Chapter 14: Chapter 14:Decent into the Abyss
The air shifts the moment my boots hit the stone. Cold. Heavy. Every breath feels like dragging in ice and smoke. The walls of the chasm close in around me, the faint light above dying fast. Soon there's nothing but darkness.
But the darkness doesn't bother me.
It welcomes me.
Presence of the Abyss ripples around me — a stillness so deep it feels like the world is holding its breath. The oppressive weight spreads outward, and the cold deepens. Fear saturates the air… but not mine.
It's theirs.
The first attack comes without warning. A flicker of movement on the edge of my vision. I don't wait for it.
Void Step.
One instant I'm standing still — the next I'm behind it. My sword whispers through the air. A single clean strike.
The creature barely has time to shriek before it falls.
[Abysslurker — Level 18]
HP: 0
It dissolves into ash. I keep moving.
---
The descent is slow and brutal. The stone walls bleed dark mist, cold and acrid. And then the whispers start — faint, slithering words brushing the edges of my mind. They promise power. They promise understanding. They promise… an end.
I ignore them.
The Abysslurkers attack in waves. They crawl from the walls and burst from the shadows, fast and erratic. But they're nothing. My blade dances through the dark, cutting them down with mechanical precision.
Abyssal Sword Skill: Void Rend.
The strike splits three of them in a single motion. Their bodies crumble into nothingness.
[EXP Gained: 5000]
[Level Up: 16 → 17]
But the deeper I go, the worse it gets.
The whispers turn to screams. The air grows heavier. And the corruption… it thickens. I can feel something waiting ahead. Watching.
Hungry.
---
The path ends at a massive stone door carved with symbols I don't recognize. The symbols pulse — slow and steady, like the beating of a heart. Power thrums from the other side. Whatever lies beyond… it's waiting for me.
I push the door open.
The chamber beyond is vast. A ruin of crumbling stone and shattered pillars, half-buried in shadow. And at its center stands an altar — old and broken.
On that altar… a heart.
It pulses. Slow. Rhythmic. And every beat sends waves of corruption rolling through the room.
The whispers become screams. The air howls.
The darkness shifts — and it rises.
[Corrupt Warden of the Hollow — Level 30]
HP: 75,000
Attack: 5,000
Defense: 2,000
The Warden stands twice my height — a towering figure of blackened bone and shifting shadow. Its eyes burn with hollow light. Its body pulses with the same rhythm as the heart.
It doesn't wait. Neither do I.
---
The Warden moves first.
It crosses the room in an instant — far faster than anything its size should be. Its massive arm sweeps toward me, wreathed in black fire.
I'm already gone.
Void Step.
I reappear behind it, sword slashing out. The strike connects — but the Warden twists. The backhand catches me square in the ribs, and pain explodes through my side.
HP: 16,000 → 12,000
I skid back, boots digging into stone. The Warden turns slowly, watching me.
It's fast. Strong. I smile.
This is going to be fun.
---
We clash again. The Warden's strikes are wild but devastating, shattering stone with every impact. But I'm faster. My sword finds flesh again and again.
Sword Entropy.
The blade bites deep, and the wound festers — armor and flesh rotting in an instant.
Warden HP: 75,000 → 70,000 → 62,000
But the Warden doesn't slow. It howls — and the darkness answers. The chamber erupts with shadow, and I barely manage to avoid the wave of fire that scorches the ground.
It's getting serious.
Good.
---
The fight drags on. I bleed it — cut after cut, strike after strike. But the Warden isn't slowing down. Every time it takes damage, the heart on the altar pulses faster — and its wounds begin to close.
This can't keep up.
I need to end this.
---
I wait for the right moment. When the Warden charges again, I don't dodge.
I step forward.
The Warden's arm descends — and my sword rises.
Abyssal Sword Skill: Void Piercer.
The thrust distorts the air itself. My blade strikes true — punching through the Warden's chest and out the other side.
But I'm not done.
Sword Entropy.
The rot spreads instantly. The Warden convulses — its entire body decaying from the inside out.
