Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent

The Spring of Rebirth was nothing like the ruins and wastelands that surrounded it.

The group emerged from a narrow mountain pass into a hidden valley bathed in a golden glow.

Sunlight poured down from a gap in the clouds, but it wasn't sunlight alone—it shimmered faintly, each ray carrying threads of divine energy that danced in the air like drifting petals.

The spring itself lay in the center, a wide pool of crystalline water so pure it reflected the sky like polished glass.

Around it, ivory lilies bloomed in perfect circles, and grass greener than any they had seen before swayed gently despite the still air.

It was beautiful. Peaceful. The kind of place that made the heart forget danger.

Kyle, however, did not slow his steps out of awe.

"This is it. The Spring of Rebirth."

He said quietly, scanning the perimeter.

Silvy's eyes widened as she took in the scene.

"It's… incredible. I've never felt mana like this before. It's so warm."

"Divine energy. It's almost… alive."

Amana murmured, touching one of the lilies.

Melissa's gaze lingered on the water.

"If it can heal anything… then stepping into it would—"

"Don't."

Kyle cut in, his tone calm but absolute.

Everyone turned toward him.

"This place is not what it appears. Yes, the spring can heal, and yes, its energy can restore. But nothing in this world comes without a cost. Places like this…"

He continued.

His eyes swept the golden valley.

"…always have guardians. Tests. Traps."

Bruce raised a brow.

"You think something's here?"

"I don't think. I know. And if you step into those grounds without caution, you won't be coming back out."

Kyle said.

The group exchanged uneasy looks. The air was still, but the hairs on the back of their necks prickled.

Kyle moved forward, stopping just at the border where the grass grew impossibly lush.

His boots sank slightly into the soil, and the divine energy seemed to hum louder, as if aware of their presence.

And then—

A ripple passed through the air.

At first, it was subtle, like the shimmer of heat on a summer road. But then the light bent, twisted, and shapes began to emerge from the very air itself.

Figures—tall, faceless, and sculpted entirely from radiant energy—took form.

Their bodies were like molten gold, but constantly shifting, edges blurring as if they were both solid and liquid at once. Their eyes, if they could be called that, glowed with piercing white light.

Melissa instinctively stepped back, her hand going to her sword.

"What are they?"

"Monsters born from divine energy. This is their domain."

Kyle said, his voice steady.

The first of the creatures moved, its steps utterly silent as it advanced toward the group. Behind it, more shapes were forming—dozens of them, until the air shimmered with their golden glow.

Bruce swore under his breath.

"And here I was hoping for a peaceful dip in the magic pond."

"No such luck. This is a test. The spring isn't just going to let anyone drink from it. We need to clear them out if we want to move forward."

Kyle said. His hand rested lightly on his sword hilt, but his posture was relaxed, almost casual.

Silvy frowned.

"A test? From who?"

Kyle's lips curved faintly.

"From whatever made this place—and whatever still watches over it."

The first monster lunged, its arm turning into a long, blade-like extension. Melissa met it with a swift parry, the impact ringing like struck glass.

The force sent her sliding back a step, but she quickly recovered and drove her sword forward, slicing through the glowing form. Instead of falling, the monster's body rippled, reforming instantly.

"It's not going down!"

She shouted.

"They won't."

Kyle said, drawing his sword in one smooth motion. The blade gleamed faintly as his mana wrapped around it.

"Not unless you erase their core. Aim for the center of their chest—anything else is wasted effort."

Another creature darted in, this one moving faster than the eye could follow. Bruce intercepted it, his axe cleaving downward.

The golden form shattered into dozens of motes of light before vanishing entirely.

"That's one."

Kyle said, stepping forward as two more rushed him. His sword moved like a flash of silver, each strike precise, efficient.

The first monster fell in a single cut, the second in a sweeping follow-up that left the air ringing.

Around them, the rest of the group engaged—Amana weaving barriers to block sudden lunges, Silvy loosing mana-infused arrows that pierced cores cleanly.

Bruce holding the left flank like an unshakable wall. Melissa fought at Kyle's right, her movements sharp and practiced, her blade a constant blur.

The monsters did not roar, did not bleed, did not hesitate.

They came endlessly, their golden forms reforming from the very air, each one striking with the force of a warhammer.

Even as they fought, the divine energy in the valley seemed to grow denser, pressing down on them, testing their endurance.

Sweat trickled down Melissa's temple, but her grip didn't falter.

"How many are there?"

She called, slicing through another core.

"As many as it takes to prove we belong here. The spring isn't looking for strength alone. It's watching how we fight—how we adapt."

Kyle replied, his voice calm even as he deflected three strikes in rapid succession.

One of the monsters lunged for Silvy from behind, but Kyle's sword cut it in half before it reached her.

She glanced at him briefly, breathless, but he was already moving on to the next target.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, the golden valley echoing with the sounds of steel meeting divine light.

Slowly, the tide began to shift—less because the monsters weakened, and more because the group had learned their rhythm.

Strikes found cores faster, teamwork grew sharper, and the relentless pressure became something they could push against instead of just endure.

Finally, Kyle cut down the last of the creatures in their immediate circle, its form exploding into a shower of golden motes that drifted gently to the ground before fading. The field fell silent again.

The group stood among the lilies, breathing hard, weapons still at the ready.

"Is it over?"

Bruce asked, scanning the horizon.

"For now. But don't let your guard down. This was just the first test. The spring hasn't accepted us yet."

Kyle said, sheathing his sword.

Melissa glanced toward the crystalline water, its surface still as glass.

"Then what's next?"

Kyle's gaze lingered on the pool. The divine glow reflected in his eyes, but there was no awe—only focus.

"Now, we see if it thinks we're worthy."

He said.

The divine beasts moved unnaturally, their bodies glowing with shifting patterns of radiant symbols, every strike leaving behind burns of pure light.

Bruce's sword clashed against a beast's claw, sending shockwaves through the ground.

Melissa stayed close to Kyle's flank, striking down smaller creatures before they could flank them.

Silvy, breathing heavily, felt her mana thinning faster than usual under the oppressive divine energy.

"Kyle! This place… it's draining us!" she shouted, blocking a lunging beast with a burst of flame.

Kyle's eyes narrowed.

"That's part of the trial. It's meant to push you to your limit before you're deemed worthy."

His voice was calm, but his blade moved with lethal precision, each swing severing limbs of the radiant monsters.

Amana, standing farther ahead, raised her halberd and released a wave of force that split open the ground, halting another charging beast.

"Then let's prove we're worthy before the spring decides otherwise."

Kyle gave a small nod, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.