My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

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

Using Void Steps, he created distance in an instant and raised his hand. Countless blood spears materialized in the air around him, each one radiating a dangerous mixture of Chaos Energy and Demonic Energy.

With a single thought, he launched them all at once.

The sky turned crimson as the rain of blood spears shot toward the dragon.

”ROOOOOAR!!”

The massive dragon unleashed another dense stream of dragon breath, trying to burn the spears out of existence. Explosions lit up the sky as many of them were destroyed mid-air... but there were simply too many.

Several spears pierced through the breath and stabbed into the dragon’s scales, leaving deep, burning wounds.

Yet this entire assault was only a distraction.

Nova’s real move was already in motion.

This was the first time Nova was attempting this new technique.

He had thought of the concept before, but his lightning had never been strong enough. Originally, the power from Judgment Flash was better suited for movement than raw destruction.

Continuous combat, however — constantly using Judgment Flash, Void Steps, and defensive maneuvers — had drastically deepened his comprehension of the lightning affinity.

Now, he could finally pull it off.

Below him, the colossal dragon was being overwhelmed by the endless rain of blood spears. It roared continuously, thrashing its massive body as it tried to defend itself.

Nova activated Death Gaze.

His eyes locked onto the dragon’s.

Even though he could not overpower a true Emperor Realm expert through pure strength alone, skills like Reality Override and Death Gaze existed precisely for this purpose — to create openings and force stronger opponents into vulnerable states.

Fortunately, a Level 1 Emperor dragon still fell within the range of what he could affect.

The moment their gazes met, the dragon’s massive body trembled.

For a brief instant, it saw its own death.

Behind Nova, the illusion of an enormous, ancient dragon seemed to appear — vast, cold, and filled with overwhelming pressure — staring down at it with indifferent eyes.

That single moment of distraction was fatal.

The blood spears that had been held back suddenly broke through. Dozens of them pierced into the dragon’s body, tearing through its tough scales and ripping large holes in its wings. Blood sprayed across the sky as the creature let out a pained roar.

Nova shot even higher into the air.

He raised one hand toward the sky.

The previously clear weather changed in an instant. Dark clouds gathered unnaturally fast as black lightning began to crackle violently above.

The phenomenon was restricted carefully within a fifty-kilometer radius so it wouldn’t spread too far and attract even more attention.

Rouve flew upward under the control of Voidborne Telekinesis.

Nova’s eyes shone with a deep violet light as he coated the weapon in dense Chaos Energy. His understanding of Chaos energy had grown significantly, and he was far more confident in controlling it now.

At the same time, he condensed thick, black Soul Pulses and forced them into Rouve as well.

The space around the weapon began to tremble and crack under the combined power.

All of this happened within sixty seconds.

By the time the dragon managed to partially shake off the effects of Death Gaze and the blood spears, it was already too late.

Nova’s voice rang out coldly across the battlefield.

”CHAOS THUNDER SOUL PULSE.”

Massive bolts of black lightning descended from the sky and poured into Rouve. The weapon, already overloaded with Chaos Energy and condensed Soul Pulses, transformed into a terrifying spear of destruction.

With a final surge of power, Nova launched it.

The attack shot forward at sonic speed, warping the space around it as it tore through the air with a deep, buzzing roar.

It pierced straight through the dragon’s back.

BOOOOOOOOM!!!

”ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!”

A violent explosion of black lightning, chaotic energy, and destructive soul force erupted from within the dragon’s body.

The massive creature’s roar of agony shook the entire Domain as its colossal frame was blasted downward, blood and shattered scales scattering across the sky.

The sheer force of the attack was far greater than Nova had anticipated.

The colossal body of the dragon was smashed downward like a falling mountain. It slammed into the earth with catastrophic force.

CRACK—!!

The ground split open in massive spiderweb-like fractures as a gigantic crater spanning nearly ten to twenty kilometers was carved into the land. The destruction was absolute — forests flattened, earth overturned, and the landscape permanently altered.

Nova hovered in the air, eyes slightly widened in shock.

Once again, he had underestimated the true power of his own skills.

The Domain shattered instantly.

The dragon’s massive form convulsed violently before slowly shrinking. Within moments, the colossal body reverted back into its human form.

A large, gaping hole remained in its chest where Rouve had pierced straight through it, pinning the corpse firmly into the ruined ground.

Ding!

[You have killed a level 1 Emperor Realm Dragon!]

[+EXP Earned.]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[...]

[...]

Nova descended calmly. He ignored the system notification for now.

He pulled Rouve free from the body and looked down at the dead Emperor Realm dragon with an indifferent gaze. Without hesitation, he removed the spatial ring from the corpse’s finger and stored it in his inventory.

This was an Emperor Realm powerhouse. Even in death, his soul would normally have remained intact, giving him a chance to escape or find another way to survive.

However, Nova’s attack had been infused with an incredibly powerful soul attack that directly shattered the dragon’s soul, leaving him with absolutely no chance of escape.

Nova had already calculated this possibility before launching his attack. Now, seeing the result, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

His soul attack was far denser and more powerful than the one he had used against Vex. Back then, Nova had been forcing his body beyond its limits by borrowing the Demon Lord’s aura and suppressing its overwhelming power.

This time, however, he was able to unleash his soul attack with far greater precision and strength.

Then his expression changed.

”Shit...”

Multiple powerful auras were rapidly approaching from the distance — more than one of them clearly at the Emperor Realm.

There was no time to waste.

Nova immediately converted the dragon’s corpse into a Deadborn. He didn’t even have time to properly examine it. With a quick order, he sent the newly created Deadborn into his resting space.

He then flashed toward the remaining members of the Eclipse Order.

Fortunately, he had deliberately drawn the battle far away from the original location. Their bodies, though heavily damaged, were not completely destroyed.

Nova only selected the peak King Realm corpses — five in total — and turned them into Deadborns as well.

With this, he now possessed several humanoid peak King Realm undead.

His next priority was the children.

He had previously ordered Yeti and Lich to move them at least a hundred kilometers away from the battlefield. However, the approaching auras were already entering that range.

Just as he was about to move—

A hand suddenly grabbed him from behind.

”Wha—?!”

Nova was pulled backward with surprising force. The moment he stabilized himself, the ruined battlefield was gone.

Instead of the massive crater and lingering destruction, he now stood in a completely different place.

Green scenery stretched out beneath him at high altitude, and in the distance, a vast mountain range rose under t

he clear sky.

There was no trace of the battle left behind.

”What are you? An idiot?”

A cold, familiar voice came from behind him. Nova turned around.

**

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