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

Chapter 81

Ronan sighed as he scanned the flashing notification.

> Quest Reward: One Restoration Pill, Ten Stat Points, New Sword Skill

The reward was too good to pass up.

"...Well, guess I’m joining the fun," he muttered, accelerating toward the battlefield where the others were still locked in combat.

---

Aiden leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding a massive fist aimed to turn him into paste. He flipped midair, his fist drawn back, muscles coiling with force.

Then—he struck.

The overhead punch came crashing down toward the monster’s neck, but right before impact, something strange happened.

The monster vanished.

In its place was a large boulder—and Aiden’s fist shattered it into dust and rubble.

"What the hell just happened?" Aiden blinked.

Then he saw it.

A distance away, the very same monster—his monster—was standing directly in front of a concentrated dark beam being fired by the other monster. The beam struck it square in the face.

Its head vaporized instantly.

The lifeless body toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash.

The second monster stood frozen, utterly confused. Why was its ally suddenly in the line of fire?

But it didn’t have long to wonder.

It sensed a presence behind it—a cold, deadly one.

"Forty-Splitting Strike," a voice whispered.

The blade came down hard on its neck. The strike connected with devastating precision, causing a deep, staggering wound. The monster couldn’t even comprehend the pain—it was already too late.

"Vibrant Slash."

Ronan’s second strike followed immediately, slicing clean through the neck. The monster’s head fell with a dull thud as the body collapsed.

> Quest Completed!

Reward: One Restoration Pill, Ten Stat Points, New Sword Skill Unlocked

New Skill: Iron Instinct

Effect: Creates an invisible dome around the user. When triggered by imminent danger the host can’t react to manually, the dome automatically activates a defensive sword strike. Usable twice per day.

Ronan blinked as the description sank in. "That’s... actually pretty solid. It’s like a weapon’s active skill—but for blades."

Then he froze.

He felt it.

Three burning gazes piercing into his back.

Slowly, he turned.

Aiden was cracking his knuckles, slowly morphing his hands into razor-sharp silver claws. Clara’s mech chest was pulsing ominously with charging energy. Ron—his warhammer already glowing—was practically radiating violence.

"...Guys... I can explain," Ronan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

He knew they wouldn’t listen.

"Omega Be—"

"Crap!" Ronan shouted.

In a blink, he switched places with a nearby tree. A second later, the tree was completely vaporized.

Ronan took off running like his life depended on it.

Because it did.

Aiden, Clara, and Ron were right behind him, hell-bent on vengeance.

---

The remaining Silver Guild members stood frozen, dumbfounded by the absurd scene.

Three elite fighters chasing down their own ally for "stealing the kill."

One of them finally spoke. "That... was childish."

Another muttered, "Yeah, but they’re scary childish."

Silver Wing shook his head slowly, his eyes still fixed on the trio now thundering after Ronan.

"If those are just the elites," he whispered, "what kind of monster is their leader?"

A cold sweat ran down his back as a memory surfaced.

He remembered how casually he’d spoken to Han earlier... with attitude.

"...Dear gods," he gulped. "Please let him have forgotten that..."

_ _ _ _

A great distance from Preston City, a figure shot through the sky like a thunderbolt before steadying mid-air and landing smoothly on both feet. Han raised his head, eyes narrowing as he faced his attacker.

Hovering just above the ground, Han remained suspended, lightning crackling wildly around him like a living aura. His expression was calm—unbothered. He’d faced many portal bosses before, and Red Portal bosses were always a handful. But today felt different. Today, he was different.

Across from him stood a massive bat-like creature, its presence oozing malevolence. The monster spoke, its voice deep and guttural.

"You are not like the other humans... You are strong."

Han blinked, barely reacting. He wasn’t particularly interested in the creature’s words. Bosses usually dropped valuable rewards, and that was what he was focused on. He hoped this one would yield something worthwhile.

"Are you even listening?!" the boss suddenly roared, realizing Han had completely tuned out.

"Hm? Oh, you were saying something?" Han replied with a puzzled look, finally acknowledging the creature. Apparently, the boss had been speaking the entire time.

With a visible effort to contain its irritation, the monster repeated itself. It wanted Han to join forces with it—together, they would conquer this realm.

Han placed a hand on his chin as if considering the offer. Then, after a moment of silence, he looked the monster dead in the eyes.

"No. You’re far too weak to even think about conquering Earth," he said flatly.

To Be Continued....

Author’s Note:

Hey everyone! If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading — your support means the world to me!

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Thanks again for reading — stay tuned, and I hope you continue to enjoy the journey ahead!

_ _ _ _

Quick Note:

Hey everyone, I sincerely apologize if this caused any inconvenience.

Originally, I intended to release this as a bonus Chapter (not premium) since the word count is on the shorter side. Unfortunately, Webnovel doesn’t allow that, so I had to add this author note to meet the minimum requirement.

Thanks for understanding — and as always, stay tuned for the next exciting Chapter!

P.S.

I’ll be launching a new novel soon titled Shadow Bender.

If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Solo Leveling, then this one is right up your alley. Don’t miss it!