Only I Awaken The Forbidden SSS-Rank Dragons

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

[Mission Progress: 9995 / 10000]

Aleron's gaze locked on the glowing system prompt. Without hesitation, he vanished from his spot, reappearing before the nearest Corrupted Celestial in a blur of lethal motion.

The creature's crimson halo flared with divine fury, and its skeletal wings snapped outward, unleashing a shockwave of holy energy that distorted the air around them.

Aleron's claws swept forward, tearing through the space between them. The clash rang out like steel striking steel as the Celestial's spear of condensed divine energy met his strike. Golden and crimson sparks exploded outward, scorching the cracked earth and burning holes deep into the blackened ground.

The Celestial roared, its voice a chilling mix of madness and rage that made the air tremble.

Aleron's Infernal Eyes burned brighter, molten power swirling within them. Around him, fire spirits erupted into existence, their molten bodies unstable and writhing like living flames.

They rushed at the Celestial, slamming against its defensive aura in a series of violent detonations. Each blast sent waves of heat across the battlefield.

The Celestial's once-flowing robes ignited instantly, the bloodstains upon them sizzling away under the intense heat. Yet, its expression remained cold, its eyes filled with an alien calm. It swung its halberd in a wide arc that split the air.

Aleron stepped aside, the movement smooth and calculated, his tail snapping out with brutal precision. The barbed tip smashed into the Celestial's ribs, sending it hurtling backward. It collided with an obsidian pillar, shattering it into shards.

Another Celestial lunged in from the left, a spear of pure divine light aimed directly for his heart.

Aleron twisted midair, catching the spear between his clawed hands. Divine energy surged into his arms, forcing him back a step, but his own power surged in defiance. Channeling Arcane Star Energy into his grip, he shattered the spear into fragments of golden brilliance.

The two Celestials roared together, their halos flickering like unstable stars. Above them, the air shimmered as hundreds of golden spears materialized, each vibrating with murderous intent.

Aleron's wings unfurled to their full span, and with a single motion, he sent forth a storm of dragon fire to meet the attack. The sky became a raging battlefield of molten sparks and cascading flame, turning the crimson wasteland into a blinding sea of destruction.

Through the chaos, his gaze caught sight of movement near the noblewoman once again.

She was a streak of elegance amid carnage, weaving through the battlefield with inhuman grace. Each precise motion of her hands summoned dozens of spinning rods of energy, striking the Celestials with deadly accuracy.

Her guards fought beside her like a single organism. Massive summoned beasts barreled into the corrupted enemies, each impact shaking the ground and releasing deafening roars that blended into a relentless war rhythm.

Aleron's lips curved into a sharp, predatory grin.

The system's progress bar hovered in the corner of his vision, taunting him.

[Mission Progress: 9,995 / 10,000]

Five more.

He moved instantly, disappearing into a blur that reappeared above a cluster of three Celestials locked in combat with allied espers.

His claws came down in a savage arc, smashing through the first Celestial's halo in a spray of golden fragments. His follow-up strike ripped through its chest. The creature gave a shudder before dissolving into motes of crimson light.

[Mission Progress: 9,996 / 10,000]

The second Celestial spun toward him, swinging a greatsword the size of his dragon form. Aleron caught the blade between his talons, fire surging from his grip. The weapon cracked, then shattered entirely. His jaws closed around the Celestial's head, crushing it before tossing the lifeless body aside.

[Mission Progress: 9,997 / 10,000]

The third Celestial tried to flee, its skeletal wings beating frantically, but Aleron was already in motion. He twisted his body midair, unleashing a spiraling wave of roaring flame that swallowed the enemy whole.

[Mission Progress: 9,998 / 10,000]

Two more.

From behind, a pair descended upon him—one wielding a chained flail, the other carrying a massive tower shield that radiated a sealing aura.

The shield-bearer struck first, slamming its weapon into the ground. A pulse of divine energy spread outward, slowing Aleron's movement for a fraction of a second.

The flail-wielder's attack followed immediately, the spiked head hurtling toward his skull.

