Aeron's body still pulsed with the remnants of the abyss, his mind reeling from the surge of power he had just absorbed. His breath came in slow, measured exhales, as if forcing himself to adjust to the overwhelming sensation. Every movement felt sharper, heavier, stronger.
Kael stood beside him, arms crossed, his gaze flickering between concern and curiosity.
"You're changing."
Aeron clenched his fists, feeling the lingering energy thrumming beneath his skin. "I don't have a choice."
Kael studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Then you better learn to control it before it controls you."
[ System Notification ]
[ The Abyss stirs. Your body is adapting. ]
[ Unstable remnants detected. Managing integration… ]
Aeron grimaced. Managing? That wasn't exactly reassuring.
—
They moved swiftly through the ruins, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and lingering magic. Their next target was deeper within the core of the dungeon where the true threat awaited.
As they reached the heart of the cavern, the atmosphere shifted.
The torches lining the walls flickered violently, their flames distorting. Shadows stretched unnaturally, creeping toward them like living things.
Then, the air rippled.
A deep, guttural growl echoed from the darkness ahead. A dungeon boss.
The presence was suffocating, pressing against Aeron's mind like a weighted fog. But beneath that… he felt something familiar.
"The abyss lingers here," Nyxus murmured. "And it is watching."
Kael tightened his grip on his blade, stepping forward. "I don't like this."
Neither did Aeron.
Because whatever was waiting for them in the abyss—it wasn't just a monster.
It was a test.
Aeron took a slow breath, steadying himself as the abyssal energy still coiled around his body. The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before—raw, untamed, as if his very essence had been rewritten by the power he had absorbed.
"The abyss lingers here, and it is watching."
Nyxus' voice echoed in his mind, but Aeron barely heard it. His focus was locked on the shifting darkness ahead, the oppressive force pressing down on them.
Kael tensed beside him. "We need to move, but carefully. Something's not right."
Aeron nodded. His instincts screamed that this wasn't an ordinary dungeon boss. It was something older, more aware.
They stepped forward.
The cavern trembled as the torches lining the walls flickered and snapped out. A deep silence followed—the kind that only came before violence.
Then, the shadows moved.
A monstrous form peeled itself from the abyss, eyes glowing like molten silver.
[ System Notification ]
[ Warning: Entity Identified – Abyss-Touched Guardian ]
[ Threat Level: Unknown ]
Aeron's heart pounded. Unknown? The system rarely lacked information, but this creature—this guardian—was something beyond classification.
Kael drew his sword, his aura flaring. "You take left. I'll cover your flank."
Aeron barely acknowledged him. The abyss within him stirred, resonating with the thing before him.
And then, the guardian attacked.
The guardian struck with unnatural speed, its form twisting through the darkness like a living shadow. Aeron barely managed to evade, rolling to the side as claws of obsidian slashed through the stone where he had stood.
It's fast. Too fast.
Kael lunged forward, his sword igniting with a flicker of blue energy. He aimed for the creature's core, but the guardian shifted, its body warping as if made of liquid shadow. Kael's blade sliced through empty air.
"Damn it—!"
The guardian retaliated instantly. Tendrils of abyssal energy shot out, one wrapping around Kael's arm, another whipping toward Aeron.
Aeron reacted without thinking.
The abyss within him pulsed.
Instinctively, he absorbed the tendrils' energy before they could strike, feeling the raw power surge through his veins. The shadows feeding the attack collapsed, drawn into him like a star pulling in light.
The guardian hesitated. Its silver eyes locked onto him.
Kael wrenched himself free, panting. "What the hell was that?"
Aeron clenched his fist. The energy he had stolen hadn't dissipated. It remained inside him, coiling, shifting. Something was different now—sharper, more focused.
Nyxus' voice echoed in his mind.
"You are beginning to understand, aren't you?"
The guardian roared, the cavern shaking from the force of its fury. It had recognized Aeron as something else—something dangerous.
It charged again.
Aeron stepped forward, the abyss stirring in response.
This time, he was ready.
The guardian moved like a storm given form, its silver eyes gleaming as it charged once more. The cavern trembled under its sheer presence, the weight of its power pressing down like a vice.
Aeron didn't flinch.
This time, he welcomed the attack.
He focused on the dark energy still coiling within him, the remnants of what he had absorbed. It wasn't just raw power—it was something more, something alive. He could feel it shifting, molding itself to his will.
The moment the guardian's claws slashed toward him, Aeron acted.
He didn't dodge. He absorbed.
The instant the strike connected, he pulled on the abyss within, letting it drink in the energy behind the attack. The impact that should have torn through him instead vanished into the void of his being.
The guardian staggered back. It felt it too.
For the first time, its movements became uncertain.
Kael's eyes widened. "You just… took its power?"
Aeron flexed his fingers, feeling the surge of stolen energy racing through his veins. It wasn't just strength—it was clarity, precision, a connection to something deeper.
The shadows at his feet twisted in response.
Nyxus' voice echoed in his mind, amused. "So you finally understand. You are not meant to resist the abyss. You are meant to wield it."
Aeron exhaled, his breath visible in the cold air. The power inside him was no longer just a burden—it was a tool.
And he was ready to use it.
The guardian let out a deafening roar, its body shifting once more. It would not fall easily.
But neither would he.
Aeron surged forward.
The cavern pulsed with dark energy, the very air crackling between Aeron and the guardian. His body hummed with the raw essence he had absorbed, his aura no longer just a presence but a force—a void that devoured power itself.
The guardian steadied itself, silver eyes narrowing. It knew now—Aeron was no ordinary hunter.
Kael tightened his grip on his blade. "Whatever you're doing," he muttered, "it's working. But how much more can you take before it takes you?"
Aeron didn't answer. He didn't need to.
The moment the guardian lunged, he raised his hand. Shadows twisted around his arm, extending outward in jagged tendrils. With a single motion, he thrust his palm forward, and the abyss responded.
A pulse of pure dark energy erupted from him.
The guardian reeled as the force slammed into its body, its luminous form flickering, struggling against the encroaching void. It couldn't regenerate this time. Aeron had taken too much—it was his now.
The realization struck deep. This wasn't just a technique. It was an evolution.
A skill had awakened.
[Abyssal Convergence] – Consume and Repurpose Energy Absorbed
Aeron clenched his fist, and his aura pulsed, growing darker, denser. The power he absorbed could be reshaped, reforged into his own.
The guardian wasn't done yet. With a final, desperate roar, it unleashed everything.
A blast of raw force exploded outward, shaking the cavern to its core. But Aeron stood his ground. The shadows coiled around him, absorbing the impact, twisting it back—and sending it hurtling toward his enemy.
The guardian shattered.
A deafening silence followed. Then—light.
Aeron stood at the center of the aftermath, his breath steady, his body brimming with newfound strength.
Kael exhaled sharply. "That's… terrifying."
Nyxus chuckled in the depths of his mind. "And yet, this is only the beginning."
Aeron looked down at his hands.
For the first time since stepping into the abyss, he didn't just feel like he was surviving.
He felt unstoppable.