The cavernous chamber trembled under the weight of their clash. Dark flames hissed and coiled like serpents around the Abyssal general's clawed hand, each flicker casting ominous shadows against the ancient rune-inscribed walls. The malevolent figure moved with terrifying speed, its form shifting between solid and smoky, as if it existed both in the physical realm and some nightmarish void beyond.
Dave's breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. His orb—the pulsating core of his power—throbbed rhythmically, syncing with the raw energy flooding his veins. The Shadow Core relic fused deeper into his very essence, sending tendrils of cold, dark power spiraling through his limbs.
"Shade, stay close," Dave commanded, voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through him. The shadeling—a small but fierce creature of living shadow—darted to his side, its red eyes burning like embers of a dying star.
The Abyssal general struck with brutal precision, unleashing a searing blast of shadowfire that hissed as it tore through the air. Dave twisted his body, narrowly evading the inferno, feeling the heat singe the edges of his cloak. Time seemed to stretch and bend, every movement a blur of instinct and honed reflexes.
Drawing upon the Creation Protocol, Dave summoned a sphere of void energy in his palm, its surface roiling like a black sun. With a roar, he unleashed a devastating Void Pulse, the force reverberating through the chamber and sending shards of ancient stone spraying into the air. The general staggered, its smoky form flickering—but did not fall.
"Impressive," the dark figure hissed, its voice a guttural whisper that sent chills crawling down Dave's spine. "But you wield shadows without understanding their hunger."
Dave gritted his teeth, feeling the creeping pull of the abyss clawing at his mind. Every strike from the general seemed designed not only to wound but to corrupt—to twist his very soul into darkness.
Sylas's luminous form floated near the chamber's edge, eyes glowing with urgency. "Focus on mastering your Creation Protocol, Dave. Your connection to the void must become absolute—only then will you control the shadows, rather than be consumed by them."
Sweat dripped down Dave's brow as he narrowed his eyes, centering himself amidst the chaos. "I won't lose," he muttered fiercely. "This world isn't ready for what I'm about to become."
The duel escalated, a whirlwind of shadow and void energy tearing through the chamber. Dave dodged a lethal swipe, then countered with a Shadow Strike that grazed the general's arm, leaving a smoking wound. Pain flared but he absorbed it, converting it into power.
His orb blazed with unrestrained energy, tendrils of shadow swirling wildly around him as he tapped deeper into the Creation Protocol's hidden reserves.
"I'm not just surviving—I'm evolving," Dave thought. "Stronger, faster, smarter. This is only the beginning."
As the fight reached a crescendo, Dave summoned every ounce of willpower to unleash a cataclysmic surge of void energy, illuminating the chamber in blinding black light.
The Abyssal general roared, staggering back as the force slammed into it, shattering runes and cracking the ancient floor.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned.
Dave stood panting, battered but unbroken, eyes blazing with fierce determination.
This was more than a fight for survival.
This was the birth of a legend.
The dust settled slowly in the aftermath of the clash. The ruined chamber was a graveyard of broken stone, shattered runes, and charred magic. Dave stood in the center, chest heaving, his cloak in tatters and skin marked with glowing cracks where void energy had surged too violently through him.
The Abyssal general lay in fragments, its smoky body dispersing into black mist, vanishing with a final hiss. But as the last tendrils faded, something remained—a black crystal pulsing with eerie light.
[System Notification: Abyssal Core Acquired – Warning: High corruption level.]
Sylas hovered beside it, eyes glowing dimly. "You defeated an Abyssal general… that's no small feat. But this core is dangerous. Even touching it could twist your soul."
Dave stared at the crystal. Despite the warning, he felt drawn to it. A voice—deep, ancient—whispered faintly in his mind.
Take me. Consume me. Transcend.
His hand hovered over it.
Shade growled uneasily, sensing the corruption. "Dave…"
But Dave's eyes narrowed with resolve. "If I want to conquer this world… I'll need every edge I can get."
With one swift motion, he grasped the Abyssal Core.
Void surged. Shadows screamed. His fate changed forever.
The moment Dave grasped the Abyssal Core, a vortex of shadows exploded outward. The very air shuddered, and ancient symbols etched along the walls flared violently before vanishing. Shade yelped, leaping back as raw void energy surged into Dave's body like a flood.
[System Alert: Abyssal Seed has been implanted. Soul corruption: 1%. New evolution path unlocked.]
Dave's vision went black for a heartbeat—then flooded with color. He saw… other worlds. Burning kingdoms. Abyssal thrones. An endless war waged across planes.
