Chapter 42: SSS-Rank Class Advancement! Two New Shadow Skills!

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: SSS-Rank Class Advancement! Two New Shadow Skills!

Department Head Colin Whitmore sat beside the main seat, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He glanced at the time.

"It’s about time."

"Nathaniel should be here soon."

An older executive sitting nearby sneered.

"I hope he doesn’t lose his nerve and run away at the last minute."

Chief Financial Officer Victoria Shaw remained composed.

"Even if he wants to back out now, it’s too late. The agreement has already been signed."

She folded her hands on the table.

"If he fails to appear today, we can declare him in breach of the agreement. The management committee would then have every justification to take control of the Beaumont Trading Consortium."

Colin smiled.

"Young people are always like this. They mistake confidence for invincibility."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Eventually, they learn that arrogance comes with a price."

Just then, an assistant hurried into the conference hall and whispered something into Colin’s ear.

Colin raised his eyebrows.

"He visited one of our material acquisition stores?"

The assistant nodded.

"Yes, sir. He sold a batch of materials."

Colin’s expression became slightly curious.

"How much?"

The assistant hesitated briefly before answering.

"Three hundred and fifty million gold coins."

Several executives exchanged surprised glances.

Three hundred and fifty million was no small sum.

Victoria frowned.

"Where did he get so many materials?"

An older executive immediately sneered.

"Where else could they have come from? They’re probably part of the inventory left behind by Nathaniel’s parents."

He shook his head dismissively.

"Nathan Beaumont and Eleanor Beaumont had considerable resources. It wouldn’t be surprising if they had accumulated a large stockpile of high-level materials."

Another executive nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps he sold them in a hurry because of today’s agreement. He probably wants to buy a few defensive items or emergency consumables."

Colin’s expression relaxed.

"That changes nothing."

He tapped the table lightly.

"Three hundred and fifty million sounds impressive, but money alone won’t let him defeat us. Even if he has purchased some useful equipment, he won’t necessarily know how to use it effectively."

Victoria nodded.

"Exactly. External equipment can improve someone’s strength, but it can’t replace experience."

The executives exchanged confident looks.

None of them realized that Nathaniel had earned that money by clearing dungeons and directing his Shadow Army through countless battles.

Nor did they know that he had already completed the requirement that had once seemed impossible.

For now, they remained convinced that their advantage was secure.

...

Westmere Professional Center, Class Advancement Hall

Compared with the early morning, the Class Advancement Hall was considerably busier.

Several Level 100 professionals were waiting in line to consult the staff about their advancement trials. Others stood nearby, discussing their requirements and comparing the difficulty of their respective quests.

Class advancement was a major event in any professional’s career.

Whenever someone attempted it, there was always a crowd hoping to witness the result.

The staff member working at the central counter had just finished processing a registration when he looked up.

Then he froze.

Nathaniel Beaumont had entered the hall.

The young man with the remarkably youthful face was unmistakable.

The staff member hurried to his feet.

"Sir! You’re here to submit your advancement trial?"

Nathaniel nodded.

"Yes."

"Please place your Class Advancement Crystal back into the main crystal."

Nathaniel walked toward the enormous crystal at the center of the hall.

Several professionals noticed him approaching and turned to watch.

They assumed he was another Level 100 professional submitting an advancement trial.

None of them knew what was about to happen.

Nathaniel took out his Class Advancement Crystal.

The golden light inside it was so dense that it almost seemed liquid, flowing beneath the crystal’s surface.

He raised his hand and pressed it into the designated groove in the center of the Class Advancement Crystal.

Hum.

A soft vibration spread through the hall.

For a moment, nothing else happened.

Then the entire crystal shook violently.

BOOM!

An overwhelming torrent of golden light erupted from its surface.

The brilliance was more than ten times stronger than the light produced when Nathaniel had received his trial.

Every other light in the hall was instantly overwhelmed.

The entire chamber seemed to have been swallowed by a miniature golden sun.

"Ah!"

"What is happening?"

"What’s wrong with the Class Advancement Crystal?"

"Did someone just submit an advancement trial?"

The professionals recoiled in surprise.

Some raised their arms to shield their eyes, while others stumbled backward as the golden radiance spread across the hall.

But the light wasn’t fading.

It was growing stronger.

Pillars of radiance shot upward from the crystal, pierced through the ceiling, and soared into the clouds above Westmere.

The ground trembled beneath everyone’s feet.

The staff member stared at the crystal, his eyes widening with disbelief.

"This light..."

His voice trembled.

"Even an S-Rank evaluation wouldn’t produce this much energy. Not even an SS-Rank evaluation!"

A thought suddenly struck him.

His face went pale.

"Could it be..."

He swallowed.

"SSS-Rank?!"

The words seemed to freeze the entire hall.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then the silence shattered.

"SSS-Rank class advancement?!"

"That’s impossible!"

"Who is this person?"

"Has Westmere ever produced an SSS-Rank first advancement before?"

"I’ve never heard of one!"

"Neither have I!"

The professionals stared at the young man standing before the crystal.

Some looked astonished.

Others appeared almost frightened.

A few seemed unable to believe what their eyes were showing them.

An SSS-Rank first advancement was an achievement most professionals could only dream about.

And now, someone had accomplished it right in front of them.

Nathaniel ignored the commotion.

His attention was fixed on the light screen that had appeared before his eyes.

[Class Advancement Trial: Wealth Accumulation]

[Trial Completed]

[Evaluation: SSS-Rank]

[Congratulations! You have completed your first class advancement.]

