He fell to his knees, clawing at his chest as the azure glow in his eyes flickered like a dying ember. "I… won…" he rasped, his voice laced with both pride and despair.
The mist enveloped him completely, a vortex of darkness swallowing his body as his consciousness faded.
[You have died.]
Nova gasped awake, his body jerking violently as if still caught by the Abyssal Mist in that endless darkness.
His lungs burned, and his chest heaved as he clawed at the ground, trying to calm himself. The cold, oppressive atmosphere of the Abyss pressed down on him, the faint echoes of his last battle still reverberating in his mind.
He glanced down at his trembling hands, black veins faintly etched beneath his skin that he had failed to notice before.
His gaze shifted to the Abyssal Devourer Blade resting beside him, its runes dim as usual, but he remembered clearly they were glowing during his last life. Slowly, he sat up, his eyes narrowing as he replayed the fight in his mind.
"The power... it was overwhelming," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "But it wasn't just that. I never had the chance to master that power so quickly. My end was inevitable for underestimating it."
He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I had the power to kill it… I could have killed it in one strike if I had just focused a little energy into the blade." He paused, the realization hitting him like a hammer.
"Instead, I wasted it. I let the transformation take over, scattering my power like a wild flame."
His breathing calmed down as his mind began to clear from all the clouds of confusion. The lessons from his countless deaths etched themselves into his thoughts like scars.
He couldn't afford to let himself become a mere puppet of the abyss. He needed to harness its power without losing control of himself. He needed to learn how to guide the storm, not be consumed by it.
Nova stood up, his grip tightening on the hilt of the Abyssal Devourer Blade.
The runes on the sword stirred slightly as if awaiting what was about to occur. "I need control. The mist isn't my enemy—it's merely a tool. And like any tool, it can be mastered."
The swirling endless darkness around him seemed to hum with anticipation as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.
Slowly, he extended his hand, exerting his will on the Abyssal mist. The tendrils of darkness coiled around him like serpents, slithering over his arm and pooling into his palm.
"Small steps," he murmured, his voice calm. He concentrated, slowly guiding the mist into his hand.
The mist resisted at first, writhing like a beast on his hand, but he didn't back down. Slowly, the chaotic tendrils began to condense, forming a dense, concentrated orb of energy in his palm.
Sweat dripped down his forehead as he maintained his focus, the effort of holding the energy taking more toll on his mind and body than he had anticipated.
But the results were promising. The mist obeyed his will, however reluctantly. He opened his eyes, a faint hint of satisfaction in his gaze.
"This is it," he said softly, the orb of Abyssal energy dissipating as he released it. "Control, not transformation. I can't let it take over again."
He turned his attention to his body. The last transformation had been wild, uncontrollable, and all-encompassing.
If he could limit it, and focus it on a specific part of his body instead of letting it consume the entirety of his body, he might stand a chance of utilizing the Abyss's power without succumbing to it.
Nova gripped the Abyssal Devourer Blade and closed his eyes again. This time, he willed the mist to focus on only his right arm.
The dark Abyssal tendrils coiled and twisted on his hand, their chaotic nature fighting against his will, but he persisted.
Slowly, the mist solidified, wrapping around his arm like living armor.
Spikes jutted out from his forearm, and his fingers elongated into sharp claws, glinting with a faint azure glow.
He opened his eyes, examining his partially transformed arm. It was grotesque and alien, but it was under his control. For now.
"This is enough," he muttered, flexing his clawed fingers. The transformation felt stable enough, though it buzzed with a barely restrained Abyssal energy, eager to break free. "I don't need to go further. Just this… just enough to kill."
The Abyssal Devourer Blade hummed faintly, as though approving of his restraint. Nova looked down and smirked at the blade before he saw one of the Seven Runes flicking to life.
The Abyssal Blade hummed violently, eager to taste blood.
"I see, so you runes will be powered up by my Abyssaal Assimilation." He softly muttered as he felt his own power increasing like crazy when the rune got activated.
"So be it," He turned toward the towering mountain of corpses where the Abyssal Abomination waited. "Let this be the end of this bastard."
His heart pounded, but this time, it wasn't fear driving him. It was excitement.
"May the Abyss have mercy or your soul because I won't," he whispered, stepping forward towards the mountain of corpses once more.
…
As the Abomination rose from its slumber, its hollow eyes glowed faintly with malice.
The ground shook as its massive form lumbered to its full height, its jagged claws glinting in the dim light of the Abyss.
It roared, a deafening sound that reverberated through the desolate landscape around the mountain of corpses.
Nova didn't flinch this time. His partially transformed arm pulsed with Abyssal Energy, the Abyssal mist swirling around him like a storm as his hand continuously absorbed the mist
He tightened his grip on the Abyssal Devourer Blade, the first rune on its surface glowing brighter feeling the energy level increasing.
The Abomination lunged, its massive arm swinging down with the force of a collapsing mountain on top of Noah.
Nova moved, his body a blur as he dodged the strike and closed the distance between them. The ground where he had stood shattered, debris flying in all directions.