Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 757: The Battle Of Leaders III

Varnos lay sprawled on the ground, his form partially swallowed by gaping rifts in space, his breaths shallow and strained.

Each inhale and exhale felt like shards of rusted metal grinding against his lungs.

The mana within him had ceased its flow, instead battering the boundaries of his being like an untamed torrent, utterly beyond his command.

Before him, Alaric remained erect and unblemished, a steadfast presence amidst the devastation and disorder of the ravaged battlefield.

His gaze, fixed upon Varnos below, conveyed not wrath or elation, but a chilling, irrefutable certainty.

"...Is this truly the end?" The question surfaced silently in Varnos’s consciousness as another surge of agony coursed through him.

The venom, like a sentient entity, slithered through his veins, systematically dismantling his very existence.

In his current state, victory was virtually unattainable. While he had indeed drawn upon the Moon Tree’s strength, this power was not without limit, nor was it freely given.

Foremost, the Moon Tree's essence permitted him only to wield the Moon Law once more, and even then, in a restrained capacity, far from his former might.

Moreover, even with the Moon Tree’s aid, the prevailing array had trapped him in a precarious predicament, offering no apparent means to negate or even diminish the considerable advantage held by his adversary.

Nevertheless, he strained to rise. Even facing insurmountable odds, surrender was not an option he could readily accept.

After all, a singular notion, a final gambit, still lingered—a path that might yet prove viable.

Yet, the cost associated was astronomical, sufficient to inflict irretrievable damage upon the very fabric and structure of the Guild.

Alaric advanced a single step. His movement was unhurried, yet that solitary stride distorted the fabric of space. The void surrounding him contracted, then, with an imperceptible quaking, unleashed a fearsome pressure.

[Void: Abyssal Sovereign Pressure]

This was no mere physical force; it was an assault directly targeting the *will* itself.

Varnos felt not only his body buckling but also his very resolve to remain upright eroding.

The earth beneath him fractured further, the chasms deepened, and even the faint residual luminescence near him was extinguished.

"I can crush you like a mere insect at any moment. However, I find more pleasure in prolonging your humiliation before that,

Ascending to the status of a Heavenly King presented formidable challenges, with reliance on this particular tree being their paramount recourse. This arboreal entity represented their singular hope.

Remarkably, they discovered that achieving Heavenly King status was indeed feasible through the Moon Tree's assistance. While the endeavor demanded substantial sacrifice in terms of both resources and time, its possibility was undeniable.

It became apparent that with the Moon Tree's aid, they could elevate three Heavenly Kings. One of these was destined to be his father, and another was reserved for himself. The identity of the third remained undecided.

However, present circumstances might necessitate a drastic shift in their plans, a decision poised to reshape all calculations and the Guild's trajectory, yet potentially the sole path to its salvation.

His thoughts were serene yet weighty, devoid of hesitation or inner conflict. Without opening his eyes, he turned his focus inward.

He extended his reach towards the Moon Tree, not physically, but through his very essence. In that instant, a connection was forged.

The tree responded, and Varnos committed to the ultimate resolution.

Complete immolation.

"If this is to be the end... at least it will be by my own volition."

Miles away, within the core of the Everlight Moon Guild, the Moon Tree began to quiver.

Initially, a gentle tremble.

Then, a violent shudder.

Its luminescence transformed from soft tranquility into a searing detonation. Branches fractured sequentially, roots contorted and snapped, releasing centuries of accumulated mana.

An energy surge, akin to a collapsing star's blast, cascaded across the entire domain.

Magical arrays faltered one by one. Mana conduits were ruptured and rerouted. Systems intrinsically linked to the tree commenced their descent into chaos.

The Moon Tree met its demise, not with quietude, but a spectacular, tragic collapse.

All the released energy, like an unending deluge, surged towards Varnos.

"...What are you attempting?" Alaric inquired, a rare frown creasing his brow.

Yet, the response arrived not through speech, but through unfolding events.

As the energy enveloped Varnos's form, he did not absorb it entirely. He claimed and assimilated merely ten percent of its immense power.

This ten percent, drawn from an infinite wellspring, was not channeled into personal augmentation. Its sole purpose was singular.

Purification.

The venom coursing through his body resisted momentarily, as if unwilling to be eradicated. However, the pristine, relentless tide of moonlight mana proved its undoing. The assault was not gentle but brutally absolute.

Varnos's veins ignited. His body convulsed. His respiration ceased momentarily.

Then, a profound calm descended.

The residual energy... dissipated. Not through outburst or scattering, but simply ceased to be, as if it had never manifested.

Naturally, the energy did not truly vanish. It flowed into another vessel, his father's body, to expedite his ascension to Heavenly King.

He recognized the gravity of his decision, acknowledging the potential for miscalculation. After all, he had irrevocably altered the Guild's future prospects. A Guild that could have boasted three Heavenly Kings was now likely limited to one.

'Perhaps... two.' Yet, a solitary figure within their Guild possessed the innate capability to reach that pinnacle without reliance on the Moon Tree.

His conviction in Daniel's potential was such that he had no doubt he could attain that status.

Alaric perceived the shift, and his frown deepened further.

"...Impossible."

He was intimately familiar with the poison, its very essence understood. Such an affliction was not meant to be purged with such ease, particularly not at this magnitude, nor within such a compressed timeframe.

Yet, the irrefutable reality stood before his very eyes. This individual had, against all odds, succeeded in neutralizing the serum.

However, he remained convinced that such a feat could not be achieved without consequence. This rogue had undoubtedly paid a steep price for his actions.

Varnos moved with unshakeable composure, his previous frailty entirely absent.

He rose from the ground as if he had not been teetering on the brink of utter collapse moments prior. The surrounding atmosphere underwent a palpable transformation.

Moonlight suffused the environment, and his eyes now held a depth unlike before—not merely tranquil, but boundless.

"Now... we can engage in a true battle." His voice was steady, entirely free from any hint of uncertainty.

Alaric's demeanor shifted; the smile vanished, replaced by an unwavering focus and a trace of apprehension.

The ambient mana intensified. Void and light, antithetical forces, stirred anew. The space between them warped, fractured, and began to tremble.

"Allow me to demonstrate the genuine might of the Everlight Moon Guild."