The searing agony within the dragon's body turned into an unbearable pain, clenching his two souls, a crucible in which his very essence was reforged. This was not mere physical pain but profound, soul-deep torture.
However, Vesuvius didn't regret it, as it finally reached its peak, and burst, infusing his two souls with new power.
Ding!
//
Your secondary Time affinity was upgraded to primary affinity.
//
Ding!
//
Your ability Chronokinesis (LV 3) has leveled up to Chronokinesis (LV 4)
The new level four effect was unlocked:Localized Time Acceleration: the power to locally speed up time in a small area. It can be used by the user to speed up their recovery, movement speed, and thinking process. It can also be used to speed up one's magic casting.
//
The chilling sensation within his soul climaxed alongside the inferno, the disparate forces intertwining and surging through him with newfound power.
Ding!
//
Your secondary Space affinity was upgraded to primary affinity.
//
'All this power, for me?' Vesuvius marveled, his eyes alight with the thrill of discovery and the sheer joy of untapped potential.
As his soul flared, returning to his physical form, he wasted no time testing the limits of his new abilities. With a casual flick of his claw, he carved through the fabric of reality, the sharp crystal blades slicing through the anomalies of space and time with effortless grace.
The dual forces within him, rather than clashing, synergized, fueling his exhilaration.
'Primary affinities mean immunity against them. But what does it mean to be immune against time and space?' he mused, his essence becoming ever more enigmatic and unpredictable.
Yet, for Vesuvius, it was not enough. Peering into the realm of possibilities that lay before him, he glimpsed the next evolution of his power. With a focused mind, he summoned his control over gravity, feeling the magnetic pull between his space and time affinities, on the cusp of convergence.
With a command that resonated through the core of his being, "Fuse!" he willed the forces to coalesce. The power of his mind, amplified by his mastery over gravity, forced the disparate elements into unity, merging them into a singular, formidable force.
Ding!
//
Your Space and Time affinities have fused into the ultimate affinity of Space-Time
//
The relentless force of their convergence continued to reshape Vesuvius's abilities, a process not without its own form of agony.
Yet, Vesuvius stood unflinching, his resolve ironclad and his anticipation for newfound strength eclipsing all pain. The thrill of transcendence, of pushing beyond the known limits, fueled him.
Ding!
//
Your Chronokinesis (LV 4) has fused with Draconic Space Magic (LV 43) and evolved into Dimensional Manipulation (LV 4)
Description: The time-core that evolved and changed after absorbing the element of space. Combined with the forbidden magic knowledge of time, the profound knowledge of archmages' space magic, and ancient draconic magic, it opens the path to spells more terrifying than any mortal could imagine.
It preserves all the powers of chronokinesis while gaining new powers to also manipulate space.
The changed and new native powers:
(Changed!) (Level 0): Time Perception --> Dimensional Perception: allows the player to sense the curvature of space and time (the speed and direction of the surrounding flow of time and hidden curves and layers of space)
(New!) (Level 1): Dimensional-Attacks: the power that folds the space between the target and the dragon, allowing the dragon to instantly strike foes from any direction at any distance (limited by energy consumption) with their breath, spells, claws, and other means of attack.
(Changed!) (Level 3): Spell-sealing crystals --> Dimensional Spell-sealing crystals: (new) The sealed spells can be hidden in folded space, making them invisible and undetectable by normal means.
(New!) (Level 4): Warped-cloak: The power that warps both time and space around the wielder, enveloping them in a powerful perception barrier that makes them imperceptible by regular means while also making regular attacks unable to physically reach them.
//
'Normal means? Regular attacks?' Even though he didn't know what exactly was meant by the terms, he could theorize, 'Maybe attacks without divine energy can't even hurt me? Possible. As for detection, maybe only domains and divine energy can detect me?'
He wasn't entirely sure about the higher races and their divine-like powers like domains, but he was willing to bet his claw that some mere, pesky mortals wouldn't even be able to stain his scales and armor with their mundane attacks.
'I didn't even evolve to fully harvest my gains, but my power has already increased so much...'
Vesuvius couldn't even focus on the notification before him, his tail sweeping around with so much anticipation that he could barely contain himself.
'I wonder what my title as a dragon king will be...'
In the meantime, time continued to flow outside, and 10 years have already passed:
POV Resistance:
In the shadow-draped confines of an old sewer tunnel, a huddle of tall, hooded figures gathered around a solitary metal crate resting on the moss-draped stones. The crate's sleek, metallic exterior clashed starkly with the decrepit ambiance of the old city's underbelly.
Among them, a voice, soft yet brimming with optimism, broke the silence. "My comrades, through the daring efforts of our ally within the factories, we've secured a military-grade weapon." The speaker knelt, fingers trembling with anticipation, as he unlocked the crate.
With a gentle click, the lid swung open, revealing its contents to the eager eyes surrounding it—a rifle of black metal, its core adorned with pulsating red runes, its size too bulky to be comfortably wielded by the slim surrounding people.
"The pinnacle of Magitech engineering—a plasma railgun," the figure whispered, reverence in his touch as he caressed the weapon's sleek surface. Laughter, light yet defiant, filled the air. "To turn the enemy's tools against them, what sweet irony," he mused, the bitterness of a decade-long occupation etched into his words.
Rejecting the propaganda that flooded their world, he clung to the belief that no promise of peace or prosperity could justify the loss of their freedom.
'World peace, infinite, and clean energy? Food and medicine for everyone? None of those are worth it for the price of losing our freedom.'
Clutching the rifle, he rallied his comrades with a vow of resistance. "Today, we will hunt!"
A crimson blaze tore through the tunnel, its blinding shine flooding his vision. Pain engulfed him, and as he fell, a comrade who stood right beside him was reduced to ashes.
His vision darkened as he screamed, watching everyone collapse.
Through the haze of agony, a voice thundered—cold and unyielding. "You are sentenced to death by the decree of the new draconian empire! Be grateful for the mercy of a mostly painless death!"
Struggling against the pain, Zorax faced the source of their despair—a towering beast clad in armor as dark as night, its presence a suffocating shadow. From the tip of its tail to the horns on its helmet, it was an embodiment of dread, a nightmare given form.
The emblems on its armor and its long flowing cape bring terror to Zorax, ''Imperial inquisition soldier!"
As its weapon, a mirror of their own weapons, pulsed with a deadly glow, Zorax's gaze met the monster's with a defiance that burned even in the face of overwhelming despair.
(AN: For now I decided to skip between 100 to 1000 years, not sure about the exact amount, as I feel like it will be great when MC finally emerges into changed worlds where he was almost forgotten, becoming a myth. I will show short snippets from here and there of happenings outside like this, but I will keep most of the events hidden, to make it more authentic when MC sees the changes.)
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