SSS Awakening: Conquering Worlds with My Cupid System

The Valecrest team moved deeper into the Blackridge Expanse.

The forest swallowed them almost immediately.

Towering trees blocked much of the sunlight, their thick branches intertwining overhead like a natural ceiling. The ground was uneven, covered with roots, fallen leaves, rocks, and occasional patches of black moss that seemed to absorb the surrounding mana.

But despite the difficult terrain, their pace remained steady.

Silas walked at the front with his eyes closed. Threads stretched throughout the forest around him, extending hundreds of meters in every direction. Through them, he could perceive the terrain as though he were looking at a massive three-dimensional map.

Everything connected to his threads became information.

"Left."

The team immediately turned left.

"There’s a ravine ahead."

Neil looked forward.

"How far?"

"About two hundred meters."

They continued.

"Right."

They turned right.

"There’s a monster nest ahead. Don’t go near it."

Alicia raised an eyebrow.

"How many?"

"Twenty-seven."

"..."

"And something bigger sleeping underneath them."

Neil frowned. "What rank?"

Silas opened one eye.

"Probably B-Rank."

"Probably?"

"I’m not interested enough to check."

Damien scoffed.

"You really are arrogant."

Silas smiled.

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"I accepted it as one."

Damien clicked his tongue.

They continued moving.

The strange thing was that Silas wasn’t really leading them through the forest in the conventional sense.

He was navigating them through the safest possible route. Whenever they approached a monster territory, he redirected them. Whenever they approached another academy, he changed their route. Whenever there was a dangerous environmental feature, he warned them.

The Blackridge Expanse might have been as large as a city, but to Silas, it was becoming increasingly difficult to get lost.

Silas suddenly stopped, and they all stopped as well.

"What now?" Chloe asked, her eyes glinting lightly.

Silas remained silent. His threads had detected movement, dozens of them. They were moving through the underbrush. He could feel their mana signatures.

Their bodies were long, and they had black scales and enormous, venomous fangs. Silas recognized them immediately. Black Mambas, a pack of twenty-four.

One was approaching from above.

Silas opened his eyes.

"Everyone."

The team immediately became alert.

"Enemies?" Neil asked.

"Yes."

"Where?"

Silas pointed casually.

"Everywhere."

The forest exploded.

HISSSSSSSSSS!

Black serpentine creatures launched themselves from the bushes.

Their bodies were enormous compared to normal snakes, each roughly five to seven meters long. Their scales were completely black, while their eyes glowed with a sickly green light.

Their mouths opened and rows of long fangs emerged. Poison dripped from their mouths and hissed against the vegetation below.

"Black Mambas!"

Rihanna immediately raised her bow. Silas calmly stepped backward. Chloe moved forward.

"I’ll-"

"No."

Chloe stopped.

"What?"

"You aren’t fighting."

She stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

Silas pointed toward the rest.

"They can handle this."

Damien immediately looked annoyed.

"You’re sitting this one out?"

"Yep."

"And Chloe?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

Silas shrugged.

"Training."

Damien stared at him.

"You brought us here so we could fight while you watch?"

"Exactly."

"You-"

Silas smiled. "Thanks."

The first Black Mamba lunged, and Neil moved to intercept it. His gauntleted fist smashed into its head, and the snake’s body twisted violently as the impact sent it crashing into a tree.

He followed, his second fist slamming into its skull. The monster dropped, and a notification sounded in the area.

[C-Rank Black Mamba defeated.]

Neil immediately turned toward another. Two more lunged simultaneously, causing him to cross his arms. Their fangs struck his gauntlets.

Neil grunted before pushing both snakes away. He stepped forward and threw a punch. Two bodies hit the ground.

"Three." He looked toward Silas.

Silas gave him a thumbs-up. "Good."

Neil smiled faintly. A Black Mamba suddenly lunged toward his blind spot.

An arrow pierced its eye, and the monster dropped instantly. Rihanna lowered her bow.

"You’re welcome."

Neil nodded.

"Thanks."

Rihanna immediately fired again. Another arrow struck a Black Mamba through the mouth. The monster’s head snapped backward. She fired twice more. One arrow entered the eye, and the other pierced the throat.

Three monsters fell around her. Rihanna moved backward while firing, never allowing the creatures to get close enough to strike.

She wasn’t using any flashy ability. She didn’t need to. Her archery was almost precise. Every arrow had a purpose.

"Four." She calmly reached for another arrow.

Nearby, Godfrey planted his feet. A Black Mamba slammed into him, its enormous head colliding with his shield. Godfrey barely moved as his boots dug into the soil.

"Not bad."

The snake recoiled, but he raised his shield as the monster lunged again. This time, he stepped aside, and the snake’s body passed him. He turned and swung his longsword, causing it to cut through its neck.

