CHAPTER 328: LEARNING

His muscles swelled, veins bulging grotesquely beneath his pale, luminescent skin, and his teeth became larger.

Instantly, the tide of battle shifted again. With terrifying speed and strength, the general charged, axes cleaving downward with ruthless precision.

Orion’s fierce offense abruptly became a desperate defense. Each block sent harsh vibrations through his bones, forcing him into a frantic retreat.

Sweat dripped from his scales, his breathing heavy under the overwhelming pressure.

’This... strength is unnatural!’ Orion thought under pressure, his dual-colored eyes flickering with urgency. Each moment of resistance drained his stamina, the unrelenting onslaught testing every ounce of his physical and mental resilience.

Then, in that critical moment of extreme pressure, a profound realization clicked within Orion’s consciousness.

The Elementary Grade Fire Sword Aura he had grasped long ago now felt more tangible, more controllable, each fiery strike sharpened by pure, unwavering clarity as he realized he had stepped into the realm of Intermediate Grade Fire Sword Aura.

Yet Orion knew he couldn’t remain limited. Drawing in a deep breath, he deactivated the fiery aura abruptly. His blades instantly ceased their blazing inferno, startling the general slightly.

With a surge of resolution, Orion ignited his swords once more, this time crackling fiercely with raw thunderous energy.

Around him, his friends fighting their own battles momentarily glanced in astonishment.

"Thunder Sword Aura?!" Sylvia exclaimed breathlessly, disbelief clear in her voice, yet she quickly refocused on her enemy.

Arya’s violet eyes widened momentarily, shocked by Orion’s hidden element. But the fierce onslaught from the enemy general left no space for further distraction.

The enemy general quickly recovered, his gaze now emotionless, intent on suppressing Orion before he could fully comprehend this new element.

He lunged forward, axes slicing through the air with terrifying momentum. Each strike sent jolts of shadowy crimson mana through Orion’s defenses, attempting to crush his resistance.

Yet amid this relentless pressure, Orion’s comprehension surged forward exponentially. His thunder-infused swords began to hum distinctly, lightning crackling with intensifying brilliance.

Each parry refined his understanding, each strike deepened his connection to the thunder element.

Finally, with an electrifying crack, Orion’s blades burst forth with Intermediate Grade Thunder Sword Aura, dazzling bolts leaping violently from the blades’ edges.

Seeing this, the enemy general momentarily stepped back, incredulity flashing briefly in his otherwise emotionless eyes.

But determination quickly overtook him. Gathering his full enhanced strength, he lunged forward again, axes poised to crush Orion utterly.

But Orion’s gaze hardened with unwavering resolve. ’It’s now or never!’ he thought urgently. Drawing deeply on every ounce of his mental strength, he focused sharply, forcing his very being to the brink.

His left sword ignited into blazing flames once more, while simultaneously, his right sword crackled violently with raging lightning.

A surge of overwhelming strain coursed through his body as he attempted the seemingly impossible task of simultaneously wielding two distinct Sword Auras, Fire and Thunder, each on a separate blade.

Every fiber of his being screamed in danger, muscles aching, bones creaking under the immense mental and physical toll. His vision blurred briefly under the extreme burden, yet his willpower blazed fiercely, pushing through the pain and resistance.

The enemy general, recognizing the dire threat Orion posed, lunged forward swiftly, his axes aimed directly at Orion’s vulnerable form.

But in that critical instant, a dazzling, pure beam of radiant Light shot forth from Arya’s staff, slamming heavily into the general’s chest and forcing him stumbling backward.

"Now, Brother Orion!" Arya’s gentle yet firm voice called urgently, her violet eyes sparkling with faith and hope.

Taking advantage of the fleeting respite, Orion roared mightily, his thunderous draconic voice shaking the very air around them.

With an incredible burst of willpower, he stabilized both Sword Auras simultaneously, Fire blazing fiercely on one blade, Thunder crackling explosively on the other.

The battlefield momentarily fell into stunned silence, friend and foe alike witnessing the birth of a remarkable dual Sword Aura mastery.

Sylvia, Nyss, Elias, Felira, Emilia, and Kale felt their morale surge upon witnessing Orion’s groundbreaking accomplishment.

Even the general facing Orion could not hide his astonishment, his crimson eyes widening sharply beneath his hood as the realization struck.

"Impossible... two Intermediate Auras at once?!"

Orion, his heart pounding fiercely, chest heaving from exertion, fixed his opponent with a calm gaze, his swords pulsing powerfully with two distinctly mastered elemental auras.

"Impossible for mere mongrels like you, yes." Orion growled, eyes glowing fiercely with draconic arrogance. "Let me show you what true mastery looks like."

Orion surged forward, his massive Dragonoid form radiating overwhelming dominance, his twin swords blazing fiercely, one wrapped in roaring flames, the other crackling with destructive thunder.

The sky above the battlefield darkened ominously, as if reacting to the immense energy unleashed below.

The enemy general matched Orion’s relentless assault, each swing of his corrupted axes releasing waves of chaotic crimson and shadow energy.

Their clash was cataclysmic, sending shockwaves rippling outward, shaking the earth beneath and shattering the air itself. Sparks exploded violently with each collision, arcs of fire and lightning intertwining and radiating outward in a dazzling display.

Neither warrior noticed as tiny fissures silently appeared mid-air around them, subtle cracks spreading slowly through the very fabric of space itself.

Far away, beyond the battlefield, similar fissures emerged quietly, yet no one present on the chaotic battlefield could spare a glance, locked in their own desperate struggles for survival.

High upon his obsidian throne, the anomaly’s pale eyes narrowed, sensing the faint disturbances rippling throughout the world. He softly whispered, his cold voice tinged with mild curiosity and faint anticipation, "Is the time for this world coming to an end?"

Back at the epicenter, Orion and the enemy general were so deeply entrenched in their battle that neither noticed they had gradually begun to ascend, their feet leaving the devastated ground below.

Both warriors now hovered above the battlefield, suspended by sheer power, a signature mark of reaching the Sixth Level of the Awakening Realm, though their strength clearly surpassed even that benchmark.

Trading blows ferociously, Orion’s swords whirled with deadly precision, simultaneously wielding Intermediate Grade Sword Auras of Fire and Thunder.

His mastery over both elements intensified with each passing second. Each fiery slash carried searing heat, melting away corrupted shadows, while each thunder-infused strike violently shattered the general’s defenses.

The enemy general fought desperately, axes swirling wildly, yet Orion’s dual Sword Auras granted him an undeniable advantage.

Their aerial battle grew more savage and relentless, the air around them trembling, violently distorting under the strain of their unleashed energies.

Finally, spotting a slight lapse in his opponent’s guard, Orion lunged forward decisively. His fiery blade burned through the general’s defenses, leaving a severe scorching slash across his torso.

Before the general could regain balance, Orion unleashed a thunderous blow, sending him plummeting toward the battlefield below like a blazing meteor.

The impact shattered the ground in an explosive crater, dust billowing outward. Yet before Orion could breathe a sigh of relief, his sharp eyes caught a terrifying sight.

Rising unsteadily from the debris, the general suddenly grabbed a nearby wounded Tigerkin soldier by the throat, eyes glinting maliciously. Without hesitation, he sank elongated fangs into the soldier’s neck, drinking hungrily of his victim’s blood.

Orion’s heart skipped a beat, realization hitting him instantly.

’A vampire!’ he thought, shock and alarm surging through him. A sense of urgency filled him, he couldn’t afford to let the enemy general restore his strength.