The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear's soul bone… had merged quietly, leaving behind only questions.

Even after fusing with the soul bone, Ray couldn't point to any obvious change. If someone asked him what felt different, his honest answer would be nothing at all. His right arm looked ordinary, devoid of any sign that an external soul bone had ever merged with it.

"This…" Violetta hesitated, then blurted out, "Could it be a fake soul bone?"

Lily shook her head decisively. "Impossible. Even within the spirit ascension platform, creating a Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear of that level requires a real soul bone. Just like ordinary soul beasts require spirit energy to form, this can't be counterfeit. But…"

As she spoke, Ray absentmindedly summoned his golden dragon claw. Light surged, his arm swelling with familiar power. The scales gleamed, brilliant and sharp, yet unchanged in color or texture.

Still gold. Still the same.

A trace of disappointment crept into his eyes.

"Maybe your bloodline suppressed it," Lily said after a moment, clearly grasping at possibilities. "Your Golden Dragon King bloodline is too domineering. It might have overwhelmed the soul bone's power. But there has to be something. There's no way it did nothing."

Ray gave a helpless smile. "Only the heavens know."

As he spoke, he instinctively channeled soul power into his claw.

For an instant, a strange sensation flickered through him.

His claw trembled. A faint dark-gold light wrapped itself around his fingertips—so brief it nearly escaped notice.

Ray's pupils shrank.

"You two, move back," he said quickly, retreating several steps as his heart began to pound.

He poured more soul power into his claw.

The scales responded at once, glittering like a starfield. Dark-gold radiance gathered again at his fingertips, thin but unmistakable.

An overwhelming sensation surged through him. His heartbeat thundered, blood roaring through his veins as though spurred by a galloping herd. Every drop rushed toward his right hand.

Before he could think, he slashed forward.

Five streaks of dark-gold light ripped through the air.

In that instant, nearly a third of his soul power vanished. Heat surged through his body, blood boiling as if ignited.

Lily and Violetta stared in shock.

The dark-gold claw lights—each nearly a meter long—had materialized in midair, lingering for only a heartbeat before fading away.

"I knew it couldn't be useless!" Lily exclaimed, excitement breaking through her composure. "How does it feel?"

Ray stared at his hand, eyes wide, breath slightly unsteady. "It feels like my soul power… leapt out of my body. Like my claw attacks can extend outward now. But the consumption is terrifying. I lost a third of my soul power just now. It's even more draining than my normal golden dragon claw."

Before they could discuss further, a low growl rolled through the forest.

From the undergrowth emerged a jade-green figure.

It was a slender, lizard-like soul beast standing nearly four meters tall. Its glowing body would have blended seamlessly into the surroundings if not for its radiance. Its massive skull was lined with serrated teeth, and a jagged, sawtooth horn jutted from its head.

A Crawling Dragon.

A type of land dragon with thin draconic blood, violent by nature and adept at ambushes. Though far inferior to a Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, it rivaled a Blazing Demon Lion in strength.

"Perfect timing," Lily said calmly. "Ray, test it."

Violetta lifted her staff, light gathering as she chanted softly. "Stars of the heavens, tranquil and eternal, grant me your strength. My starwheel!"

Streaks of starlight descended like falling meteors, scattering radiant dust across the night sky.

Unnoticed, night had already fallen.

The Crawling Dragon sensed danger far too late. Starlight pierced its body, chains of luminous energy locking it in place. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't move. Violetta's first variant soul skill—Starwheel Shackles—had taken full effect.

In perfect synchronization, Ray launched forward like a bolt of lightning. Soul power surged wildly as he forced it all into his claw.

He stopped just a meter from the immobilized beast.

Then he slashed.

The Crawling Dragon felt terror overwhelm it under the crushing pressure of Ray's draconic aura. In the next breath, five dark-gold lights flashed.

There was no wind, no shockwave.

The lights passed through the Crawling Dragon as effortlessly as blades through water.

In the blink of an eye, the beast dissolved into pure spirit energy.

Violetta stood frozen, mouth slightly open. That power was… terrifying.

Ray felt the same shock.

Compared to the golden dragon claw, this was an evolution. His former weakness—lack of range—had vanished. Not only had his attack distance increased, but its power had not diminished in the slightest.

And upon closer inspection, the dark-gold claw lights weren't merely energy. They were covered in tiny scales.

A mutation.

A complete transformation.

What thrilled Ray most was his realization that the range scaled with soul power expenditure. Consuming two-thirds of his reserves extended his attack by roughly one and a half meters. As his cultivation grew, so too would this ability.

Perhaps one day, his attacks would rival the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear's in reach.

Without hesitation, Ray named it.

Golden Dragon Dreadclaw.

Still, its cost was steep. At present, he could only use it two or three times per battle before exhausting himself.

Lily walked over, smiling faintly. "Congratulations. Your attack range has finally caught up."

Yet Ray didn't smile back. His expression turned serious. "Let's go. We need to check on Raziel Phoenix."

The three slapped the buttons on the backs of their hands simultaneously and vanished in a flash of light.

Moments after they left, deep within the forest, a pair of jade-green eyes snapped open.

A terrifying aura surged outward, swallowing the surrounding region whole.

*

After stepping out of the metal pod and shaking off the lingering haze, Ray rushed from the room.

The moment he saw Raziel Phoenix—wrapped in a blanket and twitching violently—he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Raziel Phoenix looked awful. His body trembled uncontrollably, his face deathly pale and drenched in sweat.

Alfred sat beside him, circulating soul power through the Mysterious Heaven Method to stabilize his condition.

As long as he was conscious, it would pass. After so many trips to the spirit ascension platform, they all knew this backlash would fade in time.

Ray crouched beside him, forcing a smile. "Good thing you're awake. I was worried."

Raziel Phoenix shot him a glare. "Awake? I'm shaking like a leaf! Can't you see? So… did you kill it?"

Ray nodded. "Yeah. I avenged you."

Raziel Phoenix laughed weakly. "Good. That monster's finally gone. No more nightmares."

"You weren't the one who killed it," Violetta said as she arrived with Lily.

Raziel Phoenix groaned. "You just have to kick me when I'm down, don't you? Can't you be nice for once after all my suffering?"

Violetta giggled. "If we let you boast now, who knows how unbearable you'll be later?"

Raziel Phoenix snorted. "So… did you guys make it across?"

Ray shook his head. "We rushed out because of you. Oh, and… we got a Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear's right-hand soul bone."

He went on to recount everything that had happened, from the guardian's fall to the birth of the Golden Dragon Dreadclaw.

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