My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly!-Chapter 85: Hell!? Trouble!?

"Hehe, if you want to suck me, then suck me dry. Let’s see how much you can endure."

With a maniacal laugh, Eryke the Third just supplied more Death energy into his form.

This Death energy was being constantly devoured by this bigger ghoul, and he was happy to oblige.

Maybe because he was stronger, or now that he had a sense of time, it didn’t take long for the ghoul before him to self-destruct.

So he instantly devoured the core of this ghoul in front of him.

The moment he did, his form grew again, with his core going through another round of change.

But there was no system prompt, which caused him to be disappointed.

However, he didn’t give up.

"There are still a lot of ghouls around these parts."

Eryke the Third travelled from one place to another, devouring one ghoul after another.

Anyway, wherever he went, somehow all of them attacked him, which was even better for him.

For now, he didn’t have any way to attack them. The simple method of killing them was by overloading them with his Death energy from the endless Death energy that he gets from his own core.

After chasing the fifth large ghoul until it got fed to death,

Eryke the Third went through another round of evolution almost instantly.

At the same time, a system prompt appeared in front of him:

[You have absorbed the core of a Runner Ghoul again]

[Evolution successful! You have evolved from Youngling to Runner Ghoul]

Even without seeing it, he felt the change in his body. The faint death energy that shaped him had grown denser, more solid.

It wasn’t just a change in appearance, his strength had increased too.

He landed on the ground but phased right through it, hovering just above the surface. He tried moving his fingers, toes, and brows.

Everything a normal human could do, he could still do.

"I still can’t touch the ground. I’m ethereal, like always... but I have gained perfect control of my body."

He tilted his head thoughtfully, then shook it with helpless resignation.

"I still have a long way to go."

And so, he floated onward, drifting further and further, almost aimlessly.

"It’s time to see if I can do it."

Eryke the Third followed the magma river’s seabed, drifting behind a large rock.

With careful precision, he settled into place and peered around it.

Ahead floated a small straw boat, guarded by two towering specters, each with the head of an ox and the body of a man.

Seated calmly within the boat was what appeared to be an ordinary old man.

At that moment, two rows of twelve guards each approached in synchronized, watchful strides. They advanced with sharp focus until they reached the boat.

One of the guards stepped forward and extended his hand. In response, the old man raised his calloused hand, revealing a small birdcage, and handed it over.

The guard took the cage with utmost respect, nodding its oxen head, then turned and walked away.

Its comrade followed suit, both vanishing into the distance.

Suddenly, the old man turned sharply in a specific direction, a grin spreading across his weathered face.

He raised his wrinkled hand, and the sky above churned with clouds. A thunderclap boomed, and a bolt of lightning struck in a peculiar direction.

"What happened, my lord?"

The two ox-headed guards returned, their deep voices tinged with concern, now speaking in a clear, human-like tone.

"Nothing," the old man replied, shaking his head. "We still have more souls to bring."

With that, the straw boat turned and glided across the magma, drifting effortlessly over the molten river, untouched by its heat.

The piles of rubble were all that remained after the lightning strike.

But after a while, the debris began to shift. Slowly, a small core emerged from the center.

Crackling arcs of lightning swirled around it in a volatile dance.

The death energy wriggled, coiling around the core and gradually forming a human shape once more.

"I survived," Eryke the Third muttered.

"I honestly thought that would be the end of me. But thanks to my skill that lets me absorb lightning, and this seed that generates an endless supply of death energy, I managed to hold on."

He let out a long, relieved sigh.

Zhh!

A sharp crack of lightning echoed as the energy swirling within Eryke’s core surged violently, nearly tearing his body apart.

"Ahhh—!"

Eryke the Third screamed in agony. He struggled to contain the wild lightning, but it clashed with his death energy, it’s very bane, leaving him powerless.

But...

"It’s not so easy to defeat me," he growled through gritted teeth.

Activating his skill, Raijin’s Body, he began manipulating the lightning. Though this lightning was completely different from ordinary lightning, he could still exert some control over it.

Bit by bit, Eryke separated the lightning strands from his core, weaving them apart with tendrils of death energy.

It was a strange and haunting sight: arcs of lightning wrapped around him like a shell, while within it, his true form, made of death energy, stood tall, vaguely human in shape.

