The Beginning After The End novel Chapter 34

Undergoing Dragon’s Awakening seemed to startle Sylvie, who was now frantically asking me what had happened from wherever she was.

It’s fine, Sylv. I want you to stay away for now and if anything happens, go back to the Helsteas’ house for me.

’No! I’m going to go towards you now, Papa. Hold on!’ I could sense Sylvie getting closer but she was still a few dozen kilometers away.

Stay away, Sylv! Please! I need someone to tell my family what happens just in case, I transmitted, the voice in my head coming out desperate.

I didn’t know if I was going to make it out of this alive, and I didn’t want my family wondering what happened and why the ring activated.

’Be careful...’

Thanks, Sylv.

One of the abilities of my first phase, Acquire, allowed me to temporarily separate myself from the space and time around me, which seemed to also be one of Sylvia’s innate skills. That phase was limited in many ways because I wasn’t a dragon. The limited mana I had access to, as well as the physical burden the ability placed on me, restricted what I could actually do when I activated the ’Acquire’ phase.

The most efficient way to best use this phase—I realized when I was training with Grandpa Virion—was by utilizing the Thunderclap Impulse spell alongside it. I would activate my first phase in short millisecond bursts while the reaction time of my body was increased dramatically from the lightning-attribute skill; this allowed me to react and counter almost anything. That was the most efficient way I could think of, since I couldn’t affect anything that was "frozen" while the first phase was activated. Even though I wasn’t able to keep it up for long, that was my biggest trump card. The fact that the first phase of my beast will wasn’t noticeable by those around me made it all the more useful.

I thought back to the time at the auction house when I had first used the ’Acquire’ phase on someone else. Sebastian wasn’t able to communicate with anyone besides me since I separated us from the time and space of those around us. I only lasted a few seconds before I ended up crippled in bed the next day.

Right now, though, was one of those times when my first phase wouldn’t be so useful. No matter how fast I could react to this tsunami of vines, I wouldn’t be able to dodge or escape from it in one piece.

There was no other choice.

As I unleashed the dormant power of Sylvia’s will deep inside my mana core, I felt every pore in my body open as a surge of mana began raging in and out of my body.

The space around me distorted and the ground below my feet began cracking from the mana surrounding my body.

Color drained from my vision as I was only able to see in shades of gray. The only colors I was able to see were from the numerous particles of mana in the atmosphere around me, all shimmering according to their corresponding elements.

The surge of mana that had been rampaging around me suddenly got sucked up and compressed into my body as the feeling of insurmountable power overwhelmed me. The sense of superiority over everything, living or not, in this universe, almost drove me crazy. I suppressed the growing temptation to obliterate everything around me out of sheer mania.

"Kuh!" I gasped aloud.

The mana in the atmosphere seemed to bend to my will, as if even nature was now under my command.

Phase Two. Dragon’s Awakening... Integrate.

The golden runes, the same markings that Sylvia once had, ran down my arms and back with a burning sensation. I could see my hair growing longer, flowing down to my shoulder, as the once auburn color of my hair turned a bright luminescent white, swaying from the swirl of energy constantly encompassing me. In a way, it was like my body was becoming more like Sylvia’s.

After calming the voice inside my head that suggested I go on a rampage, I examined my surroundings. Jasmine and Elijah were the only ones left. Elijah was beside Jasmine now, who was still out of breath and sweating in pain, supporting her with his shoulders. Elijah was staring at me with a dazed expression, his once serious face almost comical as his glasses drooped down his broken nose.

Another thunderous crash jolted my attention back to the task at hand.

The tsunami of vines that made up the elderwood guardian expanded as a face formed within the wave. The face bore down at me balefully, ignoring everyone else but me. The mana beast that once looked at us like we were insects now displayed a trace of fear.

"Let’s play," I growled, revealing a smirk.

The world moved around me in slow motion as I leaped, willing wind into the soles of my feet. I instantly cleared the distance between the elderwood guardian and myself as the storming gale I propelled myself with left a crater bigger than the spell Elijah had used.

[Thunderclap Impulse]

A surge of black lightning coiled around my body as I effortlessly dodged the thousands of vines that shot out at me.

Every vine that the tendrils of black lightning touched instantly disintegrated and withered away, but for every vine that crumbled, dozens replaced it. Using the vines that were shooting at me as a foothold, I breezed through the onslaught of thorn-covered vines as thick as my body, drawing nearer to the core of the elderwood guardian.

I could already feel the recoil from using the second phase as my body began trembling and I held back the need to vomit blood.

It was time to end this.

"White fire," I muttered.

My hands ignited and became engulfed in a blazing white flame that seemed to freeze the moisture in the air around it. This was the most powerful offensive skill that I had in my arsenal, but one that was also the hardest to control. While my Lightning Attribute skills were focused more towards one-on-one combat, I geared my ice attribute techniques for a more widespread form of destruction, just in case the situation arose.

The white fire ablaze in my hands grew larger as I absorbed the now-visible specks of water attribute mana particles into my body. Using the last of my strength, I released my final skill.

[Absolute Zero]

The elderwood guardian, who was in the form of a giant wave of entangled vines, rapidly became encased in ice as the very atoms that made up the mana beast froze in place where the white fire had spread.

Exploding forth the black lightning around me, deadly coils of dark electricity traced through the frozen tsunami of vines and instantly shattered it, leaving only the beast’s mana core.

The second phase wore off as I heaved out a mouthful of blood. As my body began plummeting down, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the shimmering fragments of ice that once made up the legendary S class mana beast; It had the surreal effect that one would only see in a dream.

As my consciousness faded, the last thing I heard was the distant echo of Sylv’s cry in my head. _{freёwebnovel.com}

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As soon as I woke up, I immediately wished I could be unconscious again. An intense wave of searing pain spread all over my body, leaving me helplessly immobile as a stream of tears rolled down my cheeks. I vomited both blood and the remains of the little food I had eaten since arriving at the dungeon. Every muscle, every pore, every fiber of my body felt like it was getting sawed slowly by a scalding blade.

Without even the strength to utter a cry of pain, I just cursed miserably in my mind.

"You’re awake!" A voice called out from beside me.

Focusing all of my will into staying awake, I ignored the voice.

After a moment of hollow silence, I managed to to utter a few sounds.

"G-Glove. My glove," I practically coughed out, turning my head to the side so I wouldn’t choke on my own blood.

"What about your glove?" I could see Elijah’s face now as he removed the glove my parents had given me from my hand.

"B-Break one of the c-crystals on the glove and give... me." I almost passed out from the pain again, but before I did, Elijah managed to understand and follow my stuttered instructions.

A pleasant surge of soothing light enveloped my body, and the once unbearable pain eased enough so I could calm down a little. I tried to get up but my body, once again, refused to listen. Lying motionless on my back, I assessed the situation now, since my cognitive abilities were no longer completely focused on enduring the pain.

Around us, it was dark and cramped, with the only source of light coming from a small fire in the middle of our small group.

"Where’s Jasmine?" I croaked, struggling to turn my neck as I searched for her. As another wave of pain clenched at my insides, I was reminded of the time when I was four and had fallen off the cliff.

Good, friggin’ times.

Elijah pointed to other end of the small shed we were huddled in. "She’s over there."

Just barely lifting my head, I was able to spot Jasmine lying against the far wall. Her face was wrinkled in pain as beads of sweat littered above her brows.