He gasped, staggering to one knee, clutching his head.
"What… was that…?" he muttered.
Sylas floated close, his glow flickering. "The Abyssal Seed… it doesn't just give you power. It connects you to the Void Lords' hive-mind. Their memories, their conquests—it's all inside you now."
Dave's fingers trembled as he stared at his palm. His skin shimmered with dark veins, pulsing softly. But he wasn't afraid.
"I saw their power," he whispered. "And I'll surpass it."
Shade eyed him nervously. "Are you still… you?"
Dave smirked. "Better. Stronger. Smarter. And now... I'm done being hunted."
He stood tall, shadows swirling around him like a cloak.
"It's time I became the hunter."
Darkness coiled around Dave like a living cape, the Abyssal Seed pulsing with a slow, hypnotic rhythm inside him. He felt... different. Stronger. Sharper. Every breath he took pulled in raw ambient mana, and every heartbeat resonated with ancient void knowledge.
[System Update: Abyssal Hunter Class unlocked.]
[New Skill: Void Sense – Detects lifeforms and magical presences within 500 meters.]
[New Skill: Predator's Mark – Tag a target. You grow stronger as they weaken.]
Sylas's glow pulsed warily. "The transformation has started. You're no longer just a summoner, Dave. You've stepped into the role of a void predator. That comes with a price."
Dave smiled coldly. "Then let the world pay it."
He activated Void Sense—and the chamber bloomed with glowing pulses, revealing multiple lifeforms approaching from the tunnel above.
"More Abyssal spawn?" he asked, already preparing his next move.
Shade hissed. "No. These ones are different. They're… human."
Within seconds, armored figures burst into the chamber. A squad of elite hunters from the Magebound Empire, sent to retrieve the relics. Their leader's eyes locked on Dave.
"You! You defiled the relic vault!"
Dave smirked. "Defiled? No. I claimed what was mine."
And the hunt began.
Steel clashed with magic the moment the soldiers charged. Their enchanted armor shimmered with sigils of fire and wind, while spears and blades crackled with elemental force.
Dave's eyes glowed, his Void Sense pulsing. He could see their weaknesses—cracks in their formations, overused mana circuits, trembling stances.
[Predator's Mark: Activated.]
He marked the squad leader—a knight-mage clad in obsidian plate, his aura sharp and disciplined.
Shade darted into the shadows, striking from behind with tendrils of living darkness. One soldier screamed as his weapon was ripped from his hands.
Dave surged forward, cloaked in void energy, weaving past spells and slashing with conjured shadow-blades. Each movement was graceful, efficient—lethal.
"Don't let him touch the core!" the squad leader bellowed.
Too late.
Dave's palm slammed into the knight's chest, void essence pouring in like black lightning. The man gasped, choking as the mark drained his strength.
[Predator's Mark – Stage Two: Energy siphoned.]
The rest of the squad faltered, watching their leader collapse. Fear began to overtake discipline.
Sylas whispered, "They thought they were the executioners…"
Dave's smile darkened. "But I'm the sentence."
The chamber echoed with screams—and then, silence.
The silence after the battle was thick—unnatural. Not just the quiet of death, but something watching. Something ancient.
Dave stood among the fallen, breath steady. Shadows still danced around his fingers, crackling with leftover void energy.
[System Notice: First human combat victory registered.]
[Path of the Void Predator – Progress: 12%]
[Skill Upgrade: Predator's Mark → Abyssal Brand – Can now track targets across dimensions.]
Sylas hovered close, tense. "Dave… someone knows what you've done. That much void energy can't go unnoticed."
As if summoned by his words, a violet sigil ignited midair. It twisted like a burning eye—then pulsed.
[??? has observed your awakening.]
[You are now marked by the Outer Throne.]
Dave blinked, a chill crawling down his spine. "The Outer Throne…?"
Sylas's glow flickered in alarm. "That's the seat of the Void Lords. You've caught their attention."
Dave clenched his fist, feeling both dread and thrill. "Then let them watch. I'll surpass even them."
Far above, in the Astral Plane, a shadowed figure sat on a crystalline throne. Its fingers tapped the armrest slowly.
"A new predator rises... and he is not bound by our chains."
Night had fallen by the time Dave emerged from the ancient vault. The air outside was cool, stars sharp against a velvet sky. But the moon—tonight it was different. Crimson. And… whispering.
He paused, staring up.
"Dave," Shade muttered beside him, uneasy. "That's no normal moon."
Indeed, the moon's surface rippled unnaturally, and a voice—low, melodic, malevolent—echoed in his mind.
