Moments passed before Ryze finally withdrew the astonishment from his face. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "This talent you've replicated is truly intriguing. Even for someone like me, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a short span of time."
Link chuckled. "Honestly… I didn't expect it to be this powerful either."
He wasn't bluffing—that was exactly how he felt.
When he first copied this talent Veil of the Impostor from Talo, a disciple of the Moon Worship Sect, Link hadn't held high expectations. To him, it merely allowed the user to change appearances, imitate someone's facial expressions, mimic their voice, and replicate behavioral habits—essentially a disguise. He'd assumed it had no real combat application.
But now, after field-testing it personally, he was forced to reevaluate everything.
The talent had fooled Ryze—a man operating at a terrifying level of perception and strength. That wasn't just surprising; it was borderline terrifying.
Ryze tapped his fingers on the table, clearly considering something deeply. After a few seconds, he added, "Unless you come across someone who possesses a perception-based talent ranked S-grade or higher—one that's specifically attuned to detection—even then, your disguise might remain undetected. Even Tier-9 espers would have trouble seeing through this talent."
He paused, locking eyes with Link, and continued in a solemn tone. "This is exactly why we espers often say: effort determines your floor, but talent decides your ceiling."
"For generations, scholars among humankind have observed something very telling. Many talents naturally counter each other—forming pairs of dominance and suppression. No matter how brilliant a talent may appear to be on the surface, if it encounters one of its natural predators, the user will likely lose. It's just the way of things."
He leaned forward. "And that works both ways. When two espers possess similar talents, it's almost always the one with the higher-tiered version who wins."
"For example," Ryze gestured, "your core talent—Death Replication. Compare it to mine—Soul Oath. On paper, I have the superior battle stats and decades more combat experience. As the principal of Astral Nexus Academy, I've seen countless battles and talent interactions. By all metrics, I should be able to suppress you."
"But that's irrelevant. Because the nature of your Death Replication allows you to copy and reproduce my Soul Oath one-to-one. And more importantly—it ranks higher than mine. It's tiered above."
He let that idea sink in, then motioned to Link.
"Try using Veil of the Impostor again."
Link nodded and activated the talent once more.
Ryze scrutinized him carefully this time, watching every nuance. After several long moments, he finally spoke again with a look of certainty.
"Yes… It's just as I suspected. If this talent only allowed you to change your appearance and vocal patterns, it wouldn't stand up to scrutiny from someone like me."
"But what makes this truly strange—almost disturbing—is that it even alters your aura. Your energy fluctuations. Your Power Values. Every trace of your essence becomes identical to the person you're imitating. That's what makes it dangerous."
"Right now, there are very, very few espers in the world capable of doing that. Altering one's external body is one thing. But replicating internal energy signatures? That's a game-changer."
Link's eyes sparkled with mischief. "So… Mentor. If I can change my face and voice at will, does that mean I could sneak into those restricted areas—the ones regular espers are never allowed to access?"
Ryze shot him a warning glare. Of course this brat would think along those lines.
He waved a hand dismissively. "You'd better keep those sneaky thoughts to yourself. Sure, a lot of espers rely on sight to identify allies and enemies, but those zones are fortified with layers of defense. They don't just let anyone in. Inside the barriers, there are all kinds of sophisticated systems to verify identity—more than you can imagine."
Link's mischievous grin faded slightly.
Sensing his disappointment, Ryze offered a bit of reassurance. "Don't get discouraged too quickly. Even if you can't walk into forbidden zones, mastering this talent opens many doors. There are still a ton of things you could do that normal espers wouldn't even dare to attempt."
"Like what?" Link perked up.
"Espionage, for one. Infiltrating enemy headquarters. Stealing critical intel. Assassinating important moonfolk leaders. Sabotaging enemy infrastructure. All things that require subtlety, planning, and yes—disguise."
"But let me give you a warning," Ryze said, suddenly serious. "This talent consumes spiritual powers as its primary energy source. The stronger your spiritual powers, the more convincing and stable your disguise becomes."
"And you…" he narrowed his eyes, "your spiritual powers are unlike any I've ever seen. Honestly? You might be stronger in that regard than most moonfolk I've encountered."
"If I didn't know better, I'd assume you had stumbled into some rare encounter—maybe a secret inheritance or some ancient technique. Because when we first met, your spiritual powers weren't even close to this level."
That made Link pause. Realization dawned on him.
Ryze had already seen through the gap the moment they met tonight. He'd analyzed every inch of Link's energy signatures and known instantly that something was off. What he'd seen didn't match the Link he remembered. That's why Ryze had struck first without hesitation.
But in doing so, he had also proven just how successful Link's disguise had been.
"Alright," Ryze said, standing up and brushing off his robes. "Let's put talent talk aside for now. That person I mentioned earlier? He'll be here any minute."
"Keep up the act. Let's scare the crap out of him."
And with that, he suddenly clutched his chest, stumbled forward, and collapsed over the table, gasping for breath. A trail of blood even began seeping from the corner of his mouth—shockingly realistic.
"Wait—seriously? We're acting now?" Link blinked in disbelief. "This guy's an old-school theater master, huh…"
He was just about to crack a joke when Ryze suddenly roared, shaking the walls.
"Traitor! You filthy traitor! What did those moonfolk promise you?! Have you forgotten who raised you? Who fed you and gave you shelter?!"
"I'll never forgive you! Not even in death!"
Veins popped along his temple, and he trembled in a fury so real it sent chills down Link's spine.
Ryze shot him a wink.
Link took the cue. He raised one hand dramatically to cover his face, leaving only one eye exposed. A twisted smile spread across his lips.
"Hehehe… Hahaha! You decrepit fool! The human race is finished! The only future we have is with the moonfolk. You pathetic resistance dogs never understood that!"
"But don't worry—I'm here to liberate you from your ignorance!"
"Never, you bastard!!"
Just as Link spat out the last line, an immense surge of pressure erupted outside the building. In an instant, every light source was snuffed out. A wall of darkness swallowed the entire room—so deep that not even fingers were visible before one's face.
Ryze shouted with every last ounce of strength: "Nate! Now! Kill this traitor and avenge me!"
"Understood!"
A powerful voice rang from the void outside, calm and full of intent.
"This fool chose the wrong target. Of all people, he dared sneak-attack you. How idiotic. He must be confident his strength is at least Tier-9. Interesting. It's been a while since I went all out against a fellow human."
But oddly, he didn't show himself right away.
Ryze, still playing his role, snarled, "Stop monologuing, you coward! Hurry up and kill him already!"
"Relax! I'm charging up—don't rush me, dammit!"
Then, it happened.
Link didn't even have time to scream. It was as if he'd been thrown into an industrial washing machine. His body twisted and folded unnaturally, shredded by a force that defied reason.
Every part of him was being torn apart—mind, flesh, soul.
He only had one fleeting moment of awareness before even that was dissolved into the void.
[You have been killed by the human powerhouse Nate. Replication successful. Congratulations, you have acquired SSS-grade Talent: Infinite Void Domain.]