The Snake God with SSS Rank Evolution System

Chapter 396: Soul Reaper II

Greg’s lips curled into a cold, predatory smile as he raised his transformed staff, the crimson bone blade glistening with an eerie, pulsing light. His voice carried a note of dark, absolute certainty."I will take your soul now."

Adam’s lips curved into a faint smile, his crimson eyes glinting with dry amusement. His voice carried a light, dismissive note.

"Sorry, but my soul’s already been booked by someone else."

Greg’s expression didn’t waver. He lunged forward, the entity behind him surging in perfect synchronization. A wave of crimson aura erupted from the creature’s form, sweeping toward Adam like a scythe of condensed blood and shadow.

Adam’s body moved before his mind could catch up. [Abyssal Step] carried him through a patch of shadow, the crimson wave passing through the space where he had been standing. He emerged a few meters away, his hand already raised, dark energy gathering in his palm.

"[Abyssal Pierce]!"

The projectile shot forward, streaking toward Greg’s chest. But the entity moved faster, its form shifting to intercept the attack. The void energy struck the creature’s body and was absorbed—dissolving into its form like water into sand.

Adam’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of interest crossing his face. His voice carried a note of dry observation.

"So projectile attacks don’t work on that thing. Interesting."

He reached out to his system interface, his mental voice sharp and focused.

’System. Scan that creature. Tell me what it is.’

The system’s response came quickly, cool and precise.

[Unable to scan. The entity is not an artifact or a conventional monster. It appears to be a manifestation of the wielder’s will—a living extension of his soul and magic.]

Adam’s lips pressed into a thin line. His voice carried a note of grim realization.

"So it’s not a weapon. It’s a part of him."

Before he could formulate a counter-strategy, Greg moved. His form blurred, and the entity surged forward, its claws extended, its form twisting as it closed the distance. Adam raised his arms to block—

The entity’s claws passed through his guard.

Adam’s eyes widened as the creature’s form shifted, becoming intangible, slipping through his defense like smoke. And behind it, Greg’s scythe was already swinging—a clean, precise arc aimed at Adam’s arm.

The blade connected.

Adam’s left hand severed cleanly from his wrist, tumbling through the air before hitting the ground with a wet, heavy thud. Blood sprayed from the wound, dark and hot, painting the earth in crimson arcs. Adam stumbled back, his hand flying to the stump of his wrist, his voice a sharp, pained hiss.

"Gha—!"

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.

The demon forces erupted into cheers, their voices rising with triumphant fervor. The mages, emboldened by the sight of Adam’s injury, began to chant with renewed energy, their hands crackling with crackling arcs of electricity and licking flames.

Siva’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding.

"Mages! Attack! Now!"

The demon mages unleashed their assault. Lightning and fire erupted from their palms, converging on Adam’s position in a devastating barrage of elemental fury. The air around him detonated, the ground erupting in a storm of fire and electricity.

When the smoke and flames cleared, the ground was scarred and blackened. Chunks of charred flesh and scattered remains lay strewn across the clearing. The heat was so intense that the blood that had pooled on the ground had already begun to evaporate into thin, red-tinged steam.

The mages lowered their hands, their chests heaving with exertion. One of them, a young demon with eager eyes, let out a triumphant shout.

"We got him! That was too easy!"

Another mage nodded, his voice carrying a note of smug certainty.

"That’s what you get for going against the Soul Reaper."

The demon mages’ triumphant cheers were still echoing across the clearing when Greg raised his hand, his voice cutting through the chaos with cold authority.

"Reaper. Take his soul."

The Reaper lunged forward, its form surging toward the smoldering remains where Adam had stood. Its claws extended, reaching into the flames and smoke to claim what it believed was rightfully its.

Then—

BOOM!

The Reaper was hurled backward, its form tumbling through the air like a ragdoll before crashing into a cluster of demon soldiers. They scattered, shouting in confusion as the entity struggled to right itself.

The flames parted.

Adam stepped out of the inferno, his clothes torn and smoldering, his body bearing the marks of the assault—scorched skin, cracked scales, and the still-bleeding stump of his left wrist. But his crimson eyes were sharp, blazing with cold, predatory focus. His voice, when it came, was low and steady.

"Eternal Cycle."

Then his body began to change.

The flesh around his severed wrist rippled, twisted, and began to reform. Fingers sprouted, bone knitting together, muscle and sinew weaving into place as his hand regenerated before their eyes. The process was rapid, almost grotesque, the pale new flesh gleaming faintly in the firelight as it took shape. His chest, where his heart had been visible through torn flesh, sealed itself closed with a wet, audible sound.

And across his chest, a tattoo was visible—a white dragon, coiled and majestic, its form shifting slightly as if alive.

Siva’s voice cracked, his earlier composure shattered by the sight before him. His words came out in a sharp, disbelieving whisper.

"What... what kind of regeneration is that?!"

Greg’s expression flickered, the cold certainty in his eyes wavering for just a moment. His voice came out low, almost to himself, edged with something between awe and calculation.

"This is... beyond expectations."

Adam stepped out of the flames, brushing a smoldering ember from his shoulder. He looked down at his missing hand, then back at Greg with an almost apologetic shrug.

"You know, that was my favorite hand. I was really attached to it."

He wiggled his fingers as the last traces of regeneration faded, the fresh skin settling into place.

"Ah, well. I’ve got a spare."

The demon soldiers stumbled back, their earlier confidence crumbling. The mages’ hands trembled, their spells flickering uncertainly as they stared at the creature that had just regenerated from what should have been a killing blow.