Chapter 255 252: Turning the tides (2in1)

Chapter 255 252: Turning the tides (2in1)

Within the outskirts of the Wysmire Mountain Range, surrounded by jagged mountains and cloudy skies, Val stood at the peak of a crumbling hill with a defiant expression on his face, staring at the Tribulation Lightning Dragon with a cold gaze devoid of emotions while resisting its mighty aura relying on nothing but his raw strength.

The dragon couldn't believe its eyes. A mere mortal had survived being crushed by its aura that could flatten trees and rocks alike. Not only that, he was able to regain his footing and stand upright and properly on his own two feet despite being constantly assaulted by its aura.

Val was staring at it as if he was looking at a corpse. The Tribulation Lightning Dragon felt deeply offended by his gaze.

Something snapped in its mind, and it roared so loudly that its voice deafened everything in its immediate surroundings, forcing Val to lose his sense of hearing. Even then, Val's emotionless gaze remained fixed on it. He was reading its every move to react appropriately.

Just then, he saw a torrent of energy, which was so potent it distorted the very air, exploding out of the Tribulation Lightning Dragon and surging down straight towards him.

His fists clenched, eyes narrowed, and a determined expression etched onto his face.

"You aren't the only one who can do this!"

With a battle cry that echoed across the wasteland, Val released an immense amount of his soul power from his arcane heart, letting it flow out of his body like a massive tsunami.

It erupted from him like a volcanic explosion!

Boom!

A resounding reverberation rang out, reaching as far as a hundred miles away as the soul power flowing out of Val collided with the dragon's pressure in a spectacular clash, producing shockwaves that shattered the nearby mountains and hills and sent them flying like mere pebbles.

The power of their attack turned out to be the same as neither of them gained an upper hand from this clash.

'This can't be! I refuse to believe it!'

The Tribulation Lightning Dragon snarled in indignation. It was unwilling to believe what it saw.

With a deep guttural roar, it unleashed an even more powerful wave of aura that was stronger than the first and second combined and it streamed out of it like a ferocious storm, clashing with the tsunami of soul power exploding out of Val.

However, the dragon's pressure had increased exponentially, so much so that it began to push back Val's soul power.

The power of their attack was so longer equal.

The dragon's aura pushed back Val's attack and was threatened to engulf him in a crushing sea of force.

Val felt the strain. He could sense his soul power being suppressed, forced back towards him by the overwhelming aura of the dragon.

His feet dug into the ground, and for a moment, it seemed like he would be overwhelmed. But then, his eyes flared with renewed determination.

"No! I won't let it end this way!" Val thought.

Summoning every ounce of his willpower, Val injected an even more massive torrent of soul power into his initial burst.

It was as if a second volcano had erupted, doubling the intensity of his attack.

His power clashed with the dragon's pressure in an even more extraordinary spectacle. The atmosphere itself seemed to tremble, as if unable to contain the monumental clash of energies.

Val's amplified soul power attack began to turn the tide against the dragon. It surged forth, overpowering the dragon's pressure and pushing it back. The dragon roared in disbelief, its eyes widening as it felt its own aura being repelled by the attack of a mortal.

"This... this can't be!" the dragon thought, its pride wounded, and its confidence shattered.

It wanted to do something to regain its pride.

But it was too late.

Val's soul power had gained the upper hand. The dragon could no longer contain it, and with a final, overwhelming burst, Val's energy struck the dragon point blank.

The impact was so forceful that the dragon was rocketed into the sky, propelled at such a speed that it vanished into the tribulation clouds.

Thud!

A dull thud reverberated in the air as Val's knees hit the ground. Utterly drained, he felt like a hollow shell, devoid of energy. His reckless use of wizardry had depleted him almost entirely. Each breath he took was labored, each muscle in his body screamed in agony. He closed his eyes for a moment, teetering on the edge of consciousness as if he might collapse into the abyss of exhaustion right then and there.

However, a surge of determination washed over him. He clenched his fists and forced himself back to his feet, steadying his wobbly legs. His eyes snapped open, ablaze with resolve.

"The battle isn't over yet," he reminded himself, his inner voice brimming with urgency.

