NOVEL WEB Chapter 27: Dark forces.
The world froze. The jagged remnants of reality itself trembled, distorting under an unseen force. A presence—ancient, vast, and utterly overwhelming—descended upon the battlefield.
From the abyss of the sky, he emerged.
A pair of glowing violet eyes cut through the darkness like twin eclipses. The void breathed, and from it, an enormous silhouette took form—a dragon wreathed in shifting shadows, his scales glistening like obsidian woven with pure night.
Noctis, the Shadow Render.
He stretched his wings, their sheer span blotting out the stars, warping the very fabric of the world. Shadows bled from his form, curling like living tendrils around the edges of space. Even the monstrous void-creature recoiled, its head spiraling erratically, as if trying to comprehend what had just arrived.
Azvoid cracked his neck. "Damn. That's an entrance."
Noctis' voice slithered into his mind, equal parts amused and exasperated. I don't make half-measures, Azvoid. Now, do you need me to carry this fight, or are you going to try first?
Azvoid smirked. "Oh, I'm trying. You're just my insurance policy."
The void-beast recovered, its form rippling like static, limbs stretching unnaturally before snapping back into place. Its spiraling head twisted toward Noctis, the abyss within its face expanding—a clear attempt to consume him.
Noctis let out a slow, almost pitying chuckle.
Oh, you poor, misguided thing.
The air collapsed.
With a single beat of his wings, Noctis vanished—reappearing right above the creature. The sheer force of his movement ripped through the battlefield, distorting gravity itself.
Then, without ceremony, he dropped.
The void-beast barely had time to react before an impossible weight crashed onto its form. Noctis landed, his claws embedding into its writhing mass. The ground beneath them shattered, cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
The creature screamed, a sound that wasn't heard but felt—a warping of reality, a distortion of existence itself.
Azvoid barely held his ground, grinning despite himself.
"Okay. That was hot."
Noctis pressed down harder, his voice a low growl. I am not amused, Azvoid.
The void-beast spasmed, its body compressing, trying to phase out of Noctis' grasp—but the dragon's claws glowed with a deep, abyssal energy. Shadow Dominion.
"You're not going anywhere," Noctis whispered, almost fondly.
The world turned black.
A pulse of absolute nothingness erupted from Noctis, swallowing everything in an instant. The void-beast was dragged inward, its spiraling head collapsing as it shrieked—its very form being devoured by the shadows themselves.
The last thing Azvoid saw of it was its claw, stretching outward in futile desperation—before it was utterly consumed.
Silence.
Then, with an air of finality, Noctis shook his wings, dispersing the lingering darkness.
Azvoid exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "So. That happened."
Noctis fixed him with a piercing gaze. Do not wait so long next time.
Azvoid held up his hands. "Hey, hey, I had it under control—"
Noctis snorted, his massive form beginning to fade back into the void. Spare me, Azvoid. Next time, just call me before the eldritch horror starts breaking the world.
And just like that, he was gone.
Azvoid let out a slow breath, staring at the now-ruined battlefield.
"…Yeah. I'm gonna sleep for a week."
Azvoid did sleep—but only for a few hours before his system rudely yanked him back into consciousness.
A deep chime echoed in his mind, a mix between a divine decree and a dungeon boss theme.
[Host's strength has vastly increased.]
[System recalibrating combat potential advancement…]
Azvoid groaned, rubbing his temples as the system continued its ominous litany.
[Host's combat efficiency has risen to a dangerous threshold.]
[Recommendation: Seek immediate refinement of abilities.]
[Side Note: Please do not get yourself nearly killed before reaching the next rank.]
Azvoid blinked. "Wait, did my system just sass me?"
Noctis' voice slithered into his mind. You do have a habit of nearly dying for dramatic effect.
Azvoid threw a pillow at the ceiling. "You're one to talk! You enjoy flexing on reality itself!"
And you enjoy making poor life decisions. Now get up.
The shadows in the corner of his room stirred, forming Noctis' spectral head. His violet eyes gleamed with unfiltered amusement.
Azvoid sighed. "Alright, alright, I'm up. What's the plan?"
Noctis' expression turned serious. You need to refine Phantom Reflex. You copied it, but raw replication isn't enough. You need to integrate it fully.
Azvoid frowned, stretching his fingers. "Yeah… I noticed. It's like I can feel it, but it's not second nature yet."
Noctis nodded. Then we train.
Azvoid groaned. "Why do I feel like your version of training is gonna suck?"
Because it will.
—
Thirty minutes later, Azvoid was rethinking all of his life choices.
His room was gone. Well, not gone, but it might as well have been. Noctis had yanked his consciousness into a shadow-drenched training ground within his mental space.
And then he had summoned things....
again.
A pair of Tenebrous Hounds—wolf-like creatures wreathed in black flames, their forms flickering between existence and void. Their fangs dripped with a substance that burned reality itself.
Azvoid barely dodged as one lunged at him, its jaws snapping shut inches from his throat.
"WHY are these things so fast?!"
Noctis' voice was maddeningly calm. Because you need to be faster.
Azvoid twisted, barely avoiding the second hound as it teleported mid-lunge, reappearing at his flank. He forced his body to react, utilizing Phantom Reflex—his muscles moving before he consciously processed the attack.
He vanished, reappearing a few feet away, breathing heavily.
"Okay," he panted. "That was kinda cool."
The hounds turned in eerie synchronization, their ember-like eyes fixating on him.
Noctis sounded amused. Good. Again.
Azvoid swore. Then he moved.
—
The fight blurred into a dance of near-deaths and increasingly desperate maneuvers. Every time Azvoid thought he had the timing down, Noctis increased the difficulty.
At some point, there were four hounds. Then six.
"THIS IS EXCESSIVE!" Azvoid shouted, flipping midair as he narrowly dodged three sets of jaws.
Is it? You're still alive.
Azvoid swore so violently that reality itself probably cringed.
He pushed Phantom Reflex to the limit, his movements sharpening. His body adjusted faster, dodging before attacks landed. He wasn't just reacting—he was predicting.
And then—
[Phantom Reflex has fully integrated.]
[Reflexive instincts now seamlessly fused with host's combat style.]
[Warning: Increased danger level detected. Adapting countermeasures…]
Azvoid froze. "Wait. What?"
The ground rumbled.
A new presence formed in the darkness.
Azvoid turned slowly...