CHAPTER 109: FINAL BATTLE (1)

[ Name: Harry Smith

Age: 19

Unique Traits: Soul Body

Qi Cultivation: Elemental Master – Level 8

[Exp: 98,971 / 13,363,200]

Body Cultivation: Elemental Master – Level 6

Soul Cultivation: Elemental Master – Level 9

{Skills}

Inspect Skill

Soul Contract:

(a) John

(b) Soul Judgment Sword (0 Life Energy)

(c) Alpha Wolf

Forced Soul Contract: None

[Battle Techniques]

Soul Refinement (25%)

Shadow Punch (39%)

Soul Eater (100%)

Soul Pulse (100%)

Soul Drain (100%)

Soul Barrier (100%)

Serpent Stride (100%)

Iron Body (100%)

{Battle Art: Locked}

Ongoing Quest:

[Find whereabouts of your father]

Rewards: ???

[Qi Element: Space]

[Skills:]

(1) [Space Barrier – Level 3

Form multiple barriers simultaneously to protect from physical and elemental attacks]

[Upgrade Cost – 10 Stat Points]

(2) [Pocket Dimension – Level 1

Create a small, personal storage space in another dimension for storing items]

[Upgrade Cost – 5 Stat Points]

[New Skill – 20 Stat Points]

[Body Element: Blood]

[Skills:]

(1) [Hemokinesis – Level 3

Control blood outside the body, shaping it into simple forms]

[Upgrade Cost – 10 Stat Points]

(2) [Hemostasis – Level 1

Accelerated healing, accelerated recovery from fatigue]

[Upgrade Cost – 5 Stat Points]

[New Skill – 20 Stat Points]

[Soul Element: Shadow]

[Skills:]

(1) [Shadow Step – Level 2

Effect: Teleport distance increases to 15 meters.

Leaves a shadow afterimage for 2 seconds to confuse enemies.

Can move through thin walls (1 second phase-through)]

[Upgrade Cost – 5 Stat Points]

(2) [Midnight Shackles – Level 1

Uses the target’s shadow to restrict their movement for a short duration.

Can be broken with enough strength or energy]

[Upgrade Cost – 5 Stat Points]

[New Skill – 20 Stat Points]

[Stat Points: 20]

[Special Items: Mastery Token]

Harry was flabbergasted. For some reason, the excessive pure soul energy he had received from the sword had helped him unknowingly. On top of that, the kill itself had granted him enough experience to level up his Qi cultivation twice.

The information about the Soul Judgment Sword had also changed. Now it showed 0 Life Energy. Those strange papers he had read earlier mentioned that the sword took something from its kill—perhaps life energy. But what if it wasn’t the life energy of the slain beast? What if it was the energy drained from the user instead?

Harry frowned at the thought.

He had enough stat points to unlock a new skill, but the choice left him conflicted. He wasn’t sure whether he should unlock a new one or upgrade his existing skills. He decided to let it rest for now—perhaps the situation would eventually force him to make the choice.

His gaze shifted toward Gracie, who was in the middle of her breakthrough. Not wanting to disturb her, he stepped away to check the surroundings for any potential danger.

Seeing the corpse of the dead behemoth, he checked for soul energy but found none, which meant Gracie had already absorbed it.

He summoned Wolfie.

"Go on, here’s your feast," Harry said, expecting the wolf to reach Elemental Master – Level 9 after devouring the beast.

As Harry watched the wolf devouring the behemoth at an abysmal speed, the very fabric of space trembled, and all the surrounding energy surged toward Gracie.

Suddenly, he felt his soul energy being sucked away like a vacuum. Alarmed, he rushed forward, only to see Gracie’s soul hovering outside her body, trembling violently.

He clenched his fists. He couldn’t intervene. This was something she had to overcome on her own. Still, Harry had full faith in her. Gracie was no less talented than him—in fact, perhaps she was even more gifted.

His nerves tightened as he felt an eerie, dark aura spreading from her, one that carried the weight of eternity and yet lasted only a moment.

His skin crawled. This wasn’t simple soul energy. This aura held the power to erase his very existence, to wipe him off the fabric of reality itself.

It wasn’t her soul—it was her element that had broken through.

Gracie’s eyes slowly opened, black flames igniting in them before returning to their usual color.

She turned toward Harry, her expression aloof for a moment before warmth and familiarity returned. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and embraced him.

Harry didn’t know why, but warmth spread through his heart. She hung in his arms, slightly off the ground, clinging to him.

He instinctively held her closer. His hands rested on her waist as her chest pressed against his, the soft curves of her slim figure evident. She had been slightly chubby before entering this place, but now her body was as graceful and refined as any model.

Their gazes locked, filled with an unspoken expectation, and their faces inched closer. Just as their lips were about to meet, Wolfie appeared.

The wolf sneered at the scene.

Both Harry and Gracie quickly pulled apart.

"We should go back before a massacre happens," Gracie said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Harry nodded, sending Wolfie back into his storage space.

He slipped the Level 9 beast crystal into his space ring and prepared to leave. His body cultivation still lagged behind his Qi cultivation, and he needed time to balance them. Unfortunately, time was the very thing they lacked.

So even while running, he focused on pushing his body cultivation forward, striving to bring it on par with his Qi cultivation.

Their speed had nearly doubled after their recent breakthroughs. Gracie, already spiritually sage, was moving so fast that Harry struggled to keep up.

Within a short time, they reached the battlefield, where a deafening cacophony of chaos filled the air.

Blades clashed, flames roared, water surged, lightning crackled, mud and stone flew—all elements colliding in a brutal symphony of war.

They quickly scanned the field, searching for their group. Surprisingly, their companions had managed to hold their ground. The forces on their side were larger than expected, hinting at a collaboration with another group.

Still, despite their combined strength, they were being slowly pushed into a corner. Students fell on both sides with each passing second, and the number of casualties was bound to rise.

Seeing this, Harry’s blood boiled. His hatred for the academy—and especially for those in power who allowed such carnage—burned at its peak.

His resolve hardened. He would rise to the peak and make those so-called rulers taste their own medicine one day. He would never join the inner branch or their hypocritical ranks. If his ideals did not align with theirs, then there was no point in following them.

He would carve his own path to the top—without anyone’s help.

Meanwhile, his friends harbored similar thoughts, though their perspectives differed. Unlike Harry, they lacked his resources. Their plan was to use the academy’s resources to climb higher, to rise to a level where they could take part in shaping the fate of this world.

Suddenly, a mighty aura descended, enveloping the battlefield and pressing everyone to a halt.

Gracie had unleashed her spiritual aura, spreading it across the field and announcing her presence.

The clashing of swords ceased, elemental attacks halted midair, and all eyes turned toward her.

Her domineering aura crushed down on them, leaving no doubt—Gracie had arrived.