E-Rank or SSS-Rank: I Awakened a Skill That Shouldn’t Exist

"Why don't you tell me the best way to get rid of this swarm in no time?" Han barked, vaulting sideways to avoid another coordinated wave of attacks from the bat-scaled monstrosities. The air was thick with their leathery wings and ear-splitting screeches. He landed several meters away, feet skidding against the slick, salt-stained surface, eyes snapping toward the incoming direction waiting for Navi explanation.

But no reply came.

Han's brow twitched. "...Hey, Navi, you there?"

Silence.

A muscle in his jaw tightened. "Damn you. Why act all high and mighty if you don't even have an answer when I actually need one?" His tone carried that subtle mocking edge he knew would get a rise out of the AI.

Sure enough, Navi's voice finally stirred—measured, calm, but faintly stung.

"The question you asked is simple. The answer… lies below."

Then, silence again.

Han froze, mid-breath, staring down with a frown.

"Below? What's that even supposed to mean?"

There was no time to puzzle it out. The swarm came at him again—slicing winds from flapping wings, razor claws striking from blind angles. He countered on instinct, lightning sparking along his arms, slashing arcs into the beasts. In the chaos, one of the winged fiends slammed into him from behind, sending him plunging into the dark waters below.

Cold engulfed him. The roar of the sea filled his ears.

Breaking the surface with a gasp, Han looked up at the black, moonlit sky… then down at the endless ocean stretching beneath his feet.

Nothing but water.

Then—click.

It hit him like a revelation, and his lips slowly curved upward. The sky above. The sea below. Two elements that, when combined, could become one of nature's deadliest weapons.

Lightning in water.

The swarm wasn't just over the sea—they were on it. Every wingbeat and clawed foot touching the waves was part of one massive conductor.

Why didn't I think of this sooner? he thought bitterly. Navi would never let him live this down.

"Well," Han muttered under his breath, "I'll just vent my frustration on you lot."

He rose slowly into the air, droplets of seawater falling from him like shimmering sparks. His voice carried across the waves, calm yet deadly.

"You really have chosen your worst opponent. It would've been better if you weren't standing on water. To cut the long words short—" his smirk sharpened, "—you're all simply doomed."

Lightning began to dance over his skin, arcs snapping in the air with sharp, metallic pops. His eyes flicked open, now burning with swirling silver lightning. He spread his arms wide. The power gathering there was not just lightning—it was a storm made flesh.

The ocean trembled.

Even the swarm, reckless and bloodthirsty seconds ago, faltered in their flight. The first tendrils of his power licked the waves, sending violent ripples surging outward. They could feel it—the overwhelming, suffocating might of annihilation.

They rushed him in desperation. But it was too late.

Han brought his hands together, a single word rolling from his tongue like the toll of a war drum.

"Lightning Force: THUNDERCLAP!"

Silver lightning exploded outward in a blinding detonation, striking the water with catastrophic force. The sea became a glowing deathtrap, waves boiling as currents of raw electricity surged through it. The swarm's screams were drowned beneath the deafening crack of the storm.

---

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Aiden was a blur of motion, tearing across the broken terrain toward a mountain-sized mound. Clara followed close behind, her battle suit's reinforced plating gleaming under the flashes of distant lightning. They tore past a massive horde of beasts, their footfalls shaking the ground.

As they passed, Aiden's instincts prickled—a tingling in his spine, a pulse of danger like a knife grazing the back of his neck. Something was wrong. Something powerful was hidden in that horde they'd just bypassed.

But he didn't slow down. He trusted the others to handle whatever it was. His mission was ahead, and he would see it through.

Within the ranks of those beasts, the threat revealed itself. A towering creature stalked forward, its massive form eclipsing the lesser monsters around it. Six heavily muscled limbs supported a body plated in jagged obsidian scales, each etched with faint crimson lines that pulsed like veins of molten rock. Its eyes burned with a seething red light, and the oppressive aura radiating from its presence was so heavy it made even the fiercest predators nearby shrink back.

It was not just another beast.

It was a calamity given form.

The fact that the other beasts instinctively kept their distance from this creature said it all—this was no ordinary monster. It was an elite among elites, a predator beyond predators. Even without moving, its sheer presence radiated an oppressive dominance that pressed down on the battlefield.

Its mission was singular, unshakable—a command given directly by Quinlet himself: Destroy the intruders. Kill them all. Leave no survivors. And that was exactly what it intended to do.

Aiden finally reached the base of the mountain. The swarming beasts had pulled back for the moment, leaving the area strangely silent. Before him lay a mid-sized cave entrance. It didn't make sense—why would the enemy withdraw only to reveal this?