Black blood splattered across the ground. Godfrey raised his shield again as two more attacked simultaneously. One struck his shield, and the other tried to bite his leg. He blocked the first with his shield and kicked the second away.

Then he swung his sword, killing them both.

Emma had already drawn both her revolvers. She stood several meters behind the frontliners.

"Let’s see what these toys can do."

She raised both weapons and fired. Two bullets struck the same Black Mamba. The monster dropped.

She smiled. "Nice."

Another jumped toward her, but she stepped sideways, and a bullet pierced its throat. Another came from behind. She spun and gave it a headshot.

She then reloaded while walking backward.

"These are fun."

Rihanna glanced at her.

"Don’t get careless."

"I’m not." A monster lunged, but Emma fired without looking. The bullet entered its skull. "See?"

Rihanna sighed. "Show-off."

Emma grinned. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Alicia had somehow ended up fighting in the same section of the battlefield as Alpha, and none of them seemed particularly bothered.

A Black Mamba lunged toward Alicia, but she just stepped forward and swung her massive buster sword. The blade smashed into the creature’s skull with enough force to send its body flying sideways. It crashed into a tree.

Alicia followed, and her sword tore through its neck. She swiftly turned: another monster was already behind her. Before it could attack, a dagger struck its eye, and it collapsed.

Alpha stood several meters away. She glanced toward him.

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Another two attacked them simultaneously.

Alpha sighed. "Looks like we’re sharing."

Alicia smiled. "Apparently."

The first snake lunged toward Alpha. He ducked beneath its fangs, while his greatsword came around. The blade carved through its lower jaw. He immediately drew one of his daggers and stabbed it through the skull.

The second snake lunged at Alicia. She planted her feet, and the buster sword rose. The impact cracked the ground beneath her boots, while the monster’s head was smashed sideways. She spun, and its body collapsed.

She looked toward Alpha.

"Two."

Alpha glanced at his own corpse.

"Two."

They stared at each other.

"Race?"

Alicia smiled.

"Sure."

Alpha immediately regretted agreeing. Three Black Mambas attacked them. He moved first. He dashed forward, his greatsword dragging across the ground. The first monster opened its jaws. He jumped, and the snake’s head passed underneath him.

He landed on its back and plunged the greatsword downward. The monster writhed, but he jumped away before its tail could strike him.

Alicia had already engaged the second. She swung her buster sword with both hands, causing the monster’s body to slam into the ground. She raised the sword again and shattered its skull.

The third monster suddenly attacked both of them. Alpha and Alicia moved simultaneously.

Alpha’s dagger struck its eye, while Alicia’s sword struck its neck. The creature collapsed between them. They looked at each other.

"Draw."

"Draw."

Neither noticed the faint smile on the other’s face.

A few meters away, Damien was surrounded. Three Black Mambas circled him. He held the massive war hammer over his shoulder.

"You three."

The creatures hissed. Damien sighed.

"You’re annoying."

Gravity exploded. The ground beneath the monsters collapsed, and the three creatures suddenly found themselves unable to move. Their bodies were forced downward by an overwhelming gravitational force.

Damien walked toward them while the snakes desperately tried to raise their heads. They couldn’t. He lifted the hammer and smashed it down. Easy kills. He killed two in an instant.

The third tried to escape, so he increased the gravitational pressure. The monster was slammed flat against the ground. He walked over and smashed it.

Damien rested the hammer against his shoulder.

"Three."

He looked toward Silas, only to find the guy sitting on a fallen tree, while sipping on fruit juice.

"Nice."

Damien’s eye twitched.

"..."

"What do you want?"

"At least do your job as leader, asshole."

"You killed three snakes."

"They were monsters."

"Still snakes."

"I hate you."

"I know, but you’re still a far way from doing anything against me."

Chloe stood beside him with her spear resting against her shoulder, watching everyone fighting. Silas glanced at her.

"See?"

Chloe nodded.

"They’re improving."

"Exactly."

One final Black Mamba emerged from the trees. It was larger than the others. Its body was nearly eight meters long.

The moment it landed, it immediately targeted Silas. Chloe moved, but he held out one hand.

"No."

"But-"

"Let them."

Neil noticed it.

"Everyone!"

The group turned. The massive Black Mamba opened its jaws.

HISSSSSSSSS!

The monster lunged, and the entire Valecrest team, with the exception of Damien, moved at once. Silas watched, his eyes glowing faintly. His threads monitored every movement. He could intervene at any moment, but he didn’t.

This was their battle, and he wanted to see what they could do. The Black Mamba crashed into the team, and dust exploded through the forest.

Silas smiled.

"Let’s see how much you’ve learned."

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