The void-black expanse over Eldrin erupted into a maelstrom of crimson, shadow, and pure chaos, the sky splitting open like a wound in reality. From the rift emerged the Abyssborn—a colossal entity of shadow and chaos, its form a swirling vortex of crimson tendrils, void-black eyes, and fractured reality, towering over the city like a god of annihilation. Its presence was a physical weight, the air thick with the scent of iron, void, and pure chaos, and the ground quaked with its heartbeat—a rhythm that thundered in Beelzebub's veins, a call that drowned out all reason. At Level 38, with 42735 EXP, Beelzebub's stats were a towering force—Strength at 16929, Speed at 13388, Defense at 7991, Mana at 17565, Luck at 1590, Charisma at 1640 after absorbing the Shadow of Chaos's essence. His aura, a twenty-meter storm of cold dominance amplified by his Devourer profession, shimmered with void-like tendrils laced with crimson, fractured reality, chaos, light, divine essence, time, pure chaos, and shadow, a visual testament to the Shadow Sovereign bloodline and Shadow-Chaos Pulse talent. The SS-tier Eclipse Scythe in his hand glowed with a blood-red hue (+100 Strength, +35% Blood Damage), its hum a constant reminder of the Abyssborn's will, while the Shadow Core at his side (+220 Mana, +35% Shadow-Chaos Damage) pulsed with a dark, chaotic light, amplifying the storm within.
The voices in his mind—Shadow's chaos, Wraith's shadow, Fate's starlight—clawed louder, a cacophony that threatened to unravel him, the Abyssborn's voice now a deafening roar. Devourer… my herald… my vessel… join me… or the Realms burn… The strain of Gluttony pulsed harder, his identity a fraying tapestry woven with stolen wills. He clenched the Eclipse Scythe, its crimson glow reflecting in his void-like eyes—eyes that now flickered with a blood-red, shadow, reality-fractured, chaos-laced, light-infused, divine, time-threaded, pure chaos, and shadow sheen, a physical manifestation of his evolving magic. He growled, "I'm Beelzebub," shoving the chaos down, but the doubt in his crimson gaze deepened. The Abyssborn's presence was a physical weight, its will pressing against his own, tempting him with power while threatening to consume him. A philosophical question gnawed at him, unvoiced: Am I its herald, or its enemy?
Ryn stood beside him, her cloak stained with the shadow and chaos of the Shadow Crucible, her dagger drawn, her posture tense but resolute. Her trust had risen to 84% after their shared moment in the crucible, and her eyes, though shadowed by her cursed past, held a fierce determination as she stared at the Abyssborn's towering form. "It's here… it's really here," she said, her voice a whisper, heavy with dread. "What do we do?"
Beelzebub turned, Charisma weaving a flirty edge into his sharp tone, but his gaze softened with a rare vulnerability. "We fight, Blade. I'm not its puppet. Stay with me—you'll see me break it." Her lips curved into a faint smile, her trust ticking up to 86%, the bond between them deepening with each shared trial. She stepped closer, her hand gripping his arm, the touch a quiet anchor against the storm within. "I'm with you," she whispered, her voice a thread of hope that warmed him more than he'd admit.
The Goddess of Life stood nearby, her golden hair shimmering like sunlight, her emerald eyes glowing with a nurturing light. Her aura was a soft glow that seemed to heal the air, flowers blooming in the cracks of the cobblestones where she stood, though they wilted instantly under the Abyssborn's shadow. "Beelzebub… the Abyssborn's power is beyond us," she said, her voice a melody of life and sorrow. "We must flee… or it will consume you." She stepped closer, her hand reaching out, her touch a warmth that contrasted the chaos within him. The slow-burn romance arc deepened, her domain of renewal seeping into the moment—vines curling around the cobblestones, a soft light pushing back the void, though it flickered under the Abyssborn's weight.
The Goddess of Fate's avatar stood beside her, her golden eyes glowing with the weight of destiny, her starlight threads weaving around her like a cloak, though they trembled in the Abyssborn's presence. "The Abyssborn defies fate," she said, her voice a melody of inevitability. "We must protect you… or all is lost." Her threads shimmered, a golden barrier forming around Beelzebub, a symbol of her intent to shield him from the Abyssborn's will, though the barrier flickered under its shadow. The slow-burn romance arc with her deepened, her imagery of destiny and inevitability a counterpoint to his chaotic nature.
The Goddess of Time & Space's avatar stood on the other side, her silver eyes shimmering with fractured light, her hands weaving threads of time that distorted the air, though the threads frayed in the Abyssborn's presence. "The Abyssborn warps eternity," she said, her voice a whisper of eternity. "We must slow its advance… to give you time." Her threads shimmered, a silver wave rippling through the air, slowing the Abyssborn's movements, though the wave wavered under its shadow. The slow-burn romance arc with her deepened, her imagery of fractured moments and eternity a desperate attempt to protect him.
Ryn's eyes flickered with a hint of jealousy, but she masked it, her trust steady at 86%. Beelzebub smirked, his gaze shifting between the women. "Fleeing, shielding, slowing—I'll break it all, beauties. But let's move." The moment was charged, the goddesses' presence a counterpoint to the chaos within him, a promise of connection that challenged his descent into the Abyssborn's will.
