Chapter 181: Impending End [1]

The ground sizzled as the flame monster rolled onto it and came to a stop. It shot up to its feet and stared at the figure that had hurled it away from Rion.The purple flame across its body flared outwards in accordance with its anger, and sharp shrieks left its damning maw as it growled at Haden.

Haden ignored the flaming creature and looked at Rion with a heavy gaze. His expression darkened as he studied him.

Rion was covered in blood, but he had no wounds. His body was completely fine, and seeing that... Haden finally understood why The Remnant had wanted Rion’s body.

From the very beginning, He knew that Rion had an unusual amount of life essence within him; the amount was so high that his body could heal itself within mere moments, but like everything in this world, there must be a limit to his life essence, or at least that was what he had believed.

However, seeing how Rion had stalled The Remnant long enough for him to lose control and for the monstrous conscience born from the profane fusion of trapped souls to take over his body, he could understand that Rion’s life essence was either limitless or it was so high that it bordered infinity.

Knowing that his son was nearly unkillable should’ve filled him with warmth and peace, but understanding that nothing came without cost, he realised that Rion was destined to live a life that depended heavily upon this boundless life essence.

"Father..." Rion muttered as soon as his eyes fell on Haden and remarked inwardly, ’Did the flames break the seal?’ He did not know for certain, but that was the only conclusion he could form.

Haden’s lips parted to respond, but before he could, scorching heat assaulted him from the left, and he hurled a punch infused with his savage red aura toward the flame monster.

Its fiery body was blasted backwards, a gaping cavity torn through its abdomen, and it was launched away at the same terrifying speed it had used to charge at them.

Rion’s expression turned grim as he was unable to react to the speed of the flame monster, and Haden commented, "Do not worry about it."

Their eyes met as both of them looked at each other, and Haden said, "I will keep it busy..." He touched his chest with a finger. "But you have to learn the method to free the souls that make it."

Rion stared into his eyes for a few moments before he nodded solemnly and said in a slightly tired tone, "I understand, Father."

Corners of Haden’s lips lifted slightly. He patted Rion’s back and whispered under his breath, "I am proud."

Unfortunately, Rion, whose entire focus was on his bloodline ability — Absolute Will, was unable to hear him.

The flame monster whirled its limbs like a spinning top, and fire began to coil and spiral around it.

Haden instantly stepped before it, and his spear, carrying the crushing weight of his vicious aura, smashed down toward the creature.

Spiderweb fractures spread across the ground beneath their feet as the flame monster raised its limbs to shield itself, and Haden’s catastrophic spear descended upon them.

Sparks burst forth as the swirling flames grated against the azrath spear, and the flame monster drove a kick into Haden’s abdomen.

Haden slid backwards several steps, rotated his spear, and slashed at the flame monster, a trail of solid red aura following his weapon like the curve of a scythe.

The flame monster leapt upward, evaded Haden’s strike, and lashed its tail toward his eye.

Haden, already anticipating the move, twisted his spear in mid-swing and slashed upward while tilting his head aside.

The flame monster’s tail sliced past his head, and Haden’s spear severed one of its arms from its body.

It landed a few steps away from Haden, its severed arm plummeted down, and as soon as its arm touched the ground, it burst into multiple tiny explosions, and flames poured out of the flame monster’s shoulder to take the form of its lost arm.

Haden thrust toward it once more. The flame monster jumped aside and raked at him with its claws.

The air shrieked as its blazing talons lunged toward Haden, a massive torrent of fire trailing behind them.

Aura domes appeared around Haden, but its claw tore them like thin sheets of paper. He instantly placed his spear between himself and the flame monster’s claw.

The claw slammed into the spear, and the force of the flames following it crashed into him, sending him flying backwards.

Haden twisted in midair, drove his spear into the ground, and used instant step to reappear beside the flame monster.

Unaware of Haden’s abilities, the creature could not react in time, and Haden smashed the shaft of his aura-cloaked spear into its abdomen.

The flame monster was hurled away by the sheer strength of the blow, and Haden pursued it.

Just as the creature was about to collide with the ground, Haden appeared next to it and struck its side, swiping it upward from the surface.

It flew away in the intended direction, and he followed. He struck it multiple times and made sure that it didn’t even have enough to prepare an attack, let alone launch one.

It held far more energy than both him and Rion so he couldn’t allow it to gain an upper hand. He was only able to contend against it because the flame monster lacked both combat skills and instincts.

Thunderous booms and violent gusts erupted as he drove it across the ravaged crater. At a distance, Rion stood motionless, struggling to gain full control over the conceptual firmament of freedom.

The conceptual firmament of freedom was much more fragile than the conceptual firmament of breaking; it was so fragile that he couldn’t even wrap his strand of will around it.

Beads of sweat streamed down his face, his expression twisted in frustration, and he cried inwardly, ’Why does it break so easily?!’