SON OF THE SOIL
1529 Words
The Void Storm Dragon’s long, snake-like body squeezed tighter around Chris, its rough, storm-charged scales scraping against his skin like sharp black stones wrapped in crackling electricity. Lightning burst out in blinding flashes, burning his flesh with white-hot agony.
The air reeked of ozone and burnt hair.
Razor-sharp wind blades whistled relentlessly through the air, slicing shallow but painful wounds across his arms, chest, and thighs. Fresh, warm blood flowed freely, mixing with the old river mud still caked on his torn robe.
Pain exploded through every nerve in his body, but Chris gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with raw, unyielding defiance.
"Trying to kill me? Try harder!" he thundered, his eyes glowing faintly as his aura flared outward like a golden storm.
[Undying Courage Activated.]
[Adrenaline & Willpower Surge: 40% — 65%.]
[25x Recovery Engaged.]
[Core Formation Mid Stage Energy Stabilizing.]
He flexed every muscle in his body. Core Formation energy surged through his veins like molten lava fused with raw street grit. Golden Qi exploded outward in powerful, rhythmic waves that matched the frantic beat of his heart. The dragon’s coils loosened slightly as lightning flashed wildly around them.
[Rhythmic Combat Intuition Activated.]
Time seemed to slow down. Chris read the storm dragon’s swirling patterns — the way its dark clouds shifted and the precise timing of each lightning strike. With a swift, fluid twist, he drew his katana in a smooth, deadly arc.
"Blade Art: One Blade, One s***h!"
The blade glowed with intense energy and carved deep into the dragon’s soft underbelly. Scales shattered like brittle glass. Hot, crackling dragon blood sprayed across his face, stinging his eyes and carrying the sharp scent of charged storm air.
The Void Storm Dragon howled in rage and loosened its grip just enough for Chris to break free. He shot upward like a rocket, his torn robe flapping wildly as droplets of blood trailed behind him in the wind.
The Obsidian Flame Dragon seized the opportunity and dove in with its massive jaws wide open. Its burning lava eyes glowed brighter as it unleashed another blast of hellish fire — white-hot flames roaring like a furnace, carrying pieces of bubbling molten rock that hissed through the air.
Chris spun mid-air, dodging most of the attack, but the edge of the inferno still scorched his right side badly. The pain blistered his skin, filling the air with the sharp stench of burning cloth and flesh.
"Gahhhh! s**t!"
[25x Recovery In Motion.]
"Naija Heritage: Shield of Shege!"
A translucent wall of spiritual energy materialized around him. It shimmered with faint green and white patterns, radiating unyielding toughness. The remaining flames slammed into the shield, exploding into sparks and molten drops that rained down on the ruins below, melting ancient stones into glowing slag.
Chris struck back immediately.
"Core Shockwave!"
He clapped his palms together and thrust them forward. A heavy, pulsing wave of energy burst out, rhythmic and thunderous like loud afrobeats fused with raw lightning. The shockwave slammed into both dragons, cracking scales on the Flame Dragon and shattering the Void Storm Dragon’s swirling clouds. The force echoed across the entire battlefield, shaking distant towers and sending weaker beasts fleeing deeper into hiding.
Enraged, the storm dragon charged toward the Naija youth with Dragon’s Rage. Its claws glowed like heated spears. One massive swipe ripped across Chris’s stomach, punching straight through his abdomen in a gruesome spray of blood and Qi.
He growled through clenched teeth, sweat pouring down his face. Pressing his left hand against the gaping wound, he tried desperately to hold his intestines in place. His breathing grew shallow, his vision blurring at the edges as both dragons stared him down.
[Warning: Host Must Retreat.]
[Host Body Status: Critical Condition.]
[Notice: Healing Slowed Due To The Dragon’s Corrosive Flame Energy.]
[Analyzing The Corrosive Flame.]
*This isn’t going to be easy. They’re too coordinated.*
"Hehe..." Chris chuckled weakly. His vision darkened as he dropped to one knee, hand braced on the ground.
*I’m losing consciousness… but I need to keep fighting.*
He raised his eyes just as the storm dragon unleashed Void Lightning Judgment. A thick bolt of lightning crashed down from above.
"Naija Heritage: Shield of Shege!"
The two forces collided violently. Chris grunted, coughing up blood as his skin dried and cracked like desert earth.
*Am I finally going to die here? What’s the point of leveling up if I’m still this insignificant? Li Yan suffered because he was weak… and died because he was soft. I won’t end up like that. I’ve been through hell in my past life — I refuse to die here.*
[Analyzing Completed.]
