Chapter 66 — The Threshold
Aeternus stood calmly, his gaze vacant yet steeped in quiet arrogance.
Before him, Valt materialized in a burst of red lightning, his face twisted with fury.
> "You asked for this, you knockoff celestial."
In a fraction of a second, Valt grabbed Aeternus by the face and slammed him into the ground with such force that entire worlds trembled.
He dragged him across layers of reality like a cosmic mop, smashing his head against reflections of vanished realms.
> "Taste your own paradise, you divine photocopy!" he roared.
Then, with a brutal backhand, he hurled him through multiple realities—shattering fragments of the multiverse in a deafening crash.
Shards of light fell like rain.
The clone of Aeternus rose, nearly unscathed, wiping black blood from his temple.
> "Interesting. Pure rage is your fuel…
But an engine without control always ends up exploding."
Chains of light burst from his hands—rings woven with celestial runes shot straight toward Valt.
Valt raised an eyebrow. His gaze shifted—his star-shaped iris contracted, pulsing with a violet glow.
The chains disintegrated mid-air, dissolved by a single look.
> "Trying to bind me? Bad idea. I've broken oaths stronger than your dignity.
Seriously, is that all you've got? Always trying to chain me, seal me—pathetic."
The clone of Aeternus gave a nearly sincere smile.
> "I felt joy when I killed that woman.
She begged for your soul… I spared her useless son just to see what he'd become."
Valt didn't respond.
His aura erupted in silence, fracturing the ground beneath him.
---
Meanwhile, Nyxa sat on a floating stone, watching the scene unfold with a yawn.
She glanced up at the sky—or whatever passed for one.
> "Hey Abyss, mind if I ask something before they reduce everything to quantum dust?"
The Abyss, still impassive, nodded slowly.
> "Of course, Lady Nyxa."
> "Didn't Vael say Valt lacked experience?
Then explain how this guy knows dozens of combat styles, unstable energy forms, and hits like he's breaking narrative laws!"
The Abyss smirked faintly.
> "Field experience and awareness aren't the same.
He acts on instinct… without understanding what he's wielding.
This test isn't meant for him to win. It's meant for him to see himself."
Nyxa sighed.
> "Translation: you want to push him until he snaps, just to see if he explodes upward or downward?"
> "Exactly."
> "Great. And I'm supposed to do what? Hold the camera?"
The Abyss looked at her with unsettling calm.
> "You're here to watch the boundary.
If Valt crosses the line, you must intervene."
> "Intervene? Against him?" Nyxa raised an eyebrow.
"You're cute, Abyss, but I didn't sign up to fight a caffeinated star."
---
On the battlefield, the blows rained down.
Valt had vanished from ordinary perception—his punches twisted matter with every strike.
The clone of Aeternus blocked without emotion, deploying a barrier of pure energy that cracked with each impact.
> "You hit hard, Valt… but your heart still hesitates."
> "And you talk too much."
Valt grabbed Aeternus by the arm and spun him, unleashing a shockwave that shattered multiple layers of reality.
Nyxa had to raise a shield of shadow to avoid being swept away.
> "This isn't a fight—it's a freestyle apocalypse!" she grumbled.
The Abyss watched, intrigued.
> "He's nearing the threshold.
He's beginning to feel what Vael wanted him to understand."
> "And what's that, exactly?"
> "That anger… is just a mask."
---
Valt, panting, stared at the clone.
Aeternus raised a hand and whispered:
> "You look so much like her… your mother.
Same eyes. Same stubbornness. Same uselessness."
That was the final straw.
Valt clenched his fists, his aura warping.
His entire body vibrated—each pulse threatening to tear reality apart.
> "What… did you say?"
His voice had changed.
It wasn't rage anymore.
It was something deeper.
A void.
> "He summoned the Nexus Blade."
A silence fell.
Even the chains of the void stopped moving.
Then Valt screamed.
And the Abyss trembled.
Valt charged at Aeternus—who summoned his own Nexus Blade.
Their swords clashed, unleashing a massive shockwave that sent both of them flying.
Then came the flurry of strikes.
They vanished and reappeared across different points in space—each impact sending ripples through the multiverse.
Aeternus increased his speed, vanishing and reappearing behind Valt—
But Valt paralyzed him with a single glance.
