Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil - Chapter 1948

"I see," Eren nodded before asking another question.

It was as if he didn’t care about Raashim Temple at all at this point. He just wanted to dig deeper into the matter. And his peak curiosity couldn’t let him focus on anything else.

"You said ’dragonkind’ and not just ’True Dragons.’ Does that mean the Existential Concept for True Dragons is flexible?" he asked curiously.

"Um… that should be mostly correct," Marina responded.

"Dragonkind is an umbrella term, meaning dragons may not appear the same across all worlds. However, that doesn’t change the fact that they are still born as dragons—or rather, as the True Dragons of those worlds.

Of course, once the ’food chain’ is established, Creation begins prioritizing other species. We are then subtly encouraged to limit our numbers through reduced reproduction rates.

Still, as beings who pave the way for life to thrive on a world, our limits as a species are not the same as others. This also means that in most worlds, we either go extinct or choose to hide our presence in various ways to avoid disrupting the balance of life that Creation nurtures.

As pathfinders, it is our duty to protect the worlds we are born into—at least, that is how we interpret our existence according to draconic customs. That’s why, in most worlds, powerful dragons serve as guardians."

"Quite noble of you," Eren said with a skeptical smile, doubting the idea of dragons being the protectors of worlds.

"There’s no nobility involved," Marina shook her head.

"As harbingers of life, we enjoy certain privileges—but those privileges come with responsibilities. Dragons that cause too much carnage and destruction after arriving in a world are often eliminated by Creation itself.

We could easily be struck down by Celestial Wrath one day if we overstep and plunder the worlds for their worth."

Eren didn’t fully understand draconic customs or beliefs, nor was he particularly interested in them. Instead, something else caught his attention.

"So, as the harbingers of life, dragons who follow the Path to Power can reach SSS-Rank?" Eren asked, his mind racing with possibilities.

"But… wait a fucking minute. doesn’t that mean the right to attain SSS-Rank falls under Creation’s jurisdiction?

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be possible for other races to achieve it as well—so long as they can prove themselves worthy in the eyes of Creation?

I don’t know much about Creation itself, but I do know it wouldn’t completely shut down the potential of all other races."

"In theory, it is possible for anyone to attain SSS-Rank as long as they can trigger an evolution and attune themselves to the Worldly Laws," Azurea said before smiling mockingly.

"However, the reality is entirely different, "my friend."

Let’s put aside the requirement of triggering an evolution for now. After reaching SS-Rank, one must frequently interact with Creation in order to advance further.

To do that, they need absolute control over their Elemental Attainments, which serve as the medium for communication.

Only when one can effectively use their Elemental Attainments to communicate with Creation do they begin the process of transforming those attainments into Worldly Laws.

However, this transformation requires an incredibly long time. Even with the extended lifespans most species gain upon reaching SS-Rank, it is rarely enough to complete this process.

That’s one of the main reasons why SS-Rank is the natural limit for most races, whereas dragons have the potential to achieve Calamity Rank.

As dragons, our lifespans are absurdly longer than those of other races. True Dragons can live for thousands of years in any world without even focusing on their Paths to Power.

Our naturally long lifespans give us ample opportunities to communicate with Creation, allowing us to gradually transform our Elemental Attainments into Worldly Laws.

No other race has this privilege—at least not naturally.

So in essence, at least in most cases, a lifeform’s lifespan dictates its chances of breaking past SS-Rank and reaching SSS-Rank. Of course, there have been a few exceptions to the rule but the number of such incidents are so few that they can’t be considered at all.

Not to mention, for most races, evolution isn’t dependent on a single individual’s efforts—it happens only when a certain will is cultivated over multiple generations.

Unlike monsters and beasts, whose evolution aligns with their individual Paths to Power, evolution for humans and human-like races is far more drastic. It would be akin to undergoing a rebirth.

And for a rebirth to occur, one must experience death. Do you understand what I’m saying?" Azurea asked, looking at Eren meaningfully.

Eren didn’t take long to piece the information together before voicing his hypothesis.

"It… it means that even if an SS-Rank Saint triggers an evolution at the end of his Ranking Journey, he might not survive the process—because evolution would put him in a near-death state."

"Correct," Azurea nodded, mildly impressed by Eren’s deductive skills.

"However, do not look down on humans and other human-like races. Even monsters and beasts often fail to survive the required SSS-Rank evolution process, leading to their demise.

Not to mention, triggering this process is a one-way path. Once the evolution begins and you invoke the Worldly Laws, you either survive and emerge as an SSS-Rank entity or perish if the evolution remains incomplete.

This is why SSS-Rank evolution is often referred to as Transcendent Evolution—because, if successful, it allows you to rewrite the limits of your race.

Of course, triggering such a one-way-ticket-to-hell type of evolution is considered a suicide by even the bravest of souls in the SS-Rank. No matter the race, such an evolution puts them all in a similar death situation.

As such, nobody dares to trigger the transcendent evolution. Why would they when they can simply enjoy their lives and experience life for what it has to offer. If they are really ambitious, they can choose the faith-based path to power and become a servant to a god. With enough merits, there was a chance for them to obtain a faith-based Spark from the god they worshipped.

In such a situation, why would one try to become a pathfinder and put themselves in immense risk? Not to mention, the SSS-Rank only allows one to have a better shot at becoming a Faithless Celestial. It could not compete against a divine might."

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AN: The term "Faithless Celestial" was explained in chapter 1811.