Moyo stood his ground amidst the grotesque legion of the necromancer, cutting through them with methodical precision. Each swing of his blade was a testament to his power, cleaving through the undead with a fluidity that defied their numbers. His pristine figure remained untouched despite the onslaught, his presence an immovable force against an unending tide. As he approached the stronghold's interior, his blade dripped with the foul ichor of slain trolls and lesser aberrants.
Before him, two hulking level 120 ogres barred his path. Brutal, towering figures wielding crude, massive axes, they were larger and more fearsome than the trolls he had dispatched with ease.
Moyo activated Blade Storm, unleashing a torrent of lethal intent as he stepped into the darkened halls. A suffocating pressure descended upon him immediately, a palpable malevolence that clawed at his senses. The ogres roared, their swings heavy and deliberate, but their attacks barely grazed the edge of Moyo's awareness. He carved through them with swift, decisive strikes, their bodies collapsing into lifeless heaps.
Then the system's notifications began:
[You have breached the domain of the necromancer Ushotan. For the duration of your presence:]
You cannot access your voidkeep.Titles are deactivated.You cannot leave unless you claim or destroy the core of the stronghold.
The doors behind him slammed shut, sealing him in. Moyo found himself standing in near-total darkness, the faint glow of Ida the only light. Moments later, sickly green flames erupted from torch holders on the walls, bathing the chamber in a ghastly light. The flickering flames illuminated grotesque carvings etched into the molten metal and rock of the walls—depictions of suffering and death that radiated a sinister energy.
A wrongness permeated the air, a heavy, oppressive sensation that seemed to seep into his very bones. Moyo's gaze locked onto the figure standing at the far end of the chamber.
The necromancer, Ushotan, radiated decay. His pale, desiccated face was framed by sparse, sickly strands of white hair, his glowing green eyes fixed on Moyo with a chilling intensity. He gripped a staff topped with a pulsating green gem, its aura the source of the malevolence that saturated the room.
"So, you've come at last, great Titan," Ushotan sneered, his voice echoing unnaturally through the chamber.
"It's Titan Blade," Moyo replied evenly, his eyes roaming the room, taking in every detail with calculated precision.
"I do not understand," Ushotan said, his tone laced with mockery. "You are the Titan, are you not?"
"Blade. Titan Blade. It's not that hard to grasp," Moyo said idly, continuing his slow advance.
Ushotan's grip on his staff tightened, the gem atop it flaring ominously. The ground began to tremble beneath them, cracks splintering the floor as an enormous creature began to emerge from the earth. Moyo took a measured step back, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as the abomination revealed itself.
A massive undead wyvern, triple the size of a standard Wyrm, rose to its full height, its scales a mottled black and green that pulsed with necrotic energy.
"Do you even understand the fate the system has cursed you with?" Ushotan asked, leaping onto the creature's head with an unnatural grace.
Moyo said nothing, his gaze fixed on the monstrosity. His grip on Ida tightened as the necromancer continued, his voice a mix of scorn and amusement.
"You've been led like prey to the slaughter, thrown into a jungle where predators far greater than you roam freely. You are a tool, nothing more. I almost pity you."
Ushotan chuckled darkly, his voice resonating with malevolent glee.
The system chimed again:
[Domain of the Necromancer has been designated a Tier 2 Dungeon!]
[Ushotan the Necromancer: Level 180]
[Undead Wyvern: Level 200]
Moyo took a deep breath, his resolve solidifying. Drawing himself to his full height, he felt the weight of reality itself shift. A barrier snapped into place, locking the two combatants and their monstrous arena into a deadly standoff.
There would be no retreat.
Moyo's blade glowed faintly, the aura of intent and aura surging through it. Ida hungered for the battle ahead, and so did he.
A wyvern with a malevolent presence loomed above, its green undead eyes glowing with eerie power as it stared down at Moyo. The necromancer, staff raised high, let out a piercing cry to the ceiling, channeling surges of undead aether into the room. Moyo surrounded himself with Blade Storm, pouring his blended aether of intent and aura into Ida, his blade glowing with the full power of Titan Edge.
