Liam stood before Ignis, the Sky-Scorcher, its plasma breath still searing the air, its lightning bolts tearing at the peaks. The dragon was a force of nature, a living inferno, but Liam was no longer a boy, nor even merely a man. He was a vessel of two opposing, yet increasingly harmonized, powers.
He met the dragon's next fiery onslaught with a calculated move, not seeking to evade entirely, but to absorb and redirect. He activated "Dark Force Absorption," the shadows around him deepening, becoming a voracious void. The dragon's plasma, a blinding torrent of destruction, slammed into him, but instead of immolating him, it was drawn inward, feeding the dark energy within.
> SKILL ACTIVATED: DARK FORCE ABSORPTION (LVL 3)
> * Damage Absorbed: 90%
> * Dark Force Amplified: 10%
>
With the absorbed energy, Liam retaliated. He extended his hand, and a concentrated beam of pure Dark Force erupted from his palm, colder than the mountain ice, blacker than the deepest abyss. It struck Ignis, not with brute force, but with a draining touch, pulling at the dragon's vitality, at its very essence. The dragon roared in pain, a sound of shock and fury.
Ignis, enraged by this unexpected resistance, roared and lunged, its massive claws tearing at the rock. Liam moved with blinding speed, a dance of death and shadow. He weaved between the dragon's attacks, using his teleportation to appear behind its massive head, striking with punches imbued with Dark Force that cracked its scales, then shifting to its flank, unleashing volleys of emerald light that disrupted its magical flow.
The battle raged for hours. The Skyfall Peaks groaned under the strain. Liam pushed past exhaustion, drawing on every ounce of his power. He absorbed Ignis's attacks, amplified his own Dark Force, and countered with devastating blows, sometimes infusing them with the pure, disruptive energy of his Green Attributes. He saw the dragon's fury turn to frustration, then to a dawning fear.
Finally, with a desperate, guttural roar, Ignis unleashed its ultimate attack: a swirling vortex of plasma and lightning that enveloped the entire caldera. It was a suicide attack, designed to obliterate everything, even itself.
But Liam was ready. He channeled both his powers, the Dark Force and the Green Attributes, into a singular, monumental effort. Shadows coiled around him, thick and impenetrable, while within them, the emerald light pulsed, a vibrant heart of pure life energy. This was the true essence of his father's gift, merging with the serpent's power. He became a beacon of both creation and destruction, a walking paradox.
> NEW POWER AWAKENED!
> * New Attribute: Dual Attributes (Harmony - Tier 1)
> * New Ability: Dual Force Blast (Tier 1)
>
With a primal scream, Liam unleashed a torrent of energy, a blast of pure black and green light. It was not a single force, but two perfectly intertwined, a destructive wave that slammed into Ignis's self-destructive vortex. The two powers collided, tearing at each other, ripping reality itself. The mountains shuddered, the air shrieked, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, with a sound like a thousand shattering mirrors, Ignis's vortex imploded. The dragon, once a terrifying force of nature, lay broken amidst the wreckage, its scales scorched, its internal inferno extinguished. Its ancient eyes, now dull, reflected a fleeting image of Liam, a figure wreathed in the fading aura of his dual powers. A cascade of notifications flooded his vision.
> APEX PREDATOR DEFEATED!
> * Enemy: Ignis, The Sky-Scorcher
> * Experience Gained: 50,000
> LEVEL UP!
> Liam – Level 106/∞
> * Title: Assassin
> * Strength: 530
> * Agility: 530
> * Endurance: 530
> * Magic: 530
> * Dark Force: 262
> * Green Attributes: 16 (Harmony - Tier 1)
> * Health: 26500/26500
> NEW ABILITIES ACQUIRED FROM ENEMY!
> * Fire Resistance (Tier 1)
> * Lightning Resistance (Tier 1)
> * Dragon Scales (Tier 1) - Increases physical defense.
>
Liam stood amidst the ruins, his body aching but his spirit soaring. He had faced a god-like beast and emerged victorious. The enslaved of all races—humans, dragonkin, beastmen—stared at him from their broken chains, their eyes wide with disbelief and hope. He had not just defeated a dragon; he had liberated them.
He looked at his hands, the faint emerald and dark auras still lingering. He was growing, transcending. The path to ultimate power, the journey to become a master of his own destiny, lay open before him. The serpent's influence was undeniable, but his father's light now burned brighter, a guiding star in the encroaching darkness. He was ready for whatever came next.
As his gaze swept over the liberated, a shimmering form began to coalesce at the edge of the devastated caldera. It was a being of pure, ethereal light, radiant and serene, with vast, feathered wings that seemed woven from starlight. It was like an angel, in a human form, its presence filling the chaotic aftermath with a profound sense of peace.
Liam tried to activate "Dark Force Teleport," but his body, pushed past its absolute limits, refused to respond. The swirling shadows of the interrupted teleport flickered weakly, then dissolved into the twilight air. Liam's vision blurred, the angel-like figure wavering, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious, exhaustion claiming him completely.