The chamber shook violently.
Stone rained continuously from the ceiling.
The widening Abyssal Breach groaned like a wound being torn open.
Dark purple mist poured endlessly into the chamber.
The pressure only continued to rise.
The two newly emerged Rift Breakers roared in unison.
**ROOOOAAARRR—!!**
The sound alone shook the ancient ruins.
Silence followed.
The bandaged elder—
Dray—
stood staring at the widening crack.
The amusement that had lingered on him until now was gone.
Only solemnity remained.
"...Though our cult has existed for generations..."
"...we have never once opened..."
"...a stable Abyssal Breach."
The surrounding elders remained silent.
Dray continued.
"...Every ritual we performed..."
"...was incomplete."
"...Temporary."
"...A forced opening."
He slowly lifted his gaze toward the expanding tear in space.
"...The creatures of the Abyss..."
"...are the ones capable of creating a true Breach."
"...Not us."
His eyes settled on the massive Rift Breakers.
"...Our role..."
"...was merely to summon them."
"...Once they crossed over..."
"...they tore the path open themselves."
His bandaged hand slowly clenched.
"...That..."
"...is why it is called..."
"...a Breach."
The masked elder gave a quiet nod.
"...The formation..."
"...only created the initial crack."
"...Everything after that..."
His gaze shifted toward the towering monsters.
"...belongs to them."
Pythia remained silent.
Her eyes briefly drifted toward Draven.
He still knelt upon the stone floor.
Blood continued flowing from his nose...
His ears...
The corners of his eyes.
Completely ignoring everything around him—
he continued absorbing the Abyssal mana.
Dray looked toward him.
"...But with someone..."
"...capable of feeding Abyssal mana into the formation..."
"...while simultaneously serving as its anchor..."
"...we accomplished..."
"...what should have been impossible."
His gaze returned to the Breach.
The crack widened again.
**RRRIIIIIP...**
Space screamed.
Another enormous claw slowly emerged from the darkness beyond.
Dray's pupils contracted.
"...This cannot continue."
He immediately turned toward the others.
"...We're leaving."
His voice carried no hesitation.
"...I have absolutely no intention..."
"...of dying here."
One of the elders immediately nodded.
"...Agreed."
Another stared at the widening crack.
"...If this continues..."
"...the Breach will only grow larger."
"...More..."
"...will follow."
Silence settled over the chamber.
The remaining cultists exchanged uneasy glances.
Fear was plainly visible beneath their hoods.
One swallowed nervously.
"...E-Elder..."
"...Shouldn't we seal it?"
Dray slowly shook his head.
"...Seal it?"
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"...With what?"
He pointed toward the widening Breach.
"...The moment those creatures established a stable passage..."
"...that possibility disappeared."
His voice remained calm.
"...No one here..."
"...possesses the power..."
"...to close it."
He looked toward the ancient formation.
"...Even destroying the ritual..."
"...would accomplish nothing now."
"...The doorway..."
"...already exists."
Another deafening roar erupted.
A third pair of claws slowly appeared within the endless darkness beyond the Breach.
Ryke's face drained of all color.
"...Another one..."
He unconsciously stumbled backward.
"...What the hell..."
"...How many are there...?"
No one answered.
Even the elders remained silent.
The answer...
None of them knew.
Only the endless darkness beyond the Breach remained.
As though an entire world...
...was staring back at them.
---
The chamber fell into complete silence.
Only the endless groaning of space could be heard.
**RRRRRIIIIIP...**
The Abyssal Breach continued widening.
Dark mist flooded the chamber without end.
The oppressive pressure grew heavier with every passing second.
The two Rift Breakers stood motionless.
Behind them—
more colossal silhouettes slowly pressed toward the opening.
One claw...
Then another...
Each waiting for enough space to force its way through.
Ryke's face had long since turned pale.
His breathing had become shallow.
*...No...*
*There are more...*
*There's no end to them...*
His trembling eyes remained fixed upon the widening Breach.
"...W-We're..."
"...We're finished..."
Kaelira stood frozen.
Even the smile on her face had begun to stiffen.
Her wolf ears twitched uneasily.
"...They're..."
She stared at the creatures beyond the crack.
"...More are coming..."
A long silence followed.
"...If we don't do something..."
She tightened her grip on Draven's belongings.
"...We'll either become monsters from all this corruption..."
"...or those things will kill us first."
Pythia calmly observed the Breach.
Her expression remained composed.
"...The Abyssal mana..."
"...has become far denser."
Her eyes shifted toward the little black cat.
It remained beside the Breach.
Its tiny mouth continuously devoured the torrents of Abyssal mana pouring from the opening.
"...Most of the mana leaking directly from the Breach..."
"...is being consumed by My Lord's companion."
Her gaze slowly shifted toward the Rift Breakers.
"...However..."
"...the mana continuously released by the Rift Breakers..."
She stopped.
Everyone noticed it.
The countless streams of dark mana drifting throughout the chamber...
Suddenly changed direction.
Like rivers finding the sea.
Every strand...
Every wisp...
Every trace of Abyssal mana...
Was flowing toward a single point.
Everyone slowly turned.
Draven.
He still stood where he had landed.
Blood stained his clothes.
Fresh crimson continued flowing from his nose...
From the corners of his eyes...
From one side of his mouth.
Yet—
he slowly rose to his feet.
The surrounding mana continued rushing toward him.
Like an endless vortex.
Aldric watched quietly.
Several blood constructs floated lazily around him.
Each remained aimed at the Rift Breakers.
"...Finished with dinner?"
He tilted his head.
A smirk spread across his face.
"...Or are you still eating?"
Draven wiped the blood from beneath his nose.
His fingers came away crimson.
Without even looking—
he flicked the blood aside.
"...I'm..."
He drew a slow breath.
"...Getting used to it."
His voice remained calm.
Only he knew—
every passing second felt as though his entire body was being torn apart.
Inside him—
the Folding Mass continued compressing the Abyssal mana.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Relentlessly.
Every compression felt as though molten iron had been poured directly into his veins.
The pain never lessened.
It never became easier.
*...Still hurts like hell...*
*...No...*
*It hurts even more now...*
He slowly exhaled through his nose.
*...I've simply grown used to enduring it.*
Blood suddenly surged into his throat.
"Cough."
He turned his head slightly.
Dark blood splattered across the stone floor.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
The absorption never stopped.
Not for even a single heartbeat.
Aldric raised an eyebrow.
"...Huh."
"...You don't even have to get on all fours anymore."
"...That's an improvement."
Draven gave no reply.
His crimson eyes remained fixed ahead.
Locked onto the Rift Breakers.
The monsters had also stopped moving.
Their enormous crimson eyes stared directly back at him.
Not at the elders.
Not at Aldric.
Not at anyone else.
Only him.
The torrents of Abyssal mana surrounding their colossal bodies were being stolen without end.
Pulled away.
Dragged toward the lone white-haired figure standing before them.
One of the Rift Breakers slowly lowered its massive head.
Its nostrils flared.
It sniffed the air.
The crimson fissures covering its body pulsed violently.
Then—
a deep growl rumbled from within its chest.
It understood.
Something...
Was stealing its nourishment.
Draven calmly met its gaze.
Another torrent of Abyssal mana flowed into his body.
His crimson eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"...Come."
His quiet voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"...You're all..."
"...Nothing more..."
Another pulse of Abyssal mana surged into him.
"...Than food."