SSS-Rank Awakening: My Talent Multiplies Everything novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Awakening.

The wind roared past them, sharp and relentless.

It pressed against Kael’s body with enough force to make breathing difficult, each gust clawing at him as if trying to tear him off the mount. Even with Taras seated ahead, subtly diverting most of the pressure, the ride was still brutal.

The eagle-like beast flew at a terrifying speed, its massive wings cutting cleanly through the air. Kael tightened his grip, fingers digging into the coarse feathers beneath him, steadying himself as best as he could.

"First time flying?" Taras called out, his tone relaxed, almost amused.

Kael almost lost his balance at the question.

For a split second, he wondered if Taras was serious. Where exactly was someone like him supposed to have seen a bird like this before, let alone ride one?

He swallowed the response that came to mind.

Right now, staying on was a bigger priority than answering stupid questions.

He tightened his grip instead, forcing his focus back on the ride.

Ahead of him, Taras guided the mount with practiced ease, adjusting their direction without hesitation or wasted movement. For all his questionable intelligence, his skill as a guide was undeniable.

Kael couldn’t help but admit that much.

Time passed quickly.

At some point, Kael noticed it.

At first, it was just a thin shape in the distance, barely noticeable against the horizon. But as they got closer, it began to grow... and it didn’t stop.

Until it towered over everything.

The structure pierced the sky like a blade driven into the world. Its surface was dark, almost like obsidian, yet different. It didn’t reflect light the way it should. Instead, it seemed to swallow it.

Even from afar, it felt heavy.

Oppressive.

Taras guided the beast into a descent, circling once before landing at its base.

Kael stepped down, his boots settling against the cold stone platform at the tower’s base.

For a moment, he didn’t move.

His gaze lifted slowly, tracing the structure upward as far as his eyes could follow before it disappeared into the clouds.

"It’s big, huh," Taras said casually.

Kael let out a quiet breath, his gaze still fixed upward. "That’s one way to put it."

Taras smirked, like he had a joke in mind but chose not to say it. Instead, he clapped his hands together lightly, brushing them off.

"Well, this is where I leave you."

Kael glanced at him.

"Place your hand on the surface," Taras continued, nodding toward the tower. "You’ll be transported inside. That’s where your tutorial begins."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "As for me, I stay here. Standard procedure."

"How long?" Kael asked.

"Twelve hours," Taras replied. "No recorded tutorial has gone past that. If you’re not out by then..."

He gave a small shrug, leaving the rest unsaid.

The meaning was clear.

Kael nodded once. "Got it."

Taras studied him for a moment, then gave a small grin. "Good luck."

"...Thanks."

Kael turned and walked toward the tower.

Up close, it felt even stranger. The surface was perfectly smooth, unnaturally so, without a single flaw or imperfection.

He hesitated for a brief moment, then placed his hand against it.

The response was immediate.

A crushing pressure slammed down on him, far heavier than anything he had ever experienced. His breath caught as the force wrapped around his body, pressing into him from all sides.

It wasn’t just weight.

It felt like judgment.

He couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. The familiar sensation of being pulled into another space never came. There was only pressure, suffocating and absolute.

Then it vanished.

Kael staggered slightly as his lungs dragged in air, his surroundings shifting before he could fully recover.

The world was gone.

In its place stretched an endless expanse of grey, empty and silent.

Before he could take it in, a massive screen appeared.

[Welcome, Challenger.]

[Your tutorial is about to begin.]

[Please select your weapon.]

Weapon choices filled his vision.

Swords, spears, bows, daggers. Countless choices laid out before him, along with the option to use his own equipment.

Kael’s expression shifted slightly.

It was clear the simulation from the Hunter Association exam had been modeled after the tower.

But a copy was still just a copy.

There was a clear difference. The exam had been controlled, safe. This, on the other hand was real.

If he died here, there would be no waking up.

Kael didn’t hesitate. "Sword."

A flash of light formed in his hand, steel taking shape instantly. The weight settled naturally into his grip, familiar and reassuring.

Another screen appeared.

[Selecting tutorial scenario.]

The grey space warped.

Reality twisted, then reformed.

A ruined city replaced it.

Collapsed buildings stretched in every direction, smoke rising into the sky. The air felt heavy, suffocating. Then the smell reached him.

Burning flesh.

Kael’s expression hardened slightly.

Behind him, a dark humanoid figure materialized.

It stood perfectly still, not moving, not reacting, just there.

Another screen lit up.

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