Chapter 28: The Lord of Dreams
RRROOOAAAARRRRRRR!!!!
BOOOOOOM!!!!!
Before Harlan could speak another word, Akasha had already moved.
He stepped through the massive window and floated out into the open sky, Luna drifting gracefully beside him.
The Peak Masters burst out after him, their auras blazing like beacons of fury as they took in the horrifying scene unfolding across the Academy.
The once peaceful mountain ranges had turned into a scene of utter destruction.
Explosions shook the peaks, and screams carried through the valleys.
Countless disciples of the Academy of Veils were cut down in waves—some ripped apart mid-air by colossal dragons, others felled by the precise, coordinated attacks of Revelation forces.
The sky erupted in a wild mix of fire, blood, and Divinity, bursting chaotically in every direction.
"Those damned Nova Dragons!" Marcus roared, lightning crackling violently around his body.
"I knew they were planning something!"
Serena’s voice was icy with anger.
"It’s just as we suspected... The Academy of Revelations as well—they’re in on it. This is a full-scale invasion."
The group surged ahead, plunging into the thick of the battle, their combined presence rippling through the air.
Liliana, however, slowed for a moment.
Her bloody eyes narrowed with urgent focus.
"I’m needed back at Silent Peak," she said, her voice low but carrying a dangerous, commanding edge that cut clearly through the noise.
"That snake Kristen has been hiding among us for too long—she’ll make her move now that chaos has erupted."
She turned sharply in the air, her long hair whipping behind her like a banner of blood and night as she called out with commanding authority.
"Amber!"
From below, Amber’s voice rang out immediately in response.
"Mother!"
She shot upward through the smoke and falling debris, flying toward them with determined speed.
Her long brown hair streamed wildly in the wind; warm brown eyes filled with urgency. Her full figure moved with surprising grace despite the chaos, robes fluttering as she rapidly closed the distance.
Akasha remained floating in place for a brief moment, arching a brow as the flood of new information hit him.
’So... that’s her daughter?’ He mused taking it all in. ’And Why does it seem like... she knows the importance of Silent Peak?’
Akasha still couldn’t wrap his head around why Liliana would allow Kristen—who, from her words, he gathered was the Dragon Princess—to live until the moment they actually made their move.
Sure, it might have spoiled their plans, but it felt more like she was keeping them within her peak for some other, hidden purpose.
On top of that, he found it curious that the Academy of the Western Continent had been the first to make a decisive move in the competition.
’If I’m not mistaken... there should still be ninety years left before their so-called deadline,’ he mused, recalling what Luna had told him.
Now, standing on the brink of diving headfirst into Kalpa’s affairs, a daring idea struck him.
’Why not just claim this world as mine? Hell, why not take the entire Star System and build my own Pantheon?’
In that instant, everything seemed to click—and just as a smile spread across his face, Luna’s voice cut through his thoughts.
Luna floated beside him, her voice teasing in his head.
"Looks like you’ll be playing hero for this pitiful Academy after all."
Akasha let out a sharp, dismissive scoff.
"Like hell I am." He shot her a faint smile as he turned away. "Just sit tight, I’ll be back in no time."
One thing Akasha never had was Hero syndrome—there was no chance he’d risk his life to save another faction.
Like he’d said before, he wouldn’t throw himself into danger unless it was tied directly to his own problems.
And while he’d agreed along to the headmaster’s words, he had never once promised to kill anyone. All he’d agreed to was lending a hand to help them get through this mess, nothing more.
Without another word, he shot forward like a crimson-white blur, diving straight into the heart of the invading horde.
And... the battlefield was pure mayhem.
RRROOAARRRRR!!!!!!
BBOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
Academy of Veils students—mostly Tier 4 through 6—were dying in droves.
Bodies plummeted from the sky like broken dolls, some still screaming as dragon fire consumed them mid-fall.
Massive dragons roared and unleashed torrents of searing flame that turned entire cliffsides into molten slag.
Revelation warriors summoned glowing divinity constructs—swords, shields, and towering golems—that clashed violently with the defenders.
Explosions bloomed constantly as blood sprayed through the air, and the sky itself seemed to burn from the chaotic energy.
The moment Akasha appeared in the thick of it; dozens of enemies locked onto him.
"Kill that bastard!" a Revelation instructor screamed.
"He must be another one of their elites—tear him apart!" roared a massive dragon, its jaws opening wide as it unleashed a blazing inferno directly at him.
Hundreds of attackers surged toward Akasha at once—dragons diving with claws extended, warriors launching coordinated divine arts, and flying troops swarming him from every angle.
The air filled with killing intent and frenzied roars as they converged on the lone figure with murderous fury.
