Chapter 9: The Abyss Stirs
Shen Liang's grip on the Shadowbane tightened as the wraiths advanced. Their ember-like eyes flickered with a malevolence that sent a chill down his spine. The cavern walls pulsed with a strange, living energy, as if the abyss itself was aware of his presence.
[System Alert: Multiple High-Risk Entities Detected.]
[Warning: Host is entering a Zone of Unstable Reality.]
A wraith lunged first, its claws extending unnaturally as it sliced through the air. Shen Liang twisted his body, barely dodging as the razor-sharp talons grazed his shoulder. Pain flared, but he had no time to react.
Three more followed in quick succession.
Gritting his teeth, Shen Liang exhaled sharply and activated Phantom Step, vanishing in a blur just before the wraiths could tear into him. He reappeared behind them, his glowing blade humming with raw energy.
[Skill Activation: Shadowbane Strike]
The moment his blade met the nearest wraith, it screamed—a sound that rattled the very foundation of the cave. The others recoiled as dark mist bled from their kin's form, vanishing into the air like smoke caught in the wind.
[Enemy Defeated: Forsaken Wraith x1]
[Experience Gained.]
The remaining wraiths hesitated, as if reconsidering their assault. But the cavern itself seemed to reject the idea of allowing Shen Liang to rest. A deep, guttural growl reverberated from the depths below, shaking the very ground beneath him.
Shen Liang's breath caught. Whatever was waiting in the abyss was something far worse than the wraiths.
[System Update: Host has drawn the attention of a Dormant Entity.]
[Warning: Threat Level – Catastrophic.]
The shadows began shifting, converging towards a central point. Then, slowly, an immense clawed hand emerged from the void.
The true trial had just begun.
The abyss groaned, a tremor that vibrated through the bones of the cavern. Shen Liang took a cautious step backward, keeping his eyes locked on the monstrous appendage breaking through the veil of darkness. His system chimed again.
[New Mission: Survive the Entity's Awakening]
[Failure Consequence: Death]
"Just great," Shen Liang muttered, his grip tightening around Shadowbane.
The wraiths had vanished, consumed by the overwhelming force that now rose from the abyss. Whatever ancient terror slumbered in these depths had been roused by his presence. The claw flexed, the talons longer than swords, dripping with an ink-like darkness that hissed as it met the cavern floor.
A rumbling voice echoed through the cavern, ancient and cold.
"Who… disturbs… my domain?"
Shen Liang's mind raced. The system had labeled this entity's threat level as catastrophic. Fighting it head-on was suicide. He needed information—an escape route, a weakness, anything.
"Who's asking?" he shot back, keeping his tone level despite the fear clawing at his gut.
The void churned, as if amused. "A mortal… with arrogance. How… refreshing."
The claw fully emerged, followed by another, until the entire form of the creature pulled itself from the abyss. It was titanic, its body shifting between solid and ethereal, its head crowned with jagged, curved horns that pulsed with eerie light. Its eyes—pits of endless night—locked onto Shen Liang.
The system chimed once more.
[Entity Identified: Abyssal Tyrant]
[Warning: Mortal Combat Ineffective]
That last line sent alarm bells ringing in Shen Liang's mind. He had fought against insurmountable odds before, but this… this was on another level.
The Abyssal Tyrant exhaled, and the cavern air became heavy, thick with a pressure that made Shen Liang's knees buckle. His vision blurred as the weight of the being's presence threatened to crush him entirely.
[Status Effect: Oppression of the Void – Host Attributes Decreased by 70%]
Shen Liang gritted his teeth. This wasn't just a fight. This was survival against an existence that should not be disturbed. If he couldn't win, then he had only one option.
He had to outthink it.