Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot-Chapter 162 - 161 - Awakening.

Back in the cave.

It had been more than ten minutes since Omni warned and explained Raven’s situation to everyone.

Now, all of the girls, excluding Jessy, were sitting around Raven, staring at him without a word.

Bren’s body was moved away, buried near the altar with several heads of demons placed before it as an offering.

They had given him the respect a human who fought death, even if it was for a minute, deserved.

His family had already held his funeral, so this was the best they could give him.

Now, sitting quietly, with nothing left to do, Selena was drawing Raven’s portrait on the ground using Jessy’s short sword.

Clara helped her with it while Graye and Lia merely stared at Raven, smiling to themselves.

Graye was even talking to Raven, but since he wasn’t even hearing, it was, in a way, Graye talking to herself.

Siris, sitting on the opposite side to Selena, was doing something similar to her—or at least trying to.

She was trying to sketch Raven’s abs on the cave’s ground using her bone dagger.

Her sketch, however, looked like biscuits instead of abs.

It was a good thing that no one knew what she was drawing, so she could say that she was drawing biscuits.

"...Why don’t you just go over there and join ’em?" Omni’s voice echoed in Jessy’s head, sounding a little baffled. "You starin’ like a baker eyein’ the last loaf—don’t make me start feeling secondhand awkward."

But his words almost made her jump back in surprise.

Then, with a deep breath, she calmed down. "Why would I want to join them? I’m fine where I am. Also, I’m merely observing them."

Omni didn’t say anything for a moment before letting out a slow sigh. "...Yeah. Why would you wanna join them, huh? Just sittin’ here, burnin’ holes through the air with those eyes—totally normal."

There was another bout of silence before Omni now turned his attention toward Jake.

"Yo, Jake."

Jake turned toward the god-slaying sword, his brow raised as if asking, ’What is it?’

Omni, used to his antics, kept going with a smirk in his voice. "Rule number one, kid—never bring a girl you like near Raven, ya hear me? That guy’s a natural-born lady hunter. Don’t matter if she’s ice cold or fire hot—that guy got to smile at her, and without any effort, he could rope her in."

Jake squinted at the blade, then turned away, unbothered.

He wasn’t planning on getting a girl, anyway.

Omni wanted to say more, but before he could, it happened.

Raven floated.

Slowly, without warning or motion, his body began to rise from the ground.

At first, just a hair’s breadth... then more, until he was suspended half a meter in the air.

His arms hung loosely by his sides. His pants, battered from the earlier battle, fluttered without wind.

Then—

SHIINGGG!

A radiant burst of golden light exploded from him like a sun being born.

The room was flooded in warm brilliance, tinged with deep silver runes that danced through the air like weightless ink in water.

Everyone staggered back.

"Move!" Clara shouted, instinct flaring as she pulled Siris and Graye away.

Selena conjured a barrier of water, not to shield herself, but to buffer the ripple of pressure now exuding from Raven’s body.

Even Jake, usually stoic, grunted and leaped back, dragging Jessy with him as the golden aura pulsed outward like a second heartbeat.

Jessy wasn’t baggage, though.

She used her powers to make a shield of iron dust before Selena’s barrier.

Even Lia was moving, her arms extended.

Whoosh!

Roots emerged once again, forming a protective perimeter—a reverent, living circle that separated Raven from the rest.

Graye, who had just been sitting beside him, tumbled backward, her eyes wide. "...He’s flying? I-Is he ascending?! We need to stop it!"

"Don’t move," Clara said, quickly grabbing Graye and stopping her before she moved forward. "If you don’t want Raven to be hurt, then stay still."

Her voice was as serious as possible, making Graye pause, and then she nodded, her eyes turning back to Raven.

They were witnessing something beyond understanding.

Omni hummed with low, awe-drenched satisfaction. "Ohhh yeah. There it is. That’s the divine protocol kicking in. The ancient override code. Do you feel that tremor in your soul? That’s the world takin’ notes."

Jessy’s voice was barely audible. "What... even is that energy?"

"It’s soul power," Omni replied, serious again. "Raven is obtaining a power that only dragons can use."

They all watched.

Symbols began glowing around Raven. There were circles within circles.

Lines were folding into sacred geometry, layered with marks from languages they didn’t recognize—languages that probably shouldn’t exist in this era.

The air around him shimmered.

Reality itself seemed to stretch.

A faint sound filled the cavern—like a choir humming in reverse, both divine and haunting.

