My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

Nova watched as a broad, proud smile spread across William’s face. It was clear the guild leader had anticipated this very reaction. He knew his people well — they were no cowards, and they had the heart to stare death in the eyes if the moment demanded it.

Just like the Frostholme Hunters Guild and the other two major guilds within the city, preparations for the impending battle were in full swing. Members gathered at their respective headquarters, weapons sharpened and resolve steeled, while the entire city thrummed with tense urgency.

....

Far away at the western borders of Frostholme, however, the situation had grown far more dire. A colossal mana barrier shimmered with an ethereal, pale-blue glow, standing as the final fragile line of defense between the city and utter chaos.

Yet even as it held, the barrier was beginning to fail. Violent tremors rippled across its surface, and ominous cracks spread like dark veins, threatening to shatter at any moment.

Behind the weakening barrier, an overwhelming tide of beasts surged forward in a frenzied, nightmarish wave. Thousands upon thousands of creatures slammed their bodies relentlessly against the magical wall — snarling goblins with crude weapons, hulking trolls roaring in rage, stone-skinned golems pounding with earth-shaking fists, savage Wolfangs howling for blood, and countless other ferocious monsters driven by primal bloodlust.

The sheer, suffocating number of them was enough to send chills racing down the spine of even the most hardened onlooker. The ground trembled beneath their endless assault, and the air itself seemed thick with their savage cries and the stench of raw aggression.

The beasts’ ranks varied widely, mostly E to B-rank threats that formed the bulk of the horde. But scattered among them were several towering A-rank monsters — colossal and terrifying — whose presence alone radiated overwhelming danger and marked them as the greatest threats on the battlefield.

Not far from the shuddering barrier stood a disciplined defensive army, relatively not large yet resolute. It consisted primarily of the Duke’s elite knights in gleaming armor, seasoned city guards gripping their weapons tightly, and holy knights of Light Order temple and few warriors of beast-folk tribe each unit positioned under the steady command of their respective leaders.

The tension in their ranks was palpable; faces were set with grim determination, yet underlying anxiety flickered in their eyes as they watched the barrier strain under the relentless assault.

At the forefront of the formation stood a towering, broad-shouldered man who exuded the commanding aura of a true high-level powerhouse. His battle armor fit him perfectly, accentuating his powerful physique. He was strikingly handsome, with sharp, piercing blue eyes that matched his flowing blue hair, and a finely crafted sword rested at his waist.

Despite his imposing presence, his expression remained deeply grim, brows furrowed as he stared at the cracking barrier with unwavering focus.

Beside him stood an elderly man dressed in a crisp butler’s uniform. His hair was pure white, the color of long years filled with experience and duty rather than age alone. It was the same loyal butler who had escorted Asia during the awakening ceremony, his posture calm yet alert, ready to support his lord in the face of the coming storm.

Yes, the blue-haired man was none other than the renowned Duke and great swordmaster of the land, Theodore Frost. Beside him stood his loyal butler, Rodrick.

”Please forgive this old fool, my lord...” Rodrick said, his voice heavy with apology as he bowed his head low. ”Young Lady Asia has run away from the estate in her battle gear. My lady is very worried.”

Theodore turned his gaze toward him for a brief, heavy moment of silence, then looked back at the impending doom beyond the cracking barrier. ”How long have I known you, Rodrick? You are like a father to me. You served my father before me, and now you serve with the same unwavering loyalty.”

”As we stand here, witnessing this chaos closing in, we cannot be certain we will hold them off. We have only a handful of warriors capable of facing A-rank beasts, and we still do not know the true extent of their levels.”

”This battle could doom our entire city if we fail. And knowing my daughter, she is just like me—she cannot simply sit hidden away in the estate while others risk everything for our home,” Theodore said, a faint, understanding smile blooming on his face.

”But my lord—” Rodrick began, concern etched deep in his voice, but Theodore gently cut him off.

”Don’t worry... I already know where she is. I have already instructed Guild Leader William not to let her reach the frontline.”

”Now tell me, how many reliable people do we have in our current ranks?” Theodore asked, his piercing blue eyes shifting toward Rodrick with calm authority, the weight of command heavy in his voice as the distant roars of the beast tide continued to shake the air.

”My lord, as of now... all the guilds are mustering every available member with urgent haste,” Rodrick answered steadily, his aged voice carrying both loyalty and gravity.

