Chapter 58: Abyssal Breakdown & The Path to Cosmic Movement

Jin Shang sat alone in his chamber, his blue eyes fixed on the flickering candle before him. The Celestial Meeting had ended, yet the weight of the partnership lingered in his mind.

A partnership…

It wasn't something he sought, yet he had accepted it. Why?

His fingers tapped against the wooden desk absentmindedly. He had no interest in ruling, but even he knew that power did not exist in a vacuum. If he did nothing, the world would either collapse or someone else would try to take control.

And yet, that wasn't what troubled him the most.

It was his Abyssal Power.

During his battle against the Ranker Association, it had vanished at the worst possible moment. No warning. No exhaustion. One moment it was there, the next it was gone. It hadn't happened before.

His expression darkened.

There was only one person who could answer him.

Jin closed his eyes and reached deep into the void within him. The darkness stirred. Shadows twisted and curled like living things, shifting into a familiar presence—Erebus.

For the first time in a long while, Jin felt his old companion's presence.

A low chuckle echoed in his mind.

"Ah… so you finally remember I exist."

Jin exhaled sharply. "Don't start."

"Oh? The great Jin Shang suddenly needs me? How tragic. I was beginning to think you didn't care." Erebus's voice dripped with amusement.

Jin's eyebrow twitched. "You're enjoying this too much."

"I have to. It's the only entertainment I get, considering you only summon me when something goes wrong."

Jin rubbed his temple. "Erebus, I don't have time for your nonsense. Tell me—why did my Abyssal Power vanish?"

The humor in Erebus's tone faded.

"Abyssal Breakdown."

Jin's fingers curled. "Explain."

Erebus sighed. "Abyssal Power is limitless… but only within reason. When a user pushes beyond their boundaries—when they force the Abyss to grant them power beyond its constraints—it results in something called Abyssal Breakdown."

Jin frowned. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"You've been overusing your power, Jin. When you crossed your limits, the Abyss responded. It gave you everything you wanted—but in return, it took something from you."

Jin's grip on the desk tightened. "What did it take?"

There was a pause.

Then Erebus's voice came, quieter than before.

"Your body."

Jin's eyes narrowed. "Be specific."

"There is a crack in your Abyssal Core."

Silence.

Jin felt a chill run through him. The Abyssal Core was the foundation of his power—his very existence. If it was damaged…

"Can it be fixed?" Jin asked, his voice dangerously calm.

Erebus hesitated. "If you stop using Abyssal Breakdown, your core will stabilize over time. But there is no way to repair it completely. If you push yourself again, the damage will worsen."

Jin leaned back, his jaw tightening. "So I'm walking a fine line."

"Exactly."

Jin closed his eyes, absorbing the information. He had always fought recklessly, pushing himself beyond his limits. Now, that recklessness had cost him.

But even knowing that… he couldn't afford to stop.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden crash as the door burst open.

Kaelros , Lysander strode in, their usual smug grin in place.

"Jin," he said, waving a parchment. "I've got news."

Jin exhaled slowly. "You have a habit of ignoring doors, don't you Kaelros?"

Kaelros shrugged. "I don't respect furniture."

Jin pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is it?"

Kaelros grinned and tossed the parchment onto the table and Lysander continued ,"You're about to achieve Cosmic Movement."

Jin's eyes flickered to the parchment. His gaze darkened as he read the Cosmic Movement Activation Requirements:

1. Devour 12 World Tree Fruits

2. Absorb 4 God-Level Monster Cores

3. Fuse with 6 God-Tier Artifacts

4. Devour the flesh of the Dragon King, Demon King, and Giant King

Jin let out a low whistle. "So finally I have got my rewards."

Lysander smirked. "And yet, you've already fulfilled our request so it is our only one gratitude for you."

Jin's smirked and fullfill the conditions."

As if on cue, a system message appeared before him.

[ Cosmic Movement Activation Attempted ]

[ Error: User is classified as an Abyssal Being ]

[ Cosmic Movement Cannot Be Achieved ]

[ Instead, Abyssal Power, Physical attributes have been amplified 200x ]

Jin's eye twitched. "…What?"

Lysander was also shocked. " This is impossible."

Kaelros leaned forward, reading the message. Then he burst into laughter. "Oh, that's priceless."

Jin stared at the system message, his mind racing. He couldn't achieve Cosmic Movement… because of his Abyssal nature?

" I can't believe that I can not achieve Cosmic Movement." Jin Sighed.

But instead, his power had increased 200 times?

He wasn't sure whether to be irritated or satisfied.

Kaelros was still laughing. "You were about to ascend into some divine movement technique, and the system basically said, 'Nope, you're too Abyssal for that—here, have some raw power instead!'"

Jin sighed. "That's not funny."

Kaelros wiped a tear from his eye. "No, no—it's hilarious."

Jin ignored him and turned back to the system message. 200 times stronger… That was beyond absurd. His Abyssal Power had already been overwhelming, and now it was enhanced to an unnatural degree.

Erebus hummed in the back of his mind. "Interesting… This may be a blessing in disguise."

Jin's lips curled slightly. "Or a curse."

Kaelros grinned. "Either way, one thing's certain."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Kaelros smirked. "The world isn't ready for you."

Jin leaned back in his chair, exhaling. He had started this day wondering about his limits. Now, he had surpassed them again—just not in the way he expected.

His path forward had changed.

But one thing remained the same.

No matter the cost—

He would keep moving forward.