The sound echoed in their bones, not their ears.

Raven’s body began to glow—not just from the golden light, but from within.

Then... cracks.

Not of pain, not of something breaking. But light—brilliant gold light—cracking through his skin like his mortal form couldn’t hold it anymore.

Siris whispered with reverence, "He’s molting... like a celestial snake."

"...Please don’t call him a snake," Clara muttered.

Still, no one laughed.

Because Raven was changing.

Illusionary golden scales appeared beside his eyes, on his arms, and his whole body.

His scales were usually black-red, but this time, they seemed different.

His closed eyes twitched—like a dreamer about to wake.

Then, like a single note striking the end of a celestial song—

BOOM!

A final pulse burst outward.

Everyone braced themselves; shields and barriers cracked before shattering.

But it didn’t harm them.

It passed through them. Gentle. Warm. Yet chilling. Like their souls had been dusted off by something far beyond understanding.

Then—

Silence.

No pulse. No glow.

Raven slowly began to descend, like a feather falling through golden light. His body gently returned to the floor of the cavern, the light flickering and then vanishing, leaving only motes of silver drifting through the air.

Everyone held their breath.

His fingers twitched.

Then, with the slowness of someone rising from a deep, otherworldly slumber...

Raven’s eyes opened. freeweɓnovel-cøm

They weren’t red as usual. They were golden.

Those eyes, unlike humans, were now slitted, glowing like a star trapped in twilight.

No one said anything for a while, because Raven seemed like someone unapproachable for a second, his expression serene.

That was until he smiled.

Then he spoke, and when he did—softly, clearly, voice deeper than before—it echoed.

Not through the room.

Through their souls.

"...I’m back."

That was when their shocks were broken.

For a heartbeat, no one moved.

Then chaos—beautiful, unrestrained chaos—exploded into the cave.

Clara was the first to move, dashing forward and tackling Raven in a blur, her arms wrapping around him so tightly that his spine audibly popped.

"How many times are you going to worry me in one day?" She muttered into his chest, her voice trembling even as she hugged tighter.

Selena followed close behind, barely restraining her emotions as she gently grabbed his face, turning it toward her. "Say something again. I need to make sure you’re actually back and not just a divine puppet with abs."

"I’m not a puppet," Raven said softly.

Selena exhaled like she’d been holding her breath for ten years and then just bonked her forehead lightly against his.

Graye let out a little sob and launched herself forward, joining Clara in the full-body tackle. "I knew you were alive! I was telling you all kinds of stories just now! You better have heard every single word!"

Siris, still gripping her bone dagger, came in next—arms stiff, eyes wide with awe.

She didn’t tackle like the others. She just placed her hand on Raven’s arm and nodded solemnly like a knight greeting her resurrected king.

"I have updated your abs in my mind," she whispered reverently.

"...What?"

Meanwhile, Lia stood awkwardly near the back, her arms crossed, biting her lip.

She looked ready to sprint forward and join them but stayed rooted. Instead, she raised her nose ever so slightly and said, "Good. He’s fine. Obviously."

It seemed like her tsundere switch was turned back on whenever Raven was awake, and when he wasn’t, she would turn into a caring mommy type.

Jessy, who was still seated near the edge of the room, arms folded, merely stared. The corner of her mouth twitched upward—but she didn’t say a word.

In the midst of it all, Omni’s voice cut through the scene like a smirking uncle at a funeral that turned into a birthday party.

"Damn, my boy really just came back from the divine DMV lookin’ like a whole legendary expansion pack. You see that glow-up? He ain’t Raven no more—he Sunlight Deluxe Edition."

Raven blinked. "...How do you know all that?"

"Doesn’t matter. But lemme tell you, my man—whatever celestial spa you just went to? I need the membership link. ’Cause you out here shinin’ like you sponsored by god-tier skincare."

He already knew what had happened to Raven, as he had seen everything through their link, but he was trying to lighten the mood.

Clara, still hugging Raven, looked up at the sword. "Can you not right now?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Omni said quickly, then added in a lower voice, "...But damn, how did he get more handsome than he was? If I had legs, I’d kneel."

Graye clung tighter. "You’re not allowed to almost die again."

"...I wasn’t dying," Raven deadpanned.

"How would we know that?" Selena added, more sternly. "Didn’t you say you would warn me next time you did something like this?"

"Well, sorry," Raven smiled. "I’ll definitely do it next time."

That made the girls chuckle because no matter what, Raven was back.

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