He dashed forward, but the wyvern's spiked tail lashed out without warning. Activating Void Step, he vanished and reappeared above the wyvern, his blade slicing downward toward the necromancer. A swirling barrier of eldritch green light burst to life, deflecting his attack and forcing Ushotan to one knee on the beast's head.
The wyvern turned its head sharply, its maw gaping as green eldritch fire gathered within. Moyo's eyes widened as the flames roared out, bathing the area he'd stood in moments earlier in searing heat that made his heart pound. Appearing just in time to avoid the inferno, he felt something unseen attempt to restrict his movements. The wyvern's massive claw slammed into him, hurling him into the walls where dozens of skeletal hands burned with green fire appeared, grabbing at him.
With a flex of his strength, Moyo shattered their hold, rolling away from the devastating crash of the wyvern's tail as it smashed down in an attempt to crush him again. The abomination pulsed with power, its aura suffocating as Moyo leapt to his feet, shooting forward once more. The necromancer's staff unleashed a twisting beam of green light, the searing energy locking onto him and pursuing relentlessly.
Irritation flared in Moyo as he surged toward Ushotan. The necromancer's barrier of green light sprang up again, holding firm as Titan Edge slammed into it, cracking its surface. The necromancer's eyes widened in alarm as Moyo twisted mid-strike, dodging the beam of necrotic energy that instead collided with the shield. The impact shattered the shield, sending the necromancer reeling as he slammed his staff into the wyvern's scaled body, prompting the beast to roar in fury.
Suddenly, green inscriptions flared to life around the room, pulsating with foul energy. Moyo's stomach churned violently, nausea and dizziness overwhelming him as he failed to dodge another beam of necrotic energy that struck him directly.
[You have been inflicted with Curse of the Grave. Crimson Aegis halves the effects of nausea and sickness. Vitality reduced.]
Moyo struggled to his feet, staggering behind a broken pillar as the wyvern's flames scorched the air where he had stood. The necromancer's cackling laughter echoed around the chamber.
"Don't you see, worm?" Ushotan roared. "We are nothing but pawns for the greater beings of the cosmos! Even now, you do their bidding!"
"Worm," Moyo muttered with a faint chuckle, though his vision blurred and his breath came ragged.
"Your world, your fights—they mean nothing! Nothing in the grand scheme of the cosmos! Surrender, and let me make your meaningless existence worthwhile!" Ushotan shouted.
Gripping his blade tighter, Moyo inhaled sharply, shuddering as green lines of tainted aether coursed through his body.
[Blood Absorption is negating and absorbing the effects of tainted aether.]
His sight cleared slightly, though he swayed. Gripping Ida, Moyo blinked as a familiar figure materialized before him—a hallucination, yet vividly real.
"Hello, master," Moyo muttered, recognizing the smirking visage of Ajax.
"Look at you, hiding like a worm. Quite demeaning for my disciple, don't you think?" Ajax said with a sneer.
"Too strong," Moyo rasped, shaking his head. Blood Absorption was working, but not fast enough. The beast's thundering footsteps grew louder.
"A titan afraid of a wyvern?" Ajax scoffed incredulously. "I did not mold you into a killing machine for you to cower behind a boulder. You are no fledgling! You are the titan! And there is still a mountain before you to climb, child. Now get up."
Moyo peeked out from behind the pillar, narrowly avoiding another blast of green flames. The necromancer's chant filled the room, the walls beginning to shift unnaturally.
"Moyo," another voice called, softer yet resolute. He turned, shocked to see his father, his bright brown eyes shining with warmth.
"It is not befitting of a Balogun's child to cower in the dark," his father said firmly.
Balogun. He came from a long line of warlords. The thought stung as he clenched his teeth. Would he disgrace his ancestors by dying like a coward?
"Do you want to beg for mercy, titan?" Ushotan taunted. "Come crawling, and perhaps I might spare your life!"
