The stone door groaned shut behind Isaac.
Silence.
Cold air wrapped around him like a shroud. The tunnel behind him was gone, vanished as if it never existed.
No palace.
No allies.
Just a vast, circular chamber cloaked in darkness.
The air was thick with pressure, like the walls were holding their breath. Strange glowing symbols pulsed faintly across the floor and pillars, flickering in a color somewhere between green and gold.
The ground beneath his boots felt… alive.
Then he heard it.
Click.
Click.
Click.
A slow, deliberate sound of metal scraping stone.
From the shadows stepped something not quite insect, not quite human. It was taller than Isaac, with a long, sharp-looking body covered in black-green armor that looked like bug shell and steel combined.
Its shape was clearly like a locust, only larger and more dangerous. Its arms ended in curved blades, its wings folded tight like knives on its back. Its eyes glowed green.
Old scars ran across its body, marks from battles long ago. This wasn't just a monster, it was a warrior from the past.
With a sudden screech, the creature flung its wings wide, unleashing a whirlwind of dust and wind that swept across the chamber.
In an instant, it lunged forward, its wings cutting through the air with a piercing metallic hiss, aiming to strike Isaac before he could react.
Isaac jumped to the side just in time.
The creature's wings whipped outward, carving through the space he had just vacated. They slammed into the stone floor like massive blades, sending sparks flying in every direction.
He rolled and got to his feet fast, gripping his axe tight.
He swung at the locust warrior's side. The hit landed, but it only scratched the armor. The creature didn't even blink.
With a sudden flap, its wings spread wide, buzzing like a chainsaw. It shot up into the air, then dove at Isaac like a missile.
Isaac raised his axe and blocked just in time. The creature's bladed arms slammed down, and the force nearly knocked him flat. He slid backward, boots skidding on the floor.
The locust spun fast, its wings slicing the air in sharp, deadly arcs.
It twirled like a tornado, wings and blades coming at Isaac from every side.
He ducked low, but one wing clipped his shoulder. Pain exploded through his left arm. Blood sprayed.
He growled, holding his axe tight.
The creature paused and looked at him. Its head tilted, like it was... curious. Like it wanted to see if he'd quit.
Isaac wiped the blood from his eyes.
"Swarm authority," he muttered.
[Swarm Authority: Unavailable]
"What?" he hissed, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Tool savant." He whispered.
[Tool Savant: Unavailable]
"What the hell?"
Even other skills not available.
No locusts. No swarm.
He was alone.
Then it lunged.
Isaac barely twisted in time as one bladed arm sliced past his chest, leaving a shallow gash. The other came from below, he jumped, but not high enough. The blade slashed across his thigh, sending him tumbling.
Pain.
He rolled to his feet just in time to block a downward cleave with his axe. Metal shrieked against chitin, sparks flying, but his weapon cracked at the edge. The thing was strong, stronger than anything he'd fought before.
It didn't let up.
Strike after strike came in, calculated and cold. Its slashes fast and surgical. Isaac ducked, blocked, countered. He landed a hit to its side, a shallow wound that barely slowed it.
Then it struck low and hard.
The hit sent him flying across the chamber, crashing into a pillar. Something in his shoulder popped. He staggered up, coughing blood.
No backup.
Just Isaac, the farmer from the edge of nowhere, against something ancient.
His legs shook, but he stood.
The creature paused, eyes narrowing, and charged again. This time Isaac didn't back away, he screamed and met it head-on.
Their blades clashed in a storm of sparks.
Isaac ducked under a slice, slammed his fist into its ribs, and brought his axe down into its neck. The blade buried deep, but not enough to kill.
The creature shrieked, and backhanded him so hard his feet left the ground. He hit the floor hard.
Still, he rose.
Every breath felt like fire. His arms screamed from exhaustion. Blood leaked from his mouth.
Dark Regeneration? Unavailable.
But still… he stood.
