Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream-Chapter 34: Make her yours

Ethan sat quietly in the library with the other two, studying in silence.

He did not really need to.

He had already finished most of the third year’s curriculum, and with a job secured ahead of him, the urgency to focus on textbooks had faded.

Truthfully, if he had the choice, he would have stayed with Layena during these difficult days. She was injured, and with no family around, she must have been struggling alone at home.

But visiting her was not simple.

Layena was not the type of girl who could casually invite a man to her house. If he showed up unannounced, it would only embarrass her and make things harder.

"It’s strange that we haven’t heard from the Commander today," Hannah suddenly muttered. "Normally she asks for our report at least once a day."

Clara groaned. "Isn’t that a good thing? I’m honestly relieved. That woman could probably find flaws in you just for breathing."

Hannah shook her head. "Show some respect. She’s only a few years older than us, yet she has reached a height most of us might never touch."

Clara fell silent.

The truth was, the Commander had not risen through luck like Layena, who awakened a powerful ability.

Her skill was considered average.

And yet, through sheer discipline and relentless effort, she had climbed high enough to become a commanding officer.

So despite all her complaints, Clara respected her as well.

Just then, Ethan’s phone began to buzz.

For a moment, all three of them assumed it was the Commander. But the instant Ethan glanced at the screen, his expression turned cold.

Hannah exchanged a look with Clara. Neither asked who it was. They already knew.

Ethan stood up silently and walked toward the fire exit.

Taking a deep breath, he answered the call. "Good evening, Mother."

{Where are you?}

"Library," he replied calmly.

{With Amanda?}

He nearly clicked his tongue but restrained himself. "No... she had some work to do."

{Tch. That means you’re not spending time with her outside of classes, are you?}

Ethan clenched his fist but kept his voice steady. "Mother... she just broke up. She needs some time—"

{I don’t care! You’ve been delaying this for so long that I’m starting to think you’re gay or something.}

His grip on the phone tightened so much the frame nearly cracked. Still, he neither crushed the device nor said the words burning in his throat. He knew exactly what consequences would follow if he did.

After a brief pause, the woman continued.

{Listen, Ethan... it’s important for us to build a connection with Amanda’s family.

I used my connection to put her on your team. But you aren’t even close enough to her to bring her home once.}

The other side took a pause before adding,

{Her mother is a close friend of mine. If you start dating her, the alliance between our families will benefit us greatly. So for the sake of the nine months I tolerated you in my womb, make her your partner.}

{And if not that, at least convince her to accompany you to the family dinner in two days.}

Beep

The call ended.

Ethan remained standing there, the phone still pressed to his ear.

His teeth ground together in frustration.

He had no interest in Amanda. Yes, he played a massive role in liberating her from that relationship but not because he was jealous.

It was because his family stood to gain from the relationship, he was expected to make her fall for him.

"Tch... this is annoying."

Running a hand through his hair, he dialed Amanda.

The call went through.

She did not pick up.

His frustration doubled.

A moment later, he returned to the library and approached the table where Hannah and Clara were studying.

Seeing him back, the short-haired girl looked up.

"What happened?"

Ethan slipped his phone back into his pocket and asked, "Do either of you know where Amanda is?"

Hannah glanced at Clara before the latter replied, "Wasn’t she sent to Fortis for a site inspection?"

Ethan vaguely remembered hearing that from her earlier. But why would she rush there alone without the team? If he recalled correctly, there was an unregistered rift in that area she was supposed to inspect.

Then why the sudden eagerness?

"I’ll go check on her," Ethan said abruptly.

Before either of them could respond, he had already turned and walked away.

He had a feeling this was somehow connected to that seaweed-headed loser.

....

Kyle stepped into the abandoned building Veronica had mentioned, his hood pulled low and a mask covering his mouth to hide his face.

The place was deserted.

No workers. No signs of recent activity.

Barricades surrounded the building to keep civilians away.

Somewhere deeper inside, water dripped steadily. The vast entrance hall amplified every faint sound, making the silence feel heavier.

Construction had clearly stopped midway. Tools lay scattered, materials half assembled, as if the workers had left in a hurry.

’System... what happens if a rift is left unchecked?’

[It depends on the stage of the rift. A high-grade rift continues expanding, widening its influence over the surrounding area. As its range grows, it begins corrupting nearby humans.]

[When a human’s natural Genesis is suppressed by Absence, the result is either death or mutation.]

[In most cases, they do not survive.]

’I’m honestly surprised,’ Kyle muttered inwardly. ’The government has managed to hide something this massive from ordinary people for so long.’

[Multiple departments are involved in maintaining that secrecy. Nightwalkers are few in number, but they are not the only ones dealing with the Aether World.]

Kyle nodded slightly.

That made sense. If people were paid well enough, why would they expose such information to the public?

’Still...’ he continued thinking, ’someone should have snapped by now. A disgruntled employee, someone angry at their boss, ranting online about the Aether World. That kind of thing happens all the time.’

There were still too many things he did not understand about this hidden world.

Maybe Veronica would eventually explain more.

Just then, Kyle’s breathing suddenly grew shallow.

A pressure built in his chest, as if he had just climbed a steep hill.

’System... what is this feeling?’ he asked inwardly, his hand instinctively pressing against his chest.

[Host, you are close. Please endure it. The system will notify you if the condition becomes severe.]

Kyle trusted the system and kept moving.

A large toolbox sat nearby. He opened it quickly and grabbed a nail hammer and a heavy wrench.

Not ideal weapons, but he did not have the time to search for anything better.

They would have to do.

He climbed to the upper floor.

With every step, the pressure in his chest intensified, as if the air itself had grown heavier.

[Behind you, Host.]

Kyle inhaled slowly and turned.

There it was.

On the wall.

A dark patch clung to the concrete surface, shaped like a closed flower bud slowly blooming. Yet the unnatural blackness made it feel far more sinister.

It looked less like a crack in reality and more like something alive, waiting to open.

"Let’s farm some points."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. I don’t usually do it but if I get 100 PS before reset, I will upload an extra Chapter