Died for a Million Times: I can Copy Infinite SSS Talents!-Chapter 46 -- Blessing in Disguise

After accepting another set of three C-rank missions, Link once again set off toward the frontlines.

His luck this time? Not bad at all.

Amazingly, one of the tasks was actually connected to the Life-Bound Pact talent—a crucial component of his "Death Plan." Both Life-Bound Pact and the elusive Cycle Wyrm could be found in the same dangerous region: the Southern Swarm Valley.

This valley was a bizarre and perilous place, tucked within a dark, abyssal gorge where sunlight never reached. The land below was thick with decaying organic matter, making it a veritable paradise for insectoid moonfolk. Damp, shadowy, and teeming with life, the Southern Swarm Valley was the kind of place that made most people turn back at the entrance.

Fortunately, Link's task was simple in theory: locate two different insect species and bring them back to the outpost for research purposes.

With Lib's guidance, he quickly tracked down one of his targets: the Reaper Worm. This peculiar insect was the original bearer of the Life-Bound Pact—a racial talent embedded into its very biology.

At first glance, the Reaper Worm was unimpressive. It was small, sickly yellow, and vaguely repulsive to look at. But appearances could be deceiving. These insects were deeply loyal to their mates, to a degree that shamed even the deepest human attachments.

If a mated pair of Reaper Worms survived long enough without either sustaining lethal damage, they would undergo a miraculous transformation—emerging from their cocooned state as a beautiful butterfly pair, free and radiant, with their strength soaring to unimaginable heights.

But if one of the worms were to die? The other would immediately perish alongside it, unable to endure the separation.

Link couldn't help but admire the depth of their bond. In a way, the raw, instinctive devotion of these creatures far surpassed the fleeting loyalties of humans.

To acquire the talent, Link allowed himself to be poisoned by the Reaper Worm's venom. His body went limp as death claimed him once more.

When he came to—back from death again—Life-Bound Pact had been successfully added to his growing list of talents.

Now, only one target remained: capturing a Cycle Wyrm.

These insects resided deep within the Southern Swarm Valley, in its most treacherous and unexplored regions. But before venturing into those deadly depths, Link decided to look around and see if he could gather any other useful talents along the way.

As he advanced deeper into the valley, he walked cautiously, constantly scanning his surroundings. The deeper he went, the fewer signs of natural life—yet the more deadly the terrain became.

Time blurred in the darkness.

He didn't know how far he'd walked, but suddenly, he spotted a hidden valley concealed behind dense overgrowth and rocky ridges. Without hesitation, he launched a Shadow Arrow, clearing out a swarm of insectoid creatures that had made the area their nest.

But just as the buzzing ceased and the battlefield grew quiet, a strange sound drifted through the air.

The voice spoke the human tongue, but the tone was utterly unnatural—like a knife dragging across a chalkboard, sharp and ear-piercing, sending chills down Link's spine.

"General Adamu, you've chosen the correct side. With your assistance, I believe this operation will go quite smoothly."

Link froze.

General Adamu?

He'd never heard that name before. Why was a human name being spoken in this dark, moonfolk-infested place?

Driven by a mix of confusion and caution, he crept closer, peering through the shadows toward the origin of the voice.

The sight that greeted him made his blood run cold.

From the darkness of a massive cavern emerged a grotesque tentacle, connected to a creature that resembled an enormous snail. But instead of a hard shell or slime-covered flesh, its body was composed of pulsating brain tissue, dripping with thick, viscous mucus.

It was revolting—like someone had mashed up human brains, molded them into a slug, and given the thing sentience.

Standing calmly in front of the beast was a man cloaked in black robes and wearing a featureless mask.

Clearly, it wasn't the man who had spoken.

It was the creature.

"I'm honored to be part of this operation," the masked man replied politely.

Then his expression shifted. He furrowed his brows and slowly turned his head toward Link's hiding spot.

"Well, well. I didn't expect a little insect to sneak its way here."

The brain-like creature's long, eyestalks twitched as it pulled its massive head farther out of the cave. Its voice, now thick with amusement, echoed again:

"Ah, a human hatchling. You smell... delicious."

Hidden behind cover, Link heard everything thanks to his talents.

His instincts screamed danger, and he immediately tried to slip away unnoticed.

Too late.

Before he could even rise to his feet, something yanked him into the air. The world spun—and when it settled again, Link found himself staring up into the massive, gaping maw of the brain-beast.

Its bulbous eyes were the size of basketballs. From within the folds of its squishy skin, a wide mouth opened—a horrific, tooth-filled orifice dripping with saliva.

"General Adamu, thank you for your generous offering. In that case, I won't hold back."

"Young bodies are my favorite. Tender, succulent... rich with flavor."

"Then enjoy your meal," the man in black replied, giving Link a cold glance before turning and walking away into the darkness of Southern Swarm Valley.

As soon as Adamu was gone, the grotesque Brain Swarm creature began to slide out from the cave entirely. It loomed over Link like a nightmare made flesh.

A status panel appeared before Link's eyes:

[Species: Brain Swarm]

[Power Values: 100–200]

[Mind Power: 5000 – UNKNOWN]

[Species Talent: SSS-Grade – Cannibal Devour]

[Species Traits: Lives in caves, poor eyesight]

[Weaknesses: Nearsighted. Recommend long-range attacks. Fears fire.]

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

Link barely had time to react before the creature's countless razor-sharp teeth tore him apart—shredding his body into pieces.

FOOM!

When Link came back to life again, he felt absolutely awful.

The sensation of being eaten bit by bit was something he never wanted to experience again in this—or any—lifetime.

But as horrifying as it was, the ordeal had been worth it.

Because this time, he had gained something extraordinary—a brand-new SSS-grade talent!

[Cannibal Devour: Allows you to devour talents, powers, or energy types of the same category. Upon successful devouring, you gain a new evolved talent of corresponding nature. The more you devour, the stronger you become.]

"What the hell!?"

Link's eyes widened with disbelief, then slowly lit up with joy.

This was a treasure—a miracle he hadn't even dared to hope for!

Over the past few days, Link had accumulated dozens of talents through repeated Death Rewinds. However, only a handful were actually strong or practical. The rest? Dust collectors. Useless clutter.

His ability collection was vast, yes, but shallow in strength. Many of the talents were mediocre at best, some outright ineffective for his build.

But now?

Cannibal Devour changed everything.

It was like stumbling across an ice-cold cola in the middle of a scorching desert.

Not only did it let him repurpose and recycle his redundant talents, but it also offered a pathway to evolve them—potentially raising them all the way to SSS-grade!

It opened up an entirely new strategy: from now on, whenever Link copied a talent, he could intentionally target similar types—knowing that he could fuse and evolve them through Cannibal Devour.

He could build a collection of elite abilities, refining the best ones into their ultimate forms.

Just imagining the possibilities made Link's heart race with excitement.

It took him a while to calm down.

But once the adrenaline subsided, he was hit with a stark realization:

That man—the human called General Adamu—he definitely had some sort of shady connection to the moonfolk!

And that, perhaps, would become a much bigger problem down the line...