Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 510:Sophia's Growth

An immediate and overwhelming agony engulfed her. Her entire frame convulsed with violent tremors as an intense heat coursed through her veins and bones. It felt as though something was igniting her from within, tearing its way through her bloodstream and irrevocably altering everything it touched.

"Ah, wuwuwuwu," broken, involuntary sounds escaped her as she jolted against the searing pain. The sounds were heart-wrenching.

"Ethan, it burns, you bastard!"

Ethan reacted with lightning speed, catching her before she could completely collapse. He had anticipated that the initial phase would be genuinely life-threatening, and his swift, firm action to prevent her fall demonstrated this foreknowledge. This was far beyond mere pain.

It was a profound internal dismantling, a process of bloodline alteration that was never gentle, regardless of prior preparation.

"Sophia!"

"I'm fine!" she forced out, her voice cracking and disintegrating on the final word.

Her fingers dug fiercely into his arm as another wave wracked her body, her breath coming in ragged, uneven gasps.

"Ahhhh!"

"Sit and meditate," Ethan commanded with unwavering firmness.

In that instant, a strong urge to admonish her surfaced, as there was a specific procedure for this transformation, necessitating a focused and active meditative state before consumption, not a hasty gulping as if it were mere water. He suppressed this reprimand for later and instead guided her to sit properly against him, urging her to concentrate on regulating her breathing and drawing her focus inward.

Her skin began to emit a faint red luminescence, and thin tendrils of light radiated outward across her body, resembling cracks forming in heated stone. Her breathing grew erratic, and her heartbeat thundered with such intensity that she could feel it reverberating in her ears, her throat, and behind her eyes simultaneously.

It felt as though her very blood was boiling, as if some entity confined within her was forcefully attempting to breach her skin.

Ethan held her securely, keeping her upright as she thrashed against the ordeal, his grip unyielding and his presence a stabilizing anchor amidst the internal chaos.

"Stay with me," he projected in a low yet resolute tone, allowing no room for any other outcome.

Sophia gritted her teeth against the approaching wave, her entire body trembling violently within his embrace. "It burns," she managed to articulate between sharp, broken breaths.

Her nails sank deeper into his arm, yet Ethan remained unmoved, unflinching.

"It is the transformation," he stated. "Endure it."

Her back arched sharply as another wave of agony crashed through her, and she cried out once more, the sound raw and unguarded, a vulnerability Sophia seldom revealed.

"AHHH!"

A subtle draconic aura began to emanate from her body in thin, visible wisps, causing the surrounding air to shimmer faintly as the unleashed energy pushed outward through her skin, finding no clear egress. Her veins pulsed with light beneath the surface, and her body continued to convulse as the potent force surged through her system, layer by layer, rewriting her very essence.

Time seemed to dilate, with seconds stretching into minutes, and minutes feeling immeasurably prolonged.

Though her voice had grown hoarse, Sophia uttered words between her tremors and pain, quiet, deliberate, and intended solely for herself.

"I will not break."

Ethan's hold on her arm tightened infinitesimally, and he remained steadfast, an unyielding point of stability for her as her internal world underwent radical change.

"Good," he affirmed.

Sophia's body continued its tremor as the transformative process penetrated deeper into her being.

Her breaths came in ragged, heavy pants, hot against the air. Sweat slicked her skin, and errant strands of hair clung to her face as the internal heat steadily escalated with no sign of abatement.

Ethan remained at her side, one arm supporting her back, the other firmly steadying her shoulder.

"Focus inward. Do not resist it," he advised in a low voice. "Guide it."

Sophia clamped her teeth together firmly. "I am endeavoring to do so."

Another surge of pain coursed through her, causing her body to arch sharply in response. "AHHH!"

The nascent draconic aura surrounding her intensified, and the air around them vibrated as a subtle pressure diffused outwards into the room. The luminous cracks traversing her skin visibly brightened.

Then, a low, barely perceptible sound emanated from deep within her, akin to something yielding with a clean snap. Ethan's eyes instantly sharpened. "It is commencing," he murmured.

Sophia's fingers tightened their grip on his arm, nearing the point of drawing blood. "It feels as though something is being torn asunder."

"Allow it," Ethan responded firmly. "Do not oppose it."

For a fleeting instant, her body stilled, followed by a potent surge of energy erupting from her core.

BOOM!

A wave of heat surged through the chamber, causing the curtains to billow wildly and the floor beneath to fracture slightly under the immense pressure. Ethan remained still, his grip firm, keeping her steady.

Sophia's eyes suddenly flew open, and for a fleeting moment, they emitted a faint, reddish-gold luminescence that hadn't been present before. Her breathing gradually slowed, though her body still felt rigid.

"Ethan," she whispered.

"I'm right here," he responded instantly.

Another surge manifested, but this one felt different – less chaotic than the previous ones. The energy began a steady process of stabilization. The faint glow on her skin started to recede, and the small cracks of light on the floor vanished one by one. The draconic aura that had been spilling outwards began to retreat back into her form, settling into its rightful place.

Sophia's tight grasp on his arm slowly eased. Her once rigid and trembling body began to relax, her breathing deepening and becoming more regular with each passing second.

"It's calming down," she murmured softly.

Ethan gave a slight nod, his expression unwavering and intense. "Good. Keep it that way."

She closed her eyes once more, heeding his words, and directed her focus inward, concentrating on the energy now settling within her. The intense burning sensation diminished, transforming into a profound, widespread warmth that felt remarkably more manageable in comparison.

Slowly, time continued to tick by.

Eventually, the final vestiges of unstable energy dissipated entirely, and the room returned to its previous quietude. Sophia's body went limp, and Ethan swiftly adjusted his hold to prevent her from collapsing.

"Sophia?"

She didn't answer immediately, but after a few seconds, a long exhale escaped her. "I'm alive."

Ethan released a quiet breath of his own. "Yeah."

She opened her eyes gradually, and they seemed transformed. A subtle golden-red tint remained, accompanied by a new, keen sharpness lurking behind them. Glancing down at her hands, with just a thought, scales began to manifest along her arms, extending into formidable claws. A faint aura of flame shimmered around them, flickering steadily.

"I can even use aura to some extent now," she commented, her eyes widening with genuine astonishment at her own capability.

Ethan helped her sit up properly. "That's expected."

She flexed her fingers slowly, observing the claws emerge and retract. "This is incredible. And also..." she paused, closing her eyes as if reaching for something deep within, then opened them with an expression of pure shock. "I'm at the peak Emperor realm. How is this even possible?" she gasped.

She had been at the mid-King level just moments before, and now, as a knight, she had ascended directly to the peak Emperor realm. It was astounding, yet the 'how' of it remained an perplexing question in her mind.

Ethan offered a small nod, a smile gracing his lips. "The potion worked, that's the reason." Yet, that wasn't the sole factor. He had also infused it with a breakthrough potion and an S-rank potential potion, a combination that significantly contributed to the intensity of her suffering.

Sophia remained silent for a moment, concentrating on perceiving the internal changes coursing through her body. Her breathing, her heartbeat, even her senses felt heightened and more vivid than ever before. Then, she met his gaze, her expression weary yet resolute. "That was absolute torture. But, people were right," she affirmed after a brief pause. "No pain, no gain."