Warden HP: 25,000 → 5,000 → 0
The Warden collapses. The heart on the altar lets out one final pulse — and then falls silent.
The chamber is still.
---
[System Notification]
[Corrupt Warden of the Hollow Defeated]
[EXP Gained: 15,000]
[Level Up: 17 → 19]
[Loot Acquired:]
Warden's Hollowblade (Epic)
Corrupted Heart Shard (Rare)
Abyss-Touched Mantle (Rare)
Gold: 10,000
[Reputation Increase: Emberpine Village — Hero of the Hollow]
---
I stand in the silence, sword still dripping blackened blood. The corruption is gone. The whispers have faded.
But something tells me this isn't over.
Not yet.
Void God's Updated Stats (Level 19):
Class: Void Swordsman
Attack: 5000
Defense: 1500
Health: 18,000
Mana: 10,000
Stamina: 8500
Luck: 9
Reputation: Hero of the Hollow (Emberpine Village)
---
Abilities:
Void Step (S Rank): Near-instant movement through distorted space. Mastery is improving, but full potential remains locked.
Void Piercer (B Rank): A precise, devastating thrust that distorts reality. Deals immense piercing damage with a chance of spatial rupture.
Abyssal Sword Skills (B Rank): A growing arsenal of deadly techniques imbued with the Void's power.
Abyssal Insight (SS Rank): Heightened perception of reality and nothingness, slowing the world and predicting enemy actions with terrifying clarity.
Sword Entropy (A Rank): Every strike spreads decay and destabilization, corroding armor and flesh alike.
Voidborn Will (SS Rank): Indomitable willpower, resisting mental and spiritual attacks while strengthening Void techniques.
Presence of the Abyss (S Rank): An aura of dread and stillness, weakening enemies and influencing the environment through fear and despair.
---
New Talent Unlocked:
Abysswalker's Resolve (Passive): The deeper the danger, the stronger you become. In hostile or corrupted areas, all stats increase by 10%, and Void techniques gain a chance to trigger additional effects — like spatial rupture, decay bursts, or reality distortion.
Void God's Updated Equipment:
Weapon: [Abyssfang] (Epic) – A black-bladed longsword forged from Void-touched steel. Its edge distorts light, and every strike carries the weight of nothingness.
+1200 Attack
+10% Void Skill Damage
Passive: Entropy Strike — Successful attacks have a 5% chance to accelerate decay, dealing 100% additional damage over time.
Armor: [Umbral Shroud] (Rare) – A sleek, dark cloak reinforced with Void essence, blending its wearer into the shadows.
+800 Defense
+1000 Health
Passive: Veil of Dread — Enemies within 10 meters suffer -5% Attack and -5% Movement Speed.
Gloves: [Grasp of the Abyss] (Rare) – Fingerless gloves laced with Void threads, amplifying precision and destruction.
+500 Attack
+5% Critical Rate
Passive: Touch of Nihility — Critical hits have a 10% chance to disrupt enemy skills, canceling their activation.
Boots: [Voidstrider's Steps] (Rare) – Lightweight boots infused with spatial magic, enhancing movement and evasion.
+600 Stamina
+10% Movement Speed
Passive: Step Between — 5% chance to phase through attacks, avoiding damage entirely.
Accessory 1: [Obsidian Fang Pendant] (Uncommon) – A shard of crystallized Void energy shaped into a fang.
+500 Mana
+5% Skill Cooldown Reduction
Accessory 2: [Ring of Hollowed Echoes] (Rare) – A ring that hums with the whispers of nothingness.
+300 Luck
Passive: Abyssal Fortune — Increases rare loot drop rate by 10%.
---
Void God's Updated Stats (With Equipment) (Level 19):
Attack: 6700
Defense: 2300
Health: 19,000
Mana: 10,500
Stamina: 9100
Luck: 12
Reputation: Hero of the Hollow (Emberpine Village)
Void God is no longer just a lone swordsman — he's becoming a walking nightmare. Fully armed, faster, stronger… and this is still only the beginning.