Chapter 248

Wellington’s brilliant light cannon never fully reached Hilda.

Before it could strike her completely, the Soaring Dragon suddenly descended from the sky and intervened.

To subdue his disciple, the Soaring Dragon reached out to press Wellington’s head down with his hand.

Wellington swiftly twisted his body to evade the strike.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Boom!

A cloud of dust erupted where he had been standing, and the Soaring Dragon emerged from the debris.

"Borrowing the power of the Nagas, are you? Your senses have become remarkably sharp."

Wellington quickly readjusted his stance and raised his sword.

"Master…"

"Despite me forcing you into such dire straits, you still call me that. I’m grateful."

He was too late.

Wellington knew it.

The opportunity had been when the Soaring Dragon wasn’t present, when Hilda wasn’t focused on him. His attack should have landed directly then.

But with the Soaring Dragon’s sudden intervention, the attack had failed.

Fortunately, some part of it seemed to have struck Hilda.

But whether it had landed a critical hit remained to be seen.

“There’s no other choice.”

Gritting his teeth, Wellington leveled his sword at the Soaring Dragon.

He hadn’t expended all of his strength yet, so he still had enough left to face his master.

If he could just defeat the Soaring Dragon, he could turn his attention back to Hilda.

“I never wanted to harm you, Master…”

The Soaring Dragon had been one of the few to comfort Wellington during his loneliest moments, alongside Theo.

While others only admired the Soaring Dragon’s polished exterior, Wellington had seen the man who understood his empty heart.

He held his master in deep respect, but this respect could no longer be expressed in the current situation.

"You seem lost in thought. Still, you must believe the path you’re on is the right one, don’t you?"

As if reading Wellington’s mind, the Soaring Dragon smiled brightly.

When Wellington nodded heavily, the Soaring Dragon drew his own sword.

"Then why hesitate? You must forge your path yourself. If you believe your path is correct, then prove it—with your blade. Come."

“…I will.”

Gaaaaah!

The Naga Tribe’s canticle began once more.

Wellington lunged forward, his body shrouded in light.

Fwoosh!

***

"Something's wrong!"

Ray’s instincts screamed at him as the radiant light scattered from Wellington’s body, filling him with an overwhelming sense of unease.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

"…We have to stop him."

"Ray?"

"I’ve seen this before. From Mother. That light."

"What?"

Ray recalled how Niel, the Palace Lord of Suheon, would sometimes meditate in pursuit of enlightenment. During those moments, a similar light would always surround her.

When Ray had asked about it, her mother had smiled and explained,

"It’s the light meant to open the heavens."

Niel had once lamented bitterly that while this light had always been permitted for her husband, it seemed forever out of her reach.

"That light raises one’s realm. It elevates them."

"Really? Then doesn’t that mean Wel is just becoming stronger…?"

"No. It means he’s about to Ascend."

"…!"

Erica, too, finally grasped the gravity of the situation. Her expression hardened.

"…Now that I think about it, I’ve heard of something similar. The Sacred Demon Cult… the more their fanatics embrace the power of their god, the stronger they become. But in exchange, their life force diminishes."

The Harmony of Blood and Light.

The closer the believer drew to the Nameless Sovereign, the more divine miracles they could wield. But their soul would be devoured bit by bit.

If Wellington’s current state mirrored that phenomenon, then forcing Ascension would likely come at the cost of his life force.

"…"

"…"

Ray and Erica exchanged glances, their thoughts aligning without words.

They needed to help Wellington defeat the Soaring Dragon and then immediately subdue him before it was too late.

The agreement was silent but absolute.

Erica quickly relayed their plan to Hulcus through telepathic communication, and Hulcus moved into position behind Wellington.

"Grab Wel! Stop him, no matter what!!"

***

Wellington’s sacrificial light cannon, imbued with his life force and the Nagas’ wishes, wasn’t a complete failure.

It struck Hilda’s left arm, even as her sword wings sprang forth to block the blow. The attack succeeded in momentarily shackling her movements.

In a battle of this caliber, even a split-second of hesitation could decide the outcome.

Before Hilda’s eyes, a blazing sun erupted.

Hilda hurriedly channeled divine power and retreated.

Divine power—her mana, partially transformed through the partially opened Ascension Gate—infused her movements with an ethereal quality.

She no longer moved like a mortal being.

Boom!

The tremendous explosion caused the cave she had been standing in to collapse entirely. The aura of death scattered into the air, mixing with the searing heat to ignite a chaotic inferno.

The vitality she had been painstakingly gathering to reopen the Ascension Gate dissipated with it.

But Hilda had no time to dwell on that loss.

Another sun appeared in the spot she had just vacated, exploding yet again.

Boom!

Hilda unleashed more divine-powered mana to escape.

But every spot she fled to was immediately consumed by yet another Sunburst Pearl.

Theo had mastered the control of his Thunder Pearl’s energy.

In the past, once activated, the technique’s lightning-based power would accelerate uncontrollably, making it unwieldy. But after opening the Triple Core

, Theo had gained full command over it.

Thus, the Sunburst Pearl was born.

