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"Damn it! Screw this!"

I roared, opening my jaws and unleashing my Dual Breath of Light and Darkness. A beam of pure white and black surged from my maw, bombarding the bats swarming above us even as the ceiling began to collapse. The attack had grown strong enough to burn them alive where they flew.

"Gaaack!"

Yet I was still inexperienced with such power. My throat burned fiercely, and I coughed up blood. It seemed I was still too young to sustain a breath attack of this intensity for long. Even my strikes against Mongrel’s main body had not demanded this much.

"Okay, let’s see what this can do! Celestial Cherubin!"

Ariel summoned a radiant golden spirit from her body—an adorable, baby-like silhouette formed of brilliant light rather than true flesh. It possessed two pairs of white wings and luminous golden eyes that shimmered like stars.

Once summoned, the Celestial Cherubin darted around us, weaving Healing Spells and light buffs that kept us alive amid the chaos.

"Oh, this is nice! Now, come down here, you bastards! Shadow Hand!"

I invoked Asmodeus’s power, conjuring dozens of giant shadow hands that seized the bats spitting acid from above and slammed them into the ground.

"Demon Bite!"

My Demonic Power surged. Massive maws of blood and darkness manifested, tearing the bats apart in sprays of gore.

But there were even more.

"HISSSS!"

A vast flock burst from a shadowed corner we had overlooked. They slammed into me, biting across my body, forcing me to drop my shield and hurling me against the ceiling.

CRAAASH!

"Gaaah?!"

Blood sprayed from my mouth as I desperately reinforced my scales with the corresponding Skill, hardening them like steel. Even then, their razor fangs pierced through, flooding my veins with a deadly venom that melted me from the inside.

"NNnnggh...! Aaaahhh!"

"ELIZABETH!!!"

Mongrel roared, rushing to save me, only to be swarmed and thrown back. Paragon teleported in front of me, driving his sword through the heads of dozens of bats—until something enormous erupted from the swarm.

"PITIFUL DRAGON. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT FOOD TO MY LORD."

It can talk?

CRAAASH!

"P-Paragon?!"

I gasped in horror as a massive black hand pierced Paragon, claws ripping him into pieces. Liquid silver—his blood—splattered everywhere before his body dissolved into particles of light.

"Nothing but a mere pawn. How could such a small being hope to amount to anything?"

"Y-You’re...! Nngh...!"

"Yes, I can talk. Nightmare Lifeforms that reach a certain threshold gain far greater intelligence than any pitiful member of your kind could achieve in a lifetime."

"Aahh!"

A giant hand hurtled toward me. I summoned the Tiamat Scale Shield with every ounce of my Divine Power. The blow struck the shield instead of my body.

BOOOM!

The impact unleashed a massive explosion of nightmare flames that hurled me to the floor, carving a crater beneath me and shattering countless bones.

"Pitiful. Truly an inferior species."

His full form emerged from the swarm of giant bat-like nightmares. He was a towering humanoid twice my size, muscular yet lean, covered in pitch-black fur. His face resembled a human bat—long ears, razor fangs, and eyes glowing bright red and gold with clear intelligence. Two enormous bat wings spread behind him, marked with red, eye-shaped patterns. Three black horns crowned his head, and a third purple eye gleamed on his forehead.

This was no mere Nightmare Beast.

It was a Nightmare Beast Lord.

"Nnnggh...! Gaaahh...!"

My Mana and Divine Energy were nearly spent. The venom drained what little remained as I fought to suppress it. The Nightmare Beast Lord stared down at me with mocking pity.

"It seems the venom will finish you from the inside. There is no need for me to dirty my hands with your inferior blood any longer. Rest in peace, inferior lifeform."

"What... What do you plan to do once you’re done here?!"

"Hm? You still draw breath? Very well. We will expand our ranks, devour your race, and claim this realm as our new home. Though we Nightmare Beast Lords are beneath the True Nightmare Lords, a King has already taken interest in us. Soon his Authority will descend, and no dragon will be able to stop us."

"Hahah... Is that so?" I laughed weakly. His eyes widened as he noticed the veins of miasma I had spread across the chamber. "Thanks for the information, big talker. Being surrounded by mindless monsters must get boring, huh?"

"What are you planning? It’s hopeless!"

He hissed and swung his hand downward. A colossal beam of pure darkness struck me, triggering a massive explosion that engulfed my body in searing agony.

Yet I survived. Barely.

But that was enough.

"Harmony... Chaos... Their power is to invert cause and effect... to transform something into its opposite...!"

"I think I’ve figured out how to abuse it even more!"

I smiled as my Miasma Veins—a Skill of the Chaos Demon Path—spread throughout the room, feeding on the ambient Nightmare Energy without draining my own reserves.

And within me, the venom began to change.

"Harmony!"

"Hm?!"

FLAAASH!

The Miasmic Veins reversed into their opposite: Celestial Roots. Brilliant roots of light burst forth, flooding the chamber with radiance. Even the mighty Nightmare Beast Lord groaned in pain.

"Nngaaaa?! W-What is this?!"

"You talk fancy, but you’re as dumb as any newborn!"

