SSS-Class Profession: The Path to Mastery
Chapter 342: Digital Predator

Chapter 342: Digital Predator

Breakfast dishes clinked softly as the others helped clean up, their movements still careful and measured. I found myself moving with the enhanced efficiency that my skills provided, my upgraded physiology having already processed most of the previous night’s alcohol. The contrast was almost amusing, watching them wince at sudden sounds while I felt increasingly energized.

With the immediate social obligations handled, I went to my rather empty office to properly explore my new capabilities. Job Merger and Enhanced Copy were both on cooldown for the next twenty-three hours, but that didn’t mean I was out of options. Enhanced Absorb was still available, though it required someone to actively teach me a skill rather than simply observing them use it. Though I did have another option...

I settled into my desk chair and opened the interface, navigating to the Enhanced Destroy skill. The familiar red warning text appeared, reminding me that this was permanent and irreversible, but I was more interested in the target selection screen. Previously, I’d only used Destroy three times, the requirement either being consent from the target or their total subjugation.

The first had been Nathan Crowley who I defeated at the construction site using the Union Papers. The second was Chief Ryan who was about to die and he consented to giving me his firefighter skills so I could continue saving others. The third was Damian Voss, Camille’s brother, who I defeated in the Masked Syndicate court case. Each time, the System had presented them as viable targets only after their total defeat.

I scrolled through the interface, expecting to see the usual "No targets available" message. Instead, a single entry appeared:

Available Target: "Hyena"

Status: Incarcerated

Job: Hacker (S-Rank)

Hyena. Despite having arrested him 2 months ago, he’d had definitely been one of the most notorious cybercriminals of the past decade, maybe even history, using his abilities to cause chaos for its own sake. Hacking into cameras, police files, breaking into homes and kidnapping kids. The man had treated human suffering like a game.

Now the System was offering me his abilities.

I didn’t hesitate.

Whatever moral qualms I might have had about using Enhanced Destroy were absent in this case. Hyena had chosen to use his remarkable talents for cruelty and chaos. He’d shown no remorse during his arrest. If the System could transfer his abilities to someone who would use them constructively, it seemed like justice rather than theft.

I selected the target and confirmed the action.

The sensation was unlike anything I’d experienced with my previous uses of Destroy. Instead of the simple knowledge transfer I’d felt before, this was more like having an entire digital universe suddenly unfold in my mind. Networks appeared as three-dimensional structures that I could navigate intuitively. Security systems became visible as patterns of light and shadow that could be analyzed and circumvented. Data flows looked like rivers that could be diverted or dammed at will.

Destroy successfulTarget: "Hyena" - Job and Skills acquired with +2 level bonus

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Job: Hacker (S-Rank)

Skills:

Data Intrusion (Lv. 9) – Bypass security barriers to extract, copy, or alter protected digital information without detection.

Network Manipulation (Lv. 8) – Alter data flow, permissions, and system behaviors within a network to gain strategic advantages.

Digital Camouflage (Lv. 10) – Mask digital presence, making tracking or detection within networks and surveillance systems nearly impossible.

Signal Disruption (Lv. 8) – Interfere with communications and electronic signals to disable monitoring devices or sever connections.

Encryption Break (Lv. 9) – Decrypt secured files and transmissions with advanced algorithmic attacks, revealing hidden data.

Remote Access Override (Lv. 8) – Gain control over distant systems, allowing command execution and system manipulation from a safe location.

Trace Erasure (Lv. 10) – Eliminate logs, digital fingerprints, and residual data trails, ensuring infiltration leaves no evidence.

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The knowledge integration was overwhelming. Every electronic device in the house suddenly appeared in my awareness as a node in a vast network. I could sense the wireless signals connecting them, see the data packets flowing between devices, and intuitively understand how to intercept, modify, or redirect that information.

My laptop, previously just a tool for research and communication, now felt like an extension of my nervous system. The internet transformed from a collection of websites into a three-dimensional space that I could navigate with the same ease as walking through my own home. Security systems that had once seemed impenetrable now looked like puzzles with obvious solutions.

But more than the technical knowledge, I’d acquired an entirely new way of thinking about information and systems. Digital Camouflage wasn’t just about hiding online activities. It was about understanding how data moved through networks and positioning yourself in the blind spots. Data Intrusion wasn’t just about breaking passwords. It was about finding the subtle vulnerabilities that security designers never anticipated.

I was still processing the information when I heard rapid footsteps in the hallway outside my study. Before I could fully close the System interface, my door burst open and Alexis practically flew into the room, her medical bag in one hand and what looked like a portable scanner in the other.

