The Orb of Ascension pulsed before me, its glow casting long shadows across the bloodstained floor. The power radiating from it was overwhelming, intoxicating, pulling me closer. My breath hitched as I reached out, fingers trembling as they hovered just above its surface.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Ghost warned, his voice low and cautious.
I ignored him. This orb wasn't just power—it was destiny. I had fought through blood and death for this moment. No hesitation, no turning back.
"Luca…" Aria's voice was soft, almost pleading. She had seen the bloodlust in my eyes during the battle, the way I had torn through our enemies with brutal efficiency. But she didn't understand. This power wasn't just for me—it was for revenge, for justice.
For control.
I clasped the orb.
The second my fingers made contact, my vision went white, and an overwhelming surge of energy ripped through me. It felt like I was being torn apart and reassembled all at once, every fiber of my being simultaneously exploding and rebuilding. The pain was blinding, but underneath it, there was something else—something ancient, something dark.
The system chimed loudly in my mind, almost drowned out by the roar of power flooding my veins.
System Evolution Triggered: Chaos System → Abyssal Chaos System.
Warning: Power exceeds recommended threshold. Proceed with caution.
I gritted my teeth as the orb fused with my body, its energy threading through my muscles, my bones, my very soul. I could feel it reshaping me, the boundaries of what I could be breaking apart like fragile glass.
And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the pain stopped. I opened my eyes, gasping for breath. The cavern around me was unchanged, but inside—I was different.
A new notification appeared before me:
New Class Unlocked: Abyssal Sovereign.
Skill Unlocked: Black Eclipse (Level 1).
Skill Unlocked: Sovereign's Call.
My heart pounded as the realization set in. I wasn't just stronger—I was something else entirely. The system had evolved, and so had I.
But before I could fully grasp the depth of my transformation, a rumbling shook the cavern. The walls trembled, cracks spidering across the stone as the entire gate seemed to react to the orb's disappearance.
"What the hell is happening?" Aria shouted, backing away from the falling debris.
Ghost, always calm in the face of danger, narrowed his eyes. "We need to leave. Now."
But as the three of us prepared to escape, a deafening roar filled the cavern. From the shadows, a massive creature emerged—twice the size of the Abyssal Wyrm, its body a writhing mass of black scales and bone. Its eyes glowed with the same malevolent light as the orb, and its gaping maw dripped with venomous drool.
Gate Guardian: Abyssal Behemoth.
Level: 80.
Danger Rating: SSS-Rank.
My blood ran cold. This thing wasn't just a monster—it was a force of nature, a living embodiment of the gate's power. The Behemoth charged, its massive claws tearing through the ground as it barreled toward us.
"Move!" I shouted, diving out of the way just as its claw came crashing down where I had been standing. The impact sent a shock wave through the cavern, the force of it nearly knocking me off my feet.
Aria and Ghost dodged to the sides, barely avoiding the Behemoth's massive tail as it swung through the air, pulverizing the rock walls with ease.
I scrambled to my feet, the Abyssal Eclipse Blade materializing in my hand. I could feel the power of the orb still coursing through me, but this wasn't going to be easy. The Behemoth was on a different level, its sheer size and strength making even the Wyrm seem insignificant.
"Hit it hard and fast!" I called out, charging forward.
The Behemoth's blood-red eyes locked onto me, and it let out another roar, its maw opening wide as it spewed a torrent of black flames. I barely managed to activate Shadow Step, phasing through the flames as I reappeared behind it, slashing at its thick, scaly hide.
The blade connected, but the creature's hide was like iron, barely giving under the force of my strike. Black blood dribbled from the wound, but it wasn't enough.
Ghost appeared next to me, his dagger plunging into the Behemoth's side in a flurry of strikes. Each hit was precise, aimed at vital points, but the creature didn't even flinch. It whipped its tail around, smashing into Ghost and sending him flying into a nearby wall with a sickening thud.
"Ghost!" Aria screamed, but she couldn't stop. Her daggers flashed as she darted in and out of the Behemoth's blind spots, but even her attacks barely scratched its armor-like scales.
The Behemoth turned its attention back to me, its massive jaws snapping shut as it lunged. I leapt back, barely avoiding being crushed. This wasn't working. We weren't doing enough damage.
Then the system flashed a new notification:
Black Eclipse Available.
I gripped the Abyssal Eclipse Blade tightly, feeling the surge of power in my hands. This was my chance. I activated Black Eclipse, and the blade erupted with dark energy, a swirling vortex of light and shadow forming around me.
The Behemoth hesitated for the briefest of moments, sensing the shift in power. And in that moment, I struck.
I lunged forward, the vortex expanding as I swung the blade with all my might. The air around me distorted as the dark energy cleaved through the Behemoth's defenses, tearing through its scales like paper. Blood sprayed from the massive wound, a torrent of black ichor that coated the ground beneath us.
The Behemoth roared in pain, thrashing wildly as it tried to dislodge me. But I wasn't done. I activated Sovereign's Call, and the dark energy around me intensified, pulling power from the very shadows of the cavern.
The Behemoth's eyes widened in shock as I raised the blade for a final strike, plunging it deep into the creature's skull. The ground shook as the Behemoth let out one final, ear-splitting roar before collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.
The cavern was silent once more, save for the dripping of the Behemoth's blood pooling around its massive body.
Quest Complete: Defeat the Abyssal Behemoth.
Level Up!
New Ability Unlocked: Abyssal Fury.
I staggered back, gasping for breath as the system's notifications faded from my vision. My body felt heavy, drained from the sheer effort it had taken to bring the Behemoth down.
Aria and Ghost approached me, their faces a mix of awe and exhaustion. "That…" Aria began, her voice barely a whisper, "was insane."
Ghost nodded, his usually stoic expression softened by the faintest hint of admiration. "You're becoming something more, Luca."
I glanced down at the Abyssal Eclipse Blade, its dark energy still faintly pulsing in my hand. They were right. I wasn't the same person I had been when I first entered this gate. I was stronger now—deadlier.
But as I stared at the Behemoth's lifeless body, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The power I had claimed—the power of the Abyssal Chaos System—was vast, but I had barely scratched the surface.
And there were far greater enemies waiting for me outside these gates.