The lightning now orbited him like a protective sphere, surrounding him.

Looking at the scene before him, Eryke the Third was momentarily stunned, then his lips curled into a grin.

"This is perfect," he murmured.

This lightning, despite being a bane to death energy, could be turned to his advantage. If harnessed correctly, it might become his greatest weapon.

Without hesitation, Eryke shot into the sky in his ghastly form, quickly closing the distance to the guards escorting the cage.

The ox-headed sentinels moved in perfect formation, their strides large and disciplined—like seasoned soldiers hardened by countless battles.

Even as Eryke appeared directly in their path, they didn’t flinch. They didn’t slow. They didn’t even glance his way.

If this continued, he’d be bulldozed by these grim, relentless beings.

But Eryke didn’t move. He stood firm as they advanced, eyes narrowed.

"I don’t believe they’re mindless," he muttered. "There must be consciousness in there... somewhere."

As expected, when they drew near, their steps came to an immediate halt, and they refrained from advancing any further.

One of the ox-headed guards, still clutching the cage, spoke in a trembling voice:

"How does the esteemed one proceed?"

’Huh?’ Eryke was momentarily stunned. His mind quickly processed what the ox had just said.

"I am here to take that." he pointed at the cage in a cold and commanding tone.

The ox glanced down at the cage, and a flicker of panic flashed in its eyes.

"This... this, we cannot give to you..."

"Are you sure?" His voice deepened.

As he spoke, lightning crackled around him, arcing menacingly through the air, making the guard visibly uneasy.

But the ox didn’t relent. It bowed, its tone firm despite the fear that lingered in its voice.

"No, we cannot give it to you, no matter how high-level a Ghoul you are. If you want to fight, then let’s fight."

"I see, how disappointing." Erke the Third shook his head and slowly started to walk forward.

The ox guards could only grit their teeth as they charged at him, only for all of them to be incinerated by the lightning.

"You guys were short-lived but were definitely an interesting one." free𝑤ebnovel.com

He shook his head and took the cage before opening it.

Immediately, a small core materialized before him.

"I knew it, this is the core of a ghoul."

Without hesitation, he absorbed the core, and Eryke the Third immediately went through another round of evolution.

[You have absorbed the core of a Reaver Ghoul] (For context, see the auxiliary Chapters :])

[Evolution Successful]

[You have evolved from Runner to Spectral Ghoul]

Eryke the Third just stood there, feeling the changes in his body.

The core of his being underwent another change, and his death energy completely solidified.

His initial mist-like human shape turned into a completely human form, and his features became visible.

He could now touch the ground and come into reality, and at the same time, become corporeal too.

A true ghost, as described in horror movies, could accurately describe him.

"This is interesting."

He tightened his fist, a grin forming at the corner of his mouth.

"I have become human again."

While he was assessing his situation, his brows twitched, and his back shivered.

An alarm rang violently in his heart.

"It feels like my life is in danger." He looked at the cage with a thoughtful frown.

He had quickly risen, but this core was definitely not simple, and the one behind it wasn’t simple either.

Just then, a terrifying roar shook the place:

"Who dares to steal what is mine?"

The ground trembled under its roar.

Eryke the Third fell into a complete trance that bound his mind. He raised his hand, and a death energy shot forward like a firecracker, attracting all the Ghouls in the area. Even the two-headed dog guarding the gates was drawn in.

He hurriedly stopped himself, but it was too late. Every ghoul in this plane walked toward him, like moths to a flame.

"What should I do?"

Panic completely took hold of his heart.

He hurriedly soared into the sky, but the ghouls had already reached him. The moment they got close, they were instantly obliterated by the lightning. Yet, they were mindless, continuously charging at him despite the deadly force.

Despite this, his expression remained tense.

Although the lightning provided some protection, he could feel its strength slowly fading.

"It should still last me a while."

Eryke the Third sighed in relief, this was his final safeguard.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw thousands of ghouls gathering, forming a massive, monstrous creature that shook the ground beneath him.

His face paled in dread.

With a great stride, it closed the distance and, surrounded by the relentless wave of ghouls, it stomped down on him.

Bang!

A tremor shook the air, accompanied by a sizzling sound. The lightning shielded him, but the giant’s hand cracked slightly from the impact.

The lightning energy diminished by one-fifth.

"If four more strikes hit me..."