CHAPTER 228: CHAPTER 227 - RAVEN’S AWAKENING.

The divine domain had grown peaceful—at least by this group’s standards.

It was always peaceful when no one was doing anything.

The group was sitting around a conjured campfire (that had no actual fire), thanks to Clara, who had used her newly awakened sound element to replicate the soothing crackling noise.

Nibbles wore a tiny straw hat and sat on a pebble like an ancient forest hermit, occasionally raising a sign like "WISE RODENT IS LISTENING."

Clara lay back in the grass, humming softly. "Kinda cozy, isn’t it?"

Siris nodded, resting against Raven’s shoulder. "Not bad. If I ignore the fact that this is a temporary divine dimension made by a yandere goddess who charges rent per breath."

Arietta sipped glowing tea, deadpan. "Rent is now per heartbeat. Blame the explosion tax."

Selena rolled her eyes. "You’re just mad Graye dented the floating island."

"Twice!" Graye said proudly, flexing. "I gave that boulder the ol’ rock-bottom."

"It was a spiritual boulder," Lia added from nearby. "You suplexed spiritual geology."

Graye saluted. "I’m equal-opportunity with gravity."

Alex was lying on his back with a floating rock on his chest. "I’m still trying to awaken gravitational mastery, but all I’ve discovered is that I’m squishable."

"Same," Rufus muttered, his suit rebooting again as golden glyphs flickered across it. "I can make light dance, but not taxes disappear."

"I’m learning plant language to talk with this fern," Siris said suddenly, holding one.

"You are what now?" Raven blinked.

"Lia translated. The fern’s name is Deris. She hates birds."

Clara snorted, nearly choking on her water.

Then, as if on cue, the sword-like tribal tattoo on Raven’s arm glowed, and Omni’s voice echoed through the surroundings.

"Yo, boss," the sword said smoothly. "You ready to awaken your element or what? ’Cause I’m getting real bored listenin’ to these clowns talk to shrubbery."

"Hey!" Siris said. "Derek has very insightful views!"

"I’m sure he does, leafy Socrates," Omni replied.

Raven stood up, stretching. "Alright, alright. Let’s get this over with."

Arietta narrowed her eyes. "You sure? For some reason, I have an uneasy feeling about this—"

"Don’t worry. Even if it is dangerous, I’m used to it," Raven smirked. "Story of my life."

"Also sounds like my dating record," Siris added helpfully.

"Okay, everybody shut up now," Selena said firmly, folding her arms. "Let him focus."

.................................

A while later.

Raven was now sitting cross-legged on an elevated platform some distance away from the group.

Everyone had seen how destructive one’s awakening can get when they saw Graye’s higher elemental awakening, which was actually a pretty rare type of awakening.

She hadn’t awakened a new element; instead, it was her basic element tiering up, which is known as one of the rarest higher element awakenings because it helps you in the later phase of your cultivation.

As for what Raven would awaken, it was a mystery.

No one could predict it—not even Raven.

However, the good thing was that Raven had been stabilizing his power when the others were doing it.

That meant that he had done most of the time-consuming work.

Still, it would take some time to awaken a high element, especially when, among the hundreds or more elements out there, the one with the best affinity with Raven would select him.

For a while, as Raven meditated quietly, others remained tense.

Raven was there to ensure that they had safely awakened their higher element, so it was now their turn to help him if something were to happen.

It was then that Alex scratched his head, confused.

"Aren’t we all a bit too tense?" He asked, tilting his head. "I don’t think anything—"

Everyone’s eyes widened as they turned to the guy, their expressions showing the horror they felt.

"Stop!"

"Don’t you dare—!"

"Don’t complete those words!"

Jake was already on the move, flashing behind Alex as he covered the guy’s mouth, but it was already too late.

"—Bad is going to happen anyway," Alex finished his words.

It was only then that he saw everyone’s expression, and now, they weren’t looking at him but at Raven.

The air had turned tense as he had raised a red flag without even realizing it.

Soon, ten minutes passed.

Nothing happened.

But before they could relax, Raven’s body twitched.

It was a minute movement—one wouldn’t even notice if they weren’t looking at him with all of their focus—but everyone caught it.

Another beat of silence passed before a soft gust passed.

The starlight above Raven twisted... then shattered.

BOOM!

Reality around Raven twitched.

Then, from his body, something black began to leak.

Not shadow. Not void.

Destruction.

The air crackled.

Black flame—not flame, but anti-flame—began eating away at the platform beneath him.

The glowing runes there didn’t even burn—they ceased to exist.

"Uhhh... that’s not normal," Clara said, blinking.

"Guys," Rufus muttered, taking a step back. "The floor’s not growing back."

Selena’s eyes narrowed. "...That’s not supposed to happen."

