E-Rank or SSS-Rank: I Awakened a Skill That Shouldn't Exist-Chapter 88: Finding An Evol Shard (two)

Chapter 88

Deep within a sprawling portal, the air trembled with the constant clash of metal and powers. Explosions echoed through the cavern as wave after wave of monstrous insectoid beasts poured in from every tunnel and crevice. The air was thick with the stench of scorched shells and sweat.

In the center of the chaos, a young man sat cross-legged, eyes closed, beads of sweat dripping down his face. Around him, a group of exhausted fighters struggled to hold the line against the relentless swarm.

The creatures—bug-like abominations—were mostly D-rank, with some nasty C-rank variants scattered among them. On their own, they wouldn’t be much of a threat. But this... this was a tide of thousands.

"This is insane!" one of the fighters shouted, slashing through another batch. "They just keep coming!"

Another unleashed a blast of energy from his palm, frying a cluster of bugs—then winced. "Damn it... my energy’s draining fast!"

The others felt it too—their stamina depleting, their bodies growing heavier. All eyes turned toward the man at the center.

He was the reason they’d lasted this long. His unique support ability allowed him to draw ambient energy from the environment and redistribute it to his allies, giving them the strength to keep fighting. It was a rare and valuable skill—but it came at a steep cost.

And now, he was nearing his limit.

With a gasp, the brown-haired support collapsed to the ground, his body giving out from the strain. The ambient energy that had kept the group going vanished like a snuffed flame.

"No—!" one of the fighters dropped to a knee, panting hard. "We’re done for..."

The others were in the same state—drained, beaten, surrounded.

"We should’ve let Little One come with us..." the brown-haired man muttered through gritted teeth.

They’d been too proud—determined to prove themselves, to show they could clear a yellow portal without him.

How wrong they’d been.

The insect beasts surged forward, their grotesque bodies writhing and clicking, jaws snapping with bloodlust. One young fighter with a flame-based ability clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and muttered a prayer.

"I don’t want to die... Not like this... I still have a family waiting..."

No answer came. Only the sound of chittering, charging monsters—closer and closer—

And then—

CRACK!

Agonized shrieks tore through the cavern. Blinding arcs of lightning split the air, vaporizing the front line of beasts in an instant.

Eyes flew open. The fighters stared, stunned.

A massive dome of lightning now encased them, a crackling shield of pure destruction. Any creature that dared approach was instantly reduced to a smoldering husk.

It was beautiful. And terrifying.

Footsteps echoed softly on the scorched earth.

A lone figure approached, hands casually tucked into his pockets. Calm. Composed. Unshaken.

Han.

His expression was unreadable—too serene for someone who’d just walked into a battlefield. But the lightning that danced around him like a living force made one thing very clear:

He was the reason they were still alive.

With a simple flick of his wrist, bolts of lightning screamed through the air, moving faster than the eye could track. Dozens of bug beasts were torn apart in an instant.

Another flick. More devastation. Within moments, the tide was silenced.

The group could only watch in stunned awe as the thunderstorm in human form strolled past them.

"The portal’s closing soon," Han said, his tone cool and matter-of-fact. "Get out of here."

Then he was gone, heading deeper into the dungeon. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Did he... Did he mean he’s going to face the boss alone?" one of them finally asked, his voice barely a whisper.

They all glanced at each other, shakened.

One thing was certain—if the dungeon boss was an insect-type, it would be surrounded by layers of defense, likely guarded by even larger and more dangerous variants of the creatures they’d just faced.

"We should listen to him," someone finally muttered. "We’d only slow him down. You saw what he did back there—he’s probably an A-ranker."

The others nodded silently, still stunned by the sheer power Han had displayed. As they turned and began heading toward the dungeon’s exit, the brown-haired support lagged behind, deep in thought.

No... not A-rank, he thought. That kind of power... that calm aura... he might actually be an S-ranker.

He kept the thought to himself.

Outside, as they finally stepped through the fading light of the portal and breathed the fresh air of the surface, the group allowed themselves a moment of relief. They had barely settled down when the dungeon portal flickered.

A silhouette stepped out.

They tensed, thinking perhaps Han had failed and returned for help.

But before they could even speak, the figure vanished in a crackle of lightning—and the portal closed behind him.

No one moved. No one spoke. They were too stunned to even breathe.

"Did... did he just clear the entire Yellow-class portal and defeat the boss... in under ten minutes?" one of them whispered in disbelief.

There were no answers.

Only wide-eyed silence.

The brown-haired man clenched his fists. Any lingering doubt had vanished with that lightning.

He’s not just an A-ranker. He’s definitely an S-ranker... he thought. I need to tell Little One about him.

---

Days Later

Han soared high above the clouds, his expression grim. The sky stretched endlessly before him, yet the weight on his mind only deepened.

He’d been clearing portals non-stop for days—Green,Yellow even one unstable variant. But still, nothing. No sign of what he needed.

The Evol Shard.

It was an incredibly rare item, nearly mythical. And despite all his efforts, he hadn’t even caught wind of another Red Portal opening.

He exhaled sharply and pushed forward.

He wouldn’t stop. Not until he found it.

Whispers of his exploits had begun to spread across the five continents. Stories varied—some called him a hero who appeared in desperate moments to save entire raid teams; others called him an interloper, a shadowy figure who stole their glory by clearing portals they had claimed.

But Han paid no attention to any of it. He had changed his appearance just enough that most wouldn’t recognize him. After all, white-and-black hair wasn’t exactly unique.

More portals. More disappointments.

---

Later That Week

Han sat in a quiet room, across from an elderly man—the mayor of Serenya, known simply as The Old Elder. The room smelled faintly of herbs and parchment. Papers cluttered the table, and the soft murmur of distant voices hinted at ongoing meetings with other city leaders.

"You seem troubled," the old Elder said, pouring tea into two chipped porcelain cups.

Han accepted one and took a small sip, nodding slowly.

"I still haven’t found the shard," he said, his voice low and serious. "Time’s running out. My aunt... she won’t last much longer."

It had already been over a week of relentless searching. He hadn’t pursued the purple-haired man; not even Clara could track him, and when he asked Navi if the AI could create the Evol Shard instead, the answer was a firm no. The system wouldn’t allow it.

Han didn’t ask why.

The Elder sipped his tea, eyes thoughtful. "So that’s why you’ve been stirring up trouble across every region," he said with a faint smile.

Han didn’t respond. His thoughts were swirling. If his aunt died... if he failed her...

He couldn’t afford that.

Just then, his phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up with a name:

Silver Wing.

Han stared at it for a long moment, fingers hovering over the screen.

Silver Wing had been pestering him for days now—insisting Han train him, asking to grow stronger. Han had refused each time, but the man was persistent.

Finally, after a few more rings, Han picked up.

"I’m not in the mood," Han said flatly. His voice carried no emotion.

"I know, boss," Silver Wing replied from the other side. "But this time, I have good news."

"What is it?" Han asked plainly. To him, the only news worth hearing would be either the discovery of the Cursed Organization’s location—or the whereabouts of an Evol Shard.

"It’s about the Evol Shard," Silver Wing said, his tone serious. "I know where you can find one."

To be continued.....