Time slowed as Moyo turned back to his father, their shared gaze conveying unspoken words. His father's spectral figure smiled, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Moyo shut his eyes, gripping his blade tighter as rage and resolve roared within him.
[Notice: Epiphany of the Path of the Titan has begun!]
Moyo roared, his defiance echoing through the chamber. He was a Balogun. He was the titan. He had suffered, bled, and sacrificed. He would not die here—not to some necromancer.
[Path of the Titan Blade has reached Epiphany. Skill Balogun's Domain (R) has been created.]
The wyvern's flames engulfed him, their heat enough to melt steel and reduce the tainted stone of the stronghold to slag. Yet the flames crashed against a swirling purple barrier—his newfound Balogun's Domain—as he closed the distance to Ushotan. Ida cleaved downward, slamming into the necromancer's reformed shield with ferocious might.
Ushotan's eldritch barrier blazed brightly, deflecting the titan's assault as the wyvern roared, its tail smashing repeatedly into the protective domain. Ushotan grunted, pouring his full power into maintaining the shield.
"Die, pest!" Ushotan screamed, a beam of green energy lancing toward Moyo. His Crimson Aegis shattered, the remnants of the beam scorching his skin and setting necrosis in motion.
Blood Absorption and Titan's Vitality fought back the infection as Moyo exhaled sharply. The shield refused to yield, and the wyvern's breath bore down on him, threatening to overwhelm the domain.
Moyo's thoughts honed to a single, familiar sensation—the one he felt when he defeated the Razorback King, the one that surged when he cleaved the Wyrm Prime in two.
Cut.
His blade passed through the glowing green shield, slicing Ushotan cleanly from neck to shoulder. The necromancer's shocked eyes widened before his body fell apart, exploding in a violent burst of power.
Thrown back, Moyo crashed to the ground, his body aching and burning. Around him, the animated undead fell lifeless, and the wyvern crumbled into a heap of brittle bones.
The stronghold began to crack and crumble. Struggling to his feet, Moyo dashed for the shattered core of Ushotan's staff, seizing the fused orb of the settlement and dungeon cores. A swirling white-and-green portal opened, spitting him out onto the plains near Bastion.
Before he could celebrate, a force dragged him back into the dungeon's collapsing reality.
[Notice: Dungeon destruction has been halted. Dungeon incursion has begun.]
The notification of the titan's victory over the necromancer lit up across Bastion, the message spreading like wildfire. Cheers erupted through the settlement, a roar of triumph that shook the very walls. The mages, exhausted but exhilarated, let their barrage of attacks fade. Ayo punched the air with a celebratory whoop, while Idris lifted his axe high in victory, his face split with a rare, triumphant grin. Even Annika, the storm that had raged to shield Bastion, lowered her spear and allowed herself a smile of relief.
The battle was over.
Turning toward the command post, Annika spotted Martha, seated at her vantage point overlooking the entire battlefield. But the Webweaver's face told a different story. Her smile faltered as she noticed the tremors in Martha's hands and the widening of her eyes. Martha's entire posture exuded dread.
"What is it?" Annika asked, a chill settling deep in her core as her grip on Stormpiercer tightened.
Martha opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came. Her lips moved silently, struggling to form words, her breaths shallow and uneven. Finally, she managed to whisper, her voice quivering with terror.
"Something malevolent has found its way to our world."
Annika's heart pounded against her ribs, the icy grip of fear taking hold. She followed Martha's gaze instinctively, her storm-grey eyes locking onto the horizon—the direction Moyo should have been returning from.
"No…" she whispered, dread blooming within her chest.
The name came unbidden, barely audible yet weighted with desperation and fear.
"Moyo."
Her hand tightened around her spear, her mind racing as her instincts screamed of a new, unseen threat. Horror etched itself into her features as the storm within her began to churn once more.
