The Evolution of a Goblin to the Peak-Chapter 1119: Souta vs Arden

Boom!

Shockwaves rippled outward as two figures exchanged high-speed blows. Souta and Arden clashed repeatedly, their energies erupting like a volcano, warping the surrounding land.

"I will wipe out my failure by killing you today!" Arden roared.

"I don't even know you," Souta replied flatly.

He raised his sword, but Arden slipped through his defenses with ease. A flurry of blows struck Souta's stomach before Arden grabbed his foot and hurled him to the ground.

Bang!

Arden lunged after him—but a massive, armor-clad hand burst through the smoke. It seized Arden by the head, and in the next instant, a blade slashed into his side.

Arden was blasted hundreds of meters away.

Ohm!

Souta emerged from the smoke, his body now larger and encased in black armor.

[Blood Armor: Great Black Orc]!

"As expected, fighting someone at this level without releasing my full form is too much," Souta muttered, turning his head.

Meanwhile, Sett clashed with the Seventh Shackle Realm titan.

Each swing of his axe carried immense force, but the titan met it with even greater power, leaving Sett's arms numb from the impact.

'His strength and defense are higher than mine... I'll have to make up for it with speed,' Sett thought.

He leapt back to create some distance, but the titan punched the air. The strike unleashed a terrifying force that shook the very fabric of space.

Sett's eyes widened—there was no time to dodge. He braced for impact, activating several defensive skills.

Bang!

It felt like his veins were about to burst. The searing pain coursing through his body blanked his mind for a moment.

Gritting his teeth, Sett forcefully swung his weapon and activated [Element Drive]. Hundreds of arcs of bluish lightning erupted from his body, crackling through the air.

At the same time, he triggered the equipment skills embedded in his axe.

"Hahaha! Weak!" the titan laughed, mocking Sett's condition.

Suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended from above.

Both Sett and the titan froze, instinctively looking up.

Elsewhere, Souta and Arden also paused, their attention drawn to the sky where the immense pressure was coming from.

Roughly five hundred kilometers above the surface, a field of purple lightning and bluish flame expanded violently, warping space with its overwhelming energy.

Souta narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing the familiar aura.

"Division Commander Agape...!"

He knew this energy well. After all, Division Commander Agape was the one who had once launched a devastating attack to cut down the avatar of Purity.

A battle between demigods raged high above them.

Just beneath the demigods—around three hundred kilometers above the surface—Tenth and Ninth Shackle Realm fighters clashed fiercely.

Closer to the ground, the Eighth and Seventh Shackle Realms engaged in brutal combat. Their battles frequently caused massive destruction whenever they crashed to the surface, harming both allies and enemies alike.

"Just die!!"

Souta heard the shout beside him. He reacted instantly, twisting his body and swinging his weapon with all his might.

Arden roared, meeting the blow head-on. As their weapons clashed, he lifted his foot, preparing to deliver a powerful kick—

—when a black hole suddenly materialized in front of him.

Ohm!

Souta stepped forward and pressed the black hole against Arden's chest. Then, he opened his mouth and unleashed a [Bestrou].

Boom!!

Explosions erupted violently.

Souta quickly created distance, his eyes lifting toward the sky once more.

'This is troublesome...'

Arden was powerful—defeating him would require too much energy. Wasting his strength now would be unwise, especially with dozens of Hero-rank opponents still present...

Rising into the air, Souta waved his hand. His eyes locked onto the chaotic clash between higher-level experts above.

With a second wave, the [Orb of Arcane Seal] floated silently beside him, pulsing with power.

Boom!!

Arden roared as he unleashed his Element Drive. The Fusion Stage energy of his element tore through the battlefield, distorting everything around him.

A blinding white light expanded from his body, covering a radius of one kilometer.

"Blood Lightning Monster!! You will die today! I failed to kill you that day, but today I will erase that failure! I, Arden, will not fail again!"

He clenched both fists, and his battle-worn clothes began to glow with a strange light—activating their equipment skills and amplifying his power even further.

Even in his weakened state, Arden's strength still rivaled the top tiers of the Seventh Shackle Realm.

Bang!

The pressure plummeted from above, crashing down on the battlefield and affecting every being in the vicinity. Warriors, titans, giants, and other members of the Gluttony Army instinctively pulled back from the epicenter of the clash.

"Run!"

Whether they were Fifth or Sixth Shackle Realm, none dared stay close. The aura radiating from Arden was overwhelming. A single blow from him could obliterate anyone caught in its path.

Souta turned his head, his senses locked onto the intense pressure coming from his opponent. It was far more oppressive than that of the Seventh Shackle Realm fighter he had faced in the Obsidian Desert.

