CHAPTER 384: PRIDE

He stood motionless in the aftermath of the Corruption Trial, the void around him settling into a quiet, tense stillness.

His breathing was steady, heartbeat calming down. He felt no lingering doubt or fear, only clarity remained, his mind tempered into an unbreakable blade.

Deep within himself, he recognized that he had overcome something that could easily shatter weaker souls.

Yet Orion knew instinctively that the final test still awaited him. The void began to shift subtly, vibrating gently around him like the faint, rhythmic beat of drums echoing across distant battlefields.

The air thrummed with an invisible tension, whispering silently that the decisive moment was at hand.

Slowly, the darkness ahead parted like heavy velvet curtains, revealing an immense obsidian mirror suspended in the nothingness before him.

Its towering form radiated an ancient and foreboding presence. Its black stone frame was etched with runes of such profound antiquity that Orion felt their resonance deep within his bones, humming softly with echoes of power that surpassed any he’d yet encountered.

The mirror’s dark surface rippled gently, moving like fluid shadows. It was unlike any ordinary reflection.

Orion felt distinctly that this mirror was conscious, aware, watching him with intent as penetrating as his own gaze.

Steeling himself, Orion moved forward slowly, step by step, approaching the mirror’s imposing form.

As Orion drew near, the mirror’s surface twisted and churned, its shadows reshaping into something unexpected. It didn’t reflect Orion himself, not immediately, not exactly, but rather a vision far grander and infinitely more imposing.

The figure gradually formed within the blackness, revealing itself clearly. Orion recognized it instantly, as the vision was unmistakably drawn from the pride, legacy, and grandeur of all his dormant bloodlines merged seamlessly into one perfected form.

The majestic flames of the True Fire Dragon Emperor roared in golden brilliance, blazing like a sun’s core around the figure’s shoulders and crown.

Violent arcs of violet lightning crackled fiercely, encircling its mighty limbs, signifying the dominance of the True Thunder Dragon Emperor.

Twisting emerald roots and vibrant branches from the serene yet inexorable World Tree shaped themselves into a regal mantle, a symbol of life’s unyielding vitality.

And finally, eyes that burned like twin suns of unwavering command, the imperious gaze and boundless authority of the Human Emperor.

All these powers, strengths, and lineages converged into a single form: a supreme, sovereign Orion, standing taller, broader, radiating an overwhelming majesty that made even the endless void tremble with reverence.

The entire vision exuded a presence so powerful, so complete, that the very concept of subservience seemed inconceivable.

When it spoke, the figure’s voice was a layered harmony of Orion’s own tones merged with the resonant authority of his bloodlines, rich and commanding, vibrating through the void:

"We are the pride you were born with. The inheritance you have yet to command. We are your crown, your throne, your birthright."

With grace, the reflection took a single step forward within the obsidian mirror, its overwhelming presence radiating outward, neither threatening nor malicious, yet carrying an undeniable challenge that pressed against Orion’s very soul.

"Take us, and you shall stand as the one true Emperor. Fail... and we will rule you instead."

The void held its breath, suspended in that instant between challenge and response.

Orion felt a powerful gravitational pull from this being, recognizing how easy it would be to simply allow its strength to lead him, to accept this manifestation of his birthright and use its powers.

The thought was dangerously seductive. To yield to it felt natural, perhaps even destined.

Yet Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly, sharpening with resolute clarity. He had already conquered Corruption; he had already subdued his shadows.

He now faced not merely temptation or despair, but the most insidious allure of all—the pride and power that were rightfully his by birth.

He stood at the precipice, understanding that this trial tested the very nature of sovereignty itself.

A faint, knowing smile formed slowly upon Orion’s lips as comprehension flowed through him like crystalline waters. His voice was steady, carrying a quiet authority that matched or even surpassed that of the reflection before him:

"A True Emperor does not bow—not even to oneself."

With calm certainty, Orion stepped forward and placed his open palm flat upon the mirror’s cool, liquid-like surface. Immediately, the perfected reflection pressed back, energies of Fire, Thunder, Life, and Sovereignty surging into Orion simultaneously.

It was overwhelming, not a single force, but four distinct wills crashing into him like roaring storms.

The True Fire Dragon Emperor’s pride flared first, a roaring inferno that sought to burn away anything unworthy. Heat seared through Orion’s veins, as if molten gold was replacing his blood. The flames whispered a single thought: "Only one who endures the sun may wear its crown."

Almost on its heels came the True Thunder Dragon Emperor’s pride, jagged and violent. Bolts of violet lightning lanced through his mind, each crack of thunder threatening to shatter his consciousness into splinters. Its voice rumbled like a sky about to split open: "If you cannot stand against the storm, you will kneel before it."

Before he could recover, the World Tree’s pride surged upward, roots and branches winding around his spirit. They constricted, trying to bind and entangle his will, as though testing whether he could break free of life’s own grasp. The earth itself seemed to murmur: "Can you bear the weight of eternity without bending?"

And then came the Human Emperor’s pride, the most subtle yet suffocating of them all — an authority so absolute it sought to overwrite his will entirely. It didn’t shout; it didn’t say anything. It remained the most mysterious.

Orion’s body trembled under the combined onslaught. His aura flickered, flames dimming, lightning stuttering, the emerald glow of life force wavering.

His heartbeat pounded like a war drum in his ears, each thud a reminder that he stood on the knife’s edge between mastery and submission.

For a moment, the reflection’s crown seemed to lower toward his head, as if ready to claim him instead.

But Orion’s eyes snapped open wider, blazing with bone-deep pride. Through clenched teeth, he growled, "You are mine. You walk when I walk. You stop when I stop. My pride is not your leash... it is my sword."

His aura exploded outward, fire roaring hotter, lightning striking sharper, the World Tree’s roots blooming instead of binding, and the Human Emperor’s authority accepting him as a whole. One by one, the four forces bent, not in defeat, but in recognition.

The reflection within the mirror shuddered, resistance fracturing under Orion’s unbreakable will. Cracks rapidly spread across the obsidian surface, lines of brilliant golden, emerald, and violet light searing through the ancient runes.

With a thunderous roar, the mirror fractured completely, shattering into countless fragments of radiant crystal.

Shards scattered into the darkness, dissolving into shimmering motes of energy that flowed toward Orion in an unstoppable tide, merging seamlessly into his body, settling upon him like an imperial mantle.

The acceptance of these energies seemed to have progressed something deep within Orion.

He felt both lighter and stronger, standing upon foundations of pride, legacy, and sovereignty forged into an indomitable core.

A profound, deep voice filled the void, echoing with ancient authority and boundless respect:

"Pride that stands unbroken is sovereignty. You are worthy... Paragon of Pride."

[Ding!]

[Paragon of Pride title acquired.]

[Ding!]

[Lineage Understanding Progression:]

[Human Emperor: 1%]

[True Thunder Dragon Emperor: 10%]

[True Fire Dragon Emperor: 10%]

[World Tree: 10%]