Eldrin was in chaos, NPCs screaming in terror as crimson tendrils lashed out from the Abyssborn, shattering buildings and spawning Chaos Imps (Level 100) that swarmed the streets. Players crowded the leaderboard crystal: "1. Beelzebub (Lv. 38), 2. Kael (Lv. 35), 3. Mira (Lv. 33), 4. Lia (Lv. 32), 5–10 TBD."Whispers of the Abyssborn's arrival spread like wildfire, but the ancient murals on the walls—depicting a devourer breaking chains—seemed to writhe in the void-black light, as if alive. The symbol of shattered chains, a recurring motif of the Abyssborn's freedom, whispered of a past where the gods trembled before a primordial chaos. Beelzebub's gaze lingered on the murals, a flicker of recognition in his eyes—the same chains he'd seen in his visions, the same devourer the Mage Guild's tomes named him.
A vision flickered in his mind, unbidden—a parallel timeline from the perspective of the God of Order, seen through his radiant eyes as he stood in a celestial hall, his hands trembling with divine energy. "The Abyssborn… it rises again," he whispered to the Goddess of Light, his voice heavy with dread. "We sealed it millennia ago… after it devoured half the celestial realm. The Devourer… he is the key… but he may be its herald." The Goddess of Light, her radiant eyes trembling, clutched her staff of divine energy. "We must bind him… or destroy him," she said, her voice a mix of dread and resolve. The vision faded, leaving Beelzebub staggering, his breath ragged. The voices screamed—Order… light… chaos… who am I?—the Abyssborn's will pressing harder, a whisper of power that both tempted and terrified. The gods' words echoed in his mind, a prophecy that named him the key, but also hinted at a dire cost—his choice could bind him to the gods or make him the Abyssborn's herald.
The Abyssborn's voice roared across the Realms, a storm of shadow, crimson, and chaos. "Devourer… my herald… my vessel… join me… or the Realms burn." Beelzebub's HUD pinged: "Survive the Abyssborn's Arrival: Escape to Safety. Reward: 1000 EXP, 400 Copper, Achievement."The Abyssborn's aura clashed with Beelzebub's, a storm of chaos against a storm of dominance, the pressure causing his HP to drop 20%—a physical strain that made his knees buckle. He growled, aura surging—cobblestones cracking as he turned to Ryn and the goddesses. "We're not fighting that here. Move—now!"
The Chaos Imps swarmed, their crimson eyes glowing with malice, their claws slashing through the air. Beelzebub swung the Eclipse Scythe, Strength at 17029 (gear-boosted) cleaving through ten in a single arc, blood damage flaring—crimson spraying as Pure Chaos Strike (Mastery to 3/10) slashed through another five, pure chaos energy tearing through their forms. Ryn darted beside him, her dagger a blur, slicing through three Imps with lethal precision. The Goddess of Life raised her hands, a wave of golden light healing Beelzebub's HP back to 90%, while the Goddess of Fate's golden barrier deflected a flurry of claws. The Goddess of Time & Space's silver wave slowed the Imps, giving them a moment to breathe.
They fought their way through the streets, the Abyssborn's tendrils lashing out, shattering buildings and sending debris raining down. Beelzebub's aura clashed with the Abyssborn's, the pressure causing his HP to drop another 10%, his vision blurring as the voices screamed—Herald… vessel… chaos… who? He staggered, but Ryn's hand on his arm steadied him, her trust at 86% a quiet anchor. "Keep moving!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
The Mage Guild loomed ahead, its enchanted barriers flickering under the Abyssborn's shadow. Beelzebub roared, Storm Call erupting—lightning chaining through twenty Imps, their screams echoing as the path cleared. They burst through the guild's doors, the barriers sealing behind them, the Abyssborn's roar shaking the walls. Beelzebub's HUD pinged: "Quest Complete. Reward: 1000 EXP, 400 Copper, Achievement: Survivor of Chaos – Escaped the Abyssborn's Arrival. Reward: 500 EXP, Title: Chaos Survivor (+5% Chaos Resistance)."
Inside, Elaraen awaited, her hands trembling as she clutched a glowing tome, the Mage Guild's trust at 98%. "The Abyssborn… it's here," she whispered, her voice a mix of fear and awe. "But you… you're the Devourer. We can fight it… together." Her eyes met Beelzebub's, a flicker of hope in her gaze, the guild's trust ticking up to 99%.
Ryn stepped closer, her hand on his chest, her touch a quiet anchor. "We made it… but what now?" she said, her voice soft, laced with fear.
The Goddess of Life stepped forward, her emerald eyes glowing with warmth. "We must find a way to fight it… to save you," she said, her voice a melody.
The Goddess of Fate's avatar spoke, her golden eyes piercing. "The tomes… they hold the key," she said, her voice a melody.
The Goddess of Time & Space's avatar nodded, her silver eyes shimmering. "We have time… but not much," she said, her voice a whisper.
Beelzebub turned, Charisma weaving a flirty edge into his tone, but his eyes held a flicker of determination. "We fight, beauties. I'm not its herald—I'm its end." Ryn's trust ticked up to 86%, the goddesses' romance arcs deepening with moments of connection.