The new portal pulsed with an eerie, almost familiar energy — smaller than the previous ones, but far more unsettling.
From the swirling darkness stepped a figure that wasn't a towering monster.
It was humanoid. Roughly three meters tall, cloaked in shifting shadows that seemed to drink in the light. Its face was hidden beneath a cracked obsidian mask, only two glowing purple slits visible where eyes should be. In its right hand, it held a long, jagged blade made entirely of condensed void energy — the same kind that now flowed through Kai's veins.
The figure stopped twenty meters away and spoke, its voice a low, distorted whisper that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"You killed my echo… but you cannot kill the truth. You are still fighting what you are becoming."
Kai's eyes narrowed. The void inside him stirred violently — a mix of hunger and unease.
It knows me. It knows exactly what I'm becoming… and it wants me to accelerate.
Elena stood close behind him, her breathing shaky. The overwhelming pressure from the new threat made her heart race, but it was Kai's thickening aura that truly tormented her. Her nipples were painfully tight against the torn blouse, and a deep, slick heat was building between her legs again. She hated how her body kept reacting to him, especially now, when danger was so close. The shame burned hotter because she knew part of her wanted him to protect her again — wanted him to look at her with those cold, possessive eyes.
Sophia gripped her rifle, jaw clenched tight. She was furious at the new threat, but the real anger was directed inward. Every time Kai's power surged, her skin prickled and her core throbbed with unwanted need. She hated feeling weak. She hated how safe she felt standing behind him. Her pride screamed at her to step forward and fight, but her body refused to move away from his shadow.
Kai took one slow step forward, his voice cold and dangerous.
"You talk too much for something that's about to die."
The masked figure laughed — a hollow, broken sound.
"Then come. Let me show you what you will become."
It moved.
The attack was blindingly fast. The figure blurred across the distance, jagged blade swinging in a wide arc that carried pure void energy.
Kai activated Void Domain Lv.3 at maximum and met it head-on.
Shadow Step + Void Claw!
He blinked forward and slashed. Their blades clashed with a deafening screech. Dark energy exploded outward, shattering the ground beneath them.
The masked figure was strong — stronger than the previous three. Every strike was precise, every movement calculated to exploit Kai's weaknesses. Its blade cut through the air with unnatural speed, forcing Kai to dodge and counter constantly.
Kai chained Shadow Step, trying to find an opening. He landed a solid hit with Void Claw across the figure's shoulder, but the wound sealed almost instantly.
Void Drain!
Dark tendrils shot forward, but the masked figure dispersed them with a wave of its hand.
"You still fight like a child borrowing power," it hissed. "I am the Void. I do not borrow. I am."
It suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Kai, blade aimed at his spine.
Kai spun at the last second, but the blade still grazed his side, drawing blood. Pain flared hot and sharp.
The void inside him roared in response.
No one touches me. No one threatens what is mine.
He countered with Void Pulse, the ring of dark energy exploding outward and staggering the figure for a moment.
Kai didn't hesitate. He closed the distance and unleashed a savage barrage of Void Claw strikes. The masked figure blocked some, but several cuts landed, black blood-like essence leaking from the wounds.
Behind him, Elena's voice came out as a shaky whisper.
"Kai… be careful…"
Sophia didn't speak, but her grip on the rifle was white-knuckled. She hated how helpless she felt. She hated how her body heated up every time Kai fought like this — like a predator who refused to lose.
The masked figure laughed again, even as it was being pushed back.
"You protect them so fiercely… but do you even know why? Is it because you care… or because the Void already sees them as yours?"
Kai's eyes flashed with cold anger.
He used Shadow Step to appear right in front of the figure and drove both claws into its chest.
Void Drain — Maximum Output!
Dark tendrils erupted violently, sinking deep into the masked figure's core.
The figure screamed — a sound that echoed with thousands of voices.
"You will break them… just like I broke everything I once cared for…"
Its body began to fracture, cracks spreading across the obsidian mask.
Before it fully disintegrated, it whispered one final sentence directly into Kai's mind, cold and mocking:
"When the mask falls… you will see your own face staring back. The Void doesn't give power. It takes everything — including them."
Then it shattered completely, dissolving into black mist that was absorbed into Kai's body.
[Ding! Fragment of the Hollow Sovereign devoured!]
[Major reward received.]
[Void Influence has significantly increased.]
[New Passive Unlocked: Echo Resistance Lv.1]
Kai stood still for a moment, breathing heavily. The void inside him felt heavier, colder. For a brief second, he saw a flash — a vision of himself wearing the same cracked obsidian mask.
He shook it off.
Turning to Elena and Sophia, he saw both women watching him with wide, conflicted eyes.
Elena's face was flushed dark red. Her legs trembled as she tried to hide how intensely her body had reacted to the fight. The shame was almost unbearable, but so was the aching need between her thighs. She wanted to run, to deny everything, but she couldn't look away from him.
Sophia's breathing was ragged. Her pride was fighting a losing battle against the heat flooding her body. She hated feeling this way — weak, needy, wanting the protection of the man she once thought she could overpower. Yet she couldn't deny the dark thrill that ran through her every time Kai stood victorious.
Kai walked toward them, his voice low and rough:
"It's done."
He reached out, placing one hand on Elena's waist and the other on Sophia's hip, his grip firm and possessive.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
Then, in the distance, another faint portal began to form — even smaller, but carrying an aura that felt disturbingly close to Kai's own power.
Kai's eyes narrowed, a dangerous smile tugging at his lips.
"Looks like the Void isn't finished with us yet."
He tightened his grip on both women.
"Stay close. Whatever comes next… it's coming for me."