Chapter 16: | Awakening
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I was confused.
How?
How was it counterattacking me when I'd already twisted and clawed at its flesh?
My eyes sharpened, my gaze directed at the Leviathan's body.
Impossible, was all I could think.
How?
How could my attack be this ineffective?
The claw markings I'd made on its body were not effective at all, all they did was cause flesh-level damage.
Its flesh, no, its scales, were too tough for me to break through, even with my cereum gauntlet.
But this situation wasn't hopeless.
I had yet to use my mana or transform into that form I had refined and developed for years.
Mana flooded into my nervous system.
I could feel my strength increasing by a few times.
I heaved a breath, calming myself and focusing.
The Leviathan's gaze was cold and calculating as more swords appeared on its back.
The wind blew, and a rock hit the ground.
Blur-Lance Execution Drive.
My form vanished, as did the Leviathan's swords.
They flashed out of existence, my gaze tracked them as I shifted and danced along with them.
Then, with a burst of speed, time slowed as my claws slashed at the Leviathan's form.
Afterimages appeared as claw markings trickled on its body.
Flashes of swords then hurled into me, but it was all futile as my claws struck and destroyed all of them.
Then, landing on the ground, I muttered coldly as the lines ruptured.
Its flesh twisted, and blood splattered from its wounds, afterimages appeared as it danced into the air.
"Primeval Emperor – First Form: Ruined Fury of the Emperor."
All of it happened in a split second.
I could feel the Leviathan's shock and confusion.
But it regained its composure, saying coldly.
"Impressive, to be able to wound me... but your efforts were nothing but futile."
I could feel it, see it, as its aura flared beyond.
Armaments then materialized in the air, donning the Leviathan as it scoffed and snorted.
"Come! And show me your true strength, young Emperor."
My true strength?
This creature was worthy of witnessing my true strength.
My form shifted, then enlarged as my muscles bulged, then compressed, though I returned to my base form.
No, it wasn't my base form anymore.
My white hair took a metallic sheen as elegantly shaped twin horns took shape on my head.
My eyes turned into slits as my already crimson-red irises deepened.
Then pain flared on my back as wings, draconic and sleek, broke free.
A tail, covered in an exoskeleton of cereum, protruded from my tailbone.
Then, armor made of cereum protruded from my flesh, covering my body from head to toe.
I couldn't help but crack my neck.
Perhaps this was too flashy?
But elegance is power, right?
I couldn't argue with that, and I guess it was time for me to get serious.
Adrenaline pumped in my blood as my form became like that of an armored werewolf, or perhaps 'lizard' is the more accurate description.
But taming that Dragonization I got from Kaire was too much, I nearly lost control trying to suppress the insanity within it.
Then I incorporated it into this very form, along with my other transformation skills, stacking all of them to create this glorious form of mine.
The Leviathan was shocked at my transformation.
Its jaw dropped.
"How? How can you be cooler than me?"
What?
What was this bastard saying?
Don't we clash, then fight each other to the death after transforming into our final form?
So why are you asking why I'm cooler?
The Leviathan shouted as its snake-like body trembled in rage.
"This is unacceptable! Vanish before me, Whark!"
Then I saw it, light flashing before me as countless swords struck my body.
But it was useless, my armor, made of cerium and other materials, easily deflected its barrage of weak attacks.
The Leviathan was enraged as a massive sword descended from the heavens.
Then chains appeared out of thin air and restrained my arms and legs.
"Damned bastard! How dare you use a dirty trick!"
I shouted as rage boiled within me.
My mana ran rampant as my form trembled, and with a swipe of my claw, the chains snapped.
Then a straight line appeared in the sky as the sword was cut in half before it could reach me.
With a loud explosion, it erupted against the nearby peaks.
"Primeval Emperor – Second Form: Emperor True Wrath."
Then I moved my legs as the chains broke and took my steps.
Time slowed down as the alarmed face of the Leviathan could be seen.
How could its opponent destroy its AsAscensio VI, Tier 5, with 4 evolutions, and render it this useless?
Even with its armaments, the Leviathan wasn't confident enough to defend itself from the attacks of this being before it.
Its situation was hopeless as its Heaven's Judgment failed.
But it couldn't die here, it refused to die here or be subordinated to anyone.
He was Lumicor, the one fated to rule his race, the one who failed to ascend to his throne.
"I am Lumicor, the true ruler of my race, so how can I be enslaved!"
Lumicor shouted as his mana ran rampant.
His aura exploded as he shouted in indignation and hatred.
"No one can stop me! For I am destined for greatness!"
Lumicor's form brightened as it intensified every second.
Then, with a brilliant flash, the entire place turned white.
"Alister! Kill that bastard right now! It's your only chance!"
Samantha shouted, yelling in urgency.
But I shouted back in confusion.
"Why?"
"That guy is awakening its skill's true potential!"
Samantha shouted, her voice trembling.
Interesting.
So there was an awakening, and I couldn't help but wonder if this Leviathan before me awakened, how strong would it become?
"Finally, after decades of training! Finally, you have awakened!"
Lumicor was exasperated that his skill, Divine Armaments of the Sacred Deity (a 10-star Ascension VIII, Tier 9, with 7 evolutions), had finally awakened its true potential.
It was far harder to awaken, since it's an Ascension VIII skill.
But looking at his form right now, Lumicor could feel it.
The surge of power, his form was truly formidable.
With his current stage, Lumicor could understand that he could unleash a fraction of its true strength.
But it was enough for him to kill this Emperor before him and obtain the title 'Emperor Slayer.'
Lumicor's armaments became more divine as a broken halo floated above his head.
"Entertain me, and I shall spare you."
My brows furrowed into a frown as I recalled that very moment when Liora abandoned me.
Truly, this guy had truly pissed me off.
But with this amount of strength, it was futile for me to fight him.
I could feel it, the difference in our power was too much.
Maybe I should pull that power, the very power that helped me kill Ashin Sae Acoustine in our first encounter.
It was something primal, a primal desire for destruction, a primal desire to be on top of all creation.
Yeah, this was it.
This was that very feeling.
Unknown energy flooded my nervous system as my strength flared.
But I pulled again and again, as I was not satisfied by the very power it gave me.
I needed more... more strength than this to truly defeat him.
Holograms appeared again and again as I ignored them.
My form began to crack like molten rock.
Then, with a loud explosion, the cracks exploded, revealing a new me.
I could feel it, my mana was gone, replaced by something primal.
Samantha's expression turned gloomy as she remembered that very day, the day that the Dragon Emperor was utterly thrashed by the Whark Emperor after he awakened his race.
That Whark harnessed an energy as familiar and similar as her husband's.
She could feel it, and she shivered from the realization.
Don't tell me that bastard awakened his race without any backlash!
How?
How was this possible?
Samantha was shocked, as awakening one's race can be tedious and fatal to most.
Awakening one's race means truly unlocking the dormant power of their race.
For example, a dragon's awakening would allow them to create their true Dragon Heart, but the failure of it means crippling its Dragon Heart and its future.
And for a Whark, awakening their latent power would mean instant death.
From what Samantha recalled, only the first Emperor of the Wharks had awakened his race.
But he nearly died from its awakening.
So how?
How can her husband, no, her handsome man, easily awaken his race like it's a walk in the park?
How?
Even Samantha couldn't awaken her race or her skills, as she was too weak to handle it.
But how could her husband awaken it like it was nothing special?
Samantha was flabbergasted by the very existence of Alister Von Fai.
All she could say was.
"Monster."