[Class Advancement: God of Shadows → One-Star God of Shadows]

[Level Cap: Removed]

[First Advancement Attribute Growth Multiplier: 10×]

Nathaniel released a long breath.

Fatigue.

Tension.

Pressure.

The strain of the past twenty-four hours had been enormous. For a moment, he had been so focused on meeting the deadline that he barely allowed himself to consider what would happen if he failed.

Now, all that tension finally broke.

He had done it.

He had earned the SSS-Rank evaluation.

His class had advanced to One-Star God of Shadows, and his level cap had been removed.

The tenfold attribute growth multiplier was another enormous reward, promising a substantial increase in his strength as he continued to level up.

But before Nathaniel could fully absorb the results, another series of notifications appeared.

[New Skill Acquired: Shadow Passage]

[New Skill Acquired: Shadow Rebirth]

Nathaniel’s eyes widened slightly.

Two new skills?

He immediately opened the first skill’s description.

Shadow Passage

[Skill Type: Spatial Traversal]

[Skill Effect: Consumes Shadow Energy to open a passage through shadows toward a designated dungeon, secret realm, barrier, independent space, or sealed area.]

[The Shadow Energy required depends on the target’s level, spatial stability, distance, and degree of restriction.]

[Powerful barriers and spaces protected by special laws may require substantially greater energy or may resist passage entirely.]

Nathaniel’s expression changed.

A skill capable of opening a passage into restricted spaces.

This was far more valuable than an ordinary movement ability.

His parents had disappeared in the Abyss Rift.

He still didn’t know what had happened to Nathan Beaumont and Eleanor Beaumont after they entered that dangerous region. Officially, the Three Pillars had been reported killed in action following a spatial storm.

Nathaniel refused to accept that conclusion without finding the truth himself.

Until now, reaching the Abyss Rift had presented numerous obstacles. He would need sufficient strength, the proper clearances, and potentially approval from the military or higher authorities.

But Shadow Passage offered another possibility.

If the skill could establish a route through the necessary restrictions, he might eventually be able to reach places that would otherwise remain inaccessible.

The description didn’t promise that every barrier could be breached. The Abyss Rift was no ordinary dungeon, and its spatial conditions might demand more Shadow Energy than he currently possessed.

Still, the skill gave him a new way to approach the problem.

He wouldn’t need to rely solely on official routes or conventional dungeon entrances.

As his Shadow Energy and strength grew, so might the range of places he could reach.

Nathaniel’s fingers curled slightly.

If there’s a way to reach them, I’ll find it.

He suppressed his emotions and opened the description of his second new skill.

Shadow Rebirth

[Skill Type: Recovery]

[Skill Effect: Consumes Shadow Energy to restore the injuries, stamina, and mental condition of the user or a designated target.]

[The recovery effect depends on the amount of Shadow Energy consumed.]

[Severe injuries, extensive exhaustion, and targets with greater life-force requirements demand substantially more energy.]

[Critical damage and certain special conditions may limit or prevent recovery.]

Nathaniel stared at the description.

A recovery skill.

And not merely one that healed ordinary wounds.

It could restore physical injuries, stamina, and mental condition.

His expression changed.

This was precisely the kind of ability he had been missing.

Previously, Nathaniel had relied on his overwhelming attributes and shadow abilities to handle enemies. Shadow Blade and Shadow Execution provided offensive power, while Shadow Step gave him a way to move rapidly through dangerous situations.

His Shadow Soldiers supplied an enormous amount of additional combat strength.

But sustained fighting still took a toll.

Even with his extraordinary attributes, his mind could become exhausted after hours of continuous combat. Until now, he had needed rest to recover from that kind of strain.

Shadow Rebirth could change the situation considerably.

By consuming Shadow Energy, he could restore his own condition or help another person recover.

He wouldn’t necessarily have to wait for a natural recovery period after every exhausting battle.

Of course, the skill wasn’t free. Powerful recovery would demand more energy, and severe injuries could be difficult to reverse. He would have to learn how much Shadow Energy each situation required.

Even so, it was an invaluable addition to his abilities.

And the skill wasn’t limited to himself.

He could use it on other people.

Nathaniel’s thoughts immediately returned to his parents.

If he found them injured, exhausted, or trapped in a dangerous situation, this ability might give him a way to help them.

His fingers tightened slightly.

Father. Mother.

I’m going to find you.

The exhaustion that had weighed heavily on his eyes was gradually replaced by renewed determination.

He had achieved his first advancement.

He had obtained two powerful new shadow skills.

And now, he possessed more options for overcoming the obstacles ahead.

Around him, the Class Advancement Hall remained in an uproar.

Professionals crowded together, discussing the unprecedented light. Staff members checked the system records repeatedly, while others hurried to report the result to their superiors.

Everyone wanted to know the identity of the person who had achieved an SSS-Rank first advancement.

Nathaniel paid them little attention.

He closed the skill interface and turned away from the crystal.

He still had unfinished business.

The executives at the Beaumont Trading Consortium were waiting for him.

They believed they had the advantage.

They had no idea what had just happened.

Nathaniel’s gaze sharpened.

It was time to return to the consortium.

And this time, he wouldn’t be arriving as the exhausted young man who had spent the night gathering materials.

He would arrive as an SSS-Rank first-advancement professional, with his level cap removed and two new shadow skills at his disposal.

The next confrontation was about to begin.