NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Training Arc.(II)
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Azvoid leaned back against the wall of his dimly lit room, exhaling slowly as the sensation of power coursed through his veins. His body felt lighter, sharper, stronger—as if he could rip through the very fabric of reality with a mere flick of his fingers. The integration of Phantom Reflex was seamless, and combined with Space Vector Master, his fighting prowess had skyrocketed.
He flexed his fingers, still reliving the battles in the dungeon. The monsters that once pushed him to his limits now felt like mere distractions. If this was the kind of growth he could achieve in just one battle, what lay ahead? He was no longer the weak, unnoticed F-rank—he was Peak D-rank, a force to be reckoned with.
"Still celebrating?"
Azvoid froze mid-thought.
A deep, amused voice echoed through his mind—Noctis.
Within the vast abyss of Azvoid's mental space, the Shadow Render's serpentine form loomed, coiled within an endless sea of darkness. His obsidian scales shimmered with an eerie purple glow, and his piercing violet eyes bore into Azvoid's soul.
"You are growing… but not nearly fast enough," Noctis murmured, his voice dripping with an unsettling weight.
Azvoid raised an eyebrow. "Not fast enough? Did you even see how I handled that last fight? If I keep this up, I'll be unstoppable."
Noctis let out a low, rumbling chuckle that sent tremors through the mental space. It wasn't a laugh of amusement—it was a laugh of pity.
"You think your enemies will wait for you to grow at your leisure?" Noctis' wings stretched slightly, their shadowy presence crackling with unseen energy. "Tell me, hatchling—have you ever heard the name Zephiron?"
The name struck Azvoid like a blade to the chest. Something primal, something ancient stirred within him at its mention. He frowned. "Zephiron...?"
"The Abyss Devourer," Noctis hissed, the amusement in his tone gone. "A supreme existence… one that should have never been."
The air around them darkened as visions flooded Azvoid's mind—an enormous dragon, wreathed in abyssal flames, its obsidian scales cracked like fractured voids, devouring all light and life in its wake. Cities crumbled beneath its mere presence, the sky itself split apart as its colossal wings tore through space. Thousands fell before it, screaming as their very existence was siphoned away.
Azvoid staggered back, gripping his head as the sheer magnitude of the beast's power overwhelmed him. "What the hell is that thing?!"
"A being that was sealed away eons ago," Noctis said, his tone grim. "But power of that magnitude does not stay imprisoned forever."
The visions faded, leaving only a lingering sense of dread. Azvoid panted, his mind still reeling.
Noctis's voice lowered, serious. "The bonds that hold Zephiron are weakening."
Azvoid's heart pounded. "Are you saying that thing could be unleashed?"
"Not 'could'—will." Noctis's gaze sharpened. "The remnants of dark forces seek to free him, and if they succeed, not even the strongest beings in this realm will be safe. You are merely an insect to him right now."
Azvoid gritted his teeth. Insect. He hated that word. It was the same thing the arrogant elite talents of the world thought of him.
"So what you're saying is… if I don't get stronger, I'm dead?"
"Not just you—everyone," Noctis said coldly. "If Zephiron awakens, this world will be nothing more than his feeding ground. He does not conquer. He does not rule. He devours."
Azvoid clenched his fists. This wasn't just about his own survival anymore.
"...Then I guess I don't have a choice." He exhaled sharply, eyes burning with a new determination. "If I have to become strong enough to stand against a damn supreme dragon, then so be it."
Noctis studied him for a moment before nodding. "Good. Then we begin immediately."
A shadowy grin formed on the dragon's face. "You've been playing with your power until now… but from this moment forward, you will wield it like a true predator."
Azvoid smirked. If the world was throwing something like Zephiron at him, then he'd return the favor.
Let the real training begin.
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