Died for a Million Times: I can Copy Infinite SSS Talents!-Chapter 63 --The Orc Clan

"Lib, how much longer until that Starshatter Wasp King is born?"

No sooner had Link spoken the words than Lib responded instantly.

Its analytical abilities worked at the millisecond level—analyzing the physiological state of a Starshatter Wasp Queen was child’s play for it.

"Master, according to the available data, the gestation period for a Starshatter Wasp Queen typically ranges from 12 to 36 months. This particular queen has been pregnant for six months, which means you’ll need to wait at least another half a year before there’s any chance the Starshatter Wasp King will be born."

"Half a year, huh..."

Link rubbed his chin, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over him.

Originally, his plan was to have the Wasp King born immediately. That way, he could use his death-rewind talent to relive the birth over and over again—testing countless timelines until he found the one where the newborn awakened a UR-rank talent.

But half a year? That was far too long. He couldn’t afford to wait.

After a prolonged internal debate, Link could only sigh and temporarily abandon his desire for the legendary UR talent.

You can’t rush a boiling pot, he reminded himself. It was a truth he’d known since childhood.

He cast one last glance around the area, scanning the Starshatter Wasp Queen’s guards, but didn’t find any talents worth copying.

So instead, he threw himself into the fray once more—engaging the elite guard bees in combat, not for talents, but to sharpen his practical combat experience.

After several exhausting skirmishes and enduring wave after wave of ambushes, Link’s stamina finally began to wane. In the end, it was a sly Starshatter Guard that struck the fatal blow—its stinger piercing through him with brutal precision.

Link collapsed, dead.

And in the blink of an eye, he returned to an earlier timeline—just moments after the Bloodsoaked General had entered Principal Ryze’s office.

"So, Link, remember I said I’d take you to three different locations? How many have you been to so far?"

Link paused, recollecting his previous journey, and replied softly, "I’ve already visited the first one."

Ryze nodded imperceptibly, then turned his gaze to Nate.

"We’ll leave the welcoming gift for later. Right now, I need to take my first disciple out on some business. Nate, you may return."

Without waiting for a reply, Ryze grabbed Link and walked straight out of the office.

Everything proceeded exactly as it had before—except this time, mid-journey, Ryze turned to Link and said, "Since the Starshatter Mountains no longer hold much value for you, I’m taking you to the second location: Skullsplitter Clan Highlands."

Hearing this, Link blinked, then raised his hand curiously.

"Mentor, I’ve been thinking... this place you mentioned—could it be the settlement of that rather infamous Orc clan among the moonfolk?"

"But I remember the academy instructors saying the Orcs, despite being strong as a group, are actually quite weak individually. Their talents are mostly mediocre—rarely above S-rank. I’ve never heard of an SS-tier among them, let alone an SSS."

Ryze considered his words and replied evenly, "Your instructors were not wrong. The Orc clan, especially the Skullsplitter Clan, are exactly as you’ve just described."

"Then why would you—"

Link suddenly cut himself off, as though something had just clicked in his memory.

In that moment, he recalled an extra detail that one of his teachers had once mentioned during a lesson on Orc history:

"Class, do you know why I’ve set aside an entire lecture just to discuss the Skullsplitter Clan today?"

Before anyone could respond, the class show-off—the star pupil who always sought the spotlight—leapt to his feet and answered proudly:

"I know, Professor!"

"Although the Orcs aren’t individually strong, they’ve lived for generations in some of the most dangerous environments. Over time, they’ve evolved their physical bodies to near-monstrous levels."

"Most Orcs have low intelligence, but through sheer brute strength and wild, primal energy, they carved out a name for themselves among the moonfolk. At one point, they even climbed as high as rank 600 on the Moonfolk Leaderboard. Even the highly unified Starshatter Wasps couldn’t rival them in head-on clashes!"

Link snapped out of his memory and repeated that entire monologue to Ryze, word for word.

The aged headmaster nodded in approval, a genuine smile on his face. "Excellent. Very good. Outstanding, in fact. The Orcs are one of the more obscure races among the moonfolk. Most students don’t bother studying them, let alone remember detailed facts. And yet you not only memorized the material—you understood it. You didn’t just recite textbook definitions, you internalized their meaning. Frankly, I’d say even the academy’s top students wouldn’t match up to you right now."

Link scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "Mentor, you flatter me. As a student, it’s my duty to study. There’s nothing especially praise-worthy about doing my job."

But despite his humility, Link was grinning from ear to ear on the inside.

How else do you think I passed all that dead time after each death-rewind?

Reading. Studying. Reading some more.

And with Lib—a sentient AI with a vast database and human-like reasoning—at his side, Link didn’t just cram facts. He dissected, analyzed, and deeply understood every piece of knowledge.

He didn’t just memorize the facts—he owned them.

That was why, whenever questions about the moonfolk came up, Link could respond immediately, accurately, and with complete academic citation if needed.

Ryze saw through Link’s modesty and let the praise rest. He shifted the conversation back to the Orcs.

"You’re right," he said. "In the Skullsplitter Clan, those who awaken talents above S-rank are exceedingly rare. Even A-rank talents are considered uncommon among them."

"And most of the talents they do awaken are bland. No flash, no unique effects. Just the basics—pure enhancements to strength, speed, durability. Standard white-card talents."

"But ’basic’ doesn’t mean ’weak.’"

"Orcs are born with terrifyingly powerful physiques. And since they are a humanoid species, some of the more intelligent ones have even learned techniques from other moonfolk—like Flesh Forging Art, Meditation Techniques, and even combat skills."

"These factors have made the Orcs one of the most unorthodox races in all of moonfolk society. Yes—unorthodox, yet formidable."

"In today’s terms, you could say they’re the perfect example of raw numerical beauty. No gimmicks. No mechanics. Just stats."

"And thanks to these monstrous base stats, Orcs can go toe-to-toe with other species ranked even higher than them on the Moonfolk Leaderboard—for short bursts, at least."

"But that’s not even the most important part."

Ryze paused and gave Link a pointed look.

"Do you know," he asked, "what makes the Orcs truly unique?"