Then came the final move:
> "Crimson Reversal."
Valt absorbed the energy of the Abyssal realm—
And released it in a blinding flash.
Chapter 67 — The First Act
After the Reversal, the ground—what remained of it—shuddered beneath Valt's steps.
Around him, realities crumbled, reformed, then twisted again like a shattered mirror forced back into shape.
Aeternus, the clone, stood before him, his body half-reconstructed from the brutal impact.
A thin smile split his lips.
> "Impressive, Valt. Seems rage made you… a little more creative."
Valt answered with a frosty grin.
> "And stupidity made you immortal.
Don't worry—I plan to fix that immediately."
Nyxa, still perched on her floating stone, rolled her eyes skyward.
> "Ugh… every time he smiles like that, a crater's about to happen somewhere."
Aeternus raised a hand.
Chains of light reappeared—but this time, they multiplied by the hundreds, encircling Valt in a radiant prison.
> "You think everything boils down to brute force?" he murmured.
> "No," Valt replied, his star-shaped iris gleaming.
"Just well-placed violence."
The chains shattered in a silent explosion.
Valt appeared before Aeternus, his fist buried deep in the clone's chest.
A dull thud followed, then a shockwave that warped everything around them.
The clone spat blood—golden, like a broken god.
> "You think you'll defeat me with anger?"
> "No," Valt said calmly.
"With pure satisfaction."
He grabbed the clone by the throat and hurled him through multiple layers of reality—each one shattering like glass.
Nyxa winced.
> "Well, I hope those realities didn't have anything fragile in them…"
The Abyss responded in an ethereal voice:
> "Nothing fragile… except his ego.
And Valt's isn't helping."
Aeternus reappeared behind Valt, wielding a spear forged from frozen light.
But as he struck, Valt caught it between two fingers.
> "I swear, even your clones have the same superiority complex," he muttered, snapping the spear with a flick.
Aeternus tried to summon an army of avatars, each bearing a fragment of divine power.
Valt sighed.
> "Seriously? This looks like a failed copy-paste."
With a single sweep of his blade, he disintegrated the copies.
The Abyss chuckled softly.
> "Looks like he's finally beginning to understand."
Nyxa narrowed her eyes.
> "Understand what?"
> "That this test isn't a battle…
It's a trial of balance."
Valt spun toward them, incredulous.
> "What?! So all this was cosmic yoga with explosions?!"
Before he could rant further, the clone—though broken—spoke one final line:
> "As long as you're chained to your rage…
You'll never be free, Valt."
Valt paused.
Then he laughed—a low, bitter sound.
> "Free? I've shattered space-time, beat you across dimensions…
And I'm the prisoner?"
He raised the Nexus Blade and pointed it at the clone.
The clone began to fade, smiling faintly before vanishing into the abyss realm .
Nyxa burst out laughing.
> "Okay, Valt scores a point for that one."
The Abyss sighed.
> "The test continues.
That was merely the first act."
A wind with no origin swept through the realm, and reality reshaped itself.
Before Valt, a colossal door emerged—engraved with living runes that pulsed like breathing stars.
Valt raised an eyebrow.
> "Alright. If there's another Aeternus behind that door, I'm burning the entire Abyss."
Nyxa grinned.
> "Now that's a plan I can get behind."
Chapter 68 — "The Gate of Truths"
The gate towered before them—gigantic, alive, pulsing like a heart.
Each rune etched into its surface vibrated with ancient energy—so potent that even the Abyss seemed to keep its distance, as if afraid of being swallowed by something deeper than itself.
Valt stared at it, arms crossed.
> "You call that a gate? Looks more like a threat."
Nyxa leapt down from her floating stone and placed a hand on the organic surface.
> "It's not just a gate, idiot. It breathes."
Valt raised an eyebrow.
> "Great. A breathing gate. What's next, a talking key?"
At that exact moment, the gate spoke.
> "Only the one who accepts what he is may pass."
Valt took a step back, visibly annoyed.
> "Oh no. Nope. I didn't sign up for a personal growth seminar."
Nyxa stifled a laugh.
> "Afraid of what you might see?"
> "I'm afraid of nothing," he replied, placing his hand on the gate.
"Just boredom."
