Chapter 3: Devourer’s Baptism
The Abyssal City of N'Zallith
Ronan stood amidst the ruins of N'Zallith, his breath ragged, his heartbeat thrumming with the aftershock of his first true battle.
He should have felt pain. The Devourer's Mark had flared violently in the fight, tearing through his body with an unnatural hunger. But instead, all he felt was… power.
Real power.
The abyss had tried to kill him.
But he had survived.
No, more than that—he had consumed.
His right arm, now an abyssal claw, still pulsed with the remnants of his fallen foe. Black chitin-like plating covered it from his fingertips to his elbow, shifting constantly as if alive. The hunger within it had lessened, but it had not disappeared.
Ronan flexed his fingers experimentally. This is mine now. The thought sent a shiver down his spine—not of fear, but of exhilaration.
A System Notification flickered in his vision.
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🔹 System Notification: Adaptation in Progress…
🔹 Foreign Essence Assimilated: Voidwalker Guardian (Abyssal Rank)
New Traits Acquired:
✅ Abyssal Resilience – Your body adapts to abyssal energies, increasing resistance to corruption and void-based attacks.
✅ Voidwalker's Edge (Manifested Weapon) – A blade of abyssal energy capable of severing reality itself.
🔹 New Title Unlocked: First of the Forgotten – You are the first human in centuries to step foot in N'Zallith and survive. The abyss watches you with curiosity.
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Ronan exhaled sharply. The System still worked—but only partially. The golden-blue interface was gone, replaced by black runes of shifting violet, ancient and unreadable to anyone but him.
He was no longer part of the System's hierarchy.
But he still had his own path.
"This is just the beginning."
He turned his gaze toward the cathedral in the distance. The entrance was no longer sealed, its massive onyx gates cracked open just enough to reveal the darkness within.
Whatever lay inside… it was waiting for him.
And he intended to take it.
Abyssal Trial: The Devourer's Baptism
As he stepped forward, the stone beneath his feet shifted. The moment his foot crossed the cathedral's threshold, the entire city trembled.
A new notification appeared.
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🔹 You have entered an Abyssal Trial: Devourer's Baptism
🔹 Objective: Prove your right to the Forgotten Throne
🔹 Failure Condition: Death
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Ronan's muscles tensed.
Then, the doors slammed shut behind him.
Darkness engulfed everything.
For a long moment, there was nothing. No sound. No light. No feeling.
And then—
"Welcome, Lost One."
A crimson glow ignited in the distance.
Slowly, the chamber came into view—a vast hall, lined with towering obsidian statues, each depicting a different warrior of the abyss. Some wielded massive curved swords, others clutched staffs of bone, and a few had no weapons at all, their monstrous limbs twisted into jagged, blade-like protrusions.
At the far end of the hall, a massive throne of black stone loomed, cracked and abandoned.
And in front of it stood a monster.
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[Abyssal Warden: K'thull, Executioner of the Forgotten]
🔹 Rank: Abyssal High Guardian (??? Tier)
🔹 Strength: ???
🔹 Abilities: ???
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The creature was twice Ronan's size, standing nearly three meters tall. Its body was plated in abyss-forged armor, jagged and shifting like living obsidian. Four glowing violet eyes burned on its featureless face, and in its massive hands, it wielded a greatsword that pulsed with raw void energy.
It was guarding the throne.
Ronan took a slow breath. His heartbeat was steady. His grip on his new abyssal claw tightened.
Then the Warden moved.
The First True Battle
K'thull vanished.
One moment it was standing before the throne. The next, it was right in front of him, its massive blade descending with a force that split the air itself.
Fast!
Ronan rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the downward strike. The impact alone sent a shockwave rippling through the hall, cracking the very stone beneath them.
No hesitation.
Ronan retaliated, his clawed hand lashing out, aiming to tear through the Warden's exposed side.
But the creature barely reacted.
Its armor shifted, a layer of black mist-like energy hardening where Ronan's attack landed. His claws scraped against it, barely leaving a mark.
"Is that all?"
A deep, rumbling voice filled the chamber.
The Warden retaliated instantly—its free hand lashing out, a massive backhand strike aimed at Ronan's skull.
Ronan barely raised his abyssal limb in time.
The impact sent him flying, slamming into one of the towering statues. Stone shattered, dust exploded into the air, and pain flared through his body.
But he didn't have time to recover.
K'thull rushed him again, its greatsword igniting with violet flames.
Ronan's instincts screamed.
He didn't think—he moved.
Dark energy flared from his Devourer's Mark, reacting to his will.
A weapon formed in his grip—a long, jagged blade of pure abyss, shifting and distorting like a sliver of reality itself.
New Skill Activated: Voidwalker's EdgeReality Severance Charged (0.5%)
He raised the sword just in time.
CLANG!
Their weapons collided, unleashing a shockwave of abyssal energy.
The Warden grunted, its grip tightening.
But this time—Ronan held his ground.
A savage grin spread across his face.
"Not bad."
He twisted his blade, pushing back the Warden's greatsword. The creature's stance wavered for a fraction of a second.
That was all he needed.
His abyssal claw lunged forward, black tendrils wrapping around the Warden's exposed shoulder—and then he pulled.
The creature staggered. Its balance was broken.
Ronan saw his chance.
His eyes burned with violet light as he slashed—his Voidwalker's Edge tearing through the creature's chestplate, severing the abyssal energy reinforcing it.
A deep gash split the Warden's armor.
It stumbled back.
For the first time… it bled.
Dark ichor dripped from the wound, sizzling against the stone floor.
The Warden looked down at its own injury.
Then, for the first time—it laughed.
"Perhaps you are worthy after all."
A new notification appeared.
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🔹 Abyssal Warden (HP: 71%)
🔹 Battle Synchronization Achieved: 40%
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Ronan exhaled sharply.
The real fight… had just begun.