Chapter 6: The Stalker in the Abyss

A whisper of movement.

Adrian's body tensed, instincts flaring.

From the ruins ahead—barely holding together, their edges swallowed by writhing darkness—it emerged.

A Nightmare Stalker.

Unlike the Husks, bound to endless battle, this creature moved with intelligence.

Low to the ground, coiled like a beast waiting to strike. Its elongated limbs ended in jagged claws, each sharp enough to carve through flesh with ease. Hollow sockets stared from a featureless face, yet Adrian felt its hunger.

It wasn't here to fight.

It was here to hunt.

His pulse slowed. The Stalker's body tensed, muscles rippling with restrained power. Faster than the Husks. More lethal.

Adrian adjusted his stance, gripping the Eclipse Blade with both hands.

A single mistake meant death.

The Stalker moved first.

A blur of motion.

Adrian barely raised his blade in time to parry as claws scraped against steel. Sparks erupted in the darkness, the impact jarring his arms.

He countered—a downward slash aimed to cleave through its elongated torso.

But the Stalker twisted unnaturally, its body bending at impossible angles.

His blade sliced air.

Before he could recover—pain exploded in his side.

The creature's second claw raked against him, his reflexive dodge barely keeping it from being a fatal blow. His vision blurred from the sudden shock.

Too fast. Too unpredictable.

He staggered, breath sharp and ragged. The cut wasn't deep, but the pain dulled his movements. The Stalker didn't relent—it lunged again, claws flashing toward his throat.

Think. Move. Adapt.

At the last moment, Adrian dropped low, letting the attack pass inches above his head. Using the momentum, he rolled backward, widening the distance.

The Stalker stopped, tilting its head in an eerie mimicry of curiosity. Its empty sockets seemed to bore into him.

It's playing with me.

A cold realization settled in his gut.

Unlike the Husks, which fought mindlessly, this creature wasn't driven by instinct alone.

It was learning.

And it was winning.

Adrian exhaled sharply, forcing his body to ignore the pain.

He needed an opening.

But how do you predict something that doesn't move like a living creature?

His mind raced, replaying every movement.

Then—

He felt it.

A shift.

Not in the Stalker, not in the abyss.

In himself.

A pulse.

Faint, yet undeniable. A ripple in the abyss.

For the briefest moment, Adrian saw it—not just the Nightmare Stalker's body, but its movements before they even happened. A faint thread of possibility, an afterimage of its own intent.

His breath hitched.

What—?

The Stalker lunged.

Adrian moved.

Not out of reaction.

But out of certainty.

His body twisted, just enough for the claws to whistle past his skin. The Stalker's movements, once erratic and unreadable, now left subtle trails. Patterns.

It hesitated.

Not out of fear, but calculation. Every time he dodged, the Stalker adjusted. Watching how he moved.

It wasn't just testing him anymore.

It was adapting.

Adrian's lips curled into a grim smirk.

Then I'll give it something to learn.

He steadied his breath. Relaxed his body. Adjusted his stance—not aggressive, but loose.

His movements became fluid.

The Stalker watched.

Adrian gave it an opening.

He feigned a stumble, letting exhaustion show. His grip wavered, his stance unsteady.

An invitation.

The Stalker took the bait.

It lunged.

But this time, Adrian didn't dodge.

He stepped into the attack.

The claws raked against his shoulder, pain searing through him—but he ignored it. He had closed the distance.

Too close for it to evade.

His grip on the Eclipse Blade tightened—his stance shifted without conscious thought.

Then—

A whisper in his mind.

"Cut the sky. Sever the storm."

He swung.

The blade moved differently.

Faster. Sharper.

The very air split apart beneath its path.

The Stalker had no time to react.

Steel met flesh.

The sound wasn't simple impact—but something deeper.

A perfect arc. Precise. Inevitable.

The Stalker jerked, momentum carrying it forward even as a deep wound carved through its torso.

A heartbeat of silence.

Then—black mist erupted.

It staggered. Unraveling. Abyssal essence bleeding from its body.

It turned its head toward Adrian one last time.

Not with hatred.

Not with rage.

But with acknowledgment.

Then, it collapsed.

Silence.

Adrian remained still, breath slow, measured.

The Eclipse Blade hummed with unseen energy—then faded.

He hadn't just swung his sword.

He had executed a technique.

A perfect strike.

Not his own.

The sword's.

And something else lingered.

Not just the weight of the battle.

Not just exhaustion.

But the pulse.

Still there.

Still thrumming beneath his skin.

Then—

A cold, mechanical chime echoed in his mind.

---

[System Notification: Eclipse Synchronization Detected]

[You have awakened a unique ability: Eclipse Pulse]

Eclipse Pulse (Passive) – A heightened state of awareness, allowing the user to perceive distortions in space, intent, and movement within the abyss. Grants brief precognition against hostile entities, evolving with comprehension.

[New System Feature Unlocked: Eclipse Awakening Paths]

The Abyss does not simply grant power—it molds it. Your choices will shape the evolution of Eclipse Pulse.

---

Adrian's breath hitched.

The System had remained silent since his arrival in the Nightmare Realm.

Yet now, as the darkness coiled around him, as the echoes of battle faded—

It spoke.

A sense of something deeper stirred within him.

Eclipse Pulse.

It wasn't just a skill.

It was a beginning.