Kieran barely had time to process the power coursing through his veins before the Sky Devourer moved again.
With a sound like thunder cracking open the sky, the creature lunged toward him, its bladed limbs cutting through the air like guillotines.
Kieran's instincts screamed at him—Move!
His body reacted before his mind did. He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe. The sheer force of the attack shattered the stone where he had been standing, sending debris flying in all directions.
His breathing was ragged.
Too fast.
This thing wasn't some sluggish behemoth. Despite its size, it moved with terrifying speed, its countless eyes locked onto him with inhuman focus.
Kieran had power now, but he didn't even know how to use it properly.
Selene, still standing a short distance away, raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad," she admitted. "But dodging alone won't save you."
Kieran gritted his teeth.
"Thanks for the advice," he shot back, "but I'd really prefer a damn tutorial right now!"
Selene didn't respond.
Instead, she charged.
Her movements were precise, calculated—like a predator closing in on its prey.
Kieran watched as she vaulted over a pile of rubble, her body twisting midair. Then, with perfect timing, she landed directly onto one of the Devourer's outstretched limbs, using it as a platform.
What the hell?!
Before the creature could react, she pressed the barrel of her gun against one of its glowing eyes—
And pulled the trigger.
Bang.
The bullet shattered the eye, splattering black ichor across the cathedral ruins.
The Devourer screeched.
For the first time, Kieran saw it reel back, its massive wings convulsing in agony.
Selene landed gracefully, rolling back onto her feet.
"Now," she said, looking at him expectantly. "Your turn."
Kieran blinked.
"My what?"
"Your turn to attack," she repeated, like it was obvious.
Kieran's gaze flickered to his hands, still surrounded by shifting tendrils of abyssal energy.
Right.
He had power now.
He just had to figure out how to use it.
Abyssal Thread: Awakening
The Sky Devourer wasn't stunned for long.
Despite its wounded eye, it lunged forward again, its remaining eyes glowing with hunger.
Kieran reacted instinctively.
He raised his hand, and—without fully understanding how—the Abyssal Threads lashed out.
Dark, writhing tendrils of void-born energy shot from his fingertips, wrapping around the Devourer's bladed limbs.
For a split second, the monster stopped moving.
Kieran's mind exploded with information.
The moment his Threads latched onto the creature, he could feel it—
Its weight. Its muscle contractions. The tension in its movements.
It was like holding the strings of a marionette.
Kieran's eyes widened.
I can control it.
The realization hit him all at once.
This wasn't just some basic magic attack—it was a power that allowed him to manipulate his enemies.
But before he could test his limits—
The Devourer fought back.
With a monstrous snarl, it tore its limbs free, snapping Kieran's tendrils like weak threads. The backlash stung, sending pain jolting through his nerves.
He staggered, his vision blurring for a second.
Selene clicked her tongue.
"Too slow," she said. "If you're gonna use it, commit."
Kieran groaned.
"You could've warned me that it fights back."
"Figured you'd learn faster if you felt it yourself."
Sadist.
The Devourer wasn't going to wait for him to figure things out.
It spread its wings wide, and suddenly—
The air shifted.
Kieran's stomach dropped.
Something was coming.
Selene's eyes widened.
"Move!"
Kieran barely had time to react before the Sky Devourer opened its maw.
A split second later—
A vortex of abyssal wind erupted forward.
The force ripped through the ruins, sending shattered stone and debris flying in all directions. The air itself howled, distorting as if space was breaking apart.
Kieran barely managed to dive behind a collapsed pillar before the attack tore through everything in its path.
When the windstorm finally subsided, Kieran peered out from behind cover.
The entire area where he had been standing was gone.
Only a massive crater remained.
Kieran swallowed hard.
"Okay," he muttered. "That's new."
Selene exhaled sharply.
"This is taking too long," she said.
She turned to him, her silver eyes gleaming.
"I'll pin it down. You finish it."
Kieran hesitated.
"Finish it how?"
She smirked.
"You'll figure it out."
Why is she like this?
Before Kieran could complain, she was already moving.
With inhuman speed, Selene closed the distance between herself and the Devourer, weaving between its attacks like a shadow slipping through cracks.
Then, just as it tried to strike her down—
She disappeared.
For a split second, Kieran thought he had lost sight of her.
Then he realized—
She was standing on its back.
Selene pressed one hand against the Devourer's hide.
A moment later—
The air trembled.
From her palm, a pulse of silver energy erupted outward, locking the monster in place.
Kieran felt his body react instinctively.
His Abyssal Threads flared to life, wrapping around his arms like shifting shadows.
A single thought filled his mind.
Control.
This time, when the tendrils lashed out—
They sunk deep into the monster's flesh.
Kieran's entire body tensed.
For a split second, he felt everything.
The creature's heartbeat. The twitch of its muscles. The way its wings fought against Selene's binding.
And then—
He pulled.
The Sky Devourer screeched.
Kieran's Threads wrapped around its throat, tightening like a noose.
The monster convulsed, thrashing wildly—
But Kieran didn't let go.
Tighter.
The Devourer's massive form shuddered.
Its countless eyes flickered.
Then—
It collapsed.
The moment it hit the ground, Selene jumped off its back, landing beside Kieran.
She turned to him, looking mildly impressed.
"Not bad," she admitted.
Kieran, still breathing heavily, managed to grin.
"Thanks," he muttered.
Then the System pinged.
[Trial Completed.]
[First Kill Achieved: Sky Devourer.]
[Essence Absorbed: +500]
[Rank Up: F-Tier.]
Kieran exhaled, his body relaxing slightly.
They had won.
But he had a feeling this was only the beginning.