Assimilate All Talents

Chapter 336 Sin of Pride

Along with the law technique [Draconification], Sol also gained knowledge about dragons and their bloodlines, including an understanding of what sins truly were.

The truth became instantly clear to him. 'My sin must be pride. It could be wrath, but it wasn't blind anger. It was her tone—that condescending way she spoke, as if she were better than me that angered me. Now that I'm aware of it, I should be able to keep myself in check…'

He knew that the sin didn't stem from the law technique alone. The scale, imbued with the Law of Dragons, had given him more than the technique, it had also bestowed upon him the bloodline of dragons. The law technique was simply the means to unlock and wield it.

Sol wanted to analyze his changes further to ensure he hadn't missed anything, but first, he needed to defuse the situation in front of him.

He took a slow breath, and began recalling his mana. But before he could fully finish retracting his mana back, Tinerma, who had been on edge from his earlier behavior, acted.

Not willing to underestimate Sol or give him the upper hand, she strummed her harp. The air shimmered as waves of sonic energy, created with her law technique [Rampant Melody], surged toward Sol and Amber.

"Wait—Tinerma, stop!" Nemer shouted, alarmed, but it was too late.

The attack raced forward, its destructive force palpable.

Sol reacted immediately. Slamming his palm into the ground, he activated [Terra Manipulation], pulling a jagged stone dagger from the earth in one swift motion. He infused the weapon with the Slayer Aura of [Swift End], transforming it into a tool capable of slicing through nearly anything.

In one smooth movement, Sol slashed at the incoming sonic waves. The enhanced blade dispersed the attacks into harmless vibrations before they could reach him or Amber.

"Stop!" Sol commanded, his voice sharp but no longer hostile. "I don't want to fight you!"

Tinerma frowned, her fingers poised over the harp strings. "And I'm supposed to believe that? You were moments away from attacking us!"

"Tinerma, wait!" Nemer interjected, stepping forward cautiously. "Something about this feels… off. Let's not escalate without understanding the situation."

But Tinerma wasn't convinced. Her instincts, honed through years of combat, told her Sol was a threat. Ignoring Nemer's warning, she strummed the harp again, unleashing another volley of powerful sonic energy.

Sol's patience frayed as he slashed through her attacks once more. A dangerous thought flickered through his mind. 'She doesn't know her place. I should teach her a lesson.'

He froze and shook his head.

'No. That's not me.'

He realized the thought wasn't his own but the sin of pride, trying to push him into asserting dominance above others. Clenching his teeth, Sol forced the intrusive feeling away. He wouldn't let the dragon bloodline control him.

"Tinerma, stop! We can talk this out." Nemer called out to her. He had faith that Tinerma could win but for a confrontation between A-Rankers to happen in the middle of town would only end badly.

But Tinerma didn't listen. She had encountered A-Rankers before—some who had lost their minds, others consumed by the intoxicating allure of newfound power. She knew the risks of fighting in town but she wasn't about to let an dangerous powerhouse roam free in her town.

With each pull of her harp strings, the sonic waves grew stronger, the beats forming a deadly melody. Sol countered them with his dagger, but the weapon began to crack under the relentless assault. While he tried to reinforce it with the Slayer Aura, the technique wasn't designed for defense, and it offered little in terms of durability.

As the melody reached its crescendo, Sol realized her attacks weren't random. She was playing a deliberate, rhythmic song which was both beautiful and lethal in equal measure. He couldn't keep defending. The attacks were becoming harder to block and he was unsure if his makeshift stone dagger could withstand much longer. He had to stop her before she unleashed the full force of her technique.

"You leave me no choice." Sol muttered, his voice low but steady. His eyes glimmered as he shifted to another law technique, [Lesser Channel Control]. Opening his sight to the tethers of energy around him, he located the largest tether emanating from Tinerma and willed it shut.

The effects were immediate. Tinerma's fingers faltered on the harp strings, and a look of confusion crossed her face. She strummed again, but the sound, though melodious, lacked the destructive power it once held.

"What…?" Tinerma murmured, staring at her hands as if they were betraying her. The knowledge of how to wield [Rampant Melody] seemed to have vanished from her mind.

"It's over." Sol said, lowering his cracked dagger and releasing the Slayer Aura. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you keep attacking, I will defend myself."

Nemer quickly stepped between them, placing a hand on Tinerma's shoulder. "Enough, Tinerma. He's right."

Reluctantly, Tinerma nodded and took a step back. Though she still didn't trust Sol, she knew she couldn't continue without her law technique. But that didn't mean she was out of options. She was prepared to use her emergency escape items if necessary.

Sol, relieved the fight was over, spoke again. "We didn't come here to cause trouble. I'll pay the innkeeper for the damages, and we'll leave as soon as possible. That way, we won't inconvenience you or the town any further."

It wasn't quite an apology, but the sin of pride made it hard for him to fully admit fault. He hoped it wouldn't always be this way and if so he would have to find ways to mitigate it.

Nemer agreed and somewhat surprised he was willing to compensate for the damages. "Alright. We'll let it slide this time, stick around until we verify the damages with the innkeeper."

"Agreed." Sol replied, avoiding eye contact with Tinerma, who watched him warily.

Though her caution was justified, Sol felt confident that as long as he kept his sin of pride in check, no further conflict would arise.