Chapter 16
Aurum's face twisted in anger as he ground his teeth. His green irises gleamed under the lights, his aura flaring like an inferno.
"A clone," he muttered, voice heavy with irritation. He clenched his fists, veins bulging on his arms as the realization set in.
He had been fooled.
The moment Jayden rejected his offer to join him, the boy had bolted, vanishing into the ruined streets like a ghost. Aurum had pursued him relentlessly, throwing out attacks with monstrous force. But no matter how many times he struck, Jayden always seemed to slip away—substitution jutsu and a maddening number of feints kept him at bay.
Finally, after a vicious chase, Aurum had caught him. With a triumphant sneer, he had ripped Jayden's head clean off his shoulders, feeling the satisfying crunch of bones shattering under his grasp.
And then—puff!
A harmless burst of smoke.
A clone.
"That damn brat..." Aurum exhaled sharply, his body trembling with fury. He had wasted valuable time chasing an imitation.
A clone only held a fraction of the original's power, yet it had given him this much trouble. If just a clone had stalled him, what kind of battle was Singe facing against the real Jayden?
A flicker of unease passed through his mind.
"I must find him—fast!" Aurum growled, pushing off the cracked pavement. His powerful leap sent shockwaves through the ground as he launched in the direction Singe had gone, his monstrous speed leaving a trail of dust and debris in his wake.
Meanwhile, Jayden sat slumped against the cold, blood-stained battlefield, his breath ragged. His body felt like lead, his limbs unresponsive. The last battle had drained him dry, and now, his chakra reserves were practically nonexistent.
"Dammit..." he muttered under his breath, wiping a trickle of sweat from his brow. He could barely move, let alone fight.
The only jutsu he could still use was Substitution. A last resort, a stall tactic. But against an enemy like Aurum? It was barely worth mentioning.
There was one way to restore his strength—using his System Points (SP) to convert into chakra. But the process took time, and time was the one thing he didn't have.
His senses tingled.
Something was off.
Jayden's eyes flickered toward a nearby building, scanning the shadows. His voice was low but firm.
"Come out, Rictor."
Silence.
For a moment, Jayden thought he might be imagining things, but then—
A hesitant shuffle.
From behind a crumbling pillar, Rictor stepped out, his forehead glistening with sweat, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He looked as if he had been holding his breath, trying to disappear into the background.
"I, uh... didn't want to leave you alone," Rictor admitted, his voice unsteady.
Jayden's piercing gaze locked onto him.
Rictor swallowed hard.
"I—I was just cultivating to restore my spiritual energy," he added quickly, raising his hands as if to prove his innocence.
Jayden remained silent, his deadpan stare unblinking. He analyzed Rictor for a long time, his face unreadable.
Seconds stretched into an eternity.
Then—
"I've decided."
Rictor tensed.
"What?"
Jayden's tone was casual, but his words were anything but.
"You have a lot of spiritual energy left, right?"
Rictor hesitated, then nodded. "...Yeah?"
"Good."
Jayden leaned forward slightly, his expression still as indifferent as ever.
"I'll entrust my life to you."
Rictor blinked.
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me."
"But—Why the hell would you entrust your life to me?!" Rictor's voice cracked as his hands flailed in disbelief.
"Because I can't fight right now," Jayden replied matter-of-factly. Then, in a quieter, ominous tone, he added, "And he's coming."
Rictor froze.
"...Who?"
A beat of silence.
Then, in a tone that made the air feel heavier—
"Aurum."
BOOM!
The earth quaked. A deafening explosion rocked the street, shaking buildings and kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
When the debris settled, a massive, hulking figure emerged.
Aurum stood at the center of the destruction.
And this was not the same Aurum from before.
He had completed his transformation.
Black armor-like scales coated his body, pulsating with raw energy. His muscles had expanded, looking carved from stone, and his eyes burned with a savage glow. The mere weight of his presence crushed the air, suffocating everything in its reach.
He exuded unstoppable power
Aurum cracked his neck, his glowing gaze falling on Jayden.
"Hey, kid," he said, his voice like rolling thunder.
Jayden said nothing. His blank, exhausted face betrayed no fear.
Aurum's lips curled.
"Where's Singe?"
Still, Jayden remained silent, his expression unchanging.
That's when Aurum's eyes flicked to the side.
And he saw it.
A body.
Singe's lifeless corpse, sprawled on the ground.
Not only that—dozens of bodies littered the battlefield.
All of them his faction members.
The realization sank in.
Jayden had killed them all.
Aurum's face darkened.
"You..." His voice was a whisper of pure fury. "Did you do this?"
Jayden's eyes remained cold. He didn't answer.
