The canyon walls towered around him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
His Mind-Zero activated, and he started to focus on his breathing.
The world slow down, his emotions dulled, and for a mont, the rising emotions inside him began to settle.
But sothing was off.
Deep inside, past his anger and grief, sothing moved. It wasn't like before, when his emotions threatened to take over.
This was different. It was powerful, and it was waking up.
Pantheon sensed it imdiately.
(This is too soon!) The dragon's voice rumbled in his head.
Pantheon thought Asher would need at least three years, maybe five, to reach this level—if he ever did. The boy was too controlled, too stoic for his own good.
Asher's body trembled, his breathing ragged. His heart pounded so hard it echoed in his ears.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Faster and faster, like a war drum in the middle of battle. His chest ached, burning like sothing was about to tear through him.
Then the pain hit.
It felt like his body was being ripped apart and rebuilt at the sa ti.
This was almost similar to what he felt when he built his magic body, but this ti, he could tell sothing was fundantally different.
While his magic body changed his inner self, this felt like it was changing him on the outside.
Asher threw his head back and roared, the sound shaking the canyon walls.
"ARGHHHHHH!"
Pantheon was in total disbelief. (Dragon's Wrath...)
Asher's eyes flickered—black, then gold, then blood-red. His irises burned like molten tal, shifting between colors as if his body itself was confused.
Then, scales began to spread across his skin, dark and tallic, catching the fading light.
They crawled up his arms, over his shoulders, across his chest—clear proof of an Ancient Dragon's power.
(How is this possible?!) Pantheon thought. (He is not one of us yet...)
Asher stumbled , his body struggling against itself. His muscles burned, his grinding under the force of the change.
He clenched his fists, trying to hold it in, trying to stay in control.
(Stop!) Pantheon called. (You don't understand what's happening! Your body is not strong enough. If you let this continue—)
But he wasn't listening.
His body suddenly convulsed, and a massive shockwave blasted outward, splitting the canyon floor beneath him.
Out of nowhere, a crack of thunder rolled across the sky, as if the world itself was responding to his call.
Pantheon felt sothing he hadn't in centuries.
Realizing things were getting out of hand, it used its own power to hide everything.
The air shimred as the do took effect, and in an instant, they were transported to an isolated world—a perfect mirror of the canyon, yet completely cut off.
Here, no outside force could interfere, and Asher was free to unleash his full power without restraint.
This was a powerful and costly spell, and the Ancient Dragon would be weakened after, but it had no other choice. Its life was now tied to its master.
(Brat! You owe for this one! You better survive this, or we'll die together!)
Without hesitation, the dragon unleashed its power. Its body expanded, shadows swirling around it .
Dark and tallic scales glead as they spread across its growing body, each one etched with ancient markings that pulsed with deep red light.
Wings, massive and jagged, unfurled, casting an enormous shadow over the mirrored canyon. Its tail lashed against the ground, sending cracks through the stone.
"RGGGGGGG!" Pantheon roared.
The sound was deafening, shaking the very air. A declaration to the heavens themselves.
Its eyes, burning like twin athysts, locked onto the sky as the first dark clouds began to form.
(Brat! Listen to if you can still hear ,)
(This trial will last depending on how much potential you have. I estimated that you would get hit nine tis because of your talent. I can take so for you, but you would lose out on the tempering process.)
"I can take it!" he managed to respond, his voice strained but firm. "No matter what happens, I want to take it all."
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"I said I can do it!" Asher spat out, his voice full of determination.
He could instinctively tell—this was a huge opportunity. A brutal, agonizing one, but one that would push him beyond his limits.
The feeling surged through his bones, through his very soul. If he survived this, he would erge stronger. Far stronger.
And he had to.
If he really wanted to escape the clutches of that angel… if he wanted to rescue Index… then he needed power beyond imagination.
Asher clenched his fists, bracing himself as the storm above raged to life.
anwhile, Pantheon was surprised by his master's greed.
It always believed that, despite his imnse potential, Asher lacked the relentless drive of a true conqueror.
He was not the type to push himself beyond reason, to claw his way to power at any cost.
Unlike those who sought strength to dominate, to rule, to beco unrivaled across worlds—Asher lacked ambitions.
But now?
Pantheon could feel it. The hunger. The sheer, unrelenting desire to beco the strongest version of himself.
He was in no way contented. He craved power more than anyone. He just hid it better.
The Ancient Dragon, now towering above the small figure beneath it, couldn't help but rember those beings who were once called unrivaled.
For the first ti, it wondered if its master, Asher, would one day join their ranks.
CRACK!
Thunder rumbled as the storm gathered its power, getting ready to unleashed it's fury.
Asher could feel it—it's coming for him.
Ti seed to slow, and everything around him felt like it was waiting for the destruction to begin.
Then, without warning, the first thunderclap hit
It was so loud it shook the ground under his feet.
Asher's body tensed, but before he could react, the bolt of lightning ca down fast and hard.
BOOOOOM!
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