SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 89: We’ve Got Company!

Stepping out of the long, dark tunnel and into the Yang region was like walking from a cold, gloomy night into a bright, sunny afternoon.

The air here was warm and smelled of strange, sweet flowers and hot rocks.

The heavy, dark Yin energy was gone, replaced by a light, powerful fire energy that made the air shimmer.

Giant trees with bright red and orange leaves reached up to a clear blue sky, and strange, colorful birds with fiery feathers flew between them.

It was a beautiful place, but Daniel could feel the danger hiding under its beauty.

"Wow," Lia said, her calm grey eyes wide with wonder. "This is so different from the Yin region. It’s so full of life."

Ayra, however, was sniffing the air with a predatory grin on her face.

"I don’t just smell life," she said, hefting her great-axe. "I smell things that are probably fun to fight. I like it here already!"

Daniel smiled but kept his senses sharp.

His S-Grade [Hyper-Sonic Phantom Step] made him feel incredibly powerful, but he wasn’t going to get careless.

He activated his [Aura Sense+], his mind easily filtering through the warm fire energy of the Yang region.

The data he had gotten from the Vanguard Academy archives was right. The beasts here were mostly fire-based and would be at their strongest under the noon sun.

"Alright, team," Daniel said, looking at his internal map. "We have our hundred Yin Cards.

Now we need to collect Yang Cards. The best place to start is probably this big forest ahead.

It’s full of fire-element beasts, which means more chances for card drops."

Just as they were about to head into the bright, colorful forest, Daniel’s [Aura Sense+] suddenly tingled with a warning. He stopped, holding up a hand to halt Lia and Ayra.

"Hold on," he whispered. "We’ve got company."

Lia and Ayra instantly tensed, their earlier relaxation vanishing. They scanned the trees, but saw nothing. The forest seemed quiet and peaceful.

"Where?" Ayra mouthed silently, her hand tightening on her axe.

Daniel didn’t point. His senses were far beyond what they could see or hear.

He could feel six human life signatures moving stealthily through the trees, closing in on their position.

They weren’t very strong, maybe Level 5 or 6 recruits, but their energy felt greedy and mean. "Two groups," he whispered.

"Three on our left, three on our right. They’re setting up an ambush. They must have seen the tunnel open and were waiting for whoever came out."

Lia looked worried. "So soon? We just got here."

Ayra just grinned. "Perfect! An official welcoming party! I was hoping we’d get one."

Daniel shook his head. "Let’s see what they want first. Maybe they just want to trade." But he knew that was unlikely.

The greedy feeling coming from their auras told a different story.

"Get ready," he said quietly.

As if on cue, six figures stepped out from behind the giant, fiery-leafed trees.

They were dressed in mismatched gear, a mix of standard Vanguard uniforms and scavenged beast hides.

Their faces were tough and their eyes were filled with a hungry, desperate light. They held their weapons ready, a mix of chipped swords and crude, sharpened spears.

They spread out, surrounding Daniel’s small team.

The leader, a man with a mean-looking scar over one eye and a cruel smirk, stepped forward.

"Well, well, look what crawled out of the mountain," he sneered. "Fresh meat from the Yin side. You must be tired after your long journey."

"We’re fine," Daniel said calmly, his face unreadable. "What do you want?"

The scarred man laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "What do we want? We’ve been waiting here for days, watching that tunnel.

We knew someone strong would eventually come through. And strong people usually have lots of nice things. Especially lots of those pretty little Yin Cards we need to get out of this place."

He licked his lips, his gaze sweeping over Lia and Ayra with an unpleasant, hungry look.

"So, here’s the deal. You little man, you hand over all your Yin Cards, your gear, and whatever else you have in that fancy-looking pouch of yours. You do that, and maybe we’ll let you run away with your life."

He then turned his attention to the two women. "As for you two pretty things... you can stay.

We could use some... entertainment... after all our hard work."

Ayra’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous crimson light beginning to glow in their depths. Lia’s serene expression hardened, her hand tightening on her A-Grade Staff of the World Ash.

Daniel just sighed. It was the same story all over again. The strong prey on the weak. Or at least, who they thought were the weak.

These thugs had made a very big mistake. They saw one man and two women, and they assumed he was weak and just relying on his pretty teammates.

"You really don’t want to do this," Daniel said, his voice quiet but carrying a strange weight that made the air feel heavy.

The scarred man laughed again.

"Oh, I think we do! You’re just one guy! We’re six! And we’re tired of waiting. Now, are you going to hand over the goods, or do we have to get messy?"

Daniel looked at Ayra and Lia. He saw the fury in Ayra’s eyes, the quiet resolve in Lia’s. He didn’t need to fight this battle himself.

His teammates, empowered by the golden fruits and their new gear, were more than strong enough to handle these low-level bullies.

And frankly, Ayra looked like she desperately needed to hit something.

"You know what?" Daniel said, a small, almost bored smile on his face. "I’m feeling a little tired from my last fight.

Ayra, Lia, you two feel like handling this little welcoming party? And Nyx," he murmured, patting his pouch, "you can come out and play too. Think of it as... a team-building exercise."

The ambushers roared with laughter. "Hah!

He’s hiding behind the women! What a coward!" the scarred man crowed.

"This will be easy, boys! Get them!"

They raised their weapons and charged, confident in their numbers.

Ayra let out a ferocious roar that was ten times more terrifying than theirs. "[Primal Fury Berserker: Second Stage - Tyrant’s Mantle]!"

"BOOM!"

A shockwave of pure crimson energy exploded from her, sending the charging thugs stumbling back in shock.

The ground cracked beneath her feet, and the wind shrieked and howled around her as she met their charge, her great-axe a blur of motion.

At the same time, Lia stepped forward, her A-Grade staff glowing. "[Aegis of Life]!" she incanted, a shimmering green shield appearing around Ayra.

And from the shadows beside Daniel, a new terror emerged. Nyx, at Daniel’s command, had transformed. One moment, she was a small pup.

In the next instant, she was a massive wolf, her form now towering as tall as a man.

Empowered by the golden fruit she had consumed and honed through relentless training, Nyx had learned to unleash this overwhelming transformation in response to danger, just as she had back in the cave.

Her eyes blazed with terrifying intelligence, and when she howled, the sound split the air in a haunting, dual-toned cry.

The six thugs stopped dead in their tracks, their confident smirks melting into masks of pure, unadulterated terror.