Key stepped out of the portal and took in his surroundings, his expression cold and unyielding. The place was desolate—no signs of life, just the blaring wail of an alarm echoing through the emptiness. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene.
Silently, he activated one of his skills.
[Abysswalker's Insight LV.1 has been activated.]
A faint glow filled his dark purple eyes as new details became visible. Strange symbols and phrases were scattered around him, almost hidden, but now visible through his heightened senses. Each phrase carried the same chilling message:
Come get them. They're ours now, Ascended :)
His gaze focused on a small glint on the ground—a familiar, broken object. Slowly, Key crouched down and picked up Speedy's shattered shades. He stared at them, his eyes flickering with an intense, unreadable emotion. For a moment, he was silent, the weight of the moment evident.
Then he muttered, almost to himself, "…Game."
The response was immediate.
[On it Key..]
[Activating Divine Ascension: Wrath of the Ascended LV.1]
Deep within the Abyssal Chasm, hidden from all but the most ancient eyes, a row of dark, translucent pods lay dormant. Inside, the unconscious forms of villagers from Echo Village floated, trapped in a deep, ethereal sleep. Among them were five familiar figures—Nythra, Sketch, Speedy, Spam, and Gamble—all bound in the void's grasp, unaware of their imprisonment.
A titanic figure moved between the pods, its piercing scarlet eyes gleaming in the shadows. Its massive, pulsing body was an amalgamation of purple and black hues, a living embodiment of the Abyss itself. As it moved closer to a second, slightly smaller dragon figure, it spoke with a voice that rumbled like thunder.
[Abyssal Dragon LV. ??]
[Title] : Dragon God of The Abyss
[Rank] : SS
"What's the news, Eunoia?" the colossal dragon, Dheerash, asked, his gaze sharp as it met her eyes.
Eunoia, the smaller dragon, glanced back at him, worry etched across her features. "He received the message, but… he's furious. Perhaps even beyond it. Are you sure about this, Dheerash?"
Dheerash gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yes. This will draw him here sooner. But first, he'll have to confront those Warlords in the Shattered Depths. I'll offer him my apologies once he arrives, but I need to talk to him." His voice held a dark, undeniable conviction.
Eunoia's eyes narrowed, skepticism mingling with concern. "Just remember… this could go very, very wrong."
He returned her gaze, unyielding. "I know the risks."
Meanwhile, deep within the Shattered Depths, four powerful figures gathered around a massive, dark stone table, their faces illuminated by eerie floating orbs casting long, distorted shadows. Each one emanated an aura of formidable strength and hostility, their gazes fixed and serious.
Varaxx the Despoiler, the first of the warlords, ran his claws along the edge of the table with a sly, calculating smile. His lean, serpentine form seemed to blend into the shadows as he watched the others, his cold gaze piercing. "He's coming. Dheerash's gamble may have been reckless… but it's working."
Zyrenna, Queen of Ruin, a towering, shadow-clad figure with a silver mask concealing her face, gave a venomous, hissing laugh. "If he comes, he'll find nothing but ruin waiting for him. Dheerash knew what he was doing.." Her tone was mocking, yet edged with a sharpness that warned of her readiness.
Across from her stood Harak the Wrathforged, a brute of stone and magma, steam rising from his molten cracks with each breath. His fists clenched, causing the table to tremble as he scowled. "Good. Let him come. I want to see if this so-called 'Ascended' lives up to the stories. I'll grind him into dust."
Finally, at the end of the table, Malakar the Veiled stood in silence. His shrouded form absorbed the dim light around him, red eyes gleaming faintly beneath his hood. When he spoke, his voice was low, barely above a whisper, yet filled with a palpable threat. "The message was clear. He'll come, and we'll be ready. If he proves as powerful as they claim, he could pose a genuine threat to the Abyss. We cannot allow that."
Varaxx smirked, his gaze flickering with dangerous anticipation. "I agree. He may be powerful, but he's no god. Not here, not in our domain. By the time he reaches Dheerash and Eunoia—if he even does—he'll be nothing but a shadow of his former self."
Zyrenna raised a slender hand, silencing the others. Her voice took on a commanding tone as she looked at each warlord in turn. "Remember, we face him together. Underestimate him, and it'll be our downfall."
The four warlords exchanged glances, an unspoken agreement passing between them. United, they would stand against him—knowing that the battle to come would determine the future of the Abyss.
Back with Key, he moved through the empty, barren landscape, each step calculated, every move filled with a cold, resolute purpose. Pausing, he closed his eyes, his voice a dark whisper that pierced the silence.
"Forgive me Lord..for I must make the unrighteous pay for their sins."
When his eyes opened, they shone a fierce, vibrant purple.
[Transcendent Velocity LV.1 has activated.]
Allows you to move at speeds that bend reality, achieving near-instantaneous travel across any distance or dimension. By accelerating past the limits of time, you can act in the past, present, and future simultaneously. This ability makes you functionally untouchable, as you can phase through attacks by moving in and out of time. This skill also enables afterimages that deceive enemies, while allowing you to strike multiple times in the blink of an eye.
The air around him warped as he prepared to unleash his power. Energy crackled, bending reality itself as his skill took hold. His speed surged to incomprehensible levels, warping time and space around him, creating a halo of afterimages that shimmered in his wake. He became a ghost, a force of nature, untouchable and unstoppable.
With a cold, confident smirk, he looked up, the fiery determination in his gaze unmistakable.
"I'm coming…"
And with that, he vanished into the distance, leaving only a faint trace of his presence behind as he hurtled toward the heart of the Abyss, where his enemies awaited.