Assimilate All Talents

'Two A-Rankers... Good thing I didn't bring Amber.'

Sol was relieved that he had asked Amber to stay behind and take care of the remaining Thunder Wolf Kings. He wasn't confident in his ability to protect her while also fighting against two A-Rankers. Though she was extremely capable, there was only so much she could do against opponents of that caliber, and she would likely become a target if she had tagged along.

Now, Sol faced the challenge alone, but that didn't concern him much.

'From what I saw in the Thunder Wolf King's memories, he's a beast tamer. They specialize in commanding and enhancing beasts, so his individual combat ability shouldn't be too high…'

He didn't bother using [Analysis] to learn more, knowing it would likely be blocked. Instead, by observing their tethers, he quickly identified that Varek possessed two law techniques. Neither seemed offensive; both were related to beasts—one for subjugation and the other for enhancement.

As for the Raijin...

'Even though it was just born, it already has a law technique...'

Sol found it rather unfair that a newly revived ancient beast could wield such power so soon, but complaining wouldn't solve anything. From what he could tell, its law technique revolved around lightning. Before he could analyze further, the Raijin struck.

Its body crackled with powerful white lightning as it zigzagged across the ruined chamber with terrifying speed, using its law technique, [Lightning Incarnate]. Sol's eyes widened slightly in surprise; its acceleration was far beyond his expectations. But surprise didn't mean inaction.
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With a swift motion, shadows burst forth from Sol's right hand as he activated [Umbral Domain]. Though not a law technique, it was infused with a frightening amount of mana. The Raijin specialized in speed, not defense, making it a lethal attack. A thick wave of darkness surged forward, forcing the beast to roll to the side at the last second, narrowly avoiding the flood of shadows.

The Raijin landed, its claws skidding across the cracked stone, but Sol was already moving. He activated [Ethereal Traversal], his form flickering into mist before reappearing beside the beast in an instant. Without hesitation, he grabbed it by the neck and, with immense strength, hurled it toward Varek.

"Tch!" Varek grunted, catching the Raijin just in time. But before he could send it back into battle, all seven of Sol's floating hands finished charging their attack.

The six chromas—red, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple—rotated rapidly around the seventh, orange, combining into a blindingly powerful beam that shot toward the two.

"Move, you idiot!" Varek sneered, tossing the Raijin aside and dodging the incoming chroma beam himself.

However, just as he moved out of its way, the beam suddenly curved mid air, twisting unnaturally and homing in on him.

"What the—?" Varek cursed under his breath as he dashed away with A-Rank agility, barely evading the pursuing beam. But Sol wasn't done yet. The beam split into multiple smaller beams, attacking from different angles and forcing Varek to weave through the ruins in a desperate attempt to avoid being hit. Each explosion that followed his evasions sent debris flying in all directions.

Sol watched him struggle and decided to end things. With a flick of his wrist, stone fragments gathered around his hand, condensing into a slim sword with a razor-sharp edge. Channeling his law technique, [Swift End], he coated the blade with Slayer Aura, causing it to faintly emanate the feeling of death.

He was about to leap into the fray and seal Varek's fate when a sudden bolt of lightning shot toward him from the side.

The Raijin, having recovered from the earlier throw, unleashed a crackling surge of electricity straight at him.

Without breaking stride, Sol sliced through the lightning bolt with his stone sword, splitting it cleanly in half. His eyes remained locked on Varek, he didn't see the Raijin as a major threat.

'It's just been born. It may have a law technique, but it lacks the battle experience to use it properly.'

Handling it was easy for Sol; he didn't even have to use his other law technique, [Lesser Channel Control], to suppress its power. While the Raijin had great speed and control over lightning, it couldn't yet utilize its full potential.

But underestimating the Raijin turned out to be a mistake.

As Sol closed in on Varek, the beast tamer smirked and sneered, "So you think you can just focus me down and win?! Think again!"

In that moment, Varek activated his second law technique, [Beast Ascension].

A surge of radiant energy enveloped the Raijin, its muscles rippling as an overwhelming force flooded its body. Every fiber of the beast's being crackled with newfound power. Its speed, strength, and perception skyrocketed to terrifying levels in an instant.

The empowered Raijin didn't hesitate.

It moved like a bolt of lightning, appearing next to Sol's floating hands maintaining the full spectrum beam. With a single swipe of its claws, it tore through them, shattering them in an instant. The air crackled with raw power as the remnants of Sol's attack dissipated into harmless sparks.

Sol's eyes narrowed in frustration.

'That's more troublesome than I thought.'

Varek laughed, his voice filled with renewed confidence. "Did you think I was that easy to defeat?! I won't go down here! Not when I'm this close to success!"

The Raijin, now supercharged beyond its natural limits, crouched low, electricity dancing across its frame. Though still inexperienced, the beast had become much stronger, forcing Sol to be wary.

Sol tightened his grip on his sword and muttered, "I guess I'll have to take you seriously after all."

The Raijin snarled, its golden eyes flashing with fury as arcs of lightning coursed through its sleek fur. It crouched low, muscles coiling in preparation for another devastating charge. Varek grinned triumphantly from behind it, confident that his creation was about to tear Sol apart.

"End him, Raijin!" Varek commanded.

In an instant, the beast lunged forward, electricity crackling with each stride, its claws extending to slash through Sol in a flash of light. But just as the Raijin was about to unleash a deadly lightning strike—

Fzzzzzt!

The vibrant arcs of electricity around its body flickered and abruptly dissipated, leaving the beast standing in stunned silence. Its momentum faltered, and it stumbled slightly, clearly flustered. Confusion appeared in its eyes, and it tried to use its law technique again, but nothing happened.

Varek's confident expression twisted into shock. "What... what's going on?" His voice wavered. "Raijin! Use your law technique!"

The beast growled in frustration, but when it reached deep within for its innate lightning abilities, it found nothing. The knowledge, the instinct, it was simply gone, erased as if it had never existed.