”They will reach us before the moon rises. The Light Order Temple has sent their holy knights, led by the veteran commander Maria Light. Tharuk Vargirth and a group of fierce beast-folk warriors will also be joining the defense.”

”This brings our total strength to a little over eight hundred fighters, including all of us here,” the old butler continued, his expression solemn. ”We will have to rely heavily on the mana cannons to hold the gate defenses intact, for our numbers are dangerously low against the endless tide pressing against the barrier.”

”Do we still have any idea why they are attacking us, my lord?” Rodrick asked, his voice laced with quiet concern as the thunderous roars of the distant beast tide echoed like an approaching storm. ”The Verdant Forest is quite far for them to have made this journey here on their own.”

”Hmm... we still don’t know,” Theodore replied, his deep voice thoughtful as a pondering look settled over his handsome features, blue eyes narrowing against the chaotic horizon.

”But it does seem like they are being drawn to something within our city.” He paused briefly, then continued with firm resolve, ”Go and instruct our non-combat personnel to search the city thoroughly. Something is wrong.”

”Yes, my lord,” Rodrick answered with unwavering loyalty. In the next instant, his figure blurred and vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air.

Theodore remained standing tall and unmoving, his powerful frame radiating quiet strength as he gazed intently toward the cracking barrier and the savage horde beyond. His mind worked like a sharpened blade, silently forging strategies how he would chop them into pieces.”

.....

Far from the tense western border, in the heart of the city, a shadowed house concealed three mysterious men. They stood cloaked in dark robes, their faces hidden behind matching black masks that swallowed all light.

One of them gripped a pulsating red crystal that shimmered with an eerie, malevolent brilliance, thick waves of bloodlust rolling off it like invisible smoke.

One of the men broke the heavy silence, his voice low and cautious. ”Do you think this will be the right place to hide it here?”

”Hmph! No one will realize where it is,” another replied with cold confidence. ”The whole city is preoccupied with preparing for the battle.”

All three hooded men moved with practiced efficiency, digging a hole in the floor of the dimly lit house. The faint, fading light of evening filtered through the narrow windows, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the walls as the red glowing pulsating crystal rested ominously to the side, its malevolent brilliance pulsing like a heartbeat of pure bloodlust.

Once they had finished digging a hole that was neither too deep nor too shallow, they carefully placed the red crystal inside it. The artifact seemed to thrum with dark energy as it settled into the earth.

They then began covering the hole with the freshly dug soil, patting it down until no trace of their work remained. With the task finally complete, the three men straightened up and took a short, much-needed break, breathing heavily in the stale air of the room.

”Fuck, that was tiring,” one of the men grumbled, wiping sweat from his brow.

”You idiot,” the second man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. ”How can you feel tired after doing such a small task?

The third man was about to speak when a yellow mana crystal suddenly flared to life inside his robe, casting an ominous glow across the dim room. He swiftly pulled it out and placed it on the table. All three men immediately dropped to one knee in perfect unison, heads bowed in deference.

”We greet Lord 110.”

”Did you fools complete the work?” A commanding voice emanated from the glowing yellow crystal, sharp and authoritative—the voice of the one they called Lord 110.

”Yes, Lord 110,” one of the hooded men replied, his voice trembling with the utmost respect as he bowed even lower. ”We have successfully planted the crystal. The barrier will not hold much longer. Once it shatters, the city will be trampled beneath the horde within moments.”

”Hmm... is that so?” Lord 110’s voice echoed from the glowing yellow crystal, calm yet laced with dangerous curiosity. ”Are there any complications?”

”My lord... we don’t have any major complications,” the second man answered this time, his tone steady but cautious. ”Except for the swordmaster, Theodore Frost.”

”Hmm... I expected that bastard,” Lord 110 spoke with clear annoyance, his voice dripping with contempt. ”That’s why I lured more than one A-rank beast.”

”Once he falls... no one can stop them from bringing doom. Hahahaha!” The man called Lord 110 erupted into wild, maniacal laughter that reverberated through the crystal. ”And when this is all over, no one will stop me from rising into the top 100s!

”Hahahahahaha!”

The three hooded men exchanged uneasy glances with

one another, the unsettling sound of their master’s frenzied laughter filling the shadowed room.

Thanks for reading....