I roared. The venom inside me inverted its effects, transforming from a flesh-melting poison into a potent regenerative elixir that restored my body.

[You have used Harmony to Inverse the Chaos of the [Potent Nightmarish Venom], transforming it into the [Powerful Celestial Potion]!]

"Celestial Roots!"

Giant roots erupted across the chamber, impaling the incoming bats and tearing them apart as beams of light rained down from the Lord.

"Insolent inferior species. You think this little trick will save you?!"

He descended in fury, his aura exploding with raw power. This creature was definitely Rank 9.

BOOOM!

We collided. The ground shattered beneath us. My long white hair whipped wildly in the shockwaves as our hands wrestled with titanic force.

"Accept your fate!"

He opened his maw, gathering a massive surge of nightmare energy and venom, and fired it at my face from point-blank range.

And yet I vanished.

"What?!"

His eyes widened as his attack struck empty ground. He spun, searching frantically.

I was right behind him.

Stealth truly is a wonderful Skill.

Though it only lasted a few seconds, it gave me the opening I needed.

"Chaos!"

While Celestial Roots absorbed surrounding energy to replenish my Mana and Divine reserves, I poured every ounce of Chaos I could muster into Mongrel.

"Go wild, Mongrel!"

"You damn...! You made me worry for nothing! BUT THIS IS PERFECT! RAHAHAHAH!"

He laughed maniacally as he swelled larger and larger. The Nightmare Beast Lord’s eyes widened at the sight of the colossal tentacled monster emerging.

"So one of the True Nightmares serves you?! No... that is merely a Vestige?! How—?!"

"Enough talk, batman!"

I slammed a powerful kick into his chin, then unleashed a furious barrage of claw strikes that tore through his body—only for the wounds to regenerate almost instantly.

"You dare use claws made of nightmare against me? Fool."

BAAAM!

He smashed my face into the ground, making me vomit blood. My shapeshifting weapon flew from my soul on its own, piercing his chest and forcing him back in pain.

"Nnngh?! Pitiful!"

He seized the blade, shattered it, and hurled the glowing fragments aside.

"Is this all you can offer?!"

He kicked me across the cave. I crashed into the wall as he charged after me at blinding speed, energy building for the killing blow.

He was strong. Terrifyingly strong.

But that was exactly why I had to win. I could not let this monster escape and slaughter dragons who had no defense against a Nightmare.

The massacre would be unimaginable.

For my family, for my aunt, and for everyone here—

I. Must. Win.

I glanced at my claws and, without hesitation, infused them with the power of Harmony and Origin Flames, pushing them to their absolute limit.

"Harmony!"

FLUOSH!

The claws blazed with light. Darkness burned away, replaced by pristine white and gold that fused with my scales, flesh, and bones. Golden-red flames roared around them, overflowing with power.

[You have used Harmony to transform: [Nightmare Beast Claws (A Grade)] into the [Celestial Dragon Spirit Claws (A+++ Grade)]!]

I swung both claws at maximum speed while directing the Celestial Roots, driving them toward the Nightmare Beast Lord.

"Mere distractions!"

He tore through the roots—only to meet my claws slashing across his entire body. Confident in his regeneration, the fool had let me cut him deeply once again.

A fatal mistake.

"Celestial Dragon Rampage!"

The inverted form of Nightmare Beast Rampage erupted. Countless slashes tore through his flesh and thick hide, sending his blood spraying everywhere.

"Nnnggh?! Aaaaaaggghhh!"

He screamed in raw agony, unable to comprehend the pain. In desperation he punched my face, kicked my chest, and hurled me aside. He tried to regenerate, but every wound now glowed with stubborn golden light.

"Those won’t heal easily," I said with a fierce smile as I rose. "And..."

I absorbed more Nightmare Energy from the surroundings, then grabbed a dead bat, ripped out its claws, and stabbed them into my own skin. I reversed their venom and turned it into fresh vitality.

"I am your worst nightmare, batman."

"Pitiful... You truly believe you stand a chance?! Then witness the true might of a Nightmare Beast Lord!"

RUMBLE!

His aura exploded in darkness and crimson light. Everything around him corrupted instantly. My Celestial Roots withered, and his power skyrocketed.

His Nightmare Heart pumped at full throttle. Muscles swelled. He grew even larger than before.

He glared at me, baring razor fangs in a savage grin.

"Admire the true power of an Ascendant—something pitiful beings like you could never achieve."

With Mongrel occupied by the lesser beasts and Paragon still recovering, I faced him alone.

My Skills activated in rapid succession as he kicked off the ground and blurred toward me.

[You have used the Active Effect of the [Small Divine Presence] Skill. Your Presence grows more powerful. All Stats increased by 20%.]

[You have used the Active Effect of the [Young Dragon Scales] Skill. Scales temporarily reinforced. Defense increased by 150%.]

[You have used the Active Effect of the [Newborn Draconic Vitality] Skill. Vitality, Endurance, and Regeneration increased by 20%.]

[You have used the Active Effect of the [Lesser Demonic Aura] Skill. Strength, Attack Power, and Intimidation increased by 20%.]

My aura surged and exploded as we clashed once more.

BOOOM!

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