SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant Chapter 566: Prime Core

Xavier pulled Trafalgar from the water.

Before his hand could even break the surface, Maledicta disintegrated into mana particles. The blade shattered as his body exhausted its final reserves. By the time Xavier hauled him onto the sand, Trafalgar was barely clinging to consciousness.

He lay supine, his chest heaving, saltwater streaming from his hair and shoulders onto the sand below.

Bending over with his hands on his knees, Xavier gasped for air as if he had been the one battling at the seabed. Truth be told, Trafalgar had drifted much farther offshore than anyone had anticipated, and dragging him back had been no easy feat.

A short distance away, Zafira, Cynthia, and Bartholomew were still approaching. They had ceased their advance once the water began erupting from the intense mana clashes beneath. None of them had been willing to plunge headlong into that chaos.

Xavier straightened, wiping the water from his face.

"You alright, man? What in the world happened?"

Trafalgar let the question hang in the air for a moment as he gazed at the sky.

"Because of someone," he finally replied, his voice raspy from the seawater and exertion, "who doesn't know how to pass a ball correctly, I was forced into the open water. Before I could even retrieve it, something latched onto my foot and pulled me down."

Xavier's brow furrowed. "Something?"

Trafalgar shifted his head slightly.

"Yeah. Something with tentacles. And it was slimy too." A faint grimace touched his lips at the recollection. "Pretty disgusting, honestly."

By then, Cynthia and the others had reached them.

Bartholomew knelt first. "A sea beast?"

Trafalgar gave a single nod.

"More or less. Looked like a colossal octopus that had been poorly raised."

This elicited a short, sharp sound from Xavier, a mix of laughter and disbelief.

"You're lying here half dead and still talking like that."

Trafalgar exhaled through his nose. "I'm not half dead."

"You were submerged for ages."

"And yet, here I am."

Zafira remained silent. She stood over him, her wet hair cascading over one shoulder, her expression etched with more concern than the others. "Did it injure you badly?"

"Nothing serious."

That statement held a kernel of truth.

He was utterly exhausted. Depleted, almost to the point of being drained, his limbs still felt unnaturally heavy. However, the bulk of the damage was already being rectified. His Primordial Body had commenced its work the instant the conflict ceased. Ambient mana was already flowing back into him in subtle currents, absorbed through his skin and breath, directed towards his core in the center of his chest, which had undergone a transformation.

This transformation was what caused the corner of his mouth to lift, despite his condition. The distinction was palpable.

His body felt lighter now, but not in a way that suggested fragility. His limbs responded with a different kind of alacrity, as if something fundamental within them had reached a state of greater completion. The sea air was rich with mana, and this time, he didn't need to actively pursue it as he had before. It came to him more readily. Each inhale assimilated more of it. Each breath nourished something that no longer felt as confined as it once had. The pervasive pressure he had endured for so long had vanished.

In its place, there was expanse.

Trafalgar closed his eyes and thought, 'Status.'

The system interface materialized before him.

[Core: Prime]

There it was.

He had achieved it.

The smile on his face widened slightly.

After months of relentless effort, after countless battles, after innumerable hours dedicated to training, after continuously breaking through one barrier only to confront another, he had finally attained the Prime Core.

The fifth tier of the core.

He still lagged behind some of his siblings – or rather, cousins, technically – but the gap had significantly narrowed. The distance had shrunk, and with his innate talent, it would continue to diminish.

Xavier noticed the change in his expression first.

He straightened slightly, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Trafalgar. "Why are you smiling like that? You were nearly devoured. That typically doesn't elicit happiness." His brow lifted. "Do you actually enjoy grotesque, slimy creatures?"

At this, both Cynthia and Zafira turned towards Trafalgar, their gazes fixed on him, awaiting his response with more intensity than they attempted to conceal.

Trafalgar met Xavier's gaze.

Then, he stated simply, "I'm Prime Core."

Reaching such a stage was not an everyday feat, nor was it common even for those blessed with exceptional talents. Many awakened individuals toiled for fifteen years or more, striving to attain it, with some never succeeding. Others remained perpetually below that threshold, their potential capped not by a lack of determination, but by the inherent limitations of their talent.

Trafalgar, however, had bridged that gap in under two years.

Xavier exhaled, scratching the back of his neck.

"You scoundrel," he mumbled, his tone devoid of genuine malice. "You've surpassed me so quickly."

Pushing himself up onto one elbow, Trafalgar replied with newfound vitality, "That's the result of dealing with a prodigy. I informed you earlier, didn't I? You already received your thorough defeat during our duel."

Xavier let out a scoff but offered no rebuttal.

He wasn't angry; rather, an expression of pleased admiration for Trafalgar struggled to surface beneath his evident jealousy.

Bartholomew, who had remained silent until this point, interjected with palpable relief, "Would you like something to drink?"

Trafalgar finally managed to sit up fully.

"Yes. And food," he confirmed, brushing damp sand from his arm and rolling his shoulder. "I'm famished."

This remark signaled the end of the more somber part of their conversation.

The group of five returned to their towels, settling down with the provisions and beverages they had brought earlier. The scene now felt somewhat surreal: a tranquil afternoon at the beach, half-eaten snacks, and Trafalgar, dripping wet and weary, having just vanquished a sea monster beneath the waves.

Xavier periodically cast him glances, still finding the entire ordeal mildly irksome. Trafalgar, unperturbed, focused on his meal.

The replenishment of his Mana was becoming more consistent. While not rapid enough to fully replace what the battle had consumed, it was sufficient to alleviate the gnawing emptiness within him. His Prime Core further aided this process; he could feel its effect with every breath and with each slow pulse in his chest. The Mana he absorbed now flowed more smoothly, no longer like forcing a reluctant river through a constricted channel. The pathways within him had manifestly widened.

Cynthia took a sip of her drink before addressing her brother.

"Don't forget we still need to visit the orphanage before the second year commences. They're still undergoing renovations there."

Bartholomew nodded immediately, his demeanor significantly lighter now that the specter of anyone being dragged into the sea had vanished.

"Indeed, I recall. Don't worry; I wouldn't overlook something like that," he assured her, then turned to the others. "Would you all care to join us?"

Xavier raised a hand casually. "I would like to, but my mother has plans to keep me occupied."

Zafira adjusted the towel draped over her legs. "Apologies, I've already arranged to meet with some friends."

Trafalgar had no pressing engagements.

He did wish to spend time with Mayla, certainly, but the opportunity for that remained. There was ample time for it.

"Certainly," he replied. "I can attend. You can rely on me."

Barth offered a smile at his words, and though Cynthia remained silent, her shoulders visibly relaxed.

The remainder of the afternoon unfolded in a more placid atmosphere.

No one suggested venturing back into the water. Xavier grumbled about this once, though without any real conviction. They ate, drank, conversed lightly, and observed the sea gradually calming itself, as if it hadn't just attempted to engulf one of them whole. Trafalgar sat with the group, allowing the sun's warmth to dry the lingering moisture from his skin while the nascent strength within his body manifested in subtle, consistent ways.

He felt a sense of fullness.

'So, this is Prime Core.'

The thought resonated with him as the sun dipped lower, casting softer hues across the sea.

He hadn't managed to relax for even a full day without encountering some threat attempting to pull him into the ocean's depths.

Nevertheless, as he sat there with his companions, watching the evening twilight spread over Mariven's coastline, one truth stood paramount.

He had achieved Prime Core. And for that accomplishment alone, this day had been a triumphant success.