CHAPTER 114: DID GREAT

The core is the heart of mana, the processor that governs how much energy one can control. The strength of a person’s core—and another important factor, the number of cores they possess—decides the depth of their power.

But multiple cores are a privilege only dragons are born with. It is why their mana far surpasses that of any other race.

During the day, the body focuses on circulating the mana stored within the core, spreading it through every vein and muscle. At night, however, the body shifts its purpose—it devotes itself entirely to absorbing mana from the surroundings. That is why rest is not just comfort but a necessity; it is how both magical and physical energy are restored.

Until now, Hades had absorbed mana unconsciously. In the human realm, the air held so little magic that he never noticed the faint pull, and since his core had not yet awakened, there was never a sudden rush of energy.

But the dragon realm was different. Here, the very air was heavy with magical particles. And with a crack already formed in Hades’s core, his body drank in mana with a desperate hunger—like a parched wanderer finding water after endless drought.

The result was terrifying. He had become something unrecognizable, a being who had lost his reason and was driven only by the raw intoxication of superiority.

If this continued, his core would shatter.

And Kaelith could not allow that to happen.

...

"Everyone, step back." Kaelith’s command cut through the chaos, and the servants scrambled out of the rubble, retreating at once.

Luna and Peri were yanked back by Marilyn.

Peri, too stunned to resist, could only stare at Hades—the man she thought she had begun to understand. Yet now, all she saw was a stranger.

A dangerous stranger.

Hades’s cold gaze fixed on the woman before him.

For a breath, silence reigned. Then, his fingers twitched.

A massive fragment of the Tower, broken and buried in the debris, ripped free and hurtled toward Kaelith with terrifying force.

But the woman only smirked, unmoving.

The chunk of stone crumbled mid-air, crashing uselessly to the ground.

Kaelith stepped forward, her voice calm but edged with steel. "This is going to hurt, son."

But Hades was beyond her words. His consciousness was gone, drowned in raw instinct. In his eyes, Kaelith was not his mother—only a predator foolish enough to stand in his way.

And that was not allowed.

He raised his arm before his face, his other hand snapping down onto his forearm.

With a sickening squelch, he wrenched free a length of bone. His expression never wavered.

The bloodied bone hardened, igniting into a burning saber.

Even as crimson dripped from the wound, his flesh sealed itself shut, healing at a blinding pace—as though he had never torn his own arm apart.

Kaelith’s smirk faded. Her son was wielding Blood Arts—diving headfirst into forbidden power, skipping steps that no one should ever skip.

Slowly, steadily, Hades rose from the ground. He hovered above, face expressionless, eyes cold and merciless, as he descended toward her like a god of ruin.

The air thickened as Hades descended, his burning saber dragging streaks of fire through the air. The stone beneath him cracked and buckled under the weight of his unstable aura, as if the entire castle strained to bear his presence.

Then.

He vanished.

A blur of flame and bone ripped through the air, crashing against Kaelith with a speed that shook the compund. She raised a single hand and the floor warped, gravity twisting, crushing the space around her like an invisible wall.

The impact rang out like thunder, the very tower shuddering as Hades’s saber struck. Sparks and flames exploded outward, tearing pillars apart and scattering debris like leaves in a storm.

Yet Kaelith stood firm.

"So rough~" she muttered.

Hades snarled wordlessly, his aura surging, raw mana bursting from every pore. He spun, slashing again and again, each swing laced with uncontrolled devastation. Walls crumbled. Towers cracked. The once-grand compound split apart under his frenzy.

Peri and the others could only watch in horror as the castle around them was reduced to rubble.

Kaelith raised her palm. Gravity bent. The shattered stone and wreckage lifted into the air, orbiting her like a storm of meteors. With a flick, she hurled the debris back at Hades.

He answered with a roar. Flames erupted from his core, reducing the incoming boulders to ash before they could touch him. His eyes, burning with a superiority not his own, locked on Kaelith. He darted forward again, faster than before.

Kaelith’s gaze sharpened. She raised her fingers slightly. The very ground beneath Hades caved, dragging him down as gravity spiked. The stone courtyard fractured in spiderweb patterns under the crushing weight.

But even pressed down by her power, he didn’t stop. His body convulsed, overflowing with energy, and then—he forced himself upward, his flaming saber arcing high, tearing the gravity field apart with sheer explosive force.

Kaelith’s eyes narrowed. "He’s breaking my binds..."

The boy dashed again, his blade dragging behind him, cutting fiery scars into the earth. Each step shook the plaza like a siege engine battering the castle. His swing came—a furious, star-splitting arc.

Kaelith flicked her wrist. Gravity reversed. His saber was ripped off course, dragged to the ground mid-swing, carving a blazing trench through the courtyard instead of her flesh.

Before he could recover, Kaelith clenched her fist. The force doubled. Hades’s body slammed into the earth, cratering the courtyard floor. Dust and fire exploded upward, swallowing them both.

But again, he rose.

Through the smoke, his outline appeared—levitating, cloak of flame raging stronger than before. His eyes burned brighter, veins glowing with unstable mana. He was tearing himself apart, but his body didn’t care.

Kaelith’s calm expression wavered for the first time. "...Blood Arts, pushed beyond awakening."

He hurtled at her again, saber blazing brighter than ever. The courtyard itself shook, towers trembling on their foundations.

Kaelith spread both arms wide.

The world bent.

Every stone, every fragment of the courtyard lifted into the air, swirling into a storm of debris around her. With a sharp motion, she sent it all crashing inward toward Hades.

He cut through it, wild and unrelenting. Stones shattered, flames roared, shockwaves thundered across the courtyard. For a moment, it looked as though his sheer brutality might overwhelm even her.

But Kaelith’s eyes hardened. "This is going to hurt, baby."

She thrust her palm downward. Gravity slammed into him like a collapsing mountain. His body dropped instantly, pinned to the ground with such force the stone cratered deep beneath him.

*CRACK*

Hades was shoved deeper into the ground, his body groaning under the pressure, blood spilling from his eyes and nose.

Kaelith stepped forward, her eyes shone brighter as she exerted more force.

"S-Stop!" A cry rose from the left.

Kaelith heaved a sigh and stopped pushing things any further.

Peri rushed towards the hole the lady had created in the ground...and found Hades lying there, ten feet deep into the ground; unconscious.

"Wait," Kaelith held her hand before Peri could have jumped in, as she said, "Go stay with that girl. I will take care of him."

"After beating him so brutally, you really want me to believe you?" Peri argued, her eyes filled with rage.

Kaelith was surprised that the girl could raise her voice against her even though she saw what Kaelith could do.

The redhead smiled and gave a nod, "I like that attitude."

Peri was taken aback by that response but before she could have responded, Kaelith jumped into the crater and lifted her son in her arms.

Looking down at his tattered self, the lady muttered, "You did great, child."

°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. It you are enjoying the story so far please leave a review