Chapter 22: Abyss Unleashed

The air twisted.

A deep, guttural laugh echoed through the cavern as Lord Nyx rose from the rubble. His massive frame pulsed with abyssal energy, his dark armor cracking—not from damage, but from the sheer power leaking out.

Ren felt it immediately. The weight of an unstoppable force.

The system flickered—

[Warning: Abyssal Monarch's Restriction Removed.]
[Threat Level: Transcendent.]

Nyx's golden eyes blazed.

"Child of the Void… You amuse me." His voice was smooth, cold, and laced with raw supremacy. "But playtime is over."

He raised his hand.

The abyss responded.

A black sun formed above them—an unnatural sphere of condensed darkness, pulsating with unimaginable destruction. The very fabric of space groaned under its weight.

Ren’s instincts screamed.

[Danger: Abyssal Annihilation Imminent.]

Nyx smiled.

“Perish.”

The black sun descended.

BOOOOOM!

The world exploded.

Abyssal energy tore through the cavern, reducing everything to nothingness. The sheer impact sent shockwaves through Ren’s body, forcing him to raise his arms in a desperate defense—

But it wasn’t enough.

The attack crashed down, swallowing everything in pure destruction.

For a moment—there was only silence.

Then—

[Void Monarch’s Authority: 15% Unlocked.]

A pulse of void energy erupted from the abyssal flames.

Ren stood amidst the wreckage—his body battered, but his aura surging. His eyes glowed, his breathing steady.

He clenched his fists.

"You think that's enough to kill me?"

Nyx tilted his head, intrigued. “Still standing? Then let us truly begin.”

He vanished.

Ren’s instincts barely caught it—

Nyx reappeared in front of him, faster than lightning.

A fist like a falling meteor slammed into his gut.

Ren's vision blurred as he was sent flying across the abyss. His body crashed into the cavern wall, the impact shaking the entire dungeon.

Shit—he's even faster now!

Nyx wasn’t done.

The Abyssal Monarch moved again—a black streak of destruction, appearing above Ren before he could recover.

A second blow came. Then a third. Then a fourth.

Each attack felt like dying and reviving in an instant.

Ren's body screamed in agony. His bones cracked. His vision blurred. The power gap between them was immense.

Yet—he grinned.

So this… is what standing at the peak feels like?

He coughed blood but refused to fall. The Void Monarch System pulsed in his soul.

[Void Monarch’s Authority: 18% Unlocked.]

Ren vanished.

For the first time—Nyx’s eyes widened.

Ren reappeared above him.

[Void Fang: Eclipse Rend.]

A shadow blade carved through the air—striking Nyx’s exposed flank.

Abyssal blood splattered into the air.

Ren landed, breathing heavily. “Not so invincible now, are you?”

Nyx stared.

Then he laughed.

"Good," he whispered. "Very good."

His wounds healed instantly.

Ren gritted his teeth. Tch. Of course.

Nyx’s eyes gleamed. “Then let us test the limits of your ‘ascension’—”

He raised both hands.

The abyss shifted.

A second black sun formed—twice as large, twice as devastating.

Ren's grip on his power tightened. His only option was to push further.

He had to surpass his own limits.

The Void Monarch’s throne was still waiting.