SSS Talent: My Undead Evolve Without Limits

Malrik sent a command through his soul link. The black mass of Lokris melted instantly, running off his chest and limbs like heavy grease.

The liquid armor trickled down his forearm, snapping back into the plain metal band around his wrist.

His knees unbent with a dull pop, leaving him standing on two human legs again. He stumbled slightly, palms catching his weight against the heavy oak table before he could fall. He straightened his tunic with slow, deliberate care, trying to salvage whatever dignity he had left.

"We are never speaking of this again," Malrik said, pointing a finger straight at her. "Ever."

Lilith wiped a tear from her eye, curling deeper into the sofa cushions. "Oh, come now. You were such a good boy. I was ready to throw a stick."

Malrik ignored her entirely. He pushed off the table and rolled his shoulders, getting straight to business.

"In the last fight, I realized I had a massive tactical gap," he said, his voice dropping into a flat, practical rhythm. "I lack proper illusion skills. Show me what you have so I can copy them."

Lilith leaned back, a smug smile spreading across her lips. "Ah. So you’ve finally realized the greatness of my abilities?"

"I need cover," Malrik replied. "Nothing more. Keep your ego in check before the room runs out of space."

Lilith chuckled softly. She raised one slender hand and flicked her wrist.

Purple mana spilled from her fingers like liquid silk, pooling across the cold floorboards before rising into a solid shape beside her chair.

The duplicate had Malrik’s exact face, dark hair, and sharp jawline. But it wore a loud clown suit in bright red, complete with floppy boots and a tall, pointed hat.

The copy puffed out its chest, offered a sweeping, arrogant bow, took a single step, and tripped over its own boots. It slammed face-first onto the stone floor with a dry thud.

Malrik stared at his double without blinking.

"You’re thousands of years old and you still act like a child," Malrik said, his voice completely flat.

Lilith leaned back with a wide grin. "I thought it captured your natural elegance."

"No," Malrik said, looking straight into her purple eyes. "It just shows how messed up your mind is."

Lilith simply shrugged, her grin widening, but offered no reply.

Malrik turned his eyes back to the jester illusion resting on the floor.

[ The Silent Observer Activated. ]

Emerald light flooded his vision. The world turned into raw magical data as his perception locked onto the swirling purple mana structure of the spell.

He tracked the flow, analyzing how Lilith shaped mana into tangible form. For three seconds, the data streamed cleanly into his mind.

Then, a heavy, suffocating pressure slammed into his forehead.

The emerald data streams shattered like brittle glass. A sharp throb spiked behind his eyes, and a system screen flashed in his field of view.

[ Analysis Failed. ]

Malrik blinked, stepping back as the green light died out. He rubbed his temple to dull the ache. "Failed?"

"How?...This has never happened before."

He called up the skill description to see where the breakdown happened.

[ Skill: The Silent Observer ]

Description: The user silently observes and records the existence of a target. The recorded information includes the target’s appearance, physical structure, racial traits, mana flow, and abilities. The longer the observation, the more complete the record becomes. The user cannot fully record information or abilities that exceed the user’s current rank.

Malrik closed the window with a quiet breath.

So that’s how it is.

" I can only copy people within my own rank."

Lilith is already Ascended, and her true rank is even higher.

It makes sense that I can’t copy her abilities.

Lilith watched his eyebrow twitch, letting out a soft laugh. "Looks like you hit a wall, little master."

"Just a temporary limitation," Malrik said smoothly, keeping his posture straight. "Enjoy your little victory."

Lilith flicked her hand. The clown illusion dissolved into a shower of purple specks that vanished before hitting the floor.

She pulled her legs onto the couch, rested her head against the armrest, and closed her eyes. Within seconds, her breathing slowed back into her usual lazy rhythm.

Before Malrik could plan his next move, a sharp chime echoed inside his mind.

[ Your soul ’Winter’ has successfully evolved. ]

Malrik stopped, looking toward the far corner of the room where the three glowing green cocoons rested.

Winter?

He was the last one to start, but he finished first.

A second notification flashed directly beneath the first.

[ Winter has successfully advanced to the Fallen Rank. ]

A wide, genuine grin spread across Malrik’s face.

Haha...I was right.

Infinite Evolution doesn’t just alter traits. It can actually push a soul past a rank barrier.

