The first clash was violent.
No hesitation.
No probing.
Just impact.
One of the demons blurred forward, its figure distorting mid-step. Not speed—something worse. Space itself seemed to fold around it.
Cyrus reacted instantly.
Steel met claw.
The force behind it drove him half a step back.
"…Strong," he muttered.
The demon grinned.
"Of course."
Then it twisted—
And vanished.
"Above—!"
Too late.
Another squad member raised his weapon just in time to block a descending strike. The impact cracked the ground beneath his feet.
Kael moved.
Not flashy.
Not explosive.
Just precise.
His blade cut across the demon's flank—
But instead of flesh tearing—
The space around it warped.
The strike slid off.
"…Tch."
Kael stepped back immediately.
"Don't commit fully," he said. "Their movement isn't physical."
Cyrus adjusted his stance. "…Spatial-type?"
"Something like that."
Another demon lunged—
Only to be intercepted mid-motion by a coordinated strike from two squad members.
This time—
It bled.
Dark.
Thick.
Not invincible.
Good.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…They're not untouchable."
The demon that had spoken earlier tilted its head slightly.
"Observant."
A pause.
"But it won't help."
Then—
The ground beneath them cracked open.
Not from force—
From within.
Something surged upward.
Massive.
A limb—
No—
A hand.
Clawed.
Colossal.
It burst through the surface, forcing the entire squad to scatter.
"Split!"
Kael didn't wait to confirm.
He moved with the closest three, creating space instantly.
The rest followed Cyrus.
Formation broken—
But not lost.
The creature rose further.
A full upper torso now visible.
Abyssal.
Grotesque.
And very, very real.
"…So that's how it is," Kael muttered.
The demons didn't attack.
They stepped back.
Watching.
Letting it happen.
"Captain—!" one of the squad called out.
Kael's gaze flicked once.
Assessment.
Fast.
Too fast.
Too many variables.
"…We don't drag this out," he said.
Cyrus understood immediately.
"…You're thinking of—"
"Yes."
A pause.
"…But controlled."
That mattered.
Because what Kael was about to use—
Wasn't something you played around with.
The creature moved.
Slow—
But overwhelming.
Each step warped the ground.
Each motion carried weight far beyond its size.
A squad member lunged—
Testing—
And was forced back instantly, his weapon vibrating from the impact.
"…We can't break through," he said through clenched teeth.
Kael stepped forward.
"…We don't need to."
His breathing slowed.
Steady.
Measured.
Then—
His eyes changed.
Not visibly.
Not to anyone else.
But something shifted.
Deep.
Ancient.
Heavy.
"…Back off," he said quietly.
No one argued.
They felt it.
That subtle pressure.
Different from the Abyss.
Different from the demons.
This was Kael.
But not just Kael.
He stepped forward alone—
But not recklessly.
Cyrus and the others spread out, ready to intercept anything that moved toward him.
The demons watched.
Interested now.
The air grew heavier.
Kael's body tensed—
Then—
It happened.
Not an explosion.
Not a surge.
A release.
Like something that had always been there…
Finally being allowed out.
His aura shifted.
Sharpened.
Violent.
The faint crackle of something unseen ran along his frame.
"…Bloodline," one of the demons murmured.
Now they understood.
Now they cared.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Let's keep this short."
Then he moved.
This time—
There was no distortion stopping him.
His blade cut through the creature's arm—
Clean.
Like it had always been meant to.
The massive limb crashed to the ground.
The creature roared—
And swung wildly.
Kael didn't dodge.
He stepped in.
Another strike.
Precise.
Efficient.
Controlled.
The difference was obvious.
Overwhelming.
This was what early bloodline awakening meant.
Power beyond your level.
Beyond your rank.
But—
Cyrus saw it.
The tension in Kael's shoulders.
The strain.
"…He can't keep that up long," he muttered.
Which meant—
They couldn't waste it.
"Move!" Cyrus barked.
The squad surged forward again.
This time—
They broke through.
Strikes landed.
Damage accumulated.
The creature staggered.
Kael didn't stop.
Didn't slow.
Every movement calculated.
Every strike purposeful.
And then—
The final blow.
His blade pierced through the creature's core.
A moment of stillness.
Then—
Collapse.
The massive body fell.
Hard.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Kael stood there for a second longer.
Then—
The aura faded.
Just like that.
Gone.
He exhaled slowly.
His stance loosened slightly.
Not weakness.
But strain.
Real.
Noticeable.
Cyrus stepped closer. "…You good?"
Kael nodded once.
"…Fine."
But he didn't move immediately.
Because the demons—
Were still there.
Watching.
And now—
Their expressions had changed.
Interest.
Real interest.
"…So that's what you are," the lead demon said softly.
Kael didn't respond.
His grip tightened slightly on his weapon.
Because now—
This wasn't just a fight anymore.
This was attention.
And in a place like this—
That was worse.
—
Aurelia stopped walking.
Again.
Auralis sighed. "…Let me guess."
Aurelia didn't look at her.
"…Something's wrong."
"…Something's always wrong."
"…This is different."
That again.
Auralis rolled her shoulder slightly, adjusting her grip on the hammer.
"…Say it."
Aurelia's gaze shifted slightly.
"…The layer is reacting."
The others behind them stiffened slightly.
"…Reacting to what?" the spear user asked.
Aurelia didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"…To something entering it."
Silence.
Auralis' eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Strong?"