The creature stopped, chest rising and falling now, like it was breathing for the first time. It tilted its head, almost… respectfully.
Then it dropped into a low crouch, and its entire body pulsed with light.
Isaac braced.
The locust-like warrior blurred.
One slash, Isaac barely deflected.
Another, he ducked and slammed a knee into its leg.
The third…
It caught him clean.
A slash across the chest, deep and brutal. Blood sprayed. Isaac staggered, collapsed to one knee.
[Warning: Energy Level 32%]
"Shut up," he growled at the system.
His hand clenched his cracked axe. He dragged himself up.
Again.
Always again.
The creature hesitated.
And Isaac moved.
With a roar, he slammed forward, using his whole body. He took a slash to the arm but got inside its reach, elbowed its throat, and slammed his axe deep into the cracked joint at its shoulder.
It screeched in pain.
He twisted the handle. Pulled out.
Then hammered it into the center of its chest with everything he had left.
The green glow in its eyes dimmed.
It stumbled.
Dropped to one knee.
And then, without a word… it bowed.
Its blades crossed its chest in a warrior's salute.
And its body began to break apart, dust and ash swirling around Isaac like wind-blown leaves.
But it didn't disappear completely.
The bladed forearms reformed in the air, twisting, fusing, reshaping.
Two weapons floated down before him, curved twin sickles, shaped like the farming tools he once used in the fields. But these were no ordinary tools.
They gleamed with a strange green light, their edges glowing with Abyssal energy. Sharp, deadly, and beautiful.
They felt… familiar. Like they had been waiting just for him.
Isaac reached out.
The sickles snapped into his hands, the grips molding perfectly to his palms. Not just weapons. A part of him.
Tools for war. And for harvest.
[Weapon Acquired: Twin Reaper Sickles]
[Stat Boost: +Strength, +Agility, +Speed]
Warmth surged through his body.
His wounds suddenly began to seal. The pain dulled. His vision cleared.
And then… another surge.
A vision.
Flames roared across the sky, and the ground cracked open like shattered glass. The winds howled, blowing dust and ash everywhere. The land was burning, destroyed beyond recognition.
A figure stood in the midst of chaos. He was tall, clad in black and gold armor, with large wings folded tightly behind him. His glowing golden eyes burned with anger.
Around him, everything was ruined. The ground was cracked and split open, huge gaps swallowing the earth. Fires burned all around, but there was nowhere to hide. The sky above was torn, letting in the fading light from Heaven as darkness took over.
Standing with him, there was an army.
Not a swarm, but an army of locusts.
Fully evolved, human-sized, and trained for battle. Their bodies were covered in dark armor, sharp and deadly. Their forearms were long, ending in curved blades that could slice through anything. Their wings were folded behind them, shining like metal. They weren't made for flying, they were made to cut through enemies and armor.
They stood in perfect rows, silent, ready for battle.
Above them, seven bright lights appeared in the sky.
The archangels.
Behind them, a storm of divine warriors, millions strong. Weapons raised. Wings alight.
One archangel stepped forward, voice cracking through the sky like judgment itself.
"You were the Eighth. But no longer."
The Being did not kneel.
He did not flinch.
"I was loyal," he said. His voice was low, steady. "I guarded the Abyss. I bound the demons. I obeyed."
The archangel's voice was cold.
"The Creator commands their release."
The being's eyes turned fierce.
"No. He would never…"
But the angels did not wait.
Blades unsheathed.
The locusts tensed, their bodies coiling like springs, ready to launch into action. Their sharp blades shimmered in the air.
And the Being spread his wings.
"Then I am no longer your brother."
His gaze ignited with greater fury, thick black smoke leaking from his eyes, twisting through the air like a living curse.
"I am the King of the Abyss."
The battlefield trembled as two armies collided, Heaven and the Abyss, light and shadow, brother against brother.
Then, blackness.
The vision ended.
Isaac dropped to his knees, gasping. His hands trembled.
"What the hell did I just see?"