My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly!

Drayken pushed Zarek forward, bound tightly in coarse hemp ropes that tied his hands behind his back.

"Don't attack, or I'll kill him!" Drayken shouted.

"This?"

Everyone looked at one another, and a strange silence filled the space.

For a moment, there was only stillness—until one of them chuckled. Then, others followed, and soon the entire army burst into laughter without restraint.

Drayken tilted his head innocently.

"Why are you all laughing so much? Is it funny?"

"You're threatening us with a mere general?" The frail Telekinetic Grandmaster spoke, staring directly at Drayken with a sneer. "Even if he dies, he'll die helping to kill a Dragon. It would be an honor, one that would make his empire proud."

Saying this, he thrust his hand forward toward Drayken and clenched his fingers tightly.

"Die."

Drayken narrowed his eyes as a crushing pressure descended on his body.

Just as the tension between them was reaching its peak, a calm voice rang out:

"Wait."

The pressure on Drayken abruptly vanished, and all eyes turned toward an emerald-haired woman standing in front of the Grandmaster.

"Princess of Carnage?" one of the soldiers murmured, bewildered. "Why is she stopping the Grandmaster?"

Confused murmurs spread among the soldiers and the Telekinetic Masters alike.

Then one of them squinted at the captive in Drayken's grip and spoke up:

"Isn't that General Kaine? The one our princess just awarded?"

"Eh? That's right…"

The soldiers of the Ragnarok Empire whispered among themselves, and the murmurs quickly spread throughout the entire army. By the end, everyone knew.

"He's not worthy of being our general, getting captured and humiliated like that. And he's only a mere level nine… sigh. Our empire's reputation is ruined."

Meanwhile, Melissa stood firmly between the two Grandmasters and the dragons.

"What are you doing, Melissa? Do you dare to block us from attacking the Dragons? Are you declaring yourself a traitor to humanity?"

"No," Melissa replied, shaking her head with a calm smile, a smile so pleasant and refreshing it seemed out of place on the battlefield. "But you're attacking the general of my empire. Don't you think you owe me an explanation for that?"

"Oh?" The frail Telekinetic Grandmaster raised his brows. "Is a single general, one who hasn't even reached the level of a Telekinetic Master, really more valuable than the entire human race?"

"Of course not," Melissa replied, still wearing that pleasant, almost serene smile. "But he is more valuable than your two lives combined. You cannot attack my people without going through me."

Though her voice was barely above a whisper, it echoed clearly through the air, heard by every soldier present.

A hush fell over the army.

The soldiers of the Ragnarok Empire couldn't help but be moved by her words. Would the Princess of Carnage truly go to such lengths to protect one of them? Their trust in her soared, her image elevated to new heights in their hearts.

Meanwhile, among the other army, a wave of jealousy and envy quietly spread.

'Would our superiors ever stand up for us if we were in his position?' they wondered.

The answer was clear.

No.

Absolutely not.

"Melissa," the frail Grandmaster spoke, a deep frown forming on his face, "I understand your desire to protect your people. But if you continue to stand in our way, you will be considered a traitor to humanity."

He paused, his gaze sharp:

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Melissa said nothing.

But she didn't move.

She stood firm, an unshakable figure between the dragons and the Grandmasters.

As they say, actions speak louder than words.

"Very well," the frail Grandmaster said with a grin as he extended his hand.

A terrifying pressure erupted outward, crashing down upon Melissa.

Melissa instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

But to his surprise, she remained standing, tall and proud, as her hand reached for her weapon.

Flexibility over power. Precision over might.

A slender, sharply pointed blade that danced through the air…

A rapier!

She barely moved, yet an unspeakable precision radiated from her stance.

Even the Grandmaster's telekinetic power wavered, the pressure weakening noticeably under the sheer sharpness of her will and control.

"Ho…" Melissa took a deep breath, her eyes closing as power surged through her body. Meanwhile, she grumbled inwardly:

'I have to fight a Grandmaster because of this bastard…'

Words couldn't begin to express the frustration she felt. But no matter how irritated she was, there was little she could do about it.

Zarek was simply too valuable to lose.

Even if he were to die, she must at least retrieve his corpse.

With that grim resolve in mind, Melissa raised her rapier.

In response, four floating discs materialised behind her, spinning and rotating at blinding speed. So fast, in fact, that they generated crackling currents of lightning, taking shape like radiant angelic wings.

Then she shot through the air—straight at the Telekinetic Grandmaster like a streak of lightning.

For a brief moment, the frail Grandmaster was stunned. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of Melissa charging toward him.

"You really dare to attack me?" he growled, gritting his teeth.

Two simple knives hovered in front of him as he tightly gripped them, gleaming at the tips as he crossed them, ready to meet her assault.

And then, the clash began.

The sound of metal striking metal rang out across the skies.

From above, the hunched old Telekinetic Grandmaster watched the scene unfold, eyes wide with disbelief.

"A Telekinetic Master going head to head with a Grandmaster…" he muttered. "She truly deserves the title of the strongest Master in the world."

Just then, Drayken and the others immediately moved, swiftly tearing through the air while Drayken sat atop the back of Eleanor, much to her annoyance. But Eleanor knew that she couldn't do anything about it. Rowena was also beside Drayken.

They acted too swiftly and caught them completely off guard.

The hunched Telekinetic Grandmaster darted forward, trying to intercept them.

But in that instant, Drayken's figure changed.

His hair rose into sharp, spiky white strands as lightning crackled around him. Violent mana surged through his body, condensing his aura into two black katanas, which he gripped tightly.

"Aura Spell: Lightning Aura."

In one fluid motion, he slashed with his two katanas at same time, sending two arcs of black lightning slicing through the air like cleaving thunderbolts.

The slashes came too fast and brutal, too fast for the hunched Telekinetic Grandmaster to react. Before he could even twitch a muscle, the strikes connected directly.