Aurelia nodded once.
"…Very."
A pause.
"…Not from here."
That narrowed it down.
A lot.
Auralis grinned slowly.
"…Now that's interesting."
Aurelia didn't smile.
Her gaze drifted again—
Toward Blood Peak.
"…We need to move faster."
The dagger girl frowned. "We've been moving non-stop."
Aurelia's response was calm.
"…Then keep up."
No softness.
No hesitation.
Just direction.
And this time—
No one complained.
Because they could feel it too now.
That subtle shift in the air.
Like something had changed.
Like something big had just stepped onto the board.
And somewhere—
Not too far away—
Zael was still moving.
Alone.
Chapter: Something Is Wrong
Zael knew something was off.
At first—
He ignored it.
That was his mistake.
The first few encounters felt normal.
A stray beast here.
A small pack there.
Manageable.
Expected.
The Abyss wasn't supposed to be safe.
But now—
Two hours later—
It didn't feel like the Abyss anymore.
It felt like something was hunting him.
Zael exhaled slowly, leaning against a broken slab of black stone.
His breathing was heavier than he liked.
Not out of control—
But not perfect either.
His clothes were torn in multiple places, faint streaks of dark blood—his and not his—marking the fabric.
"…Again," he muttered under his breath.
He had just finished a fight.
Not even a minute ago.
And already—
He could feel it.
That faint shift in the air.
That pressure.
Closing in.
He pushed himself off the stone immediately.
No rest.
No time.
Because every time he stopped—
They came.
At first, he thought it was coincidence.
Bad luck.
Now—
He knew better.
It didn't matter how he moved.
Didn't matter if he masked his presence.
Didn't matter if he circled wide around known territories.
They still found him.
Every time.
"…Tracking?"
He didn't like that thought.
But it made sense.
Too much sense.
A low growl echoed from the distance.
Zael's grip tightened slightly on his weapon.
"…Of course."
Three shapes emerged from the shadows.
Low.
Fast.
Abyssal beasts.
Not the strongest he'd faced.
But not weak either.
And more importantly—
Relentless.
They didn't hesitate.
Didn't test.
They attacked.
Zael moved first.
Void Step.
A blur.
He appeared to the side—
Resonance Strike already in motion.
Impact.
The first beast was sent crashing sideways, its body distorting from the force.
The second lunged—
Too fast.
Zael twisted mid-motion, barely avoiding the full bite. Claws still scraped across his side.
A sharp sting.
But shallow.
He didn't stop.
Blade Domain flared.
Controlled.
Tight.
Efficient.
A clean cut—
The second beast dropped.
The third didn't retreat.
Didn't hesitate.
It charged straight through the fading body of its packmate.
Zael's eyes narrowed.
"…Stupid."
But it wasn't.
Because right behind it—
Two more appeared.
"…Tch."
So that was how it was.
Wave after wave.
No gaps.
No breathing room.
Zael stepped back.
Then forward.
He met them head-on.
Steel clashed against claw.
Movement against movement.
Precise.
Calculated.
But even then—
It was exhausting.
Not the fights themselves.
But the repetition.
The lack of pause.
The constant pressure.
Minutes later—
It was over.
Again.
Bodies hit the ground.
Silence followed.
Brief.
Too brief.
Zael stood still.
Breathing steadying slowly.
"…This isn't normal."
No response.
Just the faint hum of the Abyss around him.
He wiped his blade once.
Then—
A familiar sensation.
Warm.
Rising.
System prompts flooded in.
---
[You have defeated multiple Abyssal Creatures]
[EXP gained]
+3,200 EXP
+2,800 EXP
+3,500 EXP
+3,100 EXP
+2,900 EXP
---
[Level Up!]
---
Zael's eyes flickered slightly.
"…Finally."
But there was no relief in his voice.
Because even that—
Felt wrong.
Too fast.
Too constant.
Like something was feeding him just enough—
To keep him going.
To keep him fighting.
Not letting him stop.
Not letting him think.
---
[Status Panel]
Name: Zael
Level: 27
EXP: 4,300 / 27,000
Class: — Child of Dao
Grade: — ???
Talents:
• Supreme Blessing (Mythical)
• Ascendant Echo (Mythical)
• Adaptive Evolution (Mythical)
Attributes:
• Strength: 162 → 168
• Agility: 171 → 178
• Vitality: 155 → 162
• Intelligence: 148 → 154
• Perception: 139 → 145
Skills:
• Blade Domain (Advanced)
• Void Step (Intermediate)
• Resonance Strike (Advanced)
• Night Sever (Intermediate)
• Phantom Split (Basic)
---
Zael stared at the panel for a second longer than usual.
"…27 already."
That should have felt like progress.
Instead—
It felt like pressure.
Like a countdown.
He closed the panel.
His gaze lifted.
Scanning.
Listening.
Waiting.
Nothing.
For now.
But he knew better.
"…I'm being herded."
The words came out quietly.
But firmly.
This wasn't random.
This wasn't bad luck.
This was controlled.
Something—
Or someone—
Was pushing him.
Wearing him down.
Feeding him just enough fights to grow—
But never enough time to recover.
A slow burn.
A test.
Or—
A setup.
Zael exhaled once.
Steady.
Then—
He moved again.
Not because he wanted to.
Because stopping wasn't an option.
And somewhere deep in the Abyss—
Something watched.
Patient.
Calculating.
Waiting for the moment—
He finally slowed down.