Minerva's face turned red.
"That's a special artifact capable of minimizing the power of calamity lightning. I've never used it, but I can guarantee the effectiveness."
My Power of Will stirred and analyzed this oddly-shaped artifact.
Its method of usage was actually quite simple: injecting willpower and energy as fuel.
The arrays embedded within the artifact automatically processed the absorbed energy, creating a reversal effect against the calamity lightning.
Beyond that, this reversal not only reduced the power of the calamity lightning but also severed its regeneration capabilities.
What made it special was the mysterious reversal effect itself. I couldn't quite grasp how it worked. Was it akin to mirror reflection or something entirely different?
Unfortunately, the artifact only worked against lightning turbulence.
"Don't ask me how it works. There are things only higher-level Sages can comprehend, and that's beyond us for now."
Nod—
Nod—
I nodded at Minerva's explanation.
Better to focus on the task at hand.
Now, all that remained was to deal with this calamity lightning.
In the distance...
The calamity lightning had remained still since arriving in this space.
Even as Minerva and I drew closer, it didn't react, as though completely unaware of our presence.
"Your technique is impressive. Is this your domain?"
"Domain? I don't even know what that is."
The ability of Midnight Haven was actually quite straightforward.
"... I'll explain later. For now, hit it with the artifact."
The ability trapped the enemy in darkness, applied debuffs, and enhanced shadow-type powers within its range.
The runes and arrays within the artifact began to glow, rapidly absorbing my Power of Will and elemental energy.
"Alright, here I go!"
POK—
I inserted the artifact into a channel within the lightning's form.
"..."
"Are you sure this will work?"
The calamity lightning twitched momentarily, but even the smallest vibrations were immediately detected by Minerva and me with our enhanced senses.
WOOSH—
The form of the calamity lightning began to shift gradually. The warrior-like figure it previously used transformed into the form of a golden shenlong.
"T—that..."
Minerva's surprised voice echoed from afar.
ROAAAR!
The deafening roar of the shenlong reverberated through the darkness.
"Attack it, Arov! Its regeneration ability has weakened, but be careful of its true form."
"Heh, you don't need to tell me—I'll kill this bastard anyway!"
I clenched my hand as if gripping something.
A shadowy blade emerged from my hand, but its surface was different—black and gray in color.
Power of Will flowed perfectly through the blade.
"Take this! Eclipsing Blade!"
A massive shadow blade formed above the lightning shenlong, capable of locking onto its target no matter where it moved.
[A new skill has been created: Eclipsing Blade (Grandmaster—Comprehensive Stage)]
The lightning shenlong was trapped within the influence of Midnight Haven, unable to escape the incoming Eclipsing Blade.
BOOM—
CRASH—
CRACK—
KYAAAAH—
The massive shadow blade pierced the shenlong's body, spanning tens of kilometers, in a single strike!
Something felt off.
"Be careful, Arov. The shenlong hasn't fully unleashed its power yet."
CLICK—
A strange phenomenon occurred.
A clicking sound, like a switch being flipped, spread through the darkness.
The vitality of the shenlong, which had been drained to the brink of death, suddenly surged. Even my giant shadow blade vanished from its body as if time had rewound to moments earlier.
I furrowed my brows.
"Good luck, Arov! I'm cheering for you from back here!"
"Damn it..."
Couldn't she take this more seriously?
She'd even prepared a chair and popcorn!
KZZZZT!
Golden lightning crackled through the darkness!
Its target was me.
"Eclipsing Blade."
The massive shadow blade shrank and fused with my sword.
The golden lightning approached rapidly.
A clash was inevitable.
I swung my sword, and the golden shenlong retaliated with its sharp claws!
KUANG!
My strike and the shenlong's attack collided.
The massive shadow blade and the enormous golden claw dominated the entire area.
For now, there was no winner.
Their clash illuminated the darkness, creating an epic and tense spectacle!
"... Heh, is this all the calamity lightning has?"
GRAWR!
Provoked, the golden shenlong roared, intensifying the power of its giant lightning claw.
The shenlong began mobilizing its Power of Will!
Not to be outdone, I poured nearly all my remaining Power of Will into the fight.
The shadow blade became even more solid, exerting an overwhelmingly heavy presence.
Meanwhile, the golden lightning claw shone with a radiant, pulsating purple glow.
BOOM—
BOOM—
BOOM—
The two forces clashed repeatedly, supersonic shockwaves rippling outward.
The impact could be felt even beyond the area of Midnight Haven!
"HYAAAA!"
My wrist swelled and fractured visibly, while my elemental regeneration and Devil Change worked tirelessly to heal the injuries.
I felt my Power of Will evolving slowly within me.
I was determined to break through my limits now.
"Everlasting Elemental Sovereign—100% Full Power!"
My Power of Will surged, growing rapidly!
CRASH!
The golden shenlong, weakened by Minerva's artifact, was now on the defensive.
ROAAAR!
Sensing its impending death, the golden shenlong prepared to unleash everything it had.
"Good! Good! You're making me excited! Let's die together!"
In this clash, the one who ran out of energy first would lose.
CRACK!
Cracks spread across the surface of the golden lightning claw.
The cracks quickly expanded like a web.
SWOOSH—
CRASSSH!
The golden claw shattered, and my massive shadow blade struck through.
In its final moments, the golden shenlong gazed at me.
It saw not a victor, but a terrifying monster grinning with satisfaction—not for victory, but for the sheer thrill of battle. That menacing smirk said it all.
The massive shadow blade pierced the golden shenlong's head, splitting it in two.
CHWAK!
Dark energy and Power of Will within the blade spread, reducing the shenlong's body to countless smaller fragments.
"Huff... That was a bit troublesome."
More than half of my mana and elemental energy had been drained.
I gazed at the golden shenlong's remains one last time.
But something shone where it had fallen.
I quickly flew toward it, suspecting a high likelihood of regeneration.
"This!"
A golden egg floated serenely in the void.
"Is this the rebirth method of the golden shenlong?"
Minerva, standing beside me, seemed just as clueless.
"The phenomenon you've just experienced is far from normal."
The roots of Yggdrasil wrapped around the golden egg, and Minerva's Power of Will began investigating its contents.
"You've lost your memories, suddenly created techniques on par with a low-tier Sage, destroyed the nest of an Evil Dragon, experienced a Power of Will enlightenment, entered the Ascension Gate, recreated a body compatible with your Power of Will, entered calamity lightning, nearly got killed by the Ascension Gate, provoked the Ascension Gate, ended up pursued by the calamity lightning's manifestation, killed the calamity lightning's true form, and now you've managed to separate the calamity lightning's Power of Will and nurture it into a new and distinct consciousness..."
"..."
"I didn't even know calamity lightning had a natural consciousness. Some higher-tier Sages claim creations of the Ascension Gate lack consciousness altogether. So, what the hell are you, Arov?"
The golden egg floated toward me.
"Congratulations, you've just become a father..."
"... HAH?"