By fragmenting and miniaturizing the sun-like explosions, Theo could strategically place them across the battlefield. This technique wasn’t only effective in large-scale battles but was also devastating against experts like Hilda.

Rumble!

The area was reduced to scorched ruins, enveloped in Theo’s inferno.

Hilda emerged through the black smoke, her expression twisted with irritation.

Her once-pristine attire was half-burned. Her hair was disheveled, and her skin, marred with wounds, was charred black.

"Do you not care if this child dies?"

Hilda’s voice, sharp and cutting, emanated from Evelyn’s body.

“You clearly know nothing about Evelyn, Hilda,” Theo replied coldly, his voice unwavering as he unleashed yet another Sunburst Pearl.

“If Evelyn knew she was holding me back, she would feel nothing but shame.”

"!!"

Fwoosh!

Before Hilda could react, Theo appeared directly before her.

The sword wings that had been clashing with Theo’s Weapon Manipulation immediately redirected their assault toward him.

They aimed to skewer him in an instant.

Theo had drawn upon the inferno surrounding the battlefield, unleashing his awakening technique.

His white uniform turned jet black.

He now resembled a mythical adjudicator from the underworld, beckoning Hilda to a realm of eternal darkness.

Dragon claws raked through the air, scattering the sword wings as they sliced through Evelyn’s right arm.

Slash!

Theo had retrieved the artificial arm he had once gifted Evelyn.

“Evelyn, I’ll make you a better one.”

As he silently promised Evelyn, Theo’s sword swung for Hilda’s neck.

Clang!

The attack was blocked.

Though Theo’s blow was deflected, it forced Hilda to retreat, creating distance between them.

Hilda’s face was strained, exhaustion visible in her eyes.

Theo, on the other hand, remained composed, his expression calm and resolute.

"You’ve improved greatly," a voice whispered in Theo’s ear.

It was a telepathic message from someone who had yet to reveal themselves on the battlefield.

Theo allowed himself a brief, wry smile before hardening his gaze and focusing back on Hilda.

“Do you know why you’ve already lost, Hilda?”

Hilda’s eyes narrowed with fury.

“You’ve lost because you dared to hold back against me.”

"Insolent—"

“If you don’t give your all, Hilda, you won’t leave here with anything.”

Hilda had been too greedy.

She had tried to deal with Theo and his vanguard alone to replenish her vitality.

Her arrogance stemmed from viewing Theo as the weakling he once was—a grave mistake.

Theo was far from weak.

Grinding her teeth, Hilda glared at him.

The sword wings she had dispersed earlier regrouped, aligning behind her once more.

Ten luminous swords appeared at her back, gleaming with divine radiance.

Her eyes grew still and cold, void of emotion—like a machine.

"Very well. If that’s what you wish, I’ll give it my all."

Fwoosh!

Hilda transformed into a streak of light, hurtling toward Theo with explosive force.

"Let’s see you block this."

The attack was like a natural disaster, an overwhelming force that crushed everything in its path.

Hilda will aim for a swift victory. She can’t afford to expend any more divine power.

Even as a demigod, Hilda couldn’t sustain her possession of Evelyn’s body indefinitely.

Her time was limited—both for controlling Evelyn and for opening the Ascension Gate.

She had no choice but to end the battle quickly.

And Theo intended to exploit that weakness.

“Just as Father taught me.”

Theo gripped the Drake’s Fang tightly.

The world grew silent.

Tick, tick, tick—

A clock formed beneath his feet, its gears spinning furiously.

Time slowed, and Theo’s thoughts accelerated.

Expanding his senses, he immersed himself in the flow of time, seeking to enclose the battlefield within his domain of perception.

The medium for this technique lay within himself:

Light.

“Hilda wields light because she’s nearing Ascension—because her soul is being photonized.”

Light drives away darkness, but it also carries information.

It can illuminate the world and act as a guide.

“If that’s the case, I’ll imbue my light with myself.”

Fwoosh!

Theo stepped forward.

“And I’ll become the sword.”

His sword swung in an arc, resembling a brilliant flash of sunlight.

Hilda’s ten sword wings shattered, crumbling like sandcastles swept away by waves.

"What…!"

Hilda’s expression twisted in disbelief.

She had never imagined her swords would disintegrate so easily.

But to Theo, this was the natural outcome.

Hilda’s light was artificial, forcibly drawn from an external source.

It was not the result of self-discipline or inner refinement.

It was no more than faint starlight borrowed from a distant realm.

And such borrowed light could never outshine the blazing sun.

Hilda’s constructed world, though dazzling on the surface, was fragile—a castle of sand destined to collapse before Theo’s radiant sun.

"Correct."

The praise came from the voice of someone not present on the battlefield.

Clang!

Theo’s greatsword struck Hilda’s hand blade.

Her face, now pale with rage, trembled as she struggled to hold him back.

"Did you think this was the end—"

Her anger was cut short.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Four of Theo’s Weapon Manipulation swords pierced Hilda’s body from behind, skewering her.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed, but it wasn’t red.

It was divine-infused white blood.