Aleron's tail whipped upward, intercepting the strike with a shower of sparks. His body twisted with ruthless precision, closing the distance to the shield-bearer. His claws punched clean through its chest, splitting it apart in a spray of crimson energy.

[Mission Progress: 9,999 / 10,000]

The flail-wielder roared, golden lightning crackling across its weapon as it swung again. Aleron stepped into the arc of the swing, allowing the chain to coil around his arm. His other claw speared forward, tearing through the Celestial's throat. The enemy convulsed once before going limp.

[Mission Progress: 10,000 / 10,000]

The system's voice erupted in his mind.

[Mission Complete. Origin Ability Awakening in Progress.]

[Warning: Power surge detected. Prepare for immediate integration.]

Time seemed to slow. The battlefield dimmed, the crimson lightning in the sky fading to a sullen glow. Every sound—the clash of weapons, the screams, the roar of beasts—vanished into an unnatural silence, as if reality itself were holding its breath.

From deep within Aleron's chest, something ancient stirred. Power surged outward in an overwhelming torrent, tearing through the air in spiraling waves of light and shadow. His scales rippled between black and molten gold, the shifting colors forming runes that pulsed as if alive.

The ground beneath him fractured in wide, jagged lines, molten light seeping through the cracks. The heat rose in suffocating waves, bending the air, yet a strange, icy chill clung to every breath.

Even the Corrupted Celestials hesitated. Their halos dimmed under the suffocating pressure, their movements faltering.

The noblewoman turned toward him, her composure shattering. Her eyes widened, reflecting the shifting gold-and-black radiance.

"What… is that?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, yet in the silence it seemed to echo for miles.

Aleron's Infernal Eyes blazed with an intensity that could burn through the soul, and at their very core, a golden flame coiled like a serpent awakening from endless slumber. His wings stretched far wider than before, their edges trailing streams of condensed starlight that dripped upward into the air like liquid fire.

The system's voice returned, deeper, its tone strained.

[Detected an anomaly in the awakening process.]

[Host… what are you?]

The words froze Aleron's thoughts for an instant.

'What do you mean, what am I?'

No answer came. It was as though the system itself had seen something it could not bear to acknowledge.

And then his mind was no longer entirely his own.

"FINALLY… I AM FREE…"

The words tore from his throat in a roar that split the silence. It was not Aleron's voice—it was something older, vaster, an echo of a will that had waited for eons. The sound rippled through the crimson skies, through the stone, through the marrow of every being present.

The battlefield trembled. The corrupted Celestials froze where they stood, their bodies shuddering uncontrollably. Their instincts screamed that this was not simply a powerful foe—it was something above the food chain itself, an existence to which they were nothing.

The pressure intensified. It was not heat, nor cold, but a primal weight that crushed the spirit. Under that weight, their forms began to fracture, breaking apart into fine dust without a single blow being struck.

In the space of a heartbeat, more than ninety Celestials were gone, erased by a single spoken sentence.

The system let out a series of distorted, glitching sounds, its voice stuttering as if reality was interfering with its function.

The other fighters—espers, guards, and summoned beasts—stood frozen in place, their weapons trembling in their hands. None dared move.

That voice, born from the abyss itself, had sunk its claws into their very souls. Even without understanding what it was, they knew instinctively: this was something that should never have been awakened.

At last, the system forced out words, its tone laced with something close to fear.

[Detected the Origin Devourer.]

[Awakening the Origin Devourer bloodline…]

[10%... 30%... 50%... 100%.]

[Origin Ability awakened: Origin Devourer.]

The announcement rang like a death sentence.

Aleron's consciousness snapped back into place, but he knew instantly that he was not the same. Something had taken root inside him—something vast, hungry, and patient.

Everyone's eyes turned to him, but none could hold his gaze for more than a second.

Although the corrupted Celestials lay slain and the tenth level was cleared, no one celebrated.

They stared at Aleron in uneasy silence.

The air around him carried an unbearable chill, a force that gnawed at the soul. Panic whispered through the minds of all present, and despair hung heavy in the air, almost solid.

The tenth level of the tower would never be the same.

And it was all because of Aleron!