The night sky churned with dark clouds as Kairos stood atop the ruined Merchant Guild's headquarters, his blade dripping with the blood of traitors. The coup had been crushed—Alric's last breath was still fresh in his mind.
But then… the ground trembled.
A deep, inhuman roar echoed from beneath the city, a sound that rattled the bones of every living thing in Lysvein.
Kairos's eyes narrowed. "That's… new."
Before he could process it further—
CRACK.
The earth beneath the capital square collapsed inward, forming a massive sinkhole that swallowed entire buildings. From the abyss, something colossal stirred.
And then it rose.
A mass of writhing shadows, towering over the city. A hundred eyes, glowing like dying embers. A body formed from pure darkness, shifting, twisting, consuming the very light around it.
The Shadow Behemoth.
A creature of legend, spoken of in whispers—a remnant of the Abyssal Wars, sealed away beneath Lysvein long ago.
And now, it was awake.
BOSS ENCOUNTER: SHADOW BEHEMOTH – LVL ???
An ancient horror sealed beneath Lysvein. Its form is unstable, absorbing the essence of those it devours. Defeating it will reveal long-lost secrets of the Divine Race.
"EVACUATE THE CITY!" King Orpheus's voice rang through the capital, but panic had already taken hold. Civilians ran in terror, soldiers scrambled to form defenses—yet none of their weapons even touched the creature.
The Behemoth swung a massive tendril, reducing an entire district to rubble in seconds.
Kairos watched carefully.
Then he grinned.
"Big, ugly, and probably pissed off. Just my type."
He moved.
A single leap launched him through the air, Aetherfang glowing with golden radiance. He brought it down in a powerful arc—
SLASH!
The blade cut deep into the Behemoth's shadowed flesh—only for the wound to seal instantly.
Kairos landed on the remains of a collapsed building. He clicked his tongue. "Figures."
The Behemoth's hundred eyes turned to him.
Then—
DARKNESS ERUPTED.
A wave of pure abyssal energy shot toward Kairos, warping reality itself.
But—
"Celestial Guard."
A golden barrier flared to life around him as the darkness shattered against it.
Kairos smirked. "Gonna take more than that."
But he knew—brute force wasn't enough.
This thing wasn't just a monster. It was a concept. A living nightmare. It could only be slain if its essence was ripped apart at the source.
His grip on Aetherfang tightened.
Time to try something new.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: SOUL CLEAVE
Aetherfang has evolved. It can now sever the essence of enemies, preventing regeneration.
Kairos grinned.
"Alright, you giant bastard—let's end this."
With a flash of golden light, he charged forward, ready to carve the nightmare into oblivion.