Only I Awaken The Forbidden SSS-Rank Dragons

Aleron took a while to rest, separating from Ashkar before merging again and proceeding to the next level.

He was eager to see what changes his bloodline would undergo when it finally reached ten percent.

However, the moment he stepped into the tenth level of the Tower of Heaven, his expression shifted drastically.

A line of glowing words appeared before his eyes—something he had not expected to see.

In truth, he had forgotten about the system's earlier message when he had first entered the tower. He had dismissed it at the time, thinking he would verify it later. But now…

[Congratulations. The second forbidden dragon egg has been discovered. Host, please proceed with the signing process.]

Aleron's eyes widened as he scanned his surroundings.

The familiar stone platform dissolved into a crimson wasteland.

The ground stretched endlessly, blackened and cracked, radiating heat from deep beneath the surface. Giant obsidian pillars jutted up at odd angles, resembling the ribcage of some long-dead primordial beast.

Above, the sky churned with storm clouds the color of dried blood, each one flashing with red lightning. The air was heavy and still, with no breeze to break the oppressive silence. The scent of burnt earth and ash filled his lungs, clinging to his senses.

His narrowed eyes roamed the wasteland. The landscape was an exact replica of the previous level. Yet now, an unprecedented sense of danger seeped into his bones, an instinctive warning that set every nerve on edge.

Suddenly, the air itself trembled.

A golden ring of intricate symbols etched itself into the empty sky, each glyph glowing faintly before shattering into motes of light. A suffocating pressure followed, crushing down from all directions.

From the shimmering haze, a hundred figures emerged. Their mere presence made the very space around them ripple and groan.

Aleron's eyes widened in disbelief.

All of them were Corrupted Celestials.

They towered at least ten feet high, draped in bloodstained celestial robes that had long since lost their divine glow.

Their once-pristine wings were now skeletal frames, the feathers torn away, leaving only jagged bone. Above each head hovered a crimson halo, flickering like a dying star.

"Origin… Expert," Aleron muttered, his tone low and wary as he gauged their strength.

A voice came from nearby, trembling with awe. "How terrifying…"

Aleron turned toward the sound and noticed several figures gathered not far from him. Looking around, he spotted even more—altogether, around fifty individuals.

He recalled that the tenth level was designed as a group challenge.

'So, we will have to complete this together?' he thought silently.

Scanning the group, his eyes settled on one figure who stood out among the rest—a young woman with dark blue hair that shimmered faintly under the crimson light, and bright green eyes that seemed to hold a strange glow.

It was not her beauty that surprised him but the ten figures standing in absolute silence behind her.

They stood with perfect posture, their armor polished despite the wasteland setting, their expressions unreadable.

Royalty, Aleron guessed, his brow furrowing slightly.

The woman's gaze locked onto him almost instantly, and she began walking toward him with an air of authority.

'How did it get into the forbidden tower?' she wondered silently, her curiosity sharpening.

"Guards, capture that creature. It seems like an interesting specimen," she commanded.

The ten guards turned toward Aleron, and upon getting a clear look at him, their expressions shifted.

"An abomination?" one muttered under his breath.

In their hearts, a dangerous thought began to take root. Perhaps this being truly was an abomination that had somehow breached the Tower of Heaven.

If it could enter the tower, then by steadily absorbing the bloodline rewards, it might gradually take on a human form. If that was the case, such a creature could not be allowed to live.

If it left the tower alive, or worse, if it completed more levels and grew stronger, even the mighty Stronghold City would not be able to stop it.

Aleron heard every word. A flicker of killing intent flared in his eyes, sharp and unrestrained. In his mind, the noble woman's fate had already been decided.

Just as he prepared to strike, the Corrupted Celestials moved.

Their sudden advance interrupted not only Aleron's intentions but also the guards' attempt to attack him.

Thirty Celestials surrounded the noble lady's group in an instant, while the remaining sixty-five turned toward the other challengers. Divine spears materialized in their hands, radiating a deadly aura.

The spears descended in unison, their impact so powerful it shattered the ground. In the blink of an eye, twenty Origin Espers were reduced to lifeless forms scattered across the wasteland.

Aleron was momentarily stunned, but he had no time to dwell on the loss. Five Corrupted Celestials suddenly appeared directly before him. Above them, a spear condensed from strange divine energy took form and hurled itself at him.

In response, Aleron's body shifted into his dragon form. His wings unfurled in a burst of dark energy, and his Infernal Eyes blazed to life.

Instantly, over a hundred fire spirits materialized around him, their forms flickering like living flames. Without hesitation, they hurled themselves at the incoming attack, sacrificing themselves without a second thought.

Channeling his arcane star energy, Aleron poured immense power into the fire spirits, reinforcing their flames. Even so, they barely managed to halt the spear's momentum before it dissipated into glowing fragments.

From the corner of his eye, Aleron caught sight of the noble lady's battle. As the thirty Corrupted Celestials advanced on her, she raised her hand, releasing a storm of crimson spikes that shot through the air with deadly precision.

Aleron noted with interest that she had not summoned any creatures to assist her. She was fighting solely with her own power.

'She has an Origin Ability,' he concluded instantly.

This made her only the third person he had encountered who possessed such a gift.

The realization tightened his expression. Fighting someone with an Origin Ability would be far more difficult than he had initially expected.

He glanced at her guards, noticing that each had summoned their contracted beasts.

None appeared to possess an Origin Ability, but their summons were anything but ordinary—grotesque, hulking creatures radiating monstrous pressure, their auras marking them as Origin Adepts and Experts.

The guards moved in perfect unison, the ground cracking beneath their coordinated steps.

Spatial rifts opened beside them, pulling their beasts into the field of battle. The creatures roared, immediately clashing with the Corrupted Celestials in a frenzy of power and blood.

The noble lady continued her assault, sending another volley of sharpened crimson rods tearing through the air toward her enemies.

Aleron's desire to awaken his own Origin Ability flared hotter than before. His eyes flicked toward the system interface.

[Mission: Slay 10,000 abominations to awaken an Origin Ability.]

[Mission Progress: 9995 / 10000]

'I only need to kill these Corrupted Celestials,' he thought, his gaze hardening. There was no reason to delay.

His form blurred, vanishing from sight as he unleashed his full speed.