[Result: The Storm Dragon’s Corrosive Flame Contains Lethal Poison.]
From behind, the storm dragon attacked again, jaws wide open.
[Voice Of The Streets Activated.]
"SHEPE!"
**BOOM!**
The earth shook as the dragon crashed heavily into the ground.
Another massive lightning bolt struck the Shield of Shege. The storm dragon roared, pressing harder with double-charged lightning.
[Notice!]
[Qi Reserves: Diminishing Rapidly.]
[Ten Minutes Until Backup Reserves Are Opened.]
*I need to break one of them now if I want to survive. The storm dragon charges with overwhelming power, while the flame dragon waits perfectly for an opportunity. That means I need to kill the flame dragon first.*
Chris pulled his katana from the system inventory.
"Blade Art: One Blade, Ten Thousand Cries!"
Even while defending, he counterattacked fiercely. The storm dragon shielded itself by bringing its wings forward.
"Let's see you defend another one!" His voice thundered.
"Blade Art: One Blade, Ten Thousand Cries!"
The storm dragon retaliated with a point-blank lightning plasma breath.
**BOOM!**
The force sent Chris flying through four ruined buildings before he smashed into a fifth. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his bones cracked further, his torn stomach slamming against the hard floor.
"Ahhhhh… f**k! f**k!"
His right fist pounded the stone as tears stung his eyes.
The storm dragon fared no better, crashing into a distant spiky mountain peak.
*Stand up, Chris! Stand up, you bastard! Fight or remain useless like you’ve always been!*
Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet — legs shaking, hands trembling, vision blurry, blood dripping from him like rain.
He observed the destruction for a few seconds: the fires raging in the distance, smoke covering the sky, the dying echoes of other beasts, and lightning booming in the dark clouds.
*f**k it.*
With a powerful burst, he exploded out of the rubble, his aura flaring wildly.
[Host Body Status: Beyond Critical.]
[Time Until Fully Healed: 1 Day.]
The Flame Dragon surged up from below with a gust of scorching wind. Chris twisted, but it was too late.
Its jaws clamped down like a vice. Chris screamed as bones shattered and flesh tore in one violent twist. The dragon ripped his entire left arm off at the shoulder and swallowed it in a gulp of flame.
"AHHHHHH! MY ARM!"
His roar shook the air as he charged straight at the Flame Dragon, unleashing a powerful Qi-infused punch to its face.
**BAM!**
The dragon was sent flying backward, smashing through multiple buildings.
[Host Body Status: Overly Damaged.]
[Blood Loss: 75%.]
[25x Recovery Boosted x10.]
[Regenerating Full Arm.]
[Time Until Arm Regrows: 24:00.]
[Adrenaline & Willpower Surge: 120%.]
[Host's Body Has Entered Critical Meltdown.]
[Destroyer Of Life Activated.]
A soundless scream tore through his soul, not from his lungs, but from the very core of his being. His golden Qi blackened at the edges, crackling with a terrifying, silent hunger.
[Effect: All Traits, Skills, And Talents Have Gained 200x More Explosive Power.]
[Downside: Host Will Be Severely Damaged For Days, Power Will Be Halved.]
Chris floated mid-air, breathing heavily.
*I’m thirsty. I feel like my body is about to explode. And my body hurts like hell.*
The storm dragon rose from the debris, shaking dust from its body. It paused, eyes widened for a few seconds, then staggered back, observing the dark aura surging slowly from the Naija youth’s body. It roared.
**Deesh!**
It raced forward, tearing through the air. Three massive claw strikes infused with Core Qi slashed toward him, slicing everything in their path to ribbons.
"Naija Heritage: Shield of Shege!"
[Qi Reserves Diminishing Rapidly — Preparing Backup Qi.]
Chris poured everything into the shield. The two forces collided in a cataclysmic explosion. A massive pillar of fire shot into the sky, lighting up the entire continent. For two kilometers, the land turned into a volcanic wasteland of spikes, molten rock, and choking dark dust.
[Alert!]
[Oxygen Level Low.]
[Ten Minutes Until Host Dies From Suffocation.]
The Naija youth dropped to one knee, flesh sizzling, blood gushing from his severed arm like a fountain. Blood smeared his face, and his cracked, dried skin burned under the intense heat.
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"Son, remember to live for me. You carry within you the power to make even gods themselves tremble before you — go beyond your mortal shackles. Son of the soil."
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Chris chuckled weakly, bones cracking as he tightened his knuckles.
A final, dark surge of Qi — the first trickle from the backup reserves — began to burn through his ruined meridians, colder than the void itself.
- Writer
