My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

The impact was catastrophic.

A violent shockwave exploded outward for several kilometers, flattening trees and tearing up the earth. A massive, wide crater was carved into the ground where the dragon landed, dust and debris rising high into the air.

This was exactly why battles between Emperor Realm powerhouses rarely took place near civilized lands.

A single serious exchange was enough to permanently change the geography of an entire area.

Nova hovered in the sky above the crater, black lightning still faintly crackling around his body as he looked down at the dust-filled battlefield.

Nova’s expression tightened.

The scale of their battle was already large enough to draw attention. At this rate, the security forces from the royal capital would notice the disturbance and arrive soon — and they would almost certainly bring true powerhouses with them.

He needed to end this quickly.

Suddenly, the aura inside the dust cloud surged violently.

”Fuck... he activated his Domain!”

An Emperor’s Domain was their strongest trump card. It boosted their overall strength and applied heavy suppression on anyone inside it. Nova immediately felt the pressure trying to weigh down on him.

However, the effect was far weaker than expected.

The dragon was only a Level 1 Emperor, and between Nova’s Primordial Physique and his own superior Dragonic aura, the suppression was reduced to almost nothing.

A passing thought crossed his mind.

If Vex had used his Domain back then, the fight would have been far more difficult... and Nova might not have won so cleanly.

The dragon shot out of the dust cloud, rising into the sky. Despite taking Nova’s earlier hammer strike head-on, he was only lightly wounded.

A few cuts marked his body, but nothing serious — a clear reminder of how tough a dragon’s body truly was.

His white cloak was torn, revealing patches of skin that were already beginning to harden. Brown scales rapidly spread across his body.

”Good... I don’t know which clan you belong to, but you certainly possess a powerful Dragonic aura.”

Nova raised an eyebrow slightly. The dragon had clearly mistaken him for a fellow dragon.

There was no need to correct him.

He would be dead soon enough.

The dragon’s voice turned colder.

”But even so... you will still die inside my Domain. You shouldn’t have interfered in the Eclipse Order’s business.”

His body began to expand.

More scales erupted across his skin as his aura skyrocketed. Within seconds, his human form completely vanished, replaced by a colossal dragon nearly 100 meters in length.

”ROOOOOAAAAARRR!!”

The roar shook the forest for kilometers. The pressure in the air rose sharply as the massive dragon locked its eyes on Nova and let out a mocking, guttural laugh.

Nova glanced at the creature’s size and scoffed inwardly.

{ That’s normal. He’s still a young dragon. At that stage, most of them only reach around 80 to 100 meters. }

”Hmm... then how come my dragon for—”

Liya cut him off before he could finish the thought.

{ I already told you. Fundamental rules don’t fully apply to you. You’re not a naturally born dragon. When you transform, you become a complete and true dragon... and your soul strength is the biggest factor behind the size. }

{ That’s also why maintaining that form consumes so much mana. And don’t even try to imagine the size of the Demonic-Dragon Transformation Stage 2. }

Nova absorbed the explanation quickly, then forced his focus back onto the battle.

The colossal dragon swung its massive tail toward him like a mountain-sized whip.

Nova dodged the first strike with Void Steps, reappearing higher in the sky. The dragon roared again and lashed out a second time with even greater force.

This time Nova tried to meet it head-on, pouring power into Rouve.

BOOOOM!!

The clash lasted only an instant.

The sheer mass and strength behind the dragon’s tail overpowered him. Nova was smashed downward like a meteor, crashing into the forest below.

The impact created a violent explosion of earth and shattered trees, leaving a deep crater in his wake.

Dust and debris rose high into the air as the massive dragon hovered above, its golden eyes burning with killing intent.

Nova slowly rose from the destroyed ground, black lightning faintly crackling around his body once more.

Just as Nova was about to launch himself back into the sky, something suddenly wrapped around his legs.

He looked down and saw multiple strange plants rapidly growing out of the ground. Thick vines and thorny roots coiled tightly around his limbs, and a dense, greenish mist began spreading from them.

The moment the mist touched him, Nova’s breath hitched.

The potency of the poison was extremely high.

”HAHAHAHAHA!”

The dragon’s mocking laughter echoed from above.

”Now feel it! That poison will kill you from the inside... its potency is far beyond ordinary toxins. While you’re suffering, I’ll smash you and burn you to ash!”

With that, the massive dragon opened its jaws and unleashed a dense, concentrated dragon breath. A violent stream of destructive energy shot straight toward Nova.

In that instant, everything became clear.

The poisonous plants were part of the dragon’s innate skill — and the foundation of his Domain. Within only a few seconds, the entire Domain, which spanned roughly fifty kilometers due to him being a Level 1 Emperor, was completely filled with highly potent poison.

Ding!

[Harmful poison detected]

[Poison Resistance activated]

[Poison potency is high...]

Ding!

[Infinite Adaptation Core is activating...]

[Your Poison Resistance has leveled up]

[Your Poison Resistance has leveled up]

[Your Poison Resistance has leveled up]

[...]

Notification after notification flashed in front of Nova’s eyes.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Although the poison was powerful, the choking, burning sensation inside his body was rapidly decreasing.

Under the continuous pressure of such a high-level toxin, his Poison Resistance was evolving at an astonishing speed.

Nova immediately transformed Rouve into a large shield and poured his power into it.

BOOOOM!!

The dragon breath slammed into the shield with terrifying force. The impact pushed him several meters back, cracks spreading across the ground beneath his feet.

Even with his current strength, blocking a true dragon’s breath — especially one belonging to a Superior Dragon — required serious effort.

He gritted his teeth and held firm.

He couldn’t afford to drag this fight out any longer.

The security forces from the capital would arrive soon. If high-level powerhouses from the royal family or the major orders got involved, the situation would become far more troublesome.

Nova’s eyes turned sharp as black lightning began gathering around his body once more.

Nova vanished.

Using Void Steps, he reappeared directly in front of the colossal dragon’s head. The massive reptilian eyes widened in disbelief.

”What?! How the fuck are you still fine?!”

Nova’s lips curved into a cold, mocking smile.

”You’re not a worthy enough dragon to face this mighty ancestor standing in front of you.”

The words struck deeper than any attack.

The dragon was nearly nine hundred years old. In his eyes, Nova was nothing more than a young upstart. Being called ”ancestor” by someone who appeared so much younger ignited pure rage in his heart.

”You—!”

He never got the chance to finish.

Nova’s aura suddenly changed.

The Dragonic presence he had been releasing was abruptly overshadowed as a far denser and more oppressive force expanded from his body — Demonic Dominion Aura.

The pressure multiplied several times over.

The colossal dragon’s body visibly trembled. His massive eyes widened in pure shock as an instinctive fear crept into his heart.

The aura was both familiar and completely unknown at the same time. It car

ried traces of something demonic, yet it was mixed with other energies that made it impossible to fully recognize.

Before the dragon could regain his composure, Nova moved again.

**

Thanks for reading...