Chapter 175: The Infinite Dragon
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The beast gradually shrank in size, its appearance becoming more and more childlike. Aoki looked at the "little emperor" in the mirror.
This was the limit of what he could achieve for now.
Not only had the appearance changed, but even the body structure was almost identical to the little emperor.
After confirming there were no flaws, Aoki flashed and entered an empty hall from the cave.
The hall was completely barren, save for a high platform at its center.
This was where the Shikoutazer could be activated.
Before taking the little emperor away, he had placed a space mark here.
Aoki glanced toward the entrance.
The door was sealed.
Esdeath, Budo, and the others clearly had no idea that his ultimate goal was the Shikoutazer.
Without wasting any time, Aoki climbed onto the platform and touched the activation switch.
One second, two seconds... Two minutes passed in an instant, and still, there was no movement.
"Failed," Aoki muttered, lowering his hand, mentally prepared for this outcome.
He had been unable to decipher the secret of the royal bloodline. He knew beforehand that it would be difficult to deceive the Shikoutazer through mere imitation.
Activating his "space shuttle," Aoki returned to the cave where the Shikoutazer rested, but he didn't pause. He immediately began his second attempt.
The little emperor lay motionless on the bed, his eyes closed, his breathing weak.
Aoki made a small cut on his finger, letting a few drops of blood fall, flowing through the wound on the little emperor's body and merging into him.
The little emperor's body twitched suddenly. His breathing grew stronger, and the wounds on his body healed at a rapid pace. Moments later, he transformed into a demon.
Without waiting for the little emperor to awaken, Aoki used "Demon Devouring" to absorb him.
In this hidden space, beside the empire's guardian, the last emperor passed away in silence.
Sensing the subtle changes in his body, Aoki adjusted himself, then left to return to the palace and try again.
A short time later.
Aoki returned to the cave and looked at the Shikoutazer.
Another failure.
Both of the initial methods he had considered had failed.
He wasn't too surprised by this.
After all, he had a premonition when reading Honest's memories.
"There's only one last option."
Aoki took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
He had long suspected that the imperial weapons would assimilate their users. So, could he exploit this property and actively assimilate the imperial weapon himself, bypassing its usage restrictions?
After studying the bodies of the four Rakshasa demons and Leone, he found that this approach was indeed feasible.
For others, it might seem like pure fantasy, but for him, there was a real chance of success.
This was the third method he had prepared.
However, it came with its own risks.
First, even if he succeeded, what he would gain would no longer be an imperial weapon but a dangerous and powerful bloodline that might trigger unknown changes in his body.
Second, the process involved a certain level of danger.
Being assimilated by an imperial weapon would mean resurrecting an extremely dangerous species, with the potential loss of self-awareness.
After carefully weighing the risks, Aoki concluded it was worth a try.
He wasn't an ordinary person. With the accumulation of titles like "King of the White Walkers" and his other professions, his four-dimensional attributes were already formidable.
Even if the consciousness of a super-dangerous species were to revive, it might not surpass his strength in the early stages.
And if things did spiral out of control, he could always abandon the attempt.
All he needed was to leave a small mass of flesh outside, allowing him to discard his body at any moment.
Crash!
Aoki unfolded massive black wings from his back, soaring into the air until he was level with the head of the Shikoutazer.
'The control center of the Shikoutazer should be here.'
After a brief observation, Aoki plunged himself in, his body slowly melting into the system.
"You won't let me control it? Then I'll just enter it directly!" he thought, as he actively sought to feel and connect with the power of the Shikoutazer.
At first, he felt nothing. But as his fusion with the Shikoutazer deepened, he gradually sensed a powerful energy.
It was like a massive fireball hovering above him—hot, bright, but just out of reach.
Aoki tried to move closer to the "fireball," but no matter how hard he pushed, the distance between them didn't shrink.
He could feel that the huge "fireball" was also yearning for him. However, a formidable force kept them apart.
Soon, Aoki had a realization.
"Is this the limitation of the imperial weapon?"
The power of the imperial tools largely came from materials extracted from the bodies of super-dangerous species, but those powers were restricted by secret techniques and other materials.
What stood between him and the Shikoutazer was a manifestation of this restraining force.
Rather than feeling disappointed, Aoki was pleasantly surprised.
The abstract bloodline requirements had transformed into a tangible obstacle.
This was significant progress.
Aoki focused on the restraint and realized it resembled a kind of spiritual energy.
So, he prepared.
"Soul Shock!"
Aoki summoned all his strength, forming an invisible wave that condensed into a spear and shot into the body of the Shikoutazer
Boom!
It felt as though a dam had been breached, and the energy within surged forth instantly.
There was no need for Aoki to keep attacking. The sheer violence of the unleashed power caused the crack to widen rapidly.
It felt like he was hit by a massive wave, hundreds of meters high. The terrifying force submerged him completely.
Simultaneously, a faint, ferocious roar, filled with layers of anger and hatred, echoed in his ears, as if countless voices were superimposed.
Aoki's body felt as if it were being torn apart by an enormous force, on the verge of collapse, while his consciousness was bombarded relentlessly.
He was startled but remained composed.
That restraint wasn't an obstacle; it was a protective barrier for the user.
Now that he had deliberately broken it, he naturally had to face the violent force contained within the Shikoutazer.
This was precisely his goal.
Aoki relaxed both body and mind, welcoming the power into himself, all while keeping his consciousness alert in case something went wrong and he needed to retreat.
Boom!
A tremendous force surged into his body, while a wild and chaotic consciousness stormed through his mind.
Aoki held firm.
Time passed slowly.
[Ding Dong! A large amount of blood power has been detected!]
[Absorbing!]
Suddenly, two system prompts echoed in his mind, and Aoki's attention sharpened.
"It's finally here!"
This was his greatest advantage.
What kind of super-dangerous species' consciousness could surpass the power of the system?
Once inside his domain, even a dragon would have to submit!
However, Aoki didn't fully let his guard down.
He noticed the critical words in the system's notification: "a large amount of blood power."
He had previously theorized that the Shikoutazer was constructed using materials from more than one super-dangerous species.
Now, that theory had been confirmed.
This was the second extraordinary class he was acquiring, and its development remained unclear.
As time dragged on, Aoki grew increasingly anxious.
The "demon bloodline" had been absorbed swiftly before, but this time the process seemed to be taking too long.
Was it due to the sheer volume of the bloodline power?
Just then, a voice like music to his ears rang out in his mind.
[All blood absorption complete! Congratulations, you have obtained the profession "Infinite Dragon Beast."]
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T/N: I will upload 2 chapters a day until we finish this volume or world. You can give some power stones for it, just saying.
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T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early access of 40 chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite
And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon