Abyss Lector: "Insolent."
He then gathered more energy, ready to finally increase the power of his attacks.
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
FOUCH
But Venti, surrounded by his enhanced green glow, calmly raised his head.
Venti: "Continue."
He said simply.
Venti: "I still need it."
And for the first time, the Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames hesitated.
For he had just realized something essential:
this fight was no longer a test of survival for the bard.
It had become a race against time—
And every second now worked in Venti's favor.
The atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly.
The Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames abandoned all restraint.
The flames around him suddenly erupted, forming a blazing vortex, and the abyssal energy began to howl like a wounded beast.
The red and black runes etched onto his body lit up one by one, pulsing violently.
Abyss Lector: "ENOUGH!"
He stretched both arms forward.
A gigantic loop of fire, nearly five meters in diameter, slowly formed before him.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
The flames were no longer unstable as before:
They were compressed, dense, almost solid, and the air itself seemed to twist under the heat.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
CRACK
The dungeon floor cracked slightly, revealing glowing veins.
Kael: "The floor is starting to become unstable."
Outside the circle, the other adventurers instinctively retreated.
Eron: "This attack…"
Eron breathed, pale.
Eron: "It can vaporize us all."
Lyra: "Venti…"
Lyra murmured, her fists clenched.
Lyra: "You can still dodge, right?"
But Venti didn't move.
Venti: "....................".
He watched the spell with absolute concentration.
His green eyes followed not the flames, but the elemental currents that fueled them.
Thanks to the Stat Boosting, his perception had become abnormally sharp.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
The power of Abyss Lector's spell continued to grow, then…
Venti: "Huh?"
And then… he noticed it.
An anomaly.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
The loop of fire, though immense, was losing cohesion.
The flames vibrated irregularly, as if something were disrupting their structure from within.
The Lector frowned.
Abyss Lector: "What…?"
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSS
The heat wasn't diminishing, but the spell refused to stabilize.
Fragments of fire broke away from the loop, dissipating into sparks before even reaching their full intensity. The abyssal runes flickered, some going out briefly.
Venti inhaled slowly.
Around him, the green glow of the Intangibility changed in nature.
It was no longer merely defensive:
It interfered.
His intangible body was no longer simply letting the attack pass… it was disrupting the spell's elemental anchoring.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSS
Venti: "The more massive the spell…"
"The more it depends on a stable structure."
He took a step forward.
The loop of fire trembled.
FFFFFFFSSSSS
The flames that formed the circle began to disintegrate, as if losing their point of reference.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSS
The abyssal energy sought to latch onto reality, but Venti's intangible body, saturated with Anemo, acted like an elemental void, absorbing and dispersing the flows.
Abyss Lector: "Impossible..."
The Lector growled.
Abyss Lector: "You didn't even attack!"
The loop of fire slowly shrank, its contours becoming blurred and unstable.
The roar of the flames transformed into a chaotic crackling.
In a few seconds, what should have been a devastating attack was nothing more than a circle of dying embers.
Finally, the spell dissipated completely, leaving behind a lingering wave of heat and harmless sparks.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Bram stared, speechless.
Kael: "He... he canceled the attack without even touching it."
Kael swallowed hard.
Kael: "This isn't just dodging anymore. He's breaking spells."
The Lector took a step back for the first time since the start of the fight.
His flames subsided slightly.
Venti raised his head, his gaze calm, almost curious.
Venti: "There."
He said softly.
Venti: "When you put your full power into it... you make my job easier."
And this time, the Abyss Lector finally understood that he had made a fatal mistake:
By trying to crush Venti with brute force, he had just revealed the very weakness of his power.
Abyss Lector: "GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGgggggggrrrrrrrrr."
"BASTARD."
The fury of the Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames erupted like an uncontrollable storm.
The flames around him became chaotic, erupting in bursts, far less majestic than before.
His body trembled slightly, and for the first time, the abyssal runes no longer shone arrogantly, but unsteadily.
One could almost see the abyssal energy being consumed… until it was completely exhausted.
Abyss Lector: "Lies…"
He growled.
Abyss Lector: "You dare ridicule me like this?!"
Venti, still surrounded by that now more subtle green glow, released his Intangibility ability.
He placed his feet on the ground and stood up calmly, as if the fight had only just begun.
Venti: "You're mistaken."
He replied in a surprisingly gentle voice.
Venti: "I didn't do anything to your fate. You drained yourself."
The Lector tried to focus the flames in his hand again.
A spark appeared… then immediately went out.
He remained frozen, stunned, staring at his own palm as if it had betrayed him.
Venti: "By attacking me recklessly."
Venti continued,
Venti: "You've burned through all your abyssal energy."
"Now… you're exposed."
A heavy silence fell.
Abyss Lector: "....................."
He understood; he had let his pride get the better of him, having used up all his energy.
Then Venti turned abruptly to his companions, a slight, almost mischievous smile on his lips, a stark contrast to the situation.
Venti: "Hey guys!"
He called out in a clear voice that echoed throughout the room.
Venti: "He can't defend himself anymore."
"So tell me… why would we let a monster of the Abyss get away with it?"
Bram: "............................"
Kael: "............................"
Eron: "............................"
Lyra: "............................"
Initially, the objective had been simple:
To wound him, to prove they could survive.
But at that precise moment, something changed.
Bram gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands.
The anger that had burned within him since the announcement of the solo fight transformed into pure determination.
Bram: "............................"
"He took us for sacrifices..."
Kael twirled his dagger between his fingers, a dangerous smile spreading across his face.
Kael: "............................"
"And he underestimated the wrong team."
"Or the wrong bard."
Eron quickly adjusted a vial to his belt, his eyes already scanning the Lector for weaknesses.
Eron: "................... "
"Without abyssal energy, its defenses are fragile."
"It's now or never."
Lyra let out a short laugh.
Sparks of lightning already danced around her fingers, mingled with an incandescent heat.
Lyra: "............................"
"HA HA HA HA HA"
"A weakened Abyssal Lector…"
"We won't get another chance like this."
The four adventurers exchanged a glance.
A glance that left no room for doubt or fear.
They smiled.
Abyssal Lector: "...................."
"Oh."
"Shit ."
Facing them, the Lector took another step back.
He realized then, too late, that the balance of power had shifted.
The prey was no longer prey.
Venti positioned himself slightly behind, true to his support role, but his gaze shone with a newfound determination.
Bram: "Combat formation."
He said calmly.
Bram: "This time… we're finishing this dungeon."
And as the Lector's abyssal flames flickered faintly, the five adventurers charged forward together, ready to strike down one of the most feared creatures of the Abyss.
The counterattack was immediate, brutal, relentless.
He had barely finished raising his voice when Bram leaped forward, his boots pounding the dungeon floor.
SLAM
His two-handed sword swung in a wide arc, tracing a heavy, deadly path.
BAM
The Abyss Lector instinctively tried to raise a barrier of flames… but it was nothing more than a dying spark, pulverized by the sheer force of the blow.
Abyss Lector: "ARG!"
Bram: "TOO SLOW!"
Bram roared.
At the same instant, Kael appeared behind him, sliding up the Lector's side with surgical precision.
SLASH SLASH
His daggers struck repeatedly, targeting the fissures in the abyssal runes, each blow tearing away fragments of unstable energy.
Abyss Lector: "ARG."
Where the Lector was supposed to be untouchable, he now staggered under coordinated attacks.
Kael: "It's open!"
Kael shouted.
Eron, who had remained in the center, followed up without hesitation.
BOOM
BAM
He threw a vial that exploded on impact with the ground, releasing a corrosive greenish cloud that clung to the Lector's body like a living curse.
A second potion followed, partially freezing the energy flows that still tried to circulate within him.
Eron: "He won't recover."
"DON'T GIVE HIM A TIME TO BREATHE!"
A distorted cry of rage escaped the Lector.
Abyss Lector: "BASTARD!"
He tried to raise his arms, to counterattack, but Lyra had already taken up a position at a distance.
Lyra: "Don't even think you'll survive."
Her eyes blazed with a ferocious light as she simultaneously summoned lightning and fire.
BBBBbbbbzzzzzzzzzz
FFFFFffffffffffssssssss
A bolt of lightning crashed from the dungeon ceiling, striking the Lector squarely, immediately followed by a fiery explosion that hurled him against a stone pillar.
BBBBOOOOOUUUUUMMMMM
Lyra: "You wanted a show?"
She said coldly.
Lyra: "Watch closely."
And in the heart of this perfectly orchestrated chaos, Venti briefly closed his eyes.
Venti: "My turn."
His palm rose to help his comrades.
He activated his support skill.
Stat Boosting
An invisible wave rippled through the group.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffff
The skill improved his allies' stats:
- Bram's muscles tensed further, his blows gaining power.
- Kael's movements became almost impossible to follow.
- Eron's potions reacted faster and stronger.
- Lyra's spells gained stability and intensity.
Venti: "Ah."
"I almost forgot."
He continued to watch the Abyss Lector being attacked by the two physical combatants.
Venti: "I mustn't give you the slightest chance."
He said, smiling.
Then, almost simultaneously, he activated his other ability:
Resistance Reduction.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffffffffff
The Lector's runes flashed frantically before cracking, as if his abyssal defense was collapsing from within.
Bam.
What was meant to be, for the Lector, a demonstration of absolute superiority, what was meant to be a cruel game where adventurers would serve as sacrifices, had turned into something else entirely.
A one-sided massacre.
And of course, he's the one who gets slaughtered.
Abyss Lector: ......................."
The Lector tried one last time to shout, to gather what remained of his abyssal pride.
Abyss Lector: "You... are only..."
His sentence was cut short.
Bram's sword slammed down vertically.
BAM!
Kael's daggers struck in a cross shape.
SLASH!
A vial of Eron exploded in the center of his chest.
BOOM!
A final combined spell of fire and lightning from Lyra engulfed his body.
BOOM!
And amidst the final explosion, Venti watched in silence.
No arrogance.
No pity.
Just a calm certainty:
Venti: "That'll teach you to underestimate humans."
This was no longer a fight.
It was a Execution.
When the light faded, all that remained of the Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames was a dying echo, quickly swallowed by the dungeon's silence… as per the rules.
Abyss Lector: "......................".
"Huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh."
He gasped for breath from his injuries and the destruction of his armor across his entire body.
The five adventurers stood there, panting but still standing.
And for the first time since entering this cursed place, the dungeon seemed… to tremble.
Abyss Lector: "Huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh."
As his abyssal body slowly disintegrated, engulfed by fragments of dark light that dissipated into the air. The dungeon, the Abyss Lector, gave a final gasp.
FFFFFFSSSSSS
His flickering flames cast distorted shadows on the stone walls, as if the dungeon itself were holding its breath.
He gasped.
Abyss Lector: "Huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh."
Each breath sounded like a rattle, a broken echo of what he had been just moments before:
An arrogant entity, certain of his superiority, convinced that these adventurers would be nothing more than further offerings to the Abyss.
Abyss Lector: "Huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh huuh."
"You."
His incandescent eyes then fixed on Venti.
Not Bram, though covered in abyssal blood.
Not Lyra, whose sparks still crackled around her fingers.
Not Kael or Eron.
Only Venti.
A twisted smile spread across what remained of his face, a grimace thick with hatred and grim promises.
Abyss Lector: "Listen to me carefully… you worthless bard."
His voice was no longer powerful, but it still carried a heavy resonance, as if the Abyss were speaking through him one last time.
Abyss Lector: "I may be the first…"
A spasm shook his body, further cracking his runes.
Abyss Lector: "…but I will not be the last."
Around them, the air grew heavy. Even the other adventurers felt a shiver run down their spines.
Abyss Lector: "One day…"
"................."
The Lector continued, his gaze gleaming with an unhealthy light.
Abyss Lector: "…one of my brethren will succeed in cutting off your head."
His words were not a mere threat.
Bram: ".............…"
Kael: "............…"
Eron: "................…"
Lyra: "............…"
It was a certainty, a prophecy spat forth from the Abyss itself.
Abyss Lector: "..........…"
Then… nothing.
Crack
His body completely fragmented, dissolving into a shower of dark particles that vanished as if sucked away by an invisible force.
FFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSS
In accordance with the dungeon's rules, no trace remained.
A heavy silence fell.
Venti: "Hhhhmmmm."
Bram was the first to break the stillness.
Bram: "Tch… what a chatterbox to the very end."
He grunted, resting his sword on his shoulder.
Kael watched the spot where the Lector had disappeared, his brows furrowed.
Kael: "It wasn't a bluff."
He murmured.
Kael: "He really meant it."
Lyra slowly turned her head toward Venti.
Lyra: "You've made your mark on him."
She said calmly.
Lyra: "And not just him."
Eron was already putting away his vials, but his expression remained serious.
Eron: "The Abyss never forgets."
Venti, for his part, remained motionless.
His gaze fixed on the void left by the Lector, he inhaled gently, as if savoring the calm that had returned after the storm.
Then he smiled.
A light, almost carefree smile.
Venti: "Hm…"
He said, clasping his hands behind his head.
Venti: "So I guess I'll have to stay alive a little longer."
Bbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzz
His adventurer's crystal pulsed faintly at his hip.
In the dungeon's shadow, something had just changed.
And, without anyone realizing it yet, the Abyss had just acknowledged a new threat.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Suddenly, the air behind them distorted violently.
Kael: "HUH!"
A chilling shiver ran through the room, so intense that even the magical wall torches flickered and became covered with a thin layer of frost.
The stone floor cracked under an invisible pressure, and at the center of this anomaly, an abyssal portal slowly formed.
Unlike the Lector's, this portal was not ablaze with violet flames.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
It was pale blue, crisscrossed with luminous fissures like shattered ice.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Icy particles escaped from it, floating in the air like silent snow.
The five adventurers turned instantly.
Bram: ".......................".
Bram tightened his grip on his two-handed sword.
Kael: ".......................".
Kael adopted a defensive stance, already ready to pounce.
Lyra: ".......................".
Lyra felt her elemental energy contract under the effect of the cold.
Eron: ".......................".
Eron swallowed hard, knowing that his potions were likely to be ineffective against this type of enemy.
Venti: "......................".
As for Venti…
He simply observed the portal, Silence.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
A figure slowly emerged.
Tall.
Slender.
Imposing.
Blue and black armor with an icy gaze.
An Abyss Herald: Frost Fall
Chapter 34: A small massacre, done quickly.
The End