Chapter 66: Soulfire

In the outside world, where not even a single second had passed, the Hellborn continued closing in with menacing intent. Then, suddenly, Neo’s darkened eyes lit up with a faint spark of azure light, his body relaxing entirely despite the danger surrounding him.

Behind him, Nora sensed an immediate, unmistakable shift in his presence. Instinctively, she pulled back a step, putting a small amount of distance between herself and him without even fully realizing why.

A small, quiet smile curled across Neo’s lips. A thin strand of blue light began swirling gently around his body, his silver hair slowly lifting as though caught in an invisible current, each strand catching the faint azure glow radiating outward from him.

The Hellborn froze mid-stride, their advance halting entirely as something ancient and dangerous rolled off the boy standing before them.

In the distance, the Dreadlord, who only moments earlier had worn a smirk of lazy amusement, now stared forward with a solemn, wary expression, his crimson eyes narrowing sharply.

[Ding!]

[You have awakened an ancient bloodline of the Dravens!]

[Ding!]

[You have awakened the unique authority: Soulfire!]

[Ding!]

[You have shattered the limitations placed upon your blood!]

[Ding!]

[The technique ’Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture’ has been unlocked!]

Neo raised his trembling hand, a small ember of blue flame igniting gently in his palm, slowly condensing into a dense, swirling ball of azure fire. The heat radiating from it felt entirely unnatural, cold and burning all at once, sending a deep, involuntary chill crawling down the spine of every devil standing nearby.

[Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Art: First Ascension.]

A thin layer of frost began spreading rapidly across sections of his skin, hardening steadily until his entire body gleamed faintly, his durability climbing toward something closer to solid diamond than skin and bone.

With a sharp, decisive motion, Neo extended his arm and clenched his fist. The swirling blue flame condensed rapidly, twisting itself into the shape of a coiling dragon before shooting forward, expanding violently into a massive serpent of pure azure fire.

It surged toward the charging Hellborn and swept over them entirely, swallowing every last one in a single, devastating wave.

The flames roared across the battlefield, burning through everything in their path. When the fire finally faded moments later, nothing remained where the Hellborn had stood. Not ash. Not bone. Nothing at all.

The Dreadlord’s red eyes widened slightly at the sight, his earlier confidence visibly faltering for the first time since the ambush had begun.

"Interesting, It seems the little human isn’t quite as weak as he first appeared." the Dreadlord said slowly, his gravelly voice carrying a fresh note of caution.

Neo turned toward him, his expression calm despite the massive surge of unfamiliar power still coursing violently through his body.

"Your turn."

The Dreadlord let out a low, rumbling laugh, cracking his neck to either side before surging forward with terrifying speed.

Neo barely managed to react in time, throwing up a hasty barrier of condensed frost. The Dreadlord’s fist crashed straight through it as though it were made of glass, the impact catching Neo squarely across the chest and launching him backward through the air like a discarded ragdoll.

He soared over the hillside, crashing violently through a cluster of trees before finally slamming into the rocky slope below, tumbling several more feet before finally coming to a painful stop.

’Right. Guess awakening a new power doesn’t automatically mean I know how to actually use it properly yet.’

He forced himself upright, coughing violently, a thin trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. Every inch of his body screamed in protest, but he ignored it, forcing himself back onto unsteady feet just as the Dreadlord landed heavily in front of him, the ground cracking beneath the sheer force of the impact.

"Still standing? Persistent little thing." The Dreadlord mused, tilting his head with something almost like genuine curiosity.

He lunged again, unleashing a rapid flurry of punches. Neo managed to twist away from the first two, though the third caught him solidly across the ribs, sending him crashing backward yet again, rolling painfully across the jagged terrain.

He coughed up another mouthful of blood, his vision swimming as he forced himself upright once more, his entire body trembling from the accumulated damage.

’If this keeps up, I’m not going to last much longer.’

The Dreadlord approached again, slower this time, clearly savoring the moment.

"You should have simply handed over the girl, Now you’ll die for nothing."

Neo spat out a mouthful of blood, forcing a bloody, defiant grin onto his face.

"If I’m going down, then I’m taking you with me." he said, his voice hoarse but steady,

The Dreadlord’s eyes narrowed slightly at the declaration, though he showed no real concern, closing the distance once more with another crushing punch aimed directly at Neo’s chest.

This time, Neo didn’t dodge.

The fist connected solidly, the impact was enough to shatter several of his ribs instantly, pain exploding through his entire body in a blinding white wave. But even as the pain tore through him, his hands shot forward, grabbing tightly onto the Dreadlord’s outstretched arm.

The Dreadlord’s eyes widened in surprise. "What are you—"

Before he could finish, Neo pushed forward with every ounce of strength he had left, shoving them both backward off the edge of the steep hillside behind them.

They plummeted together, the ground rapidly rushing up to meet them.

Neo twisted his body midair, climbing on top of the falling Dreadlord, his hands glowing suddenly with gravity magic as he increase the gravity around them and forced their combined falling speed to triple in an instant.

"What are you doing, human?!" the Dreadlord snarled, thrashing violently in an attempt to break free.

Neo’s other hand ignited with pure azure Soulfire, the flames roaring to life directly against the Dreadlord’s chest, burning fiercely despite the devil’s desperate resistance.

"Taking you with me, Exactly like I promised." Neo growled through gritted teeth, blood dripping steadily from his lips as the ground rushed up toward them both at terrifying speed.

"AHHHHHHH—!!!"

The Dreadlord’s furious roar tore through the night air as they plummeted together, soulfire and crushing gravity locked in a single, desperate collision course toward the earth below.

*BOOOM!!*

A massive crater formed at the point of their collision. The sheer force of the impact sent cracks racing across the ground for kilometers, while a blinding pillar of light erupted from the center and pierced the sky.

The Dreadlord’s core suddenly ruptured, releasing a tremendous surge of energy that exploded outward in every direction.

*BOOOOOOOOM!!!*

The second explosion was far more devastating than the first.

Caught in the shockwave, Neo’s body was hurled several kilometers away. He tore through the treeline, snapping branches and crushing trees as he was sent flying before finally crashing onto the ground.

His battered body skidded across the earth, leaving a long trail behind him.

Neo’s consciousness began to fade.

Every ounce of strength had been drained from his body. His vision blurred, and his limbs felt too heavy to move.

Still unconscious, his body rolled toward the edge of a small hill.

For a brief moment, it remained still.

Then gravity took over.

Neo’s body slipped over the edge and tumbled down the slope before falling into the rushing river below.

The cold water swallowed him instantly, carrying his unconscious body away with the current—toward a destination he could neither see nor know.

...

[A/N: And with this Chapter, Volume 1 has officially come to an end! 🎉

Thank you so much to everyone for your heartfelt support throughout Volume 1. We’re currently sitting at Rank #5 in the WPC, but I’ve noticed that many other novels are rising quickly too, so maintaining this position won’t be easy without your continued support.

I’ll keep working hard and do my best to update consistently. As for you guys, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. "Your appreciation is my motivation."

Tchh... too classic of a dialogue.

Once again, thank you so much for reading and supporting this novel. It really means a lot to me.

And oh... before you leave, you can always throw some gifts down below. 👇👇👇👇

See you in Volume 2! 🔥]