Yet Akasha simply stood there, floating calmly in the middle of the storm.
The violent wind generated by their charge tugged fiercely at his baggy black attire and crimson-white hair, but he didn’t move an inch.
His void black horns gleamed under the chaotic light, bloody eyes half-lidded with faint amusement as black scales shimmered along his light brown skin.
Realizing that the invaders were on par with the defenders, merely at Tiers 4 through 6, he shook his head slowly, a faint chuckle slipping past his lips as he remarked.
"You have eyes, yet you fail to see Mount Tai..."
With his divine sense unfurled over the battlefield, he activated one of his innate powers, letting it sweep across the heart of the conflict.
HUMMMMMMM!!!!!!
[Absolute Dreams (Origin)]
The moment it activated, the sky instantly shifted.
A deep, overwhelming purple light washed over everything, beautiful yet terrifying in its otherworldly glow.
Every single invader froze mid-motion — dragons with flames still pouring from their mouths, warriors mid-strike, troops in full charge.
Their eyes widened in sudden horror as Akasha forced them all into a fractured dream state.
Their movements grew slow and awkward, each step lacking grace or rhythm. And all traces of Divinity became trapped within their bodies, unable to be used.
Not only that, but their minds also splintered, buckling beneath the relentless weight of endless, recurring nightmares.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One by one, they dropped from the sky like flies—massive dragon corpses crashing into the mountainsides with earth-shaking booms, warriors plummeting unconscious, entire squads collapsing where they stood on the ground.
In that sudden, eerie silence, Akasha shot forward and grabbed one of the largest falling dragons by the throat.
The colossal beast was still twitching weakly as it plummeted.
The entire battlefield seemed to fade into the background.
BaDump! BaDump! BaDump!
All sound drained away until Akasha could only hear the powerful, rhythmic beat of the dragon’s massive heart.
The beating grew slower, more labored, echoing like a war drum inside his skull. His bloody eyes focused with terrifying intensity, fangs glinting as the hunger surged.
SHKKKKK!!!!
With a savage motion, he ripped the still-beating heart clean out of the dragon’s chest.
BOOOM!
Blood sprayed in a thick, steaming fountain, drenching his clothes, face, and hands. He tossed the massive corpse aside like it weighed nothing, sending it crashing into a distant peak.
Akasha stared at the enormous, pulsing heart in his grip like it was the greatest treasure in existence.
Then, without hesitation, he sank his fangs deep into it.
"!!"
The moment the hot, powerful blood flooded his mouth, his bloody eyes shot wide open in pure ecstasy.
A violent shudder ran through his entire body.
Like it was better than the finest drug, richer than the most exquisite meal he had ever tasted.
The divine essence of the Tier 7 dragon surged through him, temporarily easing the starvation as blood poured down his chin and soaked his clothes in a gruesome waterfall.
Everyone nearby—defenders and remaining invaders alike—stared in absolute fright and awe at the monstrous sight.
Harlan floated out from the window high above, his sharp eyes wide with disbelief.
"Just... what have I witnessed?" he muttered, voice barely audible.
"HAHAHA!!!"
In that moment, the wildest, most unhinged laugh erupted from Akasha’s throat—raw, primal, and filled with euphoric satisfaction.
It echoed across the devastated battlefield like thunder, sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard it.
"Luna... we have a change of plans!"
Harlan’s head snapped toward Akasha, sharp eyes narrowing in confusion.
’Luna? Who is Luna?’
He quickly scanned the area around the young man, searching for whoever he was speaking to, but saw nothing.
There was no second presence, no secret companion lurking nearby—only the stillness of empty air.
Before he could question it, Akasha blurred forward in a crimson-white streak, rushing straight toward the main entrance of the Academy of Veils with terrifying speed.
Little did Harlan know... thousands more invaders were gathered just beyond the outer perimeter, waiting silently like a coiling serpent for the perfect signal to strike.
Akasha hadn’t intended to do much more than he already had, but the taste of a Tier 7 Dragon’s blood was overwhelming.
And he craved more.
No—he didn’t just want more, he longed for something greater, far more powerful than a Tier 7 Dragon.
RRRRROOOOOAAARRRRR!!!!
BOOOOOM!!!!!
Just as Akasha closed in on the entrance, a deafening roar split the sky.
A massive burst of divinity shot upward like a blazing flare, exploding high above the mountains into the vivid illusion of a roaring dragon before vanishing into sparks.
Harlan’s eyes widened in sudden horror as he traced the origin of the signal.
His voice came out strained, laced with alarm.
"No... They’re after the Silent Peak!"
Comments