SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 132: Raising the Stakes

The shock rippled through the vast plaza like a physical wave.

On the holographic screens, the stark notification gleamed: "Virtual Opponent - Sango - Defeated. Time: 0 minutes, 46 seconds."

Director Gareth Sterling, usually the picture of stern authority, looked completely flustered.

His gaze darted from the screen back to the silent test pod containing Daniel, then to the stunned faces of the four Vice-Principals.

"He... he defeated Sango?" Director Sterling stammered again, the question hanging in the air like an accusation against reality itself.

"In forty-six seconds? The system barely had time to register the engagement before it reported the target destroyed!"

Travis Standen, the formidable Vice-Principal of Combat Techniques, finally found his voice, and it was a gravelly roar of disbelief.

"Impossible! Sango is designed to be unbeatable!

Its regeneration is absolute! Nothing short of striking power equivalent to a Level 30 Awakened should be able to overwhelm it before it fully mends!

And he... he used a familiar?!"

Robb Naharis, Vice-Principal of Weapons and Armaments, meticulously picked up his fallen wrench, his expression one of deep professional consternation.

"The energy signature recorded... it wasn’t from the aspirant’s direct output," he stated, his voice clipped.

"It was from that creature. That... wolf. The power was immense, raw, inconsistent with standard familiar classifications."

Yara Fairley, Vice-Principal of Logistics and Support, her ethereal beauty momentarily marred by shock, murmured, "An SS-Grade familiar... at Level 20... I’ve only read theoretical papers suggesting such development was possible in the lower Verge... To see it manifest with such terrifying power..."

The thousands of aspirants in the plaza were equally bewildered.

They had expected Daniel to be strong, perhaps challenge the endurance record.

They had not expected him to simply shatter the opponent into data dust with a pet.

Whispers erupted, a chaotic mix of awe and disbelief.

"Did... did he just one-shot Sango?"

"With a dog?! A two-headed dog?!"

"The test is about endurance, not winning! He broke the test!"

"What kind of familiar is that?! It looks like a monster!"

Director Sterling, visibly wrestling with the unprecedented situation, turned to a group of pale-faced technicians huddled near the dais.

"Report! What happened?"

One technician, sweating profusely, stammered, "S-sir, the system... it recorded an instantaneous power spike exceeding the opponent’s regenerative threshold.

The familiar... its attack output momentarily bypassed Sango’s auto-mend function. The target was destroyed before regeneration completed. It’s... it’s never happened before."

"So, he can be beaten," Travis Standen concluded, a fierce light returning to his eyes.

"The familiar just has enough raw power to overwhelm the regeneration if it hits hard and fast enough."

Inside the test pod, Daniel stood calmly, Nyx beside him, her massive form radiating a quiet, triumphant power.

He had understood instantly. Sango wasn’t unbeatable, its regeneration was just faster than normal damage output.

An instant kill was the only way. And Nyx’s SS-Grade power, even restricted to her attack, was enough.

He mentally communicated with Nyx. "Good job, girl. You earned your kibble. Head back to the ring for now. Get some rest."

Nyx whined softly, nudging his hand with her massive heads, her Soulfire and Frostfire eyes gleaming with pride.

With a luminous ripple, she dissolved, returning to the boundless comfort of his S-Grade [Elementary Storage Ring].

On the outside, Director Sterling faced a dilemma.

The purpose of the test was to measure endurance. But Daniel had defeated the opponent in seconds.

According to protocol, they were supposed to wait 10 minutes before increasing the difficulty of Sango if the aspirant survived.

But waiting 10 minutes when Sango was dead seemed... counterproductive.

The goal, Director Sterling realized, was no longer about measuring time. It was about finding Daniel’s limit.

How strong was this "Monstrous Genius"? How much power could he wield before even the Academy’s virtual construct, fueled by the Origin Power Core, couldn’t keep up?

"New parameters!"

Director Sterling declared, his voice ringing with renewed authority, his earlier fluster replaced by a steely resolve.

The weight of the Academy’s expectations, the future of humanity, settled onto his shoulders.

"The objective is no longer endurance. It is to find the upper limit of Aspirant Vance’s combat capability!

Raise the opponent’s strength! Immediately!

Set Sango’s parameters to two times the strength of a standard Level 12 Awakened! Restart the simulation!"

A buzz of excited anticipation, mixed with apprehension, swept through the plaza.

This was unprecedented. The test had just become a live demonstration of a potential human breaking the known scales of power.

The Vice-Principals leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the screen, utterly fascinated.

Inside the pod, the blank space returned. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Then, Sango materialized again, its form slightly larger, radiating a noticeably stronger aura. This was Sango, 2x strength.

Daniel felt the increase in power, a subtle shift in the air. He smiled. "Alright," he thought, "Let’s see how you handle this."

He hadn’t tested his pet’s limits against continuously escalating strength.

He summoned Nyx again. "Round two, girl. Let’s see if you can handle this one."

Nyx reappeared in a flash of elemental energy, her massive form radiating confidence.

She recognized the opponent was stronger, but her SS-Grade instincts surged.

She let out a dual-headed roar and charged again, fire and ice surging from her jaws.

"BOOM! HOOOOWL! ROOOOAR!"

The elemental storm hit Sango. The force was immense, shaking the virtual space even more violently.

The 2x strength Sango’s form flickered under the barrage, wavered, but its energy signature held for a fraction of a second longer than the previous one.

But Nyx was relentless. She bit down with her colossal jaws, tearing at Sango’s virtual form before its regeneration could fully compensate.

"KRA-KOW!"

Sango shattered into data motes once more.

[Virtual Opponent - Sango (2x Strength) - Defeated. Time: 0 minutes, 57 seconds.]

Another instant kill. Slightly slower, but still, in the eyes of the astonished crowd, effectively instantaneous.

The plaza erupted. The Vice-Principals stared, disbelief engraved on their faces.

Director Sterling, however, no longer looked flustered. He looked grimly determined.

"Incredible!" Travis Standen roared, his excitement overriding his shock.

"That wolf! It instantly killed a 2x strength opponent! Its raw power is beyond anything I’ve seen from a familiar!"

"It appears," Aslaug Winnick stated, her voice filled with awe, "that Aspirant Vance’s SS-Grade familiar is capable of defeating opponents equivalent to a Level 25-30 Awakened... possibly higher if it can maintain that power output..."

"Raise the difficulty again!" Director Sterling commanded, his voice sharp.

"Three times the strength of a standard Level 12 Awakened! Restart the simulation! Let’s see how far this goes!"

Inside the pod, Daniel felt the familiar dissolve as Nyx was recalled. He smiled.

His SS-Grade familiar, Level 20, was capable of taking down a 2x opponent instantly. That was a known quantity now.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