportunity: Confirmed. Awaiting your selection from available High-Rank Vanguards (S-Grade or higher available due to exceptional performance).]
The rewards were significantly better than just kill score placement. Priority access, commendation points (likely very valuable), a hefty chunk of free attribute points, and even potential mentorship from a top-tier Vanguard.
The Academy clearly invested heavily in those it deemed to have the highest potential.
The rewards were even more substantial this time. An SS-Rank token? And an S-Grade Vanguard mentor?
Daniel tapped the screen to accept the rewards. A flash of golden light appeared in front of him, and it turned into a beautiful chest that floated in the air.
The crowd near him went silent again, watching with greedy eyes. He placed his hand on the lid and opened it.
Inside the box, resting on a soft black cloth, was a single Skill Crystal. It didn’t glow with the normal blue or purple light of common skills. Instead, it pulsed with a bright, burning orange light that looked like a small sun.
Daniel picked it up. The crystal felt warm in his hand.
[Skill Crystal: Superman Strike (A-Grade)]
[Description:
A pure close-combat martial art focusing on channeling explosive solar energy through unarmed strikes. Devastating single-target damage and minor area-effect heat pulses. Requires significant Strength and Spirit to master.]
"A-Grade," Daniel whispered to himself. It was an amazing reward. It was exactly the kind of strong, direct attack his Divine Warrior class needed to end fights quickly.
He crushed the crystal in his hand. The orange energy flowed into his skin, moved up his arm, and settled into his mind. He instantly understood how to use the skill, how to stand, and how to throw the punch. But Daniel wasn’t satisfied yet.
He was SSS-Grade. He didn’t want to settle for just "good enough." He had Assimilation Charges to spare from his level-ups, and he felt the hunger of his talent stirring. He closed his eyes, ignoring the crowd watching him.
He focused on the new skill inside his mind.
He used three full Assimilation Charges on the skill. The orange energy inside him flared up and turned a bright, blinding white.
The concept of the ’Superman Strike’ broke apart, dissolved, and reformed into something far more terrifying.
[Skill Evolution Successful.]
[Soul Assimilation successful on Skill Concept: Superman Strike (A-Grade).]
[Skill Essence Reforged and Amplified by SSS-Grade Talent Synergy!]
[Skill Upgraded: Superman Strike (A-Grade) has evolved into STELLAR SUPERMAN STRIKE (S-Grade)!]
[Skill: Stellar Superman Strike (S-Grade)] Active Skill. Draw upon volatile stellar energy, flooding the body and fists with star-born force that devastates enemies through extreme heat, pressure, and explosive impact.
Effects:
Force: +420%
Stellar Burn: Deals continuous heat/energy damage equal to 65% of Force over 3 seconds
AOE Impact: 5-meter radius shockwave on hit, dealing 40% Force as secondary damage
Heat Pressure: Enemies within AOE suffer reduced movement speed (-25%) for 2 seconds
Cost: High stamina + energy consumption
Cooldown: 90 seconds
Daniel opened his eyes. for a short second, a faint golden light flickered around his body. He felt the power of the S-Grade skill in his veins.
It was dangerous.
As Daniel got used to his new power, the feeling in the room changed forever. The whispers got louder, but the tone was different now.
"He’s not human," a girl whispered nearby, holding her friend’s arm tightly. "He’s like a god walking among us."
"Stay away from him," a man warned his group, pulling them back to make a path. "Don’t even look at him the wrong way."
Fear and greed spread through the crowd.
Some people promised to avoid him because they were scared of getting hurt. Others, the smarter ones, began to make plans. They whispered about how to use him or how to become his friend so he could help them in the next phase.
Daniel looked around the room and saw fear, greed, and calculation in their eyes. His mind was already made up, ever since the Bran incident, he wasn’t teaming up with anyone again.
"I don’t need any one of you," he told himself.
He turned his back on the crowd and walked toward the exit of the platform.
The crowd parted as he walked past, leaving him to move alone.