The days that followed the pact between Kaelen and the Abyssal Council passed in a flurry of preparation and watchfulness. Core City, under the protection of the Barrier of Warding and strengthened with both ancient and newly found defenses, stood prepared. But even with all their advancements, Ethan could feel the heavy weight of inevitability pressing on him.
He couldn't ignore the fact that the abyss was patient, calculating. The Sovereigns would come, and the city's defenses—no matter how advanced—would be tested in ways they hadn't yet prepared for.
A Disturbance
It was late in the evening when the first signs appeared. Ethan sat in his chamber, scrutinizing the new Void-Ward Crystals that Kaelen's group had installed across the dungeon's outer perimeter. These were designed to suppress abyssal rifts before they could fully form, their power limited.
Then, a shrill dissonant hum filled the air. The chill ran down his spine.
System Alert:
"Abyssal Rift Detected: Proximity 1.5 km. Probability of Incursion: 78%."
Ethan's heart sank. He had hoped the new wards would be enough, but already the abyss was testing their limits.
"Mira!" Ethan called out, his voice tight.
She appeared in the doorway in an instant, her eyes wide with concern.
"It's happening," he said. "Get to the gates. Prepare for anything."
The Rift Opens
The ground shook as the Abyssal Rift tore open at the edge of the city, a swirling vortex of dark energy that seemed to drink in the very light around it. Distortion wracked the air around the rift as if reality itself was bending under the weight of the abyss.
Ethan sprinted to the frontline, his Core Avatar Ascension turning on by itself, and in a flash, his form fluttered with ethereal energy. Mira, Lysander, and Kaelen's group were already in position, weapons drawn and ready.
Kaelen stood to Ethan's side, his face unreadable. "This is it," he said quietly. "The Sovereigns are testing us.
From the rift emerged the first wave of abyssal creatures. They were unlike anything Ethan had ever seen—massive, serpentine beings with scales that shimmered like broken glass, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent. These were no mere monsters; they were heralds of something much worse.
"The Abyssal Knights," Kaelen muttered, his voice grim. "They've come to scout the city."
The Battle of the Rift
The first wave of monsters was met with a barrage of arrows from Lysander and the warriors of Core City as the creatures surged forward. Mira and Ethan led the charge, cutting through the creatures with precision and power. But for every knight that fell, two more emerged from the rift.
Ethan's sword sliced through an Abyssal Knight, its dark armor crumbling to dust under the force of his blow. But there was no time to savor the victory. The rift was growing, and with it, more and more monsters poured forth.
"Mira!" Ethan shouted, parrying a vicious strike from a shadowy knight. "We need to shut down that rift!
"We're working on it!" Mira yelled back, using her light-infused magic to target the rift's edges. But the abyssal energy seemed to resist her attempts, pushing her back.
Kaelen moved quickly, his detachment of Abyssal Council warriors engaging the larger Abyssal Knights, holding the line. But even they were struggling. The knights fought with an unstopped, almost tactical precision that seemed to convey they were not mindless beasts; intelligent, almost as if waiting for something.
Then, it happened.
System Alert:
"Abyssal Sovereign Signature Detected. Probability of Sovereign Incursion: 95%."
The sky above Core City flickered as if reality itself was shattering. A terrifying, otherworldly presence filled the air, and from the rift, a figure stepped forward. It was tall—towering over even the Abyssal Knights, its form draped in dark, flowing robes. The creature's face was concealed by a shadowed hood, but its eyes—glowing with a cold, abyssal blue—locked onto Ethan.
Ethan's breath caught. This was no mere scout. This was a Sovereign.
The Sovereign's Challenge
The Sovereign raised a hand, and the ground beneath Ethan's feet cracked. Abyssal Energy radiated outward, warping space and time. The monsters paused, as if waiting for their leader's command.
"Ethan Reed," the Sovereign's voice echoed, cold and distant. "I have come to see what the mortal realm has to offer. You, the one who commands the dungeon. You, who would stand against the abyss."
Ethan gritted his teeth. "I'm not going down without a fight."
The Sovereign laughed, a low and hollow, echoing sound that ran chills down Ethan's spine. "So eager to die. So willing to defend your pitiful city. You think you can stand against the abyss?"
"I've stood against worse," Ethan said in return.
The Sovereign's eyes flared brighter. "We will see.
The wrist of the Sovereign twitched, and it let out a wave of abyssal energy that rolled towards Ethan with the power of a tsunami. He was thrown back, the buckling of his armor with the force.
Kaelen and Mira hastened to his side, their faces etched with concern. "We need a plan," Kaelen said, his voice urgent. "We can't fight this thing head-on. It's too powerful."
A Glimmer of Hope
As the battle wore on, Ethan realized something. The Sovereign's power wasn't endless; it was sourced from the rift-from within the abyss itself. Close the rift, and the Sovereign loses his power.
"Mira, get to the rift! We have to close it, now!" Ethan shouted.
Mira nodded and sprinted toward the rift, her magic swirling around her as she cast every spell she could to weaken the connection. Lysander provided cover, his arrows flying like lightning toward any Abyssal Knight that tried to intercept her.
Ethan focused on the Sovereign, holding its attention, and he fought with all his might, pushing his power to the maximum. However, the strikes of the Sovereign ripped through the battlefield as if nobody was there to stop them.
Then, when the flickering happened again with the rift, Ethan grasped his opportunity.
System Alert:
"Rift Weakening: 25%."
Ethan channeled all the remaining energy, unleashing another Abyssal Severance, this time infused with every ounce of power he had gathered. Tearing through the air like a comet, it struck the Sovereign and pushed it back.
For the first time, the Sovereign's expression faltered. Its form wavered as if the energy that sustained it was starting to break apart.
"Mira! Now!" Ethan yelled.
The Final Stand
Using all her remaining magic, Mira shut the rift. It imploded in on its own dark energies. The Sovereign screamed, being sucked backward through the void, its body crumbling to nothingness.
The battle grounds went silent, the Abyssal Knights disappeared along with their leader as the collapse of the rift itself left only the remains of dark energies.
Ethan slumped down on to his knees, panting loudly. Mira fell onto her knees next to him, concern riddled on her face. "Are you okay?"
Ethan nodded weakly. "We did it. For now."
Aftermath
Core City had survived its first true test from the abyss, but Ethan knew this was only the beginning. The Sovereign would return and so would the others.
As the survivors regrouped, Kaelen approached Ethan. "You fought well. But this battle was just a glimpse of what's to come. We must prepare for the full-scale war."
Ethan's eyes hardened. "Then we'll prepare. The abyss won't win."
The battle was over-for now. But Core City's true test was just beginning.
To Be Continued.