Died for a Million Times: I can Copy Infinite SSS Talents!-Chapter 69 --The Apex of Extrasensory Talents

Ryze’s words lingered in Link’s mind long after they had been spoken, echoing with a gravity that refused to fade.

Even as they made their way toward the final destination—the vicinity of the Thousand-Eyed Altar—Link remained distracted, thoughts clouded by their earlier conversation.

It was a moonless night, the wind sharp and biting. Shadows flickered across the stone terrain as several humanoid creatures patrolled the area. They looked disturbingly similar to humans, save for the grotesque, blood-red eyeballs embedded all over their skulls. These were the infamous Thousand-Eyed Clan, mindlessly roaming around the altar like soulless husks—living corpses.

"Listen carefully, Link," Ryze instructed, his voice suddenly taking on a soldier’s edge. "I’ll reveal myself to draw their attention. You pick off the slowest one—the one that falls behind the rest. You’ll only have one chance. Make it count."

"...Alright."

Link’s thoughts were still drifting, but the urgency in Ryze’s voice snapped him back just enough to nod. Before he could fully regain focus, Ryze had already dashed forward, charging toward the altar without a moment’s hesitation.

It was only then that instinct finally kicked in and drove Link’s body into motion.

"Who goes there?!"

"A human?!"

"Kill him!"

The moment Ryze appeared, all the Thousand-Eyed beings turned their attention toward him. In an instant, the altar descended into chaos, with monstrous shrieks tearing through the night as the enemies surged toward their lone intruder.

Amid the confusion, Link found his target—a sluggish, isolated member of the Thousand-Eyed Clan.

In the blink of an eye, their bodies collided.

Then darkness.

Link collapsed, his vitality completely drained.

But the system’s voice echoed into that void:

[Copy Successful. Acquired SSS-level Talent: Gaze of Truth]

[SSS Talent: Gaze of Truth]

[Effect: Any talent possessed by a target within the gaze of the user shall be forcibly revealed, unaffected by any talent-based concealment, disguise, or misdirection. Additionally, any anti-detection or misperception talents used against the user shall be diminished by 50–100%, depending on the Power Value difference between the user and the opponent.]

As he finished reading the talent description, Link finally snapped out of his daze.

Just like Ryze had said—Gaze of Truth was absurdly powerful.

It wasn’t just about revealing enemy talents. It was about rendering illusions meaningless. It didn’t just "see through lies." It obliterated them.

If he had obtained this talent earlier, the Dreamwing Realm—that entire illusion-based assessment zone—would’ve been completely ineffective against him. The moment he entered, he would have seen through it all.

But even aside from its ability to reveal and counter illusion-based talents, Gaze of Truth’s third effect was the true game-changer.

From now on, Link would never again need to fear that someone might secretly analyze or observe him without his knowledge. No one would ever see through him—not unless their Power Value and talent tier exceeded his by a wide margin.

As the undisputed pinnacle of extrasensory talents, Gaze of Truth reigned like a sovereign over all others in its class.

Every extrasensory ability would now be halved in effectiveness when used against him. And if the difference in Power Values was small, Gaze of Truth could completely nullify the opposing perception talent, rendering it useless.

In simple terms, so long as Link had this talent, he no longer needed to search for or stack other perception-based abilities to increase his reconnaissance capabilities.

One was enough.

And with that thought, he allowed Gaze of Truth to cannibalize his earlier Eye of Truth talent, merging and upgrading his detection capabilities into a singular, unrivaled entity.

His task at the Thousand-Eyed Altar was now complete.

He thought back to Ryze’s warning—it wasn’t safe to linger in this place. So, without hesitation, he activated Death Rewind and committed suicide on the spot.

The timeline snapped.

Reality rewound.

Link reopened his eyes—back in that familiar moment, just as Ryze was about to quiz him again.

"Link, didn’t I say I was going to take you to three locations? How many have you visited so far?"

"I’ve already been to all of them, mentor."

Link raised his head and met Ryze’s gaze directly.

His mind was no longer light or relaxed as it had been when they first arrived at the Starshatter Mountains. Instead, a subtle heaviness had settled over his heart.

Truthfully, the time he had spent with Ryze wasn’t long at all. Even if he counted the other timelines, the total duration they’d been together barely added up to three or four nights.

But despite the short time, Ryze had given everything—selflessly pouring out his wisdom and strength. His unwavering devotion to humanity, his determination to give Link the best possible path, left a deep mark on the young esper’s heart.

And throughout it all, Ryze had asked for nothing in return.

He didn’t do it for status, for glory, or even for recognition. He did it out of pure belief—a belief that Link might be the key to saving humanity.

Even when Link had warned him before the third mission, even when he had posed the difficult question about trust and the possibility of betrayal—Ryze had answered calmly, genuinely, and with a resolve that didn’t falter.

"I only care about the present."

That simple declaration lingered in Link’s mind.

Now, as he locked eyes with Ryze, the old principal seemed to sense something in return. He smiled, his gaze full of warmth, and nodded with deep satisfaction.

"That’s good... That’s very good."

Nearby, Nate, the rugged general, scratched his head in confusion.

"Okay, what’s going on here? It’s not a holiday or anything—why are you two staring at each other like you’re solving riddles? Or is this some secret code you mentor-types share behind my back?"

Ryze chuckled and turned to Nate with a sly grin.

"Old War Ghost, you’ve never been an outsider in my eyes. As it happens, I’ve got a piece of information here. If you handle it well, you might just earn yourself another first-class military medal. Interested?"

The moment Nate saw the look on Ryze’s face, he immediately became suspicious.

He raised both hands defensively. "Nope. Nope. I’m out. Do you even know who I am? I’m the Bloodsoaked General of the Northern Front. I’ve got so many first-class medals that I don’t have room for more. And with that shady smile on your face? Yeah, no way anything good’s coming out of your mouth."

Ryze shot him a mock glare, then strolled over to his desk and sat down heavily, pretending to sigh in disappointment.

"Aiya... what a shame. I was going to give you a chance to show off in front of my student. Turns out I misjudged you. Fine then. Go. Leave me here in sorrow."

Link, watching this exchange, couldn’t help but laugh internally.

He could tell that Ryze was playing Nate like a fiddle—this was the kind of teasing that only old friends who knew each other inside and out could pull off.

There was a deeper meaning behind Ryze’s words, of course.

The message he was hinting at was none other than what Link had secretly reported to him earlier—General Adamu’s collusion with the Brain Swarm.

And this wasn’t something just anyone could handle.

It had to be someone on equal footing with General Adamu—someone with the authority and strength to confront him directly.

And there was no one more suited to the task than Nate.