Only I Awaken The Forbidden SSS-Rank Dragons

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

Although the corrupted Celestials lay slain and the tenth level had been cleared, no one dared to celebrate.

They stared at Aleron in a tense, uneasy silence.

The air around him carried an unbearable chill, a creeping cold that seemed to gnaw directly at the soul.

It was not the kind of cold one could ward off with fire or clothing. It seeped inwards, hollowing the spirit.

Panic whispered through the minds of all present, and despair hung heavy, pressing on them like an invisible weight.

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

And it was all because of Aleron.

He turned his piercing gaze toward the group before him. His eyes seemed to cut through the air like sharpened blades.

At this moment, his heart was filled with pure killing intent.

A ripple of instinctive dread spread among those before him. Every person felt a shiver crawl slowly up their spine, as if icy fingers had traced their bones.

The noble lady trembled, then forced herself to meet his eyes.

"Demon, you had better not do anything reckless. Obediently become my pet and I might consider not treating you too harshly."

Her voice carried arrogance, yet there was a faint quiver beneath it.

Hearing her words, Aleron, who had been preparing to move, paused mid-step.

She sounded… interesting.

His head tilted slightly in her direction, his curiosity piqued.

He understood the full extent of his Origin Ability.

[Origin Devourer: Can devour all Origin Abilities, create replicas, and enhance those replicas.]

The concept of taking her Origin Ability for himself sent a flicker of anticipation through him. Would it not be delightful to strip her of her power entirely?

Aleron's wings unfurled with a sudden rush of wind. In a single motion, his form blurred, and he appeared directly before the lady.

The moment he materialized, his clawed hand shot forward.

The guards felt the sudden shift in the air. Although they could not keep up with his speed, they knew from the way his presence vanished that he had already attacked.

They barked orders to their contracted summons, rushing to shield the lady. The air filled with the sharp scent of steel and the sound of armored boots scraping against stone as they moved to block his strike.

Shink.

A wet, tearing sound echoed through the hall. One guard gasped sharply, blood erupting from his mouth in a crimson spray.

Aleron's monstrous claws had pierced clean through the man's heart.

With a casual twist, he ripped his hand free. Warm blood splattered across the floor, its metallic scent filling the space.

Without a glance at the fallen guard, Aleron pivoted toward the one beside him. His claws swept forward in a precise arc, aiming for the man's neck before he could raise his weapon. Flesh parted under the strike, and the second guard collapsed, eyes wide in disbelief.

Only then did the remaining guards fully comprehend the danger. They stared at Aleron, horror twisting their features.

He looked at them and grinned, the expression stretching across his face with unsettling ease. That single look was enough to shake their composure.

Some trembled visibly. The will to protect the noble lady shattered. They turned and fled in panic, their boots thundering against the stone as they vanished deeper into the tower.

They might have wished to leave the Tower of Heaven altogether, but there was no time to think about such things. The terror that Aleron inspired had erased all rational thought.

Only three guards remained. Even they struggled to remain upright, their knees trembling under the weight of his presence.

A deep, guttural roar erupted from Aleron's throat, reverberating through the hall like an earthquake.

His infernal eyes blazed to life. Without warning, waves of searing flame ignited upon the guards' bodies. The fire consumed them instantly, turning them into blackened ash in the span of a heartbeat.

The charred remains drifted to the ground in silence.

Having eliminated every guard in the vicinity, Aleron slowly turned his sharp, predatory gaze toward the lady.

Her body trembled, but she lifted her chin in an attempt to maintain composure.

"Do not come near me, demon!" she screamed, her voice breaking at the edges.

Aleron moved like lightning, closing the distance in a blink. His hand clamped tightly around her neck, fingers digging into her skin.

The lady's hands flailed wildly, her nails scraping uselessly against his arm as she gasped for air.

Aleron studied her face as she writhed. She trembled, choked, and looked as though she wished to beg for mercy.

In his eyes, however, her expression carried no plea worth hearing.

His grip tightened. With a swift motion, he twisted her head.

A crisp, snapping sound echoed through the chamber, chilling every cultivator who heard it.

At that exact moment, the system's voice rang in his mind, as though finally recovered from its earlier shock.

[Congratulations, Host, on discovering the second Forbidden Dragon. Please proceed with the contract signing process.]

Aleron froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing. The girl was the dragon?

No. That could not be right.

"She has the dragon egg," he realized silently.

His gaze sharpened, and he quickly searched her body.

No egg was found, but in her hand he discovered a ring.

The instant he took it, the system's voice sounded again.

The dragon was inside the ring.

A spark of joy lit within him. He spoke internally with urgency.

'System, what is this ring, and how do I access the dragon egg within it? Take whatever Origin Energy you require.'

Without hesitation, a hundred units of Origin Energy drained from his reserves. Words appeared in his mind.

[That is an Origin Ring. By marking it with your Origin Energy, you can access its contents and retrieve the treasures inside.]

Aleron wasted no time. Guiding his Origin Energy under the system's direction, he branded the ring.

A mysterious space bloomed in his consciousness.

It resembled a small, dimly lit chamber. Inside, a few treasures rested: a sword, an armor set, and various other items. Yet none of these held his attention.

What caught his eye was a pale blue egg resting upon a pedestal. Its shell shimmered faintly, as though woven from moonlight itself.

Even without the system's guidance, he knew instantly.

This was the second Forbidden Dragon.

The system confirmed it.

[Discovered Veldora, one of the Twelve Forbidden Dragons.]

[Host, please proceed with the signing process of Veldora, the Forbidden Dragon of Calmness, Pressure, and Water.]

Aleron's lips curled into a rare smile.

With this dragon, his strength would rise yet again.

His fusion ability would evolve, and most importantly, he would gain a second set of unique eyes.

The thought alone made his pulse quicken. The hunger in his gaze deepened, and his excitement became almost impossible to contain.