The SSS Ranked Villain's Return - Chapter 358

Chapter 358: Neraxis Destine
They walked into the room and up to the throne.

It was the only thing that was dusty in this entire room, surprisingly. But even so, Neraxis knew that this area was by no means safe.

“Where did you say you felt a powerful being, again?” Neraxis wondered out loud as he glanced around.

But upon not receiving a reply, he turned to the girls.

To his surprise, they stood rooted in place, their gazes locked onto something above.

Neraxis’s brows furrowed as he followed their gazes, and the moment he did, he saw the being which made all three of them freeze.

It was an extremely muscular man wearing a blue dragon mask, hanging **from** a chandelier like some sort of monkey.

But once he realized they had caught him, he jumped down, landing on the ground and shattering it on impact.

Then, without saying another word, he approached Neraxis, stopping right in front of him.

—Ash, The Sovereign of Pride (Level 5000)

“Hmm… you’re weaker than the Sovereign of Lust,” Neraxis remarked calmly.

“Am I now?” Ash tilted his head. “You know… I’ve been waiting a very long time to finally meet you, Neraxis. All those years of us playing together have led up to this moment.”

“The times where you tortured me and killed my family?” Neraxis asked coldly. “Yes. I remember them vividly. I can’t say they were the most fun of times, Ash.”

“I’d rather you not refer to me by name, only title,” Ash replied. “A name is something used between friends. A title is something that shows your sheer capabilities. That is also why I have one, and you do not.”

_Yeah… he’s cocky,_ Neraxis thought with a sigh, turning to the girls once again.

However, they seemed unresponsive, almost as if they had passed out with their eyes wide open.

_Evangeline?_

He tried calling out, but she didn’t respond.

And as he turned back to the Sovereign of Pride, he was met with a porcelain face.

Ash had taken off his mask, and his entire body shrunk to the size of Neraxis. His hair was fully gray, and his eyes looked like emerald crystals.

He didn’t seem as menacing as before, but Neraxis knew this guy would never be a good person.

But there was one big problem now…

“You might be wondering what happened to your friends. All I can tell you is that I came here for you, not for them,” Ash stated.

Neraxis’s brows twitched. “What? Are you afraid to fight against a woman?”

Ash tilted his head. “Are you letting a woman fight your battles? That is not something I’d expected from someone of your caliber, Neraxis Destine.”

“Don’t use that name,” Neraxis said coldly. “I’m not his son. Maybe I was several dozen millennia ago, but definitely not now. I am my own person.”

“Right. You were your own person all those years ago as well.” Ash chuckled. “But look how that turned out. Under our feet as always. Too bad we couldn’t fully revive the Eternal Sin. We really wanted to kill him once and for all.”

Neraxis sighed. “So we’re fighting then?”

“We are,” Ash affirmed with a nod. “I’ll tone my strength down to yours, as I’m sure you’re already aware of my abilities.”

Neraxis shrugged. “Just start whenever.”

He hadn’t been confident at all since the Jane encounter. but no matter how many times he tried to wake her up with his mana, or even a nudge, she wouldn’t even react.

The same went for Evangeline.

I guess I really have to do this alone then, Neraxis thought with a slight frown. Am I ready? I doubt it. But I don’t really have much of a choice. I can’t just kill a level 5000 powerhouse. Nor do I know how this guy operates.

In essence, the Sovereign of Pride knew everything about Neraxis, and Neraxis knew close to nothing about him.

Circumstances were beyond unfavorable, and yet…

“You sure you don’t want a rain check on this?” Neraxis asked. “I’m not at my full strength right now since I’m in Dreamspire, not the outer world.”

“Oh? Excuses?” Ash held back a laugh and flicked his fingers.

In the very next moment, a pair of pop-ups appeared, causing Neraxis’s eyes to widen.

<Temporarily Leaving Dreamspire…>

<All stats have returned to normal!>

<Assimilating stat upgrades…>

<Finished!>

Name: Neraxis Valen

Age: 18

Bloodline: The Progenitor Solarian Vampire [Mythic]

Affinity: Abyssal Solarity [Mythic]

Body Compatibility: 4% → 3%

—Perks:

[Primordial Presence] (Expert)

[Unyielding Vitality] (Grandmaster)

—Stats:

Rank: SSS- → Saint-

Strength: SSS- → Saint-

Agility: SSS- → Saint-

Stamina: SSS- → Saint-

Intelligence: SSS → Saint-

Mana Capacity: SSS+ → Saint

—Secondary Stats:

Luck: Q- → X+

Charm: SSS+

—Skills:

[Ancient Sun Vampirism {SSS+}]*

[Manifestation of the Sun {SSS}]*

[Ancient Moon Swordsmanship {A}]

[Universal Diffusion {Saint}]

[Stellar Dominion {A}]

[Minor Reflect {D}]

[Sword Dash {F}]

[Restorative Cut {E}]

[Aegis of Eternity {C}]

[Body Manifestation {B}]

[Phantom Step {B}]

[Aura {A}]

[Domain {A}]

[Eyes of the Vampire {S}]

—Fragment of Calamity Skill Tree (4/???)

[Advanced Horizontal Slash]

[Expert Stab]

[Atomic Stab]

[Illusion Slash]

+—–+

He hadn’t seen his actual status screen in a long time, but the familiarity as well as strength was definitely nothing to scoff at.

Coupled with that, he also managed to break through into the Saint level. Although he didn’t notice any drastic changes, he could feel his reaction time had increased significantly.

I can also see 3 seconds into the future… Neraxis thought with a confident look.

He didn’t have much hope before, but now? He felt ready. If he couldn’t beat the Sovereign of Pride while Neraxis was at his strongest, then it was never meant to be.

Therefore, Neraxis focused on his Arksteel. All of a sudden, a scythe and a sword manifested in the air.

He grabbed the scythe with his right hand and held it by the bottom of the hilt.

And of course, he comfortably grabbed the Arksteel sword with his left hand, then entered a combat stance.

Ash watched this entire scenario unfold with an amused look.

Soon, he took five steps back and entered a defensive stance.

And in a cold voice, he announced the beginning of the duel.

“Let us fight, Neraxis Destine.”