Before he could dwell on it, Clara landed lightly beside him. Aiden glanced at her in mild surprise.

"Did you think you were the only one who noticed something was off?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with warning.

Aiden gave a slight shrug. Originally, he had planned to deal with whatever force was controlling the beast horde alone. But standing before the shadowy mouth of this cave, he couldn't ignore the heavy sense of foreboding that clung to the air. Whatever was inside… it wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"Let's bring an end to this madness," he said.

Clara nodded once, and together they stepped inside.

They didn't get far before they froze.

"What… is that?" Aiden's voice came out sharper than intended.

Right in front of them pulsed a glowing red portal, its edges twisting with an unnatural shimmer. They had heard whispers about the Cursed—about their so-called Dark Emissaries, creatures capable of impossible feats like tearing open rifts between worlds—but to see one so close sent a cold spike of unease through both of them.

And then, without warning, the portal collapsed in on itself, vanishing into nothing.

Shock rippled between them, quickly followed by a wave of relief. Whatever horror had been meant to come through, it was gone—at least for now. But Aiden's relief was short-lived. His instincts screamed danger, and he dropped into a low stance just as a three-tailed scorpion lunged from the shadows, its stinger aimed directly for his skull.

Before it could strike, a golden beam of energy pierced clean through its head, the beast collapsing lifeless at his feet.

"Don't lose focus, Aiden. We're not on a picnic," Clara said sharply.

Aiden's face warmed slightly—was she really lecturing him now? He scoffed inwardly but let it go.

Then he noticed the change in her. Clara's gaze had shifted, locked on something in the distance, her face pale beneath the lifted visor of her helmet. There was fear there—real fear—and that was enough to set Aiden on edge.

It hit him a heartbeat later. That sensation he'd felt before the beast waves began—the heavy, suffocating presence—it was back. Stronger.

He turned, and his breath caught.

Looming before them, its grotesque eyes glinting with malice, stood a scorpion beast unlike any they had faced. It towered several meters high, its shadow stretching over them like a small mountain. Six massive tails swayed slowly behind it, each one a different color—red, blue, green, yellow, silver, and black—and each radiating a distinct, overwhelming aura of destruction.

Aiden's mind raced. There was no mistaking it. The sheer pressure, the crushing presence, the unnatural number of tails—this wasn't just a powerful monster.

This… was an S-rank beast.

And not just a low-ranked one at that. As if to confirm his suspicion, Aiden's system screen suddenly flickered to life before his eyes.

> [New Quest Received]

Objective: Eliminate the Terror Scorpion within one hour.

Reward: Unlocks new system features.

Failure Condition: Death.

Note: Failure means you will be slain by the beast itself.

Aiden's face twitched at the cold, merciless message.

"What is it?" Clara asked, noticing the way his expression twisted. Her voice carried a thread of worry.

Aiden glanced at her, then forced a grin onto his face—a grin Clara had seen far too many times before. It was the kind that said only one thing: We're dead.

Before Clara could respond, a slow, almost lazy voice drifted through the cavern. It sounded slightly drunk… or perhaps just bone-tired.

"So… you're here."

Aiden's head snapped toward the sound, scanning the shadows. Nothing. The voice had no clear source—until he looked up.

Perched casually atop the massive, dreadful Terror Scorpion was a man clad in a pitch-black armored suit. His long, messy black hair looked like it hadn't been combed in weeks. Heavy bags hung beneath his half-lidded eyes, the kind that spoke of sleepless nights—or perhaps centuries of exhaustion.

The moment Aiden laid eyes on him, that strange, suffocating sensation from earlier came rushing back in full force. His mind immediately began to race.

Could this be him?

The one who had been controlling the endless beast hordes?

A human—or something pretending to be one—capable of manipulating monsters on this scale?

Aiden quickly crushed that thought. No… not human. He knew well enough by now that Dark Emissaries were far from anything that could be called normal.

The man slowly stood, his gaze lazily sweeping over them. But instead of recognition or malice, there was only… disappointment.

"You're not the troublesome one," he muttered, his tired voice echoing in the cavern. "The one leading this attack was supposed to be someone worth my time. But you—" His eyes narrowed just slightly. "—you still managed to find me. That's… inconvenient."

For the first time, the Dark Emissary seemed mildly interested.

"Alright then," he said, voice calm but cold. "If you have any last words… say them now."

Aiden and Clara simply stared back at him, silent and unmoving.

The man—Quinlet—sighed and let out a long, weary yawn, as though even speaking to them was exhausting.

"Nothing to say? Fine. Let's get this over with."

His eyes hardened. His voice sharpened.

"CRIT ATTACK."

The Terror Scorpion moved instantly, the ground trembling under its colossal weight.

To be continued….....

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