Assimilate All Talents

Before either of them could process what had happened, Sol's figure became hazy with ethereal mist. In an instant, he reappeared beside the Raijin using [Ethereal Traversal], his Slayer Aura infused stone sword already slashing through the air. The Raijin barely reacted in time, its instincts kicking in to leap away, but the blade still grazed its side, leaving a faint yet deep cut across its flank.

The beast let out a pained growl, its golden eyes wide in disbelief at its own helplessness.

Sol pressed the attack without mercy, closing the distance once more. The Raijin scrambled to evade, but with its law technique sealed, it could no longer match Sol's speed and precision. The best it could do was survive. Each slash of the stone sword forced it back, leaving it with less and less space to maneuver.

Varek's eyes darted between Sol and his beast. "What the hell did you do?!" he shouted. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but he knew Sol was behind it.

Sol merely chuckled, not bothering to deny the accusation. "Why would I explain it to you?" His tone was cold as he continued his relentless assault.

There was no need for Sol to explain that it was his law technique, [Lesser Channel Control], that had temporarily sealed the Raijin's law technique, [Lightning Incarnate]. While the Raijin had grown much stronger thanks to Varek's abilities, Sol never had to fight it at full power—he simply needed to disable its law technique, reducing it to nothing more than a wolf with high attributes.

He could have sealed [Beast Ascension] instead, but he wasn't certain whether it was a law technique that required constant activation or if it applied a permanent buff. If it was the latter, sealing it would only prevent future activations, leaving the current enhancement intact.

Varek clenched his fists, his mind racing for a solution. The Raijin had already been enhanced with his law technique and every other skill at his disposal, yet it was still helpless under Sol's assault. If things continued this way, the ancient beast would be slain—and he would be next.

"Dammit... dammit!" Varek cursed under his breath, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He glanced toward the exit but knew that escape wasn't an option. Sol wouldn't let him leave so easily.

The Raijin suddenly let out a fierce roar, lunging forward in a last-ditch effort to overpower Sol with sheer physical strength. Sol sidestepped effortlessly, delivering a swift counterstrike across its hind leg. The deadly Slayer Aura seeped into the wound, causing intense pain and slowing its regeneration. The beast stumbled, its movements growing sluggish.

Varek gritted his teeth. "I didn't come this far just to be stopped by some random nobody!" His hand twitched, preparing to activate his last resort. "Come!"

The Raijin obeyed, making a beeline for him. But before it could reach Varek, the space next to him warped and contorted as Sol appeared with his sword in hand.

"You think I'll let you do whatever you want? It's over!"

Sol's stone sword, imbued with Slayer Aura, sliced through the air with lethal precision, aimed directly at Varek. The mad beast tamer's eyes widened in panic. At this range, dodging was impossible, but he tried anyway.

He twisted his body with everything he had, barely avoiding a fatal blow. However, his right arm wasn't as fortunate.

Schlick!

Varek let out a bloodcurdling scream as his severed arm fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood gushed from the wound, but his horror only deepened when he realized the bleeding wouldn't stop. The wound refused to heal, the Slayer Aura preventing any natural or skill based regeneration.

"Y-you bastard!" Varek staggered back, clutching the stump where his arm had been. His face contorted in pain and rage, but Sol was already closing in to finish him off.

With cold determination, Sol raised his sword for the killing blow. Shadows swirled around him, his figure blending into the dim surroundings like death itself. But just as the blade was about to fall—

BOOM!

A sudden blur of white and gold slammed into Varek, and Sol's attack struck empty air. The Raijin had arrived, throwing itself into its master's embrace.

The chamber was instantly filled with a blinding light.

Sol instinctively leaped back, shielding his eyes from the phenomenon unfolding before him. Varek, trembling and desperate, was using his last resort, something he hadn't dared to try on himself before, but now had no choice.

I need to stop him! Sol thought urgently. He didn't know what Varek was doing, but he knew it wasn't good.

He lunged forward to interrupt the process, but before he could reach them, a violent surge of electricity erupted from the blinding mass of light. Sol braced himself, covering his body with layers of stone, shadows, and a green chroma barrier. To top it all off, he activated [Unpassable Bulwark] to keep himself from being blown away.

Chunks of stone and debris flew in all directions as the ruins crumbled further under the pressure. Sol deftly maneuvered through the destruction, using his barriers and skills to block the rubble, erratic bursts of lightning, and wild mana.

'What the hell is happening?'

His sharp eyes honed in on the tethers connected to Varek and the Raijin. What he saw shocked him.

A new tether had appeared, surging from within the mass of light at an alarming rate, thickening to a full inch in width within moments. Power flowed through it like a raging river, channeling directly into the epicenter of the radiance where Varek and the Raijin once stood.

Sol's mind raced as he quickly understood what was happening.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

'No... enlightenment?!'

Enlightenment, the third type of ascension, and the rarest of them all. Commander Zaman had told him it happened spontaneously and seemingly without reason. While it was considered a miracle, the fact that it was happening now, in the middle of battle, was nothing short of disastrous. Read exclusive chapters at empire

"Dammit!" Sol cursed under his breath, immediately activating [Lesser Channel Control] in a desperate attempt to sever or at least suppress the growing tether. He poured his focus into it, trying to stall the process before it fully solidified.

But it was too late.

Another devastating blast of energy erupted outward, far stronger than before. Sol had no choice but to retreat, layers of barriers forming around him in rapid succession. Shadows thickened, green chroma swirled defensively, and stone walls erupted from the ground. [Unpassable Bulwark] flared to life, shielding him from the onslaught.

The sheer force obliterated what remained of the ruins, reducing the jagged peak they had fought on to a flattened platform. Dust and debris filled the air, creating a thick cloud that obscured Sol's vision.

When the dust finally settled, Sol's gaze snapped to where Varek and the Raijin had stood.

What he saw made his expression darken.

Varek was gone.

The Raijin was gone.

In their place stood a towering humanoid figure covered in sleek white fur with black stripes streaking across its body like lightning. Its frame was lean yet powerful, exuding an overwhelming aura of both beast and man. The head bore a striking resemblance to Varek's, but it had taken on a far more wolf-like appearance.

The most disturbing change, however, was the right arm.

Where Varek's severed arm had been, the Raijin's head had taken its place. Its glowing golden eyes remained alive, staring with eerie intelligence, its maw slightly open as arcs of lightning crackled within.

Varek looked at his new body in awe. "To think I almost got it perfect on the first try! This is true strength, not having to rely on beasts to protect us tamers, but making them a part of us!"

The Raijin whimpered in protest, clearly not enjoying being fused with Varek. Whatever control it had over its body was gone, but like before, it was powerless to resist its master.

Ignoring the beast's complaints, Varek turned his gaze to Sol with a malicious grin. "Merging with the Raijin... I've finally surpassed my limits! You're nothing compared to me now!"