His instincts, that uncanny sixth sense of his, were sending him an unmistakable warning. This was not the time to be complacent or to show any signs of vulnerability.

Switching on his heavenly eye, Val lifted his gaze skyward, his eyes narrowing as they cut through the obsidian curtain of tribulation clouds. Amid the roiling darkness, he discerned the form of a dragon preparing an attack of apocalyptic proportions. The dragon's jaw was unhinged, almost impossibly wide. It was absorbing the raw power contained in the surrounding tribulation clouds, consolidating it into a singular point within its gaping maw. It was as though it were siphoning the lightning with the power to create tribulation beasts from the tribulation clouds, concentrating it into a condensed ball of pure energy.

Then, with a terrifying force, the dragon unleashed its cataclysmic attack.

Whoosh!

The energy ball rocketed out of the dragon's mouth, exploding through the dark tribulation clouds as it hurtled towards Val.

As it traveled, the energy attack began expanding at an alarming rate.

What started as a small sphere soon morphed into a vortex of overwhelming magnitude, growing larger and wider than a mountain.

It became a devouring whirlpool in the sky, threatening to consume everything in its path as it bore down on him.

Val steeled himself.

This was the test he had to pass, the challenge he had to overcome if he wanted to advance his innate class.

On top of that, he knew he couldn't afford to fail.

Or else, he would lose everything, including his life.

His mind raced. He was at a critical juncture.

"I can't block this incoming attack with my current abilities. It's just too powerful. I guess I have no choice but to use 'it'.'

He had hoped to save 'it' for a more dire situation. Still, what could be more dire than this?

'It's a do-or-die moment. There's no time for hesitation. I have to use it now!'

With resolve solidifying in his heart, V summoned an object to his hand from the Void Orb. It was an orb with a black hue that matched the depth of his own eyes.

This was the Orb of Darkness.

It was an item of immeasurable power that had the dual capabilities of absorbing and releasing any type of attack.

The orb was an expendable object, meaning its number of uses was finite. He couldn't remember how many times it could be employed, but considering how powerful this thing was, it should only be a few.

Anyway, right now, it was his only option.

'I hope this works.'

Val hoped that the orb would be able to absorb the dragon's fierce attack. Without a moment's delay, he tossed the orb towards the menacing vortex of energy that was descending upon him.

The Orb of Darkness acted as if it had a life of its own; it swallowed the vortex entirely, leaving nothing but emptiness where once there had been an overwhelming force.

"W-what?!"

The dragon above was struck dumb. Its vortex, a manifestation of its ultimate power, had not just been halted but devoured. As a mythical creature long accustomed to being the epitome of destructive might, this outcome shattered its understanding of the world. It was a blow not just to its attack but to its very essence, shaking it to the core. Could a human really neutralize and even suck its most fearsome attack out of existence? Could such a heaven-defying being still be called a human? Wouldn't the moniker Devil God suit him more?

'Wait, could I actually be facing a Devil God?'

The thought sent shivers through the dragon's gargantuan frame.

Val saw cracks appearing all over the surface of the Orb of Darkness. It had bitten off more than it could chew. He realized it wouldn't be able to hold the attack of the dragon for too long.

'I have to do something before that.'

Before it shattered, he made his move.

"Have a taste of your own medicine." Val declared with a smirk on his face. n-/0velbIn

Using the unique psychic link he had established with the Orb of Darkness, Val commanded it to release the energy it had absorbed towards the tribulation beast.

The orb complied, shooting the vortex back at the dragon with astonishing speed all too suddenly just before breaking apart and disintegrating.

As a result, the dragon in the sky was completely caught off guard. It didn't know its attack would be used against it in such a manner. It wasn't expecting it at all. Its reaction was so delayed it had no time to dodge.

Boom!

A deafening noise rang out as the vortex impacted it with a colossal explosion, erasing it from existence and sending shockwaves that blasted apart the surrounding tribulation clouds.

The sky cleared, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the sun shone through.

"Phew~it's over!"

Val sighed in relief, realizing he had done what had seemed impossible for a beginner warrior—he had eradicated the tribulation-lighting dragon!