With this, I now have my third Fallen-rank soul.

The central cocoon groaned under sudden pressure. Long hairline cracks snaked across its frosted surface.

Hissing streams of freezing mist shot through the fissures. The air temperature in the room plummeted instantly, turning Malrik’s breath into white plumes.

Frost crept across the oak floor, coating the table legs in a layer of rime.

With a sound like shattering crystal, the cocoon ruptured into a cloud of fine, blinding snow.

A figure emerged from the freezing haze.

Winter stopped and stood motionless before Malrik.

He was slightly taller than Malrik, by roughly twenty centimeters, his frame noticeably larger than before.

The density of his muscles had increased considerably, giving his body a stronger, more defined build. The white hair on his head had grown noticeably longer, falling down his back.

More importantly, his aura had become significantly stronger, carrying a deeper, colder pressure than before.

His pale green eyes locked onto Malrik.

Awesome.

A third system screen materialized before his eyes.

[ Winter has gained the skill "Ice Ghost Form". ]

Ice Ghost Form?

Malrik muttered, a hint of curiosity in his eyes as he opened the skill details.

[ Skill: Ice Ghost Form ]

[ Description: The user transforms into a translucent frost phantom, becoming completely immune to physical and mundane attacks.

While in this form, the user cannot deal damage or use offensive skills.

Upon attacking, the transformation immediately ends, returning the user’s body to its normal physical form. ]

Malrik ran a hand through his hair as he scanned every word. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Complete immunity to physical attacks...That alone makes this skill extremely valuable.

Winter can pass through obstacles, evade attacks, and reposition without worrying about physical damage.

The inability to attack isn’t much of a drawback.

He only needs to return to his physical form when it’s time to strike.

" For a creature like Winter, this could turn a losing battle into an easy escape."

This skill is insane.

Unfortunately, he’s Fallen now. I won’t be able to copy it.

Before he could linger on the thought, more system notifications flashed simultaneously across his vision.

[ Your soul ’Lady Mushroom’ has successfully evolved. ]

[ Lady Mushroom has successfully advanced to the Fallen Rank. ]

The second cocoon split wide open, the glowing green shell collapsing into a pile of smoking slag.

A miniature figure waddled out of the haze.

She barely reached Malrik’s waist. Tattered dark robes wrapped around her small frame, dripping glowing green slime onto the oak planks. Above her wild white hair sat a massive mushroom cap that looked like a biological wizard hat, complete with spongy, glowing spots.

Two neon-green eyes blinked from beneath the cap. In her tiny hands, she clutched a gnarled wooden staff topped with miniature fungi that dripped venom with a wet *splat*.

Then her aura hit the room.

It was a violent wave of thick, boiling heat laced with poison. The moment it touched the floor, the ice Winter had just created began to hiss.

The frost didn’t just melt. It turned into bubbling, foul-smelling steam within seconds.

Winter’s pale blue eyes narrowed. The white-haired beast bared his fangs and took a heavy step forward.

He seemed to take it as a challenge. He exhaled a wave of sub-zero air to push the heat back. The boiling puddles on the floor instantly snapped back into jagged blue ice spikes.

Lady Mushroom glared up at him, her giant hat tilting backward. She slammed the butt of her staff against the floorboards.

A wave of bright green, venomous flame rippled outward, vaporizing the ice spikes into boiling mist once more. The heat surged higher, scorching the nearby table leg until the oak wood began to char and smoke.

Winter growled louder, flexing his claws. His icy aura flared up to match her, turning the air near the ceiling into falling sleet while the air near the floor bubbled like a witch’s cauldron.

Between the two of them, the room was quickly falling apart. Malrik’s left sleeve began to freeze stiff while his right shoulder started smelling suspiciously like burnt mushrooms.

Malrik simply stood there in silence, staring at the two of them as if he had no idea how the situation had become this absurd.

On the couch, Lilith leaned back against her cushions, watching the standoff with deep entertainment.

"Look at the little children playing," Lilith purred, laughing softly. "Aren’t they cute?"

"Care to make a bet?" Lilith asked casually, resting her chin on her hand. "Hundred platinum coins on the mushroom."

******

Author’s Note:

So, who are you betting on? 👀Be kind and send this poor author a little gift before the end of the month.Love you all!