But as his palm touched the surface, a light enveloped him.
The world twisted, the air vibrated—and Nyxa barely had time to shout:
> "Valt!"
Then everything went black.
---
When he opened his eyes, he stood in a barren landscape.
The sky was gray, lifeless, endless.
And before him… a silhouette.
Identical to him.
Valt sighed.
> "Tch. Another clone? Seriously, is there a discount this week?"
The other Valt gave a calm smile.
> "No. I'm you. Not the version you show. The one you hide."
> "Oh, fantastic. Valt: introspection edition.
What now, you gonna sit me in a circle and talk about my feelings?"
> "No. I'm here to remind you why you hate Aeternus.
And why you never forgave him."
Valt's smile vanished.
The scenery shattered, replaced by a scorched plain.
A body lay on the ground.
His mother.
She reached out to him, eyes trembling.
And behind her… Aeternus, motionless, holding a spear of light.
The clone-Valt stepped closer.
> "That day, you swore you'd never be weak again.
Do you remember?"
Valt murmured, voice low.
> "I remember. And I kept that promise."
> "No," his double replied.
"You locked yourself away.
You fight not to win—but to stop feeling.
Every bit of arrogance, every provocation… it's just a wall between you and the boy you refuse to hear."
Valt clenched his fists.
The air crackled with electricity.
> "You think I need a therapy session?"
> "As long as you run from your pain… you'll remain a weapon.
Not a being."
The wind howled.
Ash swirled.
Valt lowered his head, then burst out laughing.
> "So what now? I cry a little and become a fully realized soul?"
The double didn't answer.
Just a look.
Silent.
A single tear slid down Valt's cheek.
And the plain vanished.
---
He opened his eyes, gasping.
The gate was closed behind him.
Nyxa stared at him, concerned.
> "Hey, you were frozen like a statue. What did you see?"
Valt ran a hand through his hair.
> "An old memory.
And a Valt even more annoying than me."
Nyxa snorted.
> "Impossible. No one's more annoying than you."
Valt shot her a dark look.
> "I swear, I was this close to punching him… and it was me."
> "You would've lost," Nyxa replied, smug.
Valt sighed.
> "I think I'm ready now.
We can leave the world of the Abyss."
> "Finally," Nyxa muttered.
"Before you decide to fight your own reflection."
The Abyss appeared, now in her feminine form, floating above the ground.
> "I hope you enjoyed your little stay, my darlings."
Valt rolled his eyes.
> "Oh, absolutely.
Apocalyptic scenery, existential crisis, and a clone lecturing me… living the dream."
> "I'm flattered you found it intense," the Abyss replied, mockingly touched.
Nyxa crossed her arms.
> "If you keep talking, I swear I'll hit you."
> "Oh, Lady Nyxa threatens me?" the Abyss purred.
"How charming."
Valt raised his hands.
> "Alright, enough cosmic drama.
We're leaving."
The Abyss opened a black portal and shoved them through.
They landed in the Palace of Nothingness, before Vael.
Vael, seated on his throne, barely looked up.
> "You're done?"
Nyxa sighed.
> "Yeah. I got so bored I counted the energy particles in the air.
Three billion, by the way."
Vael raised an eyebrow.
> "Just out of curiosity… you know I only sent you with him on a whim, right?"
Another voice rose.
> "No, that was me," said Death, appearing behind them.
"I told her to go. Because she talks too much."
Nyxa growled.
> "Who are you calling chatty, you ambulatory pile of bones?"
Valt raised a hand, dead serious.
> "Honestly, he's not wrong.
You're the only person who can outtalk silence."
Nyxa glared at him.
> "You want me to send you back to your clone too?"
Vael sighed deeply.
> "Alright, enough.
If you want to kill each other, do it somewhere else.
Not in my palace."
Valt smirked.
> "No problem.
Next time, I'll do it in yours, Nyxa."
Nyxa gritted her teeth.
> "Keep going, Valt.
I swear I'll bury you in the Nothingness with your punchlines."
Death burst out laughing.
> "You two are a permanent comedy sketch."
Vael closed his eyes, exasperated.
> "And to think… this is supposed to be the elite of the Nothingness."
Valt shrugged.
> "Yeah.
But admit it—we bring the vibe."