[Valtha the Unyielding, Wyvern, Pre-Ascended True Dragon, Level 250]
Moyo's breath hitched as true fear gripped him, rooting him to the spot. His muscles rebelled, his bones quaked, and all he could do was breathe under the suffocating presence of the creature before him.
Valtha was a being that walked the line between beast and man, its humanoid frame towering and lean yet exuding sinewy strength. Faintly shimmering golden scales adorned his skin, catching the light like molten metal, as though the scales retreated beneath the surface but never fully disappeared. Sharp claws extended from his fingers, taloned feet made his movements predatory, and his wings, partially retracted, glowed faintly with an ember-like hue.
Horns curved elegantly from his head, and his angular, almost-human face sharpened by razor-sharp fangs, glinted dangerously as he growled. A golden tail adorned with jagged spines swept behind him, smoke curling from his nostrils. His voice resonated like distant thunder as he finally spoke, his fiery, predatory eyes locking onto Moyo.
"Strange. I expected to be greeted by the necromancer before I left him a charred corpse. Who might you be, little creature?" His voice carried a quiet, malevolent intent that made the air itself seem heavier.
Moyo acted without thinking, slamming his blade into his shoulder in a flash. The wyvern barked a sharp, amused laugh.
"Who—no, what are you?" Moyo growled through gritted teeth.
"Clearly, you don't know who you speak with. Now... burn."
Moyo threw himself left with every ounce of strength, his instincts screaming as a column of blue flames erupted where he had stood a mere second ago. The heat blistered his skin even at a distance, forcing Titan's Vitality to work overtime as it healed the burns. Moyo staggered, breathing heavily.
"Oh? You managed to escape that? Perhaps there are interesting creatures on this world after all," Valtha said, his laugh reverberating through the room. Then his eyes caught the remains of the undead wyvern, and realization dawned on his face. "So, you managed to kill the tainted? Impressive... but it should not have been possible."
Suddenly, a crushing pressure slammed into Moyo, driving him to his knees. His teeth gritted as he summoned Balogun's Domain, the protective bubble springing to life and giving him some semblance of breathing room. Valtha's frown deepened, this time wary.
"Impossible. A lowly creature wielding a domain? Who sent you?" Valtha growled, disappearing from sight.
Before Moyo could react, the wyvern was in front of him, claws clamped around his throat, lifting him into the air. Moyo choked, his hands straining to pry the clawed fingers loose, but they didn't budge.
"You will tell me, or be immolated," Valtha hissed, his voice carrying a chilling finality.
Summoning his strength, Moyo imbued Ida with intent and aura, swinging at Valtha's arm. The wyvern's eyes widened, and he hurled Moyo away with such force that the titan crashed into the wall, the impact shattering bones and knocking the wind out of him. Moyo slumped to the ground, coughing, his body already working to heal.
"Nothing about this smells right. Who dares interfere with the goals of the great clan?" Valtha snarled, stalking closer.
Moyo pushed himself up, his gaze unwavering. He had faced despair before, but this was different. This wasn't despair—it was a glimpse of the true monsters lurking in the depths of the system. And Valtha was one of its echoes.
Still, Moyo stood his ground, his grip tightening on Ida as Valtha paused, studying him.
Then, Moyo swung. Ida screamed through the air, a blur that passed in front of the wyvern. Valtha blinked in confusion, then chuckled, smoke curling from his nostrils.
"Have you gone mad?" he mocked. "What could that have pos—"
The words died on his lips as his eyes darted to his chest. A thin line in the shape of a cut appeared, and a single drop of blood—gold and red—seeped out.
The titan was there, his hand slamming onto the wound. Valtha backhanded him, sending Moyo flying like a broken doll. The titan landed in a mangled heap, coughing blood, but a grin spread across his bloodied face as he rose, his bones cracking back into place.
"I drew blood. Now we're equal," Moyo said, his voice firm, unwavering.
Rage distorted Valtha's features, bright blue flames bursting to life around him as he roared, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Moyo stood tall, Ida gleaming in his grip, prepared to face the greatest battle of his existence.