Aurum's breath hitched. His hands clenched. His fury boiled over.
"So it was you."
The sheer killing intent that radiated from Aurum made the air feel like knives against the skin. His monstrous aura cracked the ground beneath his feet.
This boy—this weakened, battered, energy-depleted boy—had single-handedly decimated his entire squad?
Impossible.
It was like a cruel joke.
A scam.
A mockery.
"You think you can get away with this?" Aurum seethed. "I'll tear you apart."
Jayden barely reacted.
But Rictor did.
The gunman stepped forward, his hands trembling as they clutched his firearm. His breathing was uneven. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
This was suicide.
Yet—
"I did it."
Rictor's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Aurum blinked.
"What?"
Rictor squared his shoulders, his grip on his gun tightening.
"I was the one who killed them," he repeated, his voice bolder this time.
Aurum's face twisted.
"Do you take me for a fool?" he snarled. "You couldn't kill an ant, let alone my men."
His eyes snapped back to Jayden.
"It was you, You must die."
Jayden said nothing. He simply stood there, his breath shallow, his body screaming from overexertion. He had no chakra left—no way to fight. And yet, his deadpan expression didn't waver.
Without warning, Rictor fired. Twin shots, glowing with compressed spiritual energy, tore through the air. One hit Aurum's shoulder, the other grazed his ribs. Sparks flew as his reinforced skin barely resisted the impact, but blood still dripped from the wounds.
Aurum barely reacted. Instead, his expression darkened with unfiltered rage. "Pathetic."
He lunged.
Rictor barely had time to react before Aurum's massive fist came crashing down. He rolled, the sheer force of the strike shattering the ground where he had stood. The shockwave sent him tumbling several meters back, dust and debris clouding the battlefield.
When Rictor pushed himself up, his semi-circle irises had shifted. The black crescent in his green eyes shimmered ominously.
"If guns won't work on you…" he muttered, gripping his weapon tightly. The barrel of the gun started shifting, parts disassembling and reforming. A metallic hum resonated as the weapon transformed, the handle extending, the barrel folding into a gleaming, razor-sharp spear. The tip radiated with an intense green glow, while the black shaft pulsed with raw energy.
"Then let's see how you handle a spearman," Rictor said, spinning the spear before rushing forward.
Aurum braced himself.
The first clash was a blur of movement. Rictor's spear lashed out, cutting through the air with terrifying precision. Aurum barely managed to dodge, but the tip grazed his chest, drawing a thin line of blood. He staggered, eyes flashing with disbelief.
Blood?
A smirk tugged at Rictor's lips. "Not so untouchable now, are you?"
Aurum snarled, green veins bulging as he charged again. His fist came like a meteor, aiming to crush Rictor in one blow. But Rictor sidestepped at the last second, pivoting smoothly as his spear arced downward. The blade carved through Aurum's bicep, another wound appearing on his monstrous frame.
Aurum roared in frustration, the pain fueling his wrath. His body started shifting, muscles expanding, his transformation progressing further. The ground beneath him cracked as his aura exploded, turning the battlefield into a storm of energy.
Rictor felt the pressure increase, his breathing growing heavier. But he didn't back down.
Somewhere else , Jayden sat motionless, his gaze locked onto the glowing screen of his system interface. His expression remained unreadable, but his fingers clenched into the dirt beneath him.
Conversion: 60%
"Hurry up, you stupid system," he muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his tone. "Do you want to get me killed?"
Before he could say more, a deafening crash shattered the stillness as a battered figure was sent hurtling toward him, slamming into the ground just a few feet away. Dust and debris clouded the air. When it cleared, Jayden saw Rictor sprawled on the ground, barely breathing. His clothes were in tatters, blood dripping from the gashes across his body. The once-proud warrior looked like a shadow of his former self.
Jayden's gaze slowly lifted.
Emerging from the dust, Aurum stepped forward, his hulking form transformed. His muscles bulged grotesquely, veins pulsating with an ominous black light. Two curved horns jutted from his forehead, his glowing purple eyes radiating pure malice.
"To be honest, I'm impressed, Rictor." Aurum's voice was laced with both mockery and admiration. "You've managed to fight me, a Purple Plane warrior, while still being in the Blue Plane's early-stage. If you were at the peak of Blue, you might've even stood a chance." His lips curled into a sneer. "What a waste. You'll die here."
Like a blur, Aurum vanished.
Jayden's eyes widened as Aurum reappeared right in front of him, his fist already in motion. With no chakra, no Sharingan, and his body weakened, Jayden was completely defenseless.
The blow landed.
A sickening boom echoed as Jayden's body was sent hurtling like a ragdoll, crashing through the walls of a nearby building.
