SSS-Rank Awakening: My Talent Multiplies Everything novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Unlucky Adam.

Kael woke up at exactly seven in the morning.

Golden sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. For a moment, he remained lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling as he slowly shook off the last traces of sleep.

Then he got up.

The apartment was quiet when he stepped out of his room. A glance toward Lyra’s door told him she was still asleep.

Kael headed into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the smell of eggs filled the apartment.

The breakfast wasn’t anything fancy. Just a simple omelette with a few slices of toasted bread on the side. He prepared two portions, leaving one covered neatly on the table for Lyra before eating his own.

Once he was done, he washed his plate, cleaned up the kitchen, and returned to his room.

After a quick shower, he changed into his battle suit.

His phone buzzed shortly afterward.

It was a message from Zoey.

She had already sent the location of the Rift.

Kael glanced at the time before slipping the phone into his pocket.

A few minutes later, he was already outside booking a transit toward the designated location.

As the vehicle moved through the city, Kael pulled out his phone and began researching the Rift they would be entering.

The Sand World.

A fairly popular Rift among lower-ranked hunters.

The first thing that caught his attention was the environment.

An endless desert.

Dry sand stretched as far as the eye could see with scorching temperatures during the day and freezing cold nights.

As for the dangers...

There were two threats almost every guide mentioned.

The first were Sand Worms.

Massive creatures capable of swimming through sand as though it were water.

Hunters described them as living nightmares.

They could remain hidden beneath the desert for hours before suddenly erupting from below without warning.

Many inexperienced hunters never even saw the attack coming.

The second threat was the Earth Golem.

Constructs made entirely from compacted soil and hardened stone.

Their defensive capabilities were infamous among hunters.

Normal attacks barely left scratches on them.

The only reliable way to kill one was to locate and destroy its core.

The problem was that the core could be hidden anywhere within its body.

Miss it, and the creature would simply rebuild itself using the surrounding desert sand.

Kael continued scrolling.

There were also various lesser threats.

Desert Goblins.

Unlike the small green goblins commonly found in the tower or other Rifts, these creatures possessed rough brown skin that blended naturally with the desert terrain.

According to several veteran hunters, they were surprisingly dangerous.

Not because of their strength.

Because of their intelligence.

They hunted Sand Worms whenever possible and extracted venom from them to coat their weapons and traps.

Speaking of traps...

Nearly every experienced hunter on the forums emphasized the same thing.

Bring a scout.

A proper scout could identify hidden traps, locate enemy ambushes, and even detect approaching Sand Worms before they attacked.

Without one, traversing the desert became significantly more dangerous.

Kael tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I wonder if Zoey accounted for that."

Well.

He would find out soon enough.

The rest of the trip passed quietly as he continued gathering information.

Eventually, the transit came to a stop.

Kael stepped out.

The entrance to the Rift wasn’t far away.

The area was bustling with activity.

Groups of hunters stood around discussing strategies, checking equipment, or recruiting last-minute members.

Kael’s gaze swept across the crowd.

Soon, he spotted a familiar figure.

Zoey.

She had apparently spotted him at the same time because she immediately raised an arm and waved enthusiastically.

"Over here!"

Kael made his way toward her.

However, as he approached, another familiar figure entered his vision.

Adam.

Kael blinked.

Then blinked again.

He was covered head to toe in expensive-looking armor. Helmet. Chest plate. Gauntlets. Leg guards. Every inch of skin was hidden.

He looked ready to invade a kingdom.

"Hey! You came!" Zoey greeted cheerfully.

"You sound surprised."

"A little."

She shrugged.

"I mean, I had my doubts. No one trusts people they’ve only met once."

She pointed at Adam.

"Except this doofus."

Adam made an offended noise from behind his helmet.

Kael nodded.

"Fair enough."

She wasn’t wrong.

Forming teams for Rift exploration was notoriously difficult.

A Rift wasn’t a playground.

It was a place where people died.

Finding teammates capable of carrying their own weight was already difficult.

Finding ones who wouldn’t stab you in the back for loot was even harder.

Betrayals happened more often than most people liked to admit.

Fortunately, Kael wasn’t particularly worried.

Zoey and Adam seemed decent enough.

And even if they weren’t...

Well.

He was fairly confident he could beat both of them.

So there wasn’t much reason to lose sleep over it.

"I guess first impressions worked out."

"See?" Zoey said proudly.

"We look trustworthy."

Adam crossed his arms.

"Speak for yourself."

That was when Kael noticed something.

Adam had been unusually quiet.

Very unusual.

Normally, the guy radiated enough energy to power a small city.

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