Staring at the two and noticing the pause in their movements and their frozen expressions, Aleron was stunned.
What was going on?
Just then, he saw a faint arc of lightning surface on both of them.
This familiar scene caused Aleron's eyes to widen slightly as he stared at them in shock.
A notification flashed to life in front of him as the exact scene that had previously occurred to Vela began playing out again.
[Detected the trigger of Karmic Backlash…]
A gust of wind blew faintly, carrying the ashes and dust of what remained of them both.
Aleron squinted at the sight.
Ashkar was similarly stunned, and his voice resounded beside Aleron.
'Dad, what was that?' The dragon's voice was filled with curiosity.
Aleron remained silent, letting the weight of it all settle in.
But since it was not the first or even the second time it had happened, Aleron was slowly growing used to it.
The pain was unbearable, yet he endured it, clenching his fists again and again.
A part of him still cared deeply about people.
This part hated seeing those who helped him die within moments.
Yet, there was another part slowly rising from the abyss.
That part was bringing coldness and indifference into Aleron's heart, making him less concerned about the deaths of others.
To that part of him, their sacrifices were useful for the greater good.
And now, that part was beginning to influence Aleron more and more, changing his perception of people.
He was beginning to see them as tools.
Aleron took a deep breath, calming himself.
He would not let whoever cursed him win.
Turning to Ashkar, he smiled faintly and patted his head.
'There is no need to worry about it. Just some difficulties.'
Ashkar was still puzzled but did not ask further.
Then Aleron glanced at his surroundings and noticed they were surrounded.
His gaze shifted slightly ahead, and he saw the faint outline of a barrier shimmering in the distance.
Recalling the lady's words before her untimely demise, Aleron spoke to the dragon beside him.
'Ashkar, let's fuse.'
The dragon also sensed the growing danger.
He nodded and began circulating his origin energy.
Aleron did the same, channeling his own energy to link with Ashkar.
Ashkar flapped his wings and dove headfirst into Aleron's body.
A loud explosion rang through the area, echoing across the ruined forest.
In the next instant, Aleron transformed.
He now stood three meters tall, a ferocious humanoid dragon monster, his eyes burning with primal power.
He looked at the approaching Tier 3 abominations, his heart seething with rage.
'Time to break into the Origin Apprentice Realm, just like you, Ashkar,' he muttered inwardly.
His origin energy surged behind him, forming a massive pair of wings.
He flapped them once and vanished from the line of sight of the abominations.
Aleron's goal was clear.
Break into the Origin Apprentice Realm.
Enter the city.
Then reach the Tower of Heaven.
With that thought, he shot forward at blinding speed and closed in on the nearest Tier 3 abomination.
The creature sensed his presence the moment he arrived and swung its massive hand in an attempt to crush him.
But the abomination was not fused and therefore lacked the immense power of some of its kin.
And Aleron's current strength far outclassed it.
He did not hesitate.
In a blur of movement, he swiped his claw at the abomination.
Bang.
His claw connected with full force.
The abomination was obliterated on contact, reduced to fragments that scattered across the battlefield like broken stone.
It had no chance to react, much less survive.
A system notification flashed in front of him.
[Congratulations. You have slain a Tier 3 abomination.]
[Gained 10,000 EXP.]
But before he could even process the reward, he sensed danger from behind.
Aleron whipped his gaze around and spotted another abomination rushing at him.
He moved instantly.
His figure blurred as he flapped his wings and soared high above, hovering silently like death itself.
Without pause, he roared and dove downward.
As the abomination looked up, a wave of incinerating flame burst from Aleron's throat, engulfing it entirely.
The creature turned to ash before it could utter a sound.
Aleron glanced around.
There were more abominations nearby.
He saw the hesitation in their hollow eyes.
He did not wait.
He flapped his wings and reappeared behind another one.
His claw swept forward.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The blow landed with thunderous force. The abomination was sent flying, its torso fractured, and its intestines spilling out violently.
But it refused to die, beginning to regenerate.
Aleron responded instantly.
He appeared in front of the creature, his mouth open wide.
A torrent of fire poured forth, consuming the abomination and reducing it to cinders.
From there, Aleron began to flicker across the battlefield, killing without mercy.
He did not feel time pass.
Each kill brought him closer to breaking through.
He was not just fighting for strength.
He was venting the pressure and torment buried deep inside.
The curse was slowly chipping away at his fragile morality.
In the blink of an eye, Aleron had gone on a rampage, slaying more than twenty abominations.
Then, something shifted.
A familiar sensation washed over him.
His eyes cleared.
He was stunned.
In front of him, a portal had begun to form. It spun rapidly, shaping itself into a gateway to the abominations' world.
His breath caught in his throat.
This was the same sight he had witnessed at the ruined city.
He did not hesitate.
He flapped his wings, lifting high into the sky.
'I have killed twenty abominations. It is time to head to the city,' Aleron thought to himself as he glanced at the system's updated notification from the corner of his eye.
Behind him, a horde of Tier 4 abominations began forming.
He poured all his strength into his wings, increasing his speed.
In seconds, he reached the shimmering outline of the city's barrier.
There, not far from the glowing edge, he spotted several guards.
Without hesitation, Aleron crashed down to the ground, deactivating his fusion at the same time.
The impact sent a tremor through the area and kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
The sound drew the attention of the guards.
"Who's there?" one of them asked.
He had a pork nose and dark black hair, and his voice was tense.
As the dust began to settle, Aleron slowly stepped out of the clearing.