Silence.
Heavy.
Unnatural.
---
The battlefield was gone.
Reduced to ruins.
Cracked earth.
Fading traces of dark energy.
---
The Second Circle…
Gone.
Erased.
---
But something remained.
---
A presence.
---
Rai stood still.
His eyes fixed forward.
---
"…It's still here."
---
Ruun's voice was low.
"…You feel it too."
---
Karn tightened his grip.
"…This isn't over."
---
Lucian looked around.
Grinning slightly—
But even he felt it.
"…Yeah."
"This feels… different."
---
The air warped.
---
A faint distortion appeared in front of them.
---
Not an explosion.
Not a portal.
---
Just—
A crack.
---
Thin.
Black.
Spreading slowly across space itself.
---
Ruun's eyes widened.
"…That's not a gate."
---
Karn stepped back slightly.
"…That's something forcing its way through."
---
Rai didn't move.
---
The crack widened.
---
From within—
Darkness.
Endless.
Alive.
---
Then—
An eye opened.
---
Massive.
Watching.
---
Everything froze.
---
Lucian's grin disappeared.
"…What the hell…"
---
Grik (watching from afar) dropped his weapon.
"…That's not real…"
---
The eye moved.
Slowly.
---
And then—
It locked onto Rai.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
A voice.
---
Not heard.
---
Felt.
---
"…So."
---
The world trembled.
---
"…You are the vessel."
---
Rai's eyes didn't change.
---
"…You're the Abyss."
---
The eye blinked.
---
"…A fragment."
---
The pressure increased instantly.
---
Lucian dropped to one knee.
"…Tch…!"
---
Karn gritted his teeth.
"…This… pressure…"
---
Ruun struggled to stay standing.
"…It's overwhelming…"
---
Rai stood alone.
Unaffected.
---
"…You sent them."
---
The Abyss responded.
---
"…They were tools."
---
"…You destroyed them."
---
A pause.
---
"…Good."
---
The ground cracked further.
---
"…You are worth observing."
---
Rai's eyes narrowed slightly.
---
"…Then observe."
---
The Abyss seemed to smile.
Though it had no face.
---
"…I will."
---
The pressure spiked.
---
Lucian slammed his fist into the ground.
"…This thing is annoying."
---
Karn spoke through gritted teeth.
"…It's not trying to kill us…"
---
Ruun realized it.
"…It's testing him."
---
Rai stepped forward.
---
"…Then I'll end the test."
---
Dark energy rose around him.
---
The vessel reacted instantly.
---
Crimson light flickered in his eyes.
---
The Abyss watched closely.
---
"…Show me."
---
Rai raised his hand.
---
Dark Dominion expanded—
---
But this time—
It collided with something.
---
Invisible.
---
Massive.
---
The Abyss's presence pushed back.
---
The two forces clashed.
---
BOOOOOOM
---
The sky cracked.
---
The ground shattered deeper.
---
Lucian looked up.
"…They're fighting without moving."
---
Karn nodded slowly.
"…Pressure against pressure…"
---
Ruun whispered,
"…This isn't physical combat…"
"…This is will."
---
Rai's eyes sharpened.
---
"…Then I'll crush yours."
---
The voice inside him roared.
DESTROY IT.
---
This time—
Rai didn't resist.
Didn't suppress.
Didn't hesitate.
---
He accepted it.
---
Dark energy surged violently—
But remained under control.
---
Compressed.
Focused.
---
His presence exploded outward.
---
The Abyss's eye flickered.
---
For the first time—
It reacted.
---
"…Interesting…"
---
Rai stepped forward.
---
The invisible pressure cracked.
---
CRACK
---
A fracture formed in the Abyss's manifestation.
---
Lucian's eyes widened.
"…No way…"
---
Karn whispered,
"…He's pushing it back…"
---
Ruun stared.
"…That's not normal…"
---
Rai raised his hand.
---
"…Leave."
---
The Abyss was silent for a moment.
---
Then—
It laughed.
---
A deep, endless sound.
---
"…Not yet."
---
The crack began to close.
---
The eye slowly faded.
---
"…Grow stronger."
---
"…Then I will come for you."
---
The presence vanished.
---
The pressure disappeared instantly.
---
Silence returned.
---
Lucian collapsed onto his back.
"…HAHA…"
"…That was insane…"
---
Karn exhaled deeply.
"…That wasn't a fight…"
---
Ruun finished it.
"…That was a warning."
---
Rai stood still.
---
Looking at where the Abyss had been.
---
"…No."
---
They all looked at him.
---
"It was a promise."
---
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Abyss Contact Established
New Threat Identified: Abyss Entity (Unknown Rank)
New Skill Unlocked: Will Domination (Lv.1)
Vessel Synchronization Increased
---
The screen faded.
---
Rai turned back toward the settlement.
---
His expression calm.
---
But his presence…
---
Heavier.
---
Stronger.
---
Unstoppable.
---
Because now—
The enemy had revealed itself.
---
And soon—
It would come in full.