NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: Training Arc (V)
THE SKY DARKENED.
THE WORLD TREMBLED.
A deep, guttural hum resonated through Azvoid's soul as the system's power activated at full force.
[System Alert!]
[Ancient Chaos Celestial Realm Connection—Engaged.]
[Host is summoning the Supreme Dragon, Noctis, the Shadow Render.]
[Warning: The world itself shall bear witness.]
As for why he was summoning him from the Ancient Chaos celestial realm rather than his mental space was due to the long time duration from the last time he had summoned Noctis but since he had already established contact with Noctis, This thus brought about no difference.
The air rippled violently, the cracks of space itself splintering apart as an overwhelming pressure descended upon reality.
The abyssal creatures froze.
Even the Abyssal Tyrant, a behemoth of destruction, hesitated, its six eyes narrowing in recognition of something it did not want to face.
Azvoid's body burned with the sheer force of the summoning. It wasn't just calling Noctis—it was tearing open a path to the Ancient Chaos Celestial Realm itself.
The veil of existence ripped apart.
And from it—shadows bled.
A colossal form began to emerge.
At first, it was only the outline—a towering mass of seething darkness, its very presence eroding the battlefield.
Then—the eyes.
Two luminous, violet slits pierced through the void, carrying a gaze that spoke of countless eons, of a predator that lurked between the fabric of dimensions.
And then—
Noctis, the Shadow Render, fully materialized.
His wings unfurled, blotting out the shattered remnants of light, each one lined with a thousand whispers of the void. His obsidian scales shifted like living night, absorbing everything around him.
His claws flexed, and with one motion, the air itself collapsed inward.
Azvoid, despite expecting it, felt his breath hitch.
"Host."
Noctis's voice rumbled in his mind, a deep, imperious tone—one that no longer carried amusement, but raw, unfiltered power.
"You dare to summon me for this… infestation?"
Azvoid wiped the blood from his mouth. "Buddy, trust me, I had no choice."
Noctis's massive head tilted slightly, his draconic expression unreadable. Then—his gaze shifted.
The Abyssal Tyrant took a step back.
It recognized him.
Not as an enemy.
As a superior predator.
Noctis's lips curled into a razor-sharp grin.
"Ah. Now this… this will be entertaining."
The abyssal creatures broke first.
Whatever instinct they had—it screamed at them to flee.
They turned—too late.
Noctis exhaled.
The battlefield ceased to exist.
His breath was not fire. Not ice.
It was the void itself.
The moment it touched the creatures, they didn't burn. They didn't even have the mercy of screaming.
They simply ceased.
Devoured. Erased.
The Abyssal Tyrant roared in defiance.
It charged.
And Noctis laughed.
"Ah, what fun."
And then—he moved.
Noctis disappeared.
Azvoid, with his Phantom Reflex, barely caught it—a flicker in the air, a distortion of reality.
And then—the Abyssal Tyrant's body twisted violently.
Noctis was already behind it.
His claws dug deep into its armored hide—not slashing, not ripping—phasing through.
Azvoid's brain clicked.
"…Vector Distortion."
Noctis didn't attack the Abyssal Tyrant.
He erased the space where its defenses should be.
The Abyssal Tyrant's roar turned to a strangled, gurgling sound.
Noctis released.
The towering behemoth collapsed, twitching, its body unable to process what had happened.
Azvoid let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"…Damn."
Noctis turned to him, his wings folding lazily.
"Satisfied, host?"
Azvoid looked at the battlefield.
No—what was left of it.
There were no remains.
There was nothing.
And for the first time, Azvoid truly, deeply, understood something.
Noctis… wasn't just a weapon.
He was a force of nature.
A being that even monsters feared.
Azvoid swallowed. "Yeah. Satisfied."
Noctis grinned.
"Then let us return. You have much to learn, host. And much less time than you think."
The battlefield faded.
And Azvoid knew—this was only the beginning.
The battlefield still reeked of scorched abyssal flesh, the lingering echoes of Noctis's void-warping destruction vibrating through the air. Azvoid stood amidst the wreckage, his breath ragged, sweat mixing with the dried blood on his face. His black obsidian eyes, flickering with exhaustion and triumph, turned towards the massive form of Noctis, still partially shrouded in swirling darkness.
"Well, that was…something," Azvoid muttered, rolling his shoulders. "You didn't have to be that dramatic, you know."
Noctis, resting on the fringes of Azvoid's mental space now, let out a deep chuckle, his voice like a distant storm rumbling through the void. "Dramatic? I merely ensured efficiency. You struggle too much with these lesser creatures."
Azvoid scoffed. "Maybe because I'm actually fighting them instead of snapping my claws and erasing reality like you."
"You could learn to do the same…if you survive long enough," Noctis mused.
Azvoid sighed, shaking his head. He could still feel the aftershock of his battle, the rapid growth of his power resonating within him. His system had already confirmed it—he had reached Peak D Rank, just a little bit away from breaking through to a C ranked Awakened. It should have been exhilarating, but instead, a sense of urgency gnawed at him.
He wasn't strong enough. Not yet.
His fists clenched. He had barely handled that battle, and it took Noctis stepping in to end things. If something on the level of the Abyssal Tyrant had appeared in the real world, he would have been utterly destroyed.
And now, there was an even greater threat on the horizon—Zephiron.
Noctis had made it clear before: the fallen dragon was an existence far beyond the nightmares of this world. If the seals binding Zephiron were weakening, then his very presence would shake the balance of everything. Azvoid needed to get stronger. Fast.
He exhaled sharply. "Alright. Enough resting. I need to start refining Phantom Reflex. No point having it if I can't use it at full power."
Noctis hummed in approval. "A wise decision. If you are to survive what is coming, hesitation will be your downfall."
Azvoid stretched his arms, feeling the latent energy of his recent level-up coursing through his veins. He was ready.
It was time to push himself beyond his limits.
......