"Okay, what exactly did you mean by ’System upgrade’ earlier?" she demanded, her analytical nature clearly having overcome her hangover-induced fog. "Because I’ve been thinking about it, and you getting a job title shouldn’t be possible according to everything we know about System mechanics."

I looked at her, noting the intense focus in her eyes that always appeared when she encountered something that challenged her understanding of how things worked. Alexis had always been obsessed with anomalies, with cases that didn’t fit established patterns. My recent changes would definitely qualify.

"It’s complicated," I began, but she was already moving, pulling up a chair and opening her medical bag.

"Complicated is my specialty," she replied, producing what looked like a more advanced version of the medical scanners she’d used on previous occasions. "May I?"

I nodded, realizing this was actually perfect timing. Enhanced Absorb required someone to actively teach me a skill, and Alexis had S-Rank medical knowledge that could be incredibly valuable. If I was going to be examined anyway, I might as well make it educational.

"Just so you know," I said as she began setting up her equipment, "I’m going to use Enhanced Absorb while you work. Consider this a practical lesson in advanced medical analysis."

Her eyes lit up with the kind of enthusiasm that only came from combining two of her favorite things: discovering anomalies and solving them. "Oh, this is going to be fascinating. You didn’t tell me that Absorb had been upgraded."

"Yeah," I confirmed. "It used to require someone to actively teach me a skill, and I’d get it at a reduced level. Now I still need the teaching component, but I acquire skills at their original level."

Her eyes widened. "Original level? That’s... that changes everything about how this examination should work." She sat back in her chair, her analytical mind clearly racing. "If I’m going to be teaching you while I examine you, I need to think about this completely differently."

"How so?"

"Well, normally when I do diagnostic work, I’m just focused on gathering data and analyzing results. But if you’re going to be learning from me..." She gestured excitedly with her hands. "I need to structure this like a teaching session. Which means I should explain my methodology, walk you through my reasoning, show you how to interpret the results."

I could see the scientist in her getting excited about the implications. "That sounds ideal, actually. I get to learn from your expertise while you satisfy your curiosity about what’s happening to me."

"Exactly! But Rey, you need to understand what you’re asking for here." She leaned forward, her expression serious. "My skills are at a really high level. If Enhanced Absorb works the way you described, you’re going to acquire medical knowledge that took me decades to develop. In a single session."

"That’s the idea."

She shook her head, looking almost overwhelmed. "The implications are staggering. Do you realize what this means? You could theoretically acquire any skill from any expert, at their full level of competency, just by having them teach you?"

"The cooldown limitations keep it from being completely broken," I pointed out. "But yes, the potential is significant."

"Significant?" She laughed, but it had a slightly hysterical edge. "Reynard, this is revolutionary. This could fundamentally change how human knowledge is transferred and preserved. If we could replicate this ability..."

"One step at a time," I said gently. "Right now, I’m more interested in what you can teach me about medical diagnosis. And what you can learn about these System changes."

She took a deep breath, visibly pulling herself back to the immediate situation. "Right. Okay. But I need to prepare for this properly. If I’m going to be teaching you my skills, I need to structure the lesson correctly. Start with fundamental principles, build up to advanced analysis, make sure you understand not just what to look for but why it matters."

"How long will that take?"

"To do it properly? Hours. Maybe days if we want to cover everything." She started pulling equipment from her bag, but in a more organized fashion now. "I’ll need to prepare a comprehensive curriculum. Basic human physiology, advanced diagnostic theory, equipment operation, result interpretation..."

"Alexis," I interrupted, amused by her enthusiasm. "We don’t have to cover everything in one session. We can spread it out over multiple teaching opportunities."

She paused, scanner halfway out of her bag. "Oh. Right. Multiple sessions." A slow grin spread across her face. "This is going to be the most interesting research project I’ve ever been involved in."

"For both of us," I agreed. "But before we start the formal examination, I should probably mention that I just acquired some other new abilities too."

Her head snapped up. "Other abilities? What other abilities?"

"An S-Rank hacking job. Complete digital warfare and infiltration skill set."

She stared at me for a long moment. "You acquired an S-Rank hacking job. This morning. While sitting in your study."

"The enhanced Destroy ability has some interesting applications."

"Enhanced Destroy?" She set down her scanner and gave me her full attention. "Reynard, I need you to walk me through exactly what happened with these upgrades. Next thing your going to tell me is that your Copy skill was also enhanced."

I chuckled a bit to which I saw her looking at me confused. I could tell that the researcher in her was taking over completely now, her curiosity about anomalies overriding everything else. This was going to be a very long conversation.

"Maybe you should sit down," I suggested. "This is going to take a while to explain."

She pulled her chair closer, medical examination temporarily forgotten in favor of understanding the phenomenon sitting in front of her. "I’m ready. Start from the beginning."