-30 HP
Jayden groaned, his vision blurring. His health bar flickered.
20/100 HP remains.
Aurum turned back to Rictor, raising his fist once more, ready to eliminate the last obstacle in his way. But before he could strike—
BOOM!
A blinding green beam erupted from Rictor's transformed weapon, the sheer force sending Aurum flying into a nearby rubble-filled ruin. Rictor gasped, falling to his knees, his energy completely drained. His pale face was void of life as he stared in horror at the dust settling around Aurum's impact zone.
Meanwhile, inside the building, Jayden lay motionless. His shallow breaths were the only sign of life.
A figure stepped forward, a glimmering scarlet dagger trembling in his grip. It was Fin. His eyes burned with desperation, his mind clouded by fear and adrenaline.
"I must end this monster," Fin whispered, his voice quivering.
One step.
Another.
He moved closer to Jayden's unmoving form, his dagger poised above the boy's throat.
Closer.
The blade inched downward.
A twisted grin curled on Fin's lips. This is it. I've done it—
A hand shot up.
A vice-like grip locked around Fin's wrist, halting the dagger's descent. His breath hitched. Slowly, he looked down, and his heart nearly stopped.
Blood-red eyes stared back at him—cold, unfeeling, suffocating.
[Conversion Complete]
The system voice rang out in Jayden mind.
Jayden's lips parted, his voice a chilling whisper:
"I told you—I'm not dying a second time."
Fin trembled as his grip weakened, fear overtaking his senses.
Back outside, Rictor had collapsed, unable to move. He watched, helpless, as Aurum emerged from the wreckage, his fury palpable. He towered over Rictor, his fist raised for the final strike.
"No… no, no, no…" Rictor's breath hitched.
A voice cut through the tension.
"Leave him alone."
Jayden stepped out of the building. His Sharingan gleamed with an eerie sharpness, more refined than ever before.
Electricity crackled around his hand.
On his right, a Chidori.
On his left, Rasengan.
Aurum's lips curled into a wicked grin. "Let's get started."
He charged.
Jayden rushed forward to meet him.
The clash was explosive. The ground trembled as energy rippled through the battlefield. Flashes of blue lightning and shockwaves collided, each strike shaking the very foundation of the ruined city.
Minutes later, a figure was sent flying, crashing through the remnants of a shattered structure.
When the dust settled, Aurum was revealed, unrecognizable. Gaping holes covered his body, blood pouring from his wounds. His breathing was ragged, his once-dominant presence now a shadow of its former self.
Then, a piercing red glow emerged from the dust.
Aurum's battered eyes widened in pure terror. He scrambled to his feet, turning to flee.
But he didn't get far.
A blue swirling mass—Rasengan—slammed into him, launching him through a stack of wooden planks.
Beneath the debris, something glinted—a small, black jade.
Aurum's gaze fixated on it. His eyes gleamed with desperation. He had been searching for this!
Gripping the jade like a lifeline, he sneered. "You think you've won?" I'll show you what true power looks like."
Behind Jayden, Rictor let out a dry laugh. "What, are you gonna summon some ancient monster?" he mocked.
Aurum's smirk widened. "Let's see who gets the last laugh."
He infused his remaining spiritual energy into the jade. "I call upon Gunmalo,"
Far away, deep within a seal cavern, chains rattled violently before—
SNAP!
A deafening roar shook the earth as a massive two-headed panther burst forth from its prison. With unnatural speed, it crossed the distance in seconds, arriving at the battlefield in a whirlwind of destruction.
Aurum leaped onto its back, his smug grin returning. "Now, let's see you face off against an Orange Plane beast."
Rictor's face paled. "How… how the hell are we supposed to handle that?"
Jayden's expression remained unreadable. But deep inside, he felt the weight of the situation.
Fighting an Orange-class beast? That was suicide.
He clenched his fists. I have no choice but to gamble on that. He thought.
Rictor turned to him. "Do you… do you have a plan?"
Jayden exhaled slowly. "Yeah. But it's a gamble."
Aurum laughed maniacally. "Ready to die miserably?"
Jayden bit his thumb, drawing blood. His hands flashed through a rapid sequence of seals.
Then, slamming his palm onto the ground, and shouted two words:
"Summoning Jutsu."
To Be Continued.
The more support this novel receives, the faster I can bring you new chapters! I truly appreciate everyone who has been part of this journey so far. As a token of my gratitude, I'm releasing three bonus chapters for free!
Your support means everything—whether it's through power stones, gifts, reviews, comments, or simply adding this novel to your collection. Every bit of encouragement pushes me to write even more. Let's make this story even bigger together!
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER