Chapter 129: The Darkness in a summoner

Chapter 129: The Darkness in a summoner [mass release 3/5] His heart trembled violently, and soon he began to shake. A searing heat radiated through his chest, overwhelming his mind with a singular, suffocating emotion—hate. [Your emotions have spiraled out of control] [Revenge has been sensed] A dark pool began to spread beneath Kairos’ feet, its surface bubbling violently like boiling tar. From within it, jagged spikes erupted outward, pulsing with an ominous aura. [Shadow aura has been automatically put to use] [Summon has fed on your current darkness] Lines of information continued to pour in from the system, scrolling like endless warnings across his vision. But none of it mattered. Kairos’ mind was narrowed to one obsession—kill the Titan. His emotions were unraveling, frayed beyond reason, and this instability stemmed from a flaw deep within him. A flaw left behind by the shadow dragon. Those who watched from a distance—Kaela and Ravin—immediately felt the weight of the pressure around them. It wasn’t enough to crush them, but it was dense, thick like a fog, pressing against their chests and making their hearts race. Kaela took a half-step forward, her instincts screaming at her to act. She wanted to help—wanted to intervene the moment the Titan had defeated the shadow wolf—but she held herself back. She clenched her fists, recalling Kairos’ earlier command. She had to trust him, just a moment longer. Just one more second... Ravin, however, was barely keeping it together. Tension etched itself into every muscle in his body. His mind raced. ’The wolf’s almost dead... If he doesn’t call it back soon, he’ll lose the integration... He’ll become just a normal human—’ That was what Ravin believed—until he saw it. Kairos, standing in the distance, shrouded by the shadows bubbling beneath him. Then it happened. "Could it be—" The boiling darkness erupted, splitting apart in a violent explosion of black mist. A monstrous head tore out from the shadows with a thunderous roar, followed by two massive, clawed arms. Then came jagged, torn wings—each joint and spine protruding with spear-like spikes, grotesque and awe-inspiring. The mighty dragon rose. This wasn’t the same as before. No—this was larger, more terrible, more godlike. This wasn’t the creature that had emerged from Kairos’ shadow in the past. It had evolved. It had consumed the fury within Kairos and transformed. Even the Titan turned, eyes wide with realization, stunned by the sheer magnitude of the summon. [The dragon has taken your heart’s darkest desires... Destroy the Titan] The system’s notification glowed ominously before vanishing. And then, the dragon roared. A deafening blast of dark, searing flame erupted from its mouth, aimed straight at the Titan. The Titan, agile despite its size, managed to sidestep the attack. The beam tore through the air, crashing into a building wall nearby. A colossal explosion followed. The resulting detonation lit the sky, flames shooting upward like volcanic fury, blinding everyone who dared to look directly at it. The Titan, disoriented by the blast, staggered slightly. It was all the dragon needed. The creature launched itself into the air like a spear, slicing through the haze with terrifying speed. It closed the distance to the Titan in a blink, then sank its rows of razor-sharp teeth into the Titan’s shoulder. The sound was sickening. The dragon’s jaw clamped down with such force that the bones in the Titan’s shoulder shattered instantly. The Titan screamed—a horrific, deafening shriek that echoed across the battlefield. In desperation, it raised its remaining hand and began slamming it down on the dragon’s head, again and again, with brute force. But the dragon didn’t let go. Each blow only made it tighten its grip, as if the pain fueled its rage. Then, its throat began to glow—a sinister grey light growing brighter within. Moments later, a wave of acidic, shadow-like energy poured from the dragon’s lungs, splashing directly onto the Titan’s body. The attack bypassed flesh and bone—it seared through the Titan’s very essence. The reaction was instant. The Titan convulsed, shaking like a marionette cut from its strings. It began to thrash, crashing through building after building, desperately trying to break free, to delay its defeat. But it was too late. The dragon was superior—stronger, more lethal, and fueled by something far more powerful than commands. Unlike the obedient shadow wolf, this creature wasn’t guided by strategy. It was guided by raw emotion. It was a primordial summon born of hate. Soon, the Titan managed to break free—but not by overpowering the dragon. It lost its right arm, torn clean off by the creature’s brutal assault. Staggering, clutching the bleeding stump, the Titan fell to its knees. The dragon stood opposite, snarling, its eyes filled with unquenchable fury. This summon wasn’t like the others. It didn’t care for the summoner’s hesitation, nor did it share Kairos’ complex feelings toward Darnell. To the dragon, Darnell was simply prey. It had sensed the one who harmed the shadow wolf, and it would not rest until it saw him dead. A look of fear—genuine fear—appeared in the Titan’s eyes. Kairos, meanwhile, had reached his dying shadow wolf. His expression was grim, his jaw clenched, emotions twisting within him. He knelt, extending a trembling hand. He canceled the summon. [Ding] [Shadow Summon has started recuperating] [Time left till recovery: 2 weeks] Kairos gritted his teeth and turned to face the ongoing battle. His gaze locked onto the dragon. ’I want to stop it... but deep inside, I want it to do the same to him as it did to my own summon.’ His mind was clouded. His heart ached. The pain he felt, the loss—it fueled him. It poisoned his thoughts. Death! Death! Give him death! Give them all death! Kill them all! Death! Death! The words repeated in his head like a chant from an unending crowd. It was as if he stood in the center of a stadium, surrounded by thousands all screaming for blood. The pressure was unbearable. Then— "—Kairos, snap out of it! Use your medicine!" Kairos’ eyes widened. Amid the cacophony, one voice stood out—clear, desperate. Melvin. He’d been yelling, again and again, trying to reach him. "It won’t work much since you’re paranoid," Melvin’s voice cracked through, "but it’ll give you a clear thought to think from!" Kairos acted without hesitation. He reached into his pocket, hands fumbling, and retrieved a small plastic container. He popped it open, shook two pills into his palm, and swallowed them with dry haste. Please... let the voices fade. Meanwhile... The Titan was slumped against a ruined building, its body a mess of shredded flesh and broken bone. One arm gone, a leg burned beyond use—it had been beaten. The dragon loomed nearby, a snarling, vengeful god of shadows. It opened its mouth once again. A ball of shadow energy began to form, boiling like a miniature sun. It would end it all with this one attack—Darnell, the Titan, everything. But Kairos moved. "Shadow swap!" In a blink, Kairos and the dragon switched positions. The dragon now appeared mid-air, its attack firing skyward and exploding harmlessly above. The clouds lit up with an eerie red, casting a crimson hue across the whole of Titanfang. The dragon was stunned. Kairos, however, was not. He now stood before the Titan. He launched forward, body a blur of motion, performing consecutive echo walks—quick, shadow-based steps that propelled him like wind up the side of the massive beast. Thanks to the chaos created by the dragon, the Titan didn’t react in time. Kairos reached the top. He faced Darnell. "Wake the hell up!" he roared. He pulled his arm back, shadows spiraling around his fist, and slammed a punch directly into Darnell’s gut—a Shadow Swipe laced with all of his remaining strength. The force of the attack ripped through flesh, delivering a pain so intense that Darnell’s entire body convulsed. An attack powerful enough to kill a normal human. But Darnell wasn’t normal. He was a summoner. The blow jolted him awake, his eyes snapping wide open with realization. And with that, the Titan summon began to dissolve—melting into darkness before vanishing completely. Kairos had won.