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

As they ventured deeper, the chilling atmosphere thickened. The cold grew so intense that even Grey found his pace slowing considerably.

"This can't go on."

He glanced at the fire spirit hovering beside him, its flames flickered erratically, on the verge of collapse. Grey needed a solution, and fast.

"Wait," Ella's voice echoed in his mind.

"What is it?" Grey frowned.

"I sense one of my kind, Master."

"One of your kind?" Grey's brows furrowed in confusion as he looked at her, seeking answers.

"Yes," Ella replied thoughtfully. "It's a Grimoire of the Void, an elemental like me. But this one… it's stronger."

Lilith spoke at that moment, her tone unusually serious. "If it's stronger than Ella, then it must be at least a Platinum-tier. And if it's capable of causing such environmental disruption without a master… then it's likely a Diamond Grimoire with the element of Void."

"Diamond!?" Grey's interest was instantly piqued. Naturally, he was intrigued, until now, he only possessed a single Diamond-tier Grimoire: Lilith.

And even with her alone, her abilities were already overwhelming. If not for the limits of his spiritual energy, he could've drawn out far more of her potential, greatly enhancing his combat prowess.

But if he obtained another Diamond Grimoire…

That would be extraordinary.

With thoughts racing through his mind, Grey's strides grew longer, his pace quickening as he pressed onward.

Soon, his path was blocked by a suffocating darkness, a void so absolute that he couldn't see more than vague traces of distorted space. There was no light, no sound, just the heavy pressure of pure nothingness.

"Master," Ella called out, her voice trembling. "This power, it's Empty Void."

"Empty Void?" Grey asked, puzzled.

"He's the strongest of our kind," she whispered. "A Diamond-tier Grimoire."

"Oh, that guy?" Lilith chuckled with a hint of nostalgia. "Didn't expect him to be in the Mountain of Hell too."

"You know him?" Grey glanced at her curiously.

"Of course," Lilith smirked. "He goes by the name Empty Void. His power is formidable, almost comparable to mine."

"Oh?" Grey's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he stared into the abyss before him at the oppressive void.

"I want to see how strong he really is."

With those words, Grey summoned the Mending Grimoire.

He raised his quill, imbued with his spiritual energy, and began to write upon its glowing pages.

The words were simple:

"By my will, the void shall mend."

The moment he completed the writing, the Mending Grimoire radiated a brilliant light. That light surged forward, piercing into the oppressive darkness ahead.

And then, before his eyes, the void began to heal. The suffocating shroud peeled back, unraveling as space repaired itself.

Grey's vision cleared.

Suspended in the air was a solitary black book, motionless, yet exuding a chilling, oppressive aura.

Thump! Thump!

His heart pounded. His pupils dilated, not from awe, but from something far deeper.

Fear.

It was a primal, instinctive fear, beyond thought, beyond reason. Even he couldn't suppress it. His blue eyes remained fixed on the Grimoire floating in the air.

Then a voice echoed from the Grimoire, deep and resonant:

"Oh? A human at last. A worthy challenge?"

Grey drew in a steady breath. In an instant, his fear was suppressed. His mind cleared, and his gaze sharpened.

He spoke with a calm voice:

"Challenger?"

"Yes, I am looking for a worthy person who can wield me. No matter what other Grimoires say, we cannot unlock our full potential without you humans. But I refuse incompetent humans after the last one, so I have settled in this place for decades now to practise and find an competent human at the same time."

"Oh, I see." Grey nodded his head in silence and didn't speak further, his pupils gleaming in a strange light.

A blue panel appeared in front of him.

[You have been challenged by the Diamond Empty Void Grimoire.]

[Accept/Decline]

Grey accepted it.

His vision changed in an instant.

In the next moment, Grey was engulfed by darkness.

From within that black expanse, the guttural growls of unseen beasts echoed.

Grey narrowed his eyes. His fist crackled as he clenched it, a battle-hungry grin spreading across his face.

"Let's fight to the death."

Grimoires erupted from his body, each one flipping open midair, pages fluttering as they responded to his will.

He began to write with his quill pen:

"Flames, arise and burn all."

"Let acid rain cleanse you."

"Void, shape thyself as a blade."

"Azure flames, heed my call."

Power surged.

Elemental forces tore through the dark. Fire roared, acid sizzled, void itself turned into a sword for him, and ethereal blue flames danced wildly.

Grey didn't rely solely on his Grimoires, weaving through the chaos as he clashed with the void beasts using the Void Sword.

The void beast was almost invisible to his eyes. Even with the help of Ella, the Gold Void Grimoire, he couldn't even see them. However, his senses were sharp, and there was no difficulty for him to attack them quickly.

There were hundreds of them, but each of his attacks easily took out dozens.

"Hmm, they feel endless." Grey frowned.

Then he stabbed the void sword right into the ground, causing a terrifying shake that shook the place.

All the void beasts were knocked away by the shockwave.

Then he walked around the place, trying to use his senses to find any vulnerability.

Suddenly, he froze on the spot, and his eyes brightened to a considerable degree.

"Got it." Then he stabbed through the air at a certain spot.

Bang!

Reality itself began to fracture, thin cracks splintered through the air like shattered glass.

Then, without warning, the darkness vanished.

Grey's vision shifted.

He now stood before a towering obsidian throne, carved from a material that seemed to absorb all light. Seated upon it was a man cloaked entirely in flowing black robes. His presence was simply suffocating.

The figure slowly raised his head, revealing eyes that mirrored the void, pupils as deep and endless as the abyss itself.

His voice echoed:

"Human. Congratulations. You have surpassed the first challenge."

"Thank you, I am honoured." Grey bowed with a smile on his face.

"Then do you know what the second and the last challenge will be?" the man asked with a neutral and cold tone filled with authority.

Grey tilted his head, looking straight at him:

"It's to fight you."

The man slowly stood up, his face covered in a black robe, and eerie darkness seeped out of it:

"So, are you ready to face me?"

"Of course." Grey spoke in calmness. Lilith appeared in front of him, and her pages flipped rapidly.