Chapter 407: Covering

A bond of souls allowed Ronin to sense Carlos’s anguish in that moment.

He swept his gaze across the battlefield and quickly fixed it upon the robed figure blowing the horn.

“So you’re the one behind this?”

Ronin pushed off the ground with both legs. The force sent soil flying as he shot forward like a bolt, racing toward Mephisto.

“Haha! It truly is a dragon enslaved!”

Mephisto laughed wildly. His mission in the kingdom of Oduin was not only to sow chaos but also to fulfill the orders of Shadow Lord Saronas—searching for the dragon sealed within the Shadow Realm over a thousand years ago by the previous Shadow Lord, Eliot.

Beings transformed through the Soul Crystal were cut off from normal paths of cultivation. Yet Eliot’s method, though arduous and draining, allowed dragons to grow even while enslaved—both through their own strength and via special means.

He had thought the task impossible. So much time had passed; the continent had changed beyond recognition. Even royal bloodlines like Hesus knew nothing of ancient history. Finding any clue seemed hopeless.

Yet here, on a battlefield, he’d stumbled upon the dragon so soon.

What surprised him, however, was that this dragon didn’t seem fully conquered by soul magic. Otherwise, at the sound of his horn, it should have obeyed without question.

But no matter. As long as the dragon was found, he could report success to Lord Saronas.

A gust of wind warned him—Mephisto tensed. “That human who rode the dragon… what connection do they share?”

Ronin’s sword slashed down. But Mephisto’s body suddenly softened, melting into his shadow—and vanished before Ronin’s eyes.

“Where’d he go?”

An instant spell of detection revealed the foe’s position. Ronin leapt forward, driving his fist into a swiftly moving black blur skimming along the ground.

Boom!

The flaming punch cracked the earth open. Mephisto was forced out of stealth.

“If I’m not mistaken,” Ronin accused, “you’re the one who turned Osen and the people of Black Serpent City into Soulborn creatures. Who are you?”

“Hee hee hee!” Mephisto cackled, a ghastly sound.

From the laughter emerged four dark portals—front, back, left, right. Four fully armed golden skeleton warriors sprang forth, charging Ronin at once.

Similar to Brandy’s skeleton summoning, yet these were far stronger, far more powerful.

Still, no match for Ronin now.

Using Wind Step, he dodged two skeletons’ attacks, then cleaved through the other two with a blazing arc from his Flameflow Sword. In under five seconds, he shattered their formation.

But those few seconds were enough. Mephisto pulled out the Soul Horn and blew.

Woo~

The eerie sound pierced through the air, reaching every Soulborn warrior still fighting.

In that instant, all of them—Osen, Black Scar, and others—grew frenzied. Some dropped to the ground, crawling onto fallen soldiers and gnawing at their flesh. Blood soaked the field, a grotesque spectacle of savagery.

Yet just then, Rulans raised the black horn Ronin had given him. He channeled the dark energy within his core into the instrument.

This horn, which Ronin himself couldn’t sound, now let out a deep, resonant call.

As the low tone spread across the battlefield, an uncanny silence fell.

The raging Soulborn froze where they stood—like puppets suddenly severed from their strings, confused, uncertain whose command to follow.

Rulans himself was startled. He had merely wished for the battle to stop—and it did.

With the enemy halted, the knights didn’t hesitate. Blades flashed. Many Soulborn fell. Broar seized Osen alive. Meanwhile, Melonica drove her sword through Black Scar’s chest. Thunder roared—reducing the knight loyal to Mephisto to dust.

Mephisto’s face darkened. Clearly, they had stolen the dragon—and taken possession of Eliot’s Soul Horn.

But how? Only those imbued with Soulborn power could sound the horn.

Yet Rulans bore no trace of such energy—yet still made it sing.

He did possess a way to override the horn’s most basic commands—but not in his current form.

Ronin glanced at the battlefield, a faint smirk on his lips.

Yesterday, when he saw Barrington use the horn, he’d suspected this possibility. Testing it with Rulans had worked. Today, he’d come prepared—never imagining it would succeed so perfectly.

“Surprised?”

Ronin sidestepped a lunging golden skeleton, used Wind Step to reappear beside Mephisto, and thrust his sword straight for the man’s heart.

Pfft!

The blade pierced through—no blood spilled. As Ronin surged his aura, it felt as if the body would tear apart.

“I am not like them.”

Mephisto smiled, sinister and calm. Then his body split—ripping in half, transforming into two streaks of black light too swift for the eye to track. Both slammed into Osen.

Boom~

Darkness erupted. Osen became the eye of a storm. The gale grew so fierce even Broar had to brace with aura. Those nearby were flung into the air, then crashed down hard.

All the while, Osen’s body swelled—like a balloon stretched beyond limit.

“Is he going to explode?”

Broar’s heart lurched. He leapt back. “Retreat—now!”

Everyone scrambled away.

Osen threw his head back and roared—a cry of endless torment. Waves of black ripples poured from his mouth.

And the other Soulborn answered. One by one, they tilted their heads skyward, screaming. From their mouths burst spheres of dark energy—all rushing into Osen’s body.

One by one, they collapsed, lifeless.

Osen kept growing—three meters, five, seven…

In moments, he became a monstrous giant, over ten meters tall—no longer human in shape.

“Going to blow?”

Ronin retreated to safety.

But then—Osen’s massive frame began shrinking rapidly. In an instant, he returned to human form, clothes torn to shreds, standing naked upon the field.

Ronin stiffened.

This wasn’t an explosion. He had absorbed every last drop of the Soulborn’s energy.

“His power has grown!”

Osen slowly opened his eyes. A chuckle escaped—then laughter, then wild, uncontrollable laughter.

He stared at his hands. “This… this is the great power Mephisto spoke of. At last—I have it!”

He clenched his fist. Scattered aura ripped up the earth.

Osen locked eyes with Broar blocking his path—and became a blur.

Broar snorted. “Let’s see just how strong you’ve become.”

The two fists collided, and Brol felt a shattering force surge through him, sending his body reeling backward in violent retreat.

His expression darkened. "Silver Moon rank—and not an ordinary one at that!" (End of Chapter)