The Battle Against the Hollow King’s Legion

[Samuel's POV]

The air around me thickened, the mist swirling like it was alive. The countless red eyes watched from the darkness, unmoving, yet filled with an unnatural intelligence.

Then—it stepped forward.

A massive, towering figure, its body shifting between flesh and shadow, something not quite real but undeniably powerful. It was humanoid, but only in the loosest sense. Its form pulsed with a sickening energy, as if reality itself struggled to contain it.

And at its center—its true eyes.

Not red like the rest.

But golden.

I clenched my jaw.

"So…" I muttered, raising my sword slightly. "You must be the Hollow King."

The being's head tilted slightly, as if amused.

"And you must be another failed experiment."

I stilled.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

The Hollow King took another step forward, and the very ground beneath it decayed, turning into dust as its presence alone warped the environment.

"You don't even know what you are, do you?"****"

I tightened my grip on my blade.

"I know enough."

It chuckled—a deep, guttural sound that seemed to vibrate through my bones.

"No. You don't."

The moment the words left its mouth—

The shadows behind it moved.

The red eyes surged forward, a wave of creatures rushing toward me like a living tide.

The wave of monsters surged forward, their grotesque forms twisting and morphing as they descended upon me.

There was no hesitation. No fear.

Just pure, overwhelming aggression.

"Fine, then." I muttered, shifting my stance, flames coiling around my gauntlets. "Let's dance."

The first beast lunged, its jaws splitting unnaturally wide, rows of shifting fangs aiming for my throat.

I sidestepped at the last moment, twisting my body before slamming my fist into its skull—

BOOM!

A shockwave erupted as black ichor splattered across the pavement, the creature's body disintegrating under the force of my blow.

One down. Thousands to go.

I didn't have time to breathe before three more attacked from behind.

Their claws lashed toward me—razor-sharp, dripping with something that reeked of death.

I pivoted, bringing up my Abyssal Gauntlets, blocking two strikes while the third slashed across my side—tearing through my coat, slicing deep into my flesh.

"Tch—!" I gritted my teeth as pain flared, but I didn't stop moving.

I retaliated instantly, grabbing one of them by the throat, lifting it into the air before slamming it into the second.

Then I twisted, summoning a blast of Infernal Surge—a massive torrent of black fire erupted from my palm, consuming both creatures in an instant.

But before I could turn—

PAIN.

A clawed limb tore through my shoulder from behind, its talons piercing straight through my body.

Blood spilled down my back, my vision momentarily flickering.

Then another strike to my ribs.

Another to my leg.

The sheer number of them was overwhelming.

"Damn it—!" I roared, pushing through the pain, summoning every ounce of power I had left.

[Void Step – Perfected]

My body vanished, reappearing a few feet away, giving me a split second to recover.

I exhaled, my hand clutching my bleeding side, the warm liquid dripping between my fingers.

The creatures weren't giving me a break.

They moved like a hive mind, adjusting, adapting.

And then—they stopped.

The battlefield went silent for a moment.

Then—the Hollow King stepped forward.

Its golden eyes locked onto mine, and for the first time, I felt something crawl into my mind.

A voice—not from sound, but inside me.

"You cannot win."

A pulse of energy erupted from its body—

And suddenly, my wounds stopped healing.

"What—?" I staggered slightly, realizing the black mist around me was suppressing my regeneration.

The Hollow King didn't just control these monsters.

It controlled the battlefield.

It ruled this place.

My breath was ragged, my vision slightly blurring from the blood loss.

"Tch." I clenched my fists, my flames flickering weakly.

I was losing too much. If I didn't do something fast, this wasn't going to be a battle—it was going to be a slaughter.

But then—

I smiled.

Because I had one thing the Hollow King didn't.

"You think I can't win?" I muttered, slowly straightening despite the pain.

The Hollow King's golden gaze narrowed.

"Watch me."

I summoned every last ounce of strength, rage, and destruction left in my body.

[FINAL ABILITY UNLOCKED: ABYSSAL DEVOURER – GODSLAYER MODE]

A deep rumble shook the air as the system flashed—

[WARNING! OVERLIMIT ACTIVATED.]

[ALL POWER RESTRICTIONS REMOVED.]

The flames around my Abyssal Gauntlets turned from black… to pure white.

The creatures hesitated.

The Hollow King took a single step back.

"Oh?" I grinned, cracking my knuckles. "Now you're scared?"

I vanished.

The next second—the battlefield exploded.

I tore through the horde like a force of nature, my fists striking with enough force to shatter reality itself.

The monsters that had once overwhelmed me were now being ripped apart before they could even react.

I drove my knee into one, shattering its body into mist.

I grabbed another, crushing its head with a single squeeze.

I moved too fast for them to adapt—too powerful for them to resist.

Within minutes, they were all gone.

And only one remained.

The Hollow King.

It stared at me now—not as prey.

But as a threat.

"Looks like it's just us now," I muttered, rolling my shoulders.

The Hollow King exhaled slowly.

"Interesting."

Then—it lunged.

Our battle had only just begun.