"Huh? Failed to kill me...? You mean..."

His eyes narrowed, and a slow, creeping bloodlust began to seep from his body, thickening the air around him.

"Hehehe, you're lucky you weren't in your city that day! If you had been, you'd have died long ago!" Arden laughed, his voice laced with malice.

"I see..." Souta muttered, running his fingers through his hair as he locked eyes with his opponent. "So you're the one who attacked Ekatoe City."

He took a step forward, his voice cold and deliberate. "Then I guess I should kill you. It's not a bad opportunity—I could use the merit from this battle."

His gaze turned icy, and his killing intent spilled into the air, heavy and suffocating.

Souta exhaled, releasing a plume of black smoke from his mouth. The [Orb of Arcane Seal] took effect—his skills were doubled in an instant. Strings of flesh wrapped around his body as the dark armor slowly faded away.

Ohm!!

Blood surged around him, and his attire shifted—turning pure white, radiant and ominous.

[Blood Armor: Divine Retribution]!

With the effect of his title, Souta's strength surged beyond its previous limits. At the same time, the equipment skills of his [Solid Hunter State Boots] activated.

[Serial Killing Steps]! [Hunting State]!

[Carpet of the Night]! [Darkness Sweep]!

[Traceless World]!

Even the skills of his other dark-grade equipment—[Darkness Hourglass] and [Goblet of the Night]—flared to life.

[Blessing of the Hunt]!

[Possession]!

Souta's energy soared to an astonishing peak.

Arden's brow furrowed as he sensed the overwhelming power radiating from him. "You've grown stronger... You should die."

"Unfortunately, I'm not going to die today," Souta replied, bending his knees and launching himself forward.

Whoosh!!

In less than a second, he was already in front of Arden.

Arden's eyes widened in shock, but he reacted instantly. He stepped back and swung his fist with all his might. A powerful burst of radiant light exploded from his punch.

Souta opened his other hand, and a sword forged from blood materialized. His [Dual Wield] skill activated as he swung both weapons simultaneously.

But his target was not Arden.

A slash tore through the air.

From the cut, an enormous plume of white smoke erupted in an instant, engulfing everyone nearby.

"Dream is reality. Reality is a dream."

Arden heard those words just before the white smoke swallowed him whole.

Ohm!!

The next moment, Arden found himself in a different place. The land was soaked in blood and shrouded in darkness. The sun hung in a perpetual twilight, casting a crimson hue across the sky.

He looked up to see Souta standing above him, eyes cold and unyielding.

"Dreamscape... Seriously, what's wrong with you, monster?" Arden muttered.

Souta didn't respond. Instead, he raised his sword, and blood-colored lightning crackled ominously in the sky.

With a swift motion, countless arcs of lightning descended toward Arden.

Arden stomped his foot on the ground, summoning dozens of pillars of light.

[Illuminated Field]!

A radiant field enveloped his body, drastically weakening the blood-colored lightning's power. Light blades then materialized beside him, shooting swiftly toward Souta.

Swoosh!!

Souta moved at high speed, weaving through the light blades with ease. His twin swords crackled with electric energy as he closed in on Arden, dodging each blade with calculated precision.

Arden didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped forward to meet Souta head-on. His body glowed with blinding light as he thrust both hands forward.

[Incinerating Light Body]!

[Crimson Moon]!

The two powers collided violently.

Shockwaves erupted as Souta and Arden clashed at breakneck speed. Webs of darkness, swirling light, and crackling lightning merged into a chaotic storm of energy.

The ground beneath them cracked open, torn apart by the relentless lightning raining from above.

Arden was burning with fury.

Defeating the Blood Lightning Monster should have been easy at his peak.

He had been on the verge of reaching the Ninth Shackle Realm. But after failing his mission—and causing the death of one of the Messengers—he was punished severely.

His hand was severed, and scars covered his body like a map of his failures.

'I have to kill the Blood Lightning Monster!'

Kill!!

Ohm!!

Light gathered fiercely around Arden's fist, shining brilliantly as it collided with the crackling blood lightning.

...

Meanwhile, warriors and others carefully avoided the area shrouded in thick white smoke.

Titans, giants, and members of the Gluttony Army exchanged confused glances. Only those with true understanding grasped what was unfolding.

"A Dreamscape... manifesting in reality..."

"That monster is something else."

"Is that really a Fourth Stage ability?"

The Seventh Shackle Realm titans watched in surprise, noticing how a vast stretch of land was engulfed by the white mist.

Among the warriors of Athen's Champion, many had already heard of Souta's Dreamscape power. He had revealed it during his strength trials in the past, and rumors about it had long since spread.