Arietta’s divine eyes widened. "No. No, no, no. That’s not an element—that’s Destruction. The raw concept. Unrestrained."

Graye paused. "Wait... so it’s like... edible fire?"

"No, it’s the fire that eats back!" Rufus shouted, backing up more.

Below Raven, the platform now had a hole—a pit of nothing.

The grass around him didn’t burn—it disintegrated midair. Even the divine mana retreated.

"S-Shouldn’t we, like, do something—?" Alex tried to speak, but everyone’s glare and a paw strike from Nibbles made him lower his head.

The dumb guy had realized what he had done, but it couldn’t be reversed now.

Suddenly, another change happened.

The black flames that were eating away at the surroundings started crawling up Raven’s leg.

He flinched.

Then—groaned.

The group froze.

Because they knew how high Raven’s pain tolerance was, and if he was groaning, then the pain wasn’t something any one of them could tolerate.

"Raven?" Clara asked.

Raven gritted his teeth. "...Hngh... damn it..."

Selena’s voice rose. "W-We need to do something!"

Lia raced forward, vines trailing from her hands. "Healing Bloom!"

The vines touched Raven and disappeared.

"No effect," she gasped.

Arietta raised both hands. "I’m sealing the space around him!"

The space around Raven folded, wrapped, shimmered—and shattered like glass.

Arietta’s divine aura spiked. "WHAT?!"

Then came the pain.

Raven let out a choked growl, his body glowing—then cracking. His skin split, not from injury, but from sheer strain. The black fire now crept to his waist.

His bones glowed red-hot.

Arietta, whose power was suppressed by the divine law she had placed in this realm, realized that Raven’s power couldn’t be held by anything or anyone on the same level.

She needed to lift the divine law.

"Ten seconds!" Arietta shouted, her voice panicked now. "Ten seconds, Raven! Just hold on! I’ll unlock my divine core!"

"No!" Raven shouted.

His soul flared golden. His body pulsed with radiant force.

Then—

Scales—black and red—grew across Raven’s arms, shoulders, and chest, glowing with power.

Then—

Swoosh!

Black-red flames burst from his arms.

Voidfire.

It surged out of him, wrapping around the destruction like chains. Cracks appeared in space again.

Then came the basic elements.

A whirlwind encircled him. Fire spiraled into his legs. Stones rose from thin air. A burst of water exploded upward.

All four basic elements surged up to fight the fifth.

It was chaos.

In the midst of it—

"Can’t... let it win..." Raven grunted.

The group stared helplessly.

Then—

The heavens trembled.

Arietta had broken the divine law that was sealing her power.

Her divine form descended—golden, radiant, and immense. Her presence was a sun crushing down.

Everyone collapsed to the ground, gasping.

Clara clutched her chest. "I... can’t breathe..."

Rufus was on one knee. "She’s... too much."

Nibbles wheezed and held up a sign: "WHY IS THE AIR SO THICC?"

Graye coughed. "Okay, she just went Supernova Mom."

Only Raven was fine—barely.

Arietta’s divine power pushed down on the domain, and still... the destruction refused to be quelled.

"LET ME HELP!" She yelled. "LET ME—!"

"NO!" Raven roared back. "NO ONE TOUCHES ME!"

He turned to face her, eyes burning with gold, red, and black.

"I will tame this myself! It’s my power—I will control it!"

He was serious.

Arietta froze, her eyes wide.

Then, slowly, she backed off.

The divine presence withdrew—just slightly.

Because she realized what Raven was trying to achieve.

He didn’t want to be dependent on her.

Everyone had awakened their power and controlled it well. They were now stronger.

But if he were to need Arietta’s help in the awakening itself, then how was he going to be able to use that power?

Raven had to show his new element that he was the boss.

He had to prove that he was worthy of wielding it.

So, Raven stood up, every cell in his body screaming, the flames flickering all around, as all of his elements fought against the destruction element.

It was then that a voice echoed beside him.

"Boss..." Omni said, pulsing in his hand with his usual gangster drawl, but quieter. "Use me."

Raven’s head tilted slightly as he gritted his teeth.

Omni’s voice sharpened. "You know I can help. I’m not just here to talk trash and look shiny. I’m built for this. You want to stabilize that nightmare fire eating your soul? Let me in. Let’s dance."

Raven panted, eyes flickering with wild energy.

But he hesitated.

That was until Omni spoke again.

"Man, I ain’t just some random somebody," the sword said, a little annoyed. "I’m your power, got it? I’m somethin’ only you can handle. So quit overthinking and just use me like the badass move I am!"

"Alright," he growled, raising his hand.

"Omni," he called, and the moment he did, the sword materialized beside him.

"Aight. Time to make destruction kneel," Omni said, his tone dripping with cool, gangster confidence.