Heir of the Abyss… you walk where mortals should not tread. Will you devour, or be devoured?
Dave narrowed his eyes. "I don't fear the abyss anymore."
[System Alert: You are being tested by the Whispering Moon.]
[Survive the next 24 hours. Restrictions: No teleportation, no aid from contracted spirits.]
Sylas cursed. "They're forcing a trial! The Void Lords want to see what you're made of."
Dave smirked. "Let them watch. I'll turn their test into my triumph."
He stepped forward into the forest beyond the ruins, shadows trailing behind him. Somewhere ahead, beasts stirred—twisted by the moon's gaze, ready to hunt.
But Dave? He was already hunting them.
One voice whispered again.
You are not the first, predator. But perhaps... you'll be the last.
The forest under the crimson moon was alive with madness. Trees twisted unnaturally, their branches like claws reaching for the stars. The ground pulsed faintly, as if breathing. And everywhere—howls.
Dave moved silently, shadows curling around his form like a second skin. His senses were sharp, Void Sense painting the world in hues of danger.
Then he saw them.
Moon-touched beasts.
Former forest creatures, now mutated by the trial's magic. A stag with glowing bone antlers, a panther whose eyes bled crimson light, and a pack of shadow-wolves—foaming, twisted, hungry.
[System Notice: Trial of the Whispering Moon – Progress: 3%.]
[Enemies defeated: 0. Remaining time: 23:12:49.]
Shade hissed. "They're not bound by logic. Just hunger."
Dave inhaled. "Good. I'm starving, too."
He struck first—firing a barrage of void spears into the lead wolf. It shattered into black mist. The others pounced, surrounding him.
But Dave was no longer prey.
He ducked, weaved, countered with precision—each strike draining their energy with his Abyssal Brand. As he fought, the beasts screamed not in pain—but in recognition.
They saw something ancient in him.
Something worse than the moon.
Blood—thick, glowing faintly—dripped from Dave's fingertips. The last of the shadow-wolves writhed beneath his boot, whimpering before dissolving into nothingness.
[Moon-Touched Beast defeated.]
[Void Essence absorbed. Trial Progress: 12%. Time Remaining: 21:58:32.]
[Skill Unlock: Void Surge – Temporarily amplifies all abilities by 200% during lunar events.]
The forest fell silent again. Even the wind seemed to respect the predator now walking its cursed paths.
Sylas hovered above him, tension buzzing. "That skill… Void Surge… it's lunar-bound. You're syncing with the Whispering Moon."
Dave looked up. The moon had changed. It no longer glared—it watched. Quietly. Curiously.
"I'm adapting faster than they expected," Dave said softly, his voice lower than usual.
Suddenly, the trees ahead burst apart.
A towering chimera stepped forward—part lion, part serpent, part wyvern. Its eyes shimmered with broken moons.
[Trial Guardian Encountered – Crimson Chimera.]
[Rank: Apex-Class Beast.]
Shade flared with dark energy. "We're not ready for that!"
Dave smiled grimly. "That's what makes it fun."
He summoned his shadow-armory, the Abyssal Brand burning on his chest. With a flick of his wrist, he launched forward—void meeting crimson.
The moon blinked.
The chimera roared, its three heads spitting fire, venom, and raw mana. Trees evaporated. The ground cracked. It was an apex predator—built to crush challengers.
But Dave Durner didn't flinch.
[Void Surge: ACTIVATED]
[All skills enhanced. Duration: 3 minutes.]
He vanished in a blur of shadows, appearing beneath the beast. With a snap, shadow tendrils lashed out, binding two legs. The wyvern head shrieked and shot a mana beam—Dave spun midair, using a void disc as a shield.
"You're fast," Sylas muttered. "But its mana core's buried in the serpent head!"
"Then I'll rip it out."
He launched upward, dashing across summoned void platforms. The lion head bit at him—missed. Dave drove a void blade into its eye. The chimera screamed.
Abyssal Brand flared as he slammed both palms into the serpent's jaw. "Consume!"
Void energy poured in, unraveling the creature's resistance.
[Abyssal Brand devouring Trial Guardian essence… 42%... 67%...]
The chimera collapsed, its body unraveling into crimson mist.
[Trial Guardian defeated.]
[Essence absorbed. New Title Earned: "Moon-Slayer"]
[Trial Progress: 45%. Time Left: 19:00:44.]
Dave landed gently, eyes glowing.
"I'm not surviving this trial," he whispered.
"I'm mastering it."