The eight heirs entered the Abyss prison arena with hesitant steps. The arena was vast, stretching endlessly. From its ceiling hung massive iron chains that creaked ceaselessly, and the floor glowed with intermittent black flashes, as if pulsing with the heartbeat of a living being buried beneath it.
The air was heavy… almost unbreathable. Eliza walked with weary steps, trying to resist the suffocating pressure that intensified with every step they took. Then, suddenly, her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.
Saruto noticed her fall immediately and rushed to her side without hesitation, extending his hand to help her up.
Her gaze was pale. She said in a faint voice, taking his hand:
"Thank you… I didn't expect the pressure to be this intense."
Saruto nodded without speaking, his eyes shining. After a few moments, Eliza regained her balance, her body gradually adapting to the energy of the arena. Saruto calmly released her and returned to his position.
Raiser took a few steps forward, his deep voice echoing through the ring:
"The pressure you feel now is but a trace of the energy of the First Founder of the Luwin family… a mere one percent of his true power."
Silence fell. The heirs' faces froze in a mixture of astonishment and disbelief, except for Saruto. He alone knew… for he had met the First Founder himself and witnessed the pressure—enough to crush an entire city in a single pulse.
Raiser raised his hand and pointed to a massive stone platform in the center of the arena. It was like the heart of the arena, emitting a pulsating black light every few seconds.
"That is the platform that will measure your energy level and summon a match for your strength. It is an instrument crafted by the First Founder himself, and it never errs."
Then he turned to them and continued sternly:
"Now, all of you leave the arena… except for you two, Saruto and Lucien. You two will be the first to take the test."
The heirs exchanged glances, then began to ascend to the high terraces surrounding the arena.
The terraces were covered with a transparent energy barrier that prevented any trace of the arena battle from reaching them. They sat in silence, watching what would happen next with bated breath.
In the center of the arena, Saruto and Lucien walked steadily toward the platform.
The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, as if sensing the approaching force.
They stood in the center, and the platform began to emit a low sound like the beating of an ancient heart. Strands of dark light wrapped around their bodies, measuring, analyzing, and weighing their energy with absolute precision.
Saruto turned to Lucien with a mysterious smile:
"How about we make things a little more interesting?"
"What do you mean?" Lucien replied, surprised. Saruto placed a hand on his chest, his eyes glowing with shadow light.
"Let's unleash our full power... to summon the strongest in this prison."
Lucian's face broke into a wicked smile.
"And if we defeat him... it will be an admission that we are the strongest here."
Saruto chuckled softly. "Exactly."
Lucian raised his hand, releasing a dense burst of icy energy that coated the platform in a cold, crystalline layer.
The energy readings spiked rapidly, and the platform began to tremble. Then, just before it stopped, Saruto opened his eyes fully and unleashed his dark energy.
A wave of exploding shadows surged around him, and the entire arena shook. His hair turned white—Dark Awakening, Level 3—and in the next instant, his body was encased in dark armor—Level 2 armor.
The platform's indicator rose higher and higher until the black light began to crackle, and the arena shook as if it were about to explode. Then suddenly, everything stopped.
The platform emitted a sharp sound, then its signals began to flash.
From the stands, the heirs stared in stunned silence, their faces etched with wonder.
They had never seen Saruto unleash such power before. Even the Master himself, Razor, smiled and said, "How expected of my young master," then his eyes widened for a moment as he muttered under his breath,
"Impossible… They've summoned prisoner number eleven in the power rankings… Kaven."
Dark particles gathered before the platform, and a body gradually formed from the black mist until a muscular man, covered in tattoos and forbidden marks, appeared.
He opened his eyes slowly and exhaled a long breath, as if returning to life after a two-thousand-year slumber.
He moved his neck and shoulders slowly and said in a hoarse, broken voice,
"I haven't been able to move for a long time… Thank you, youngsters."
Silence fell over the arena, as the air around them trembled.
At that moment, everyone realized the real test had begun.