Chapter 69 – The Cult of Chaos
Back on Earth.
The Hunters' HQ pulsed with quiet tension. In the grand meeting hall, every major figure was present.
Liora stood at the center, tapping her finger against the circular table. Her gaze, cold and precise, swept the room.
> "Good… everyone's here. Let's begin."
Around the table, familiar faces lined up: Lya, Nova, Valor, Ryn, Annabelle, Béatrice, Marie, Ethan, Arthur Pendragon, Drake, Zarion, Valen — and finally Naël, newly returned, prompting a ripple of admiration (and envy).
Liora spoke, her voice sharp and humorless.
> "The situation is critical. A new cult has emerged."
A heavy silence fell.
One young hunter dared raise a hand.
> "I thought Naël had wiped out all the cults in the country?"
Naël, arms crossed, replied with a half-smile.
> "That's done. But some weeds have a nasty habit of growing back."
Liora nodded.
> "This time, it's different. The cult is recent… and according to our intel, it may be backed — directly or indirectly — by one of the major guilds."
Valor frowned.
> "Wait… I thought we were the biggest guild in the world?"
> "No, Valor," Liora replied.
> "We're one of the four global guilds. The others aren't amateurs."
She summoned a hologram in the center of the table: four emblems spun slowly.
> "Ours: the Black Eclipse." (A crescent pierced by a sword.)
> "The Eternal Ouroboros, from the Golden Continent — led by the so-called 'Dragon Sage.'"
> "The Astrian Veil, divine mercenaries who refuse to rank their members."
> "And the oldest: the Northern Pantheon, veterans of celestial wars."
A murmur rippled through the room. Béatrice and Marie exchanged a worried glance.
> "If one of these guilds is backing a cult, we're sitting on a political bomb," said Marie.
> "Exactly." Liora placed her hands on the table. "These guilds have a non-aggression pact. I can't strike without proof — or we risk triggering a global war between hunters."
Arthur sighed wearily.
> "So let me get this straight: someone's playing with fire… and we have to figure out who without lighting the match."
Lya nodded.
> "I've scoured the networks, tracked the rumors: this cult worships a 'Lord of Chaos.' But the exact name remains unknown."
Zarion raised an eyebrow.
> "Lord of Chaos? That name alone is a flashing red warning sign."
Ryn, grim, added:
> "They don't just pray. Recent reports mention sacrifices — adults, and worse: children."
Naël slammed his fist on the table.
> "Children?! Those bastards have no limits!"
Béatrice lowered her head, voice trembling.
> "Poor innocents… their souls shattered in the name of a false god."
Silence fell again, heavy as a funeral bell. Annabelle, until now silent, stared at the hologram with a chilling gaze. Ethan, beside her, clenched his fists.
Nova spoke up, sharp and biting:
> "We wait for them to raise an army? No. We infiltrate. We trace the chain — quietly. We find proof. Then we strike fast."
Valen, arms crossed, glanced at Elyonna, miniature and perched on his shoulder.
> "Got any ideas?"
> "You serious? I'm a sword, not a database," she snapped.
> "What if you were both?"
> "Keep talking and I'll stab your shoulder for real."
Lya groaned.
> "Even weapons have attitude problems now."
Drake, ever pragmatic, raised a hand.
> "Commander, do you have a concrete plan?"
Liora straightened, cut through the confusion with a glance, and activated the holographic map: Earth, marked with four red dots.
> "Plan: coordinated infiltration. No assault. No alarms.
Nova, Lya, Valor — you head to the Golden Continent.
Arthur, Béatrice — you take the North.
Naël, Zarion, Valen — I want you in Astria.
And me?" Liora turned, cold as steel. "I'll deal with Ouroboros personally."
Valen smirked, always ready with a quip.
> "A silent war? I love suspense. And coffee."
Zarion murmured slyly:
> "Well… at least we know we're risking our necks. When's vacation again?"
Lya shot him a glare.
> "When you stop flirting with death."
> "Too late. We're already married," he whispered with a grin.
Liora snapped her fingers. The red dots lit up.
> "If one of these guilds is guilty, we'll bring the proof — and then… even the gods will regret letting those fanatics breathe."
A chill swept through the assembly. The promise was clear. The threat, unmistakable.