Died for a Million Times: I can Copy Infinite SSS Talents!-Chapter 71 --Reviewing the Harvest

Ryze glanced at Nate and opened his mouth once more.

"Old man, however you plan to ’blow up’ Adamu—that’s your business. But let me remind you of something."

Nate’s expression immediately grew pained. He’d thought Ryze was about to fall back into his usual pattern of lecturing and micromanaging. He braced himself for a long-winded speech.

But to his surprise, Ryze didn’t even look at him.

Instead, he cast a look of sincere admiration toward Link.

"What I’m reminding you of," Ryze continued, "is that the intel about Adamu’s betrayal was obtained by my top disciple, who risked his life to uncover it. You get what I’m saying, right?"

The word life carried extra weight—Ryze had made sure to emphasize it.

And after years of camaraderie, Nate understood him perfectly.

He chuckled. "Relax, relax. How could I possibly forget the heroic contribution of this young student of yours? But let’s be honest—he’s still really young. No matter how many medals or commendations we give him, they’d probably weigh heavier on him than his actual armor."

He gave a playful shrug. "Besides, high-profile awards might just draw jealousy from others. How about we keep the official recognition intact, but tone down the ceremony a bit? Just looking out for the kid here..."

"Hmm?"

Ryze’s face darkened at once. His expression turned cold.

"Nate, what are you trying to say? That young people don’t deserve credit? That they can’t contribute to the human cause?"

"I’m not asking for special treatment. I’m demanding fair recognition. His achievements are real—indisputable. And as for the jealous ones, let them stew in their envy. If they want recognition, let them bring back intelligence of this caliber themselves."

He stared Nate down, voice firm and clear:

"The reward must be granted, and the commendation ceremony must proceed as normal. Do you understand?"

Nate nodded slowly at first, then muttered:

"So you really do value this top disciple of yours. Still... aren’t you pushing a little too fast? This kid’s clearly talented—sharp and capable. Given a steady path, I have no doubt his future achievements will surpass ours. But aren’t you worried you’re raising him too high, too soon? You don’t fear making him a target?"

Ryze snorted. "If a single gust of wind can knock down a tree, then it was never a towering tree to begin with."

"Link is a giant. A towering tree rooted deep in the earth. Not even a storm will shake him."

"Besides, as an esper, he’ll eventually face much greater scrutiny than this. Might as well let him get used to the spotlight early."

"...Fine. You win," Nate finally relented, throwing up his hands. "Whatever you say."

He turned toward Link and gave him an approving look. Then the Bloodsoaked General stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on Link’s shoulder and grinned.

"Kid, you’ve got good timing. You might want to start working on a speech or two in private. Wouldn’t want you getting up there and stammering through the whole ceremony. That’d be embarrassing."

Link nodded quickly.

Nate laughed. "No need to be so tense. I’ve been up there myself when I was your age. First time’s nerve-wracking, sure. But after a few of them, you get used to it."

Just as he finished, Ryze leaned in beside them, slapping Nate on the shoulder with mock camaraderie.

"Don’t believe a word he says, Link. None of those commendations were his. They were his father’s achievements. He just stood next to him for the photos. He rode in on the coattails of a decorated war hero."

"You, on the other hand, are far more capable than he ever was. And you’ve already surpassed him."

Nate instantly protested. "What the hell, man?! We’ve been brothers for decades, and this is how you do me? In front of a student, no less?"

"Alright, you asked for it. Just wait—when that rascal of mine gets back from training, I’ll make sure he has a proper duel with your precious disciple. We’ll see who’s really better!"

The two elders bickered like old friends, trading insults and laughter at the doorway. After several rounds of back-and-forth, they finally waved their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Ryze personally escorted Link back into the Northern Front.

But just before parting, Link caught a flicker of something unusual in Ryze’s expression. His smile was still there, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Something about it seemed... off.

It was then Link realized:

Ryze’s so-called business trip had been an excuse.

And from the look of it... someone within the Northern Front wasn’t exactly thrilled about his return.

After saying goodbye to his mentor, Link didn’t head back to the dorms. Instead, he strode deep into the camp, toward an unused, secluded room.

He had work to do. And he needed absolute quiet to do it.

This place was perfect.

After locking the door behind him, Link sat cross-legged in the center of the room and began sorting through his collection of talents.

But that wasn’t the only reason he was here today.

His strength as a Tier-1 (T1) esper had begun to fall behind the pace of his battles.

It was time—time to ascend to Tier-2 (T2).

Once he finished reviewing his talents, Link opened his personal system panel.

[Name: Link]

[Power Values: 999 (late-stage Level 9 esper)]

[Mind Power: 2989 (late-stage Tier-2 esper)]

[Flesh Forging Art]: DragonFlesh Forging Art, ChapterOne

[Meditation Technique]: Frost Meditation Technique

[Skills]: Spiritual Powers Compression, Shadow Arrow, Rocksolid Greatbow

[Talents]

UR Rank: Death Replication SSS Tier: Death Rewind, Soul Oath, Infinite Void Domain, Astral Tide, Stellar Resonance, Gaze of Truth SS Tier: Child of the Elements, Soul Order, Dragonbreath of Ruin, Thunderous Might, Sky-Rending Plume Mutant S-Class: Mind Deception S Tier: Life-Bound Pact, Child of Poison...

Clearly, compared to the last time he’d reviewed his list, a lot had changed.

Among the new acquisitions, the SSS-tier talents stood out most prominently:

Soul Oath, Infinite Void Domain, Astral Tide, Stellar Resonance, and the crown jewel—Gaze of Truth.

But Link didn’t value them simply for their rank.

Each one held strategic significance—not just raw power. They had unique utility that could dramatically change the flow of battle or tilt the scales in his favor during a critical moment.

The SS-tier talents, by contrast, were less dazzling—but they weren’t without value.

After a careful review, Link singled out four:

Soul Order, Dragonbreath of Ruin, Thunderous Might, and Sky-Rending Plume.

These weren’t talents that stunned with flashy effects or world-breaking capabilities. But they formed the solid bedrock of strength that every esper needed.

Take Thunderous Might, for instance.

It granted Link a substantial boost in strength—not just raw force, but a broad-spectrum enhancement that influenced many other aspects of combat: skill damage, destruction potential, and the likelihood of landing critical hits.

Even more intriguing was a hidden trait unearthed by Lib, his AI assistant.

If the user successfully landed ten consecutive hits during combat, Thunderous Might would automatically summon an energy avatar of a Thunder Bear—a mighty beast of lightning—that would fight alongside the talent holder for a limited time.

When it came to physical offense, Link had reached the absolute pinnacle of his current potential.

And now, with his next evolution into Tier-2 on the horizon...

He was ready for the next phase of his awakening.