The clash didn't stop.
It escalated.
BOOM—!!
Muyeon and the Abyss being collided again.
Stone pillars shattered.
The temple cracked further.
Muyeon slid back, boots digging into broken ground.
"…This thing…" he muttered.
No wasted movement.
No openings.
Perfect.
The creature stepped forward slowly.
"…You adapt."
Muyeon smirked faintly.
"…I improve."
Silence.
Then—
They vanished again.
CRASH!
Fist met palm.
Shockwave ripped through the temple interior.
Muyeon twisted—
Landed a strike—
BAM!
This time—
The creature moved back.
Just slightly.
Its eyes sharpened.
"…Interesting."
Muyeon's breathing was heavier now.
[HP: 6% → 5%]
"…Still not enough…"
The creature raised its hand.
The air distorted.
Muyeon froze.
"…What now—"
THUMP.
That heartbeat again.
But louder.
Closer.
Stronger.
The temple reacted.
The carvings on the walls began to glow faintly.
The ground pulsed.
Muyeon's system flickered violently.
[WARNING: EXTERNAL SYSTEM DETECTED]
His eyes widened.
"…External system?"
The creature tilted its head.
"…So you hear it too."
Silence.
Muyeon's gaze sharpened instantly.
"…What do you mean."
The creature stepped closer.
"…You are not the first."
A pause.
"…Others came."
Muyeon's expression changed slightly.
"…Other… system users?"
The creature didn't answer directly.
"…They tried to climb."
Another step.
"…They failed."
Muyeon's mind raced.
"…So the Abyss—"
"…is a graveyard," the creature finished.
Silence.
The heartbeat grew louder.
THUMP.
Muyeon clenched his fist.
"…Then what are you?"
The creature's eyes glowed brighter.
"…A keeper."
A pause.
"…A judge."
The pressure increased instantly.
"…And your end."
It moved.
Faster than before.
Muyeon reacted—
But—
CRASH—!!
He was slammed deep into the temple floor.
Stone broke beneath him.
[HP: 5% → 3%]
His vision flickered.
"…Tch…"
The creature stood above him.
"…You are like them."
A pause.
"…Incomplete."
Muyeon laughed weakly.
"…Then I'll just… complete myself."
He forced his body up.
Every muscle screamed.
But he stood.
The system flickered wildly.
[Critical State]
[Evolution Path Instability Detected]
[Abyss Synchronization Attempting…]
Muyeon's eyes widened slightly.
"…Again?"
The creature's gaze sharpened.
"…So it begins."
Muyeon exhaled slowly.
Then—
He stepped forward.
Not with speed.
Not with power.
With intent.
"…I'm not like them."
A pause.
"…I don't climb."
His aura darkened.
"…I take."
The creature moved.
Muyeon moved too.
BOOM—!!
This time—
He didn't get pushed back.
He held his ground.
The floor beneath him shattered—
But he stood.
The creature's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're changing."
Muyeon smirked.
"…Too late to notice."
He twisted—
Countered—
CRACK!
A direct hit landed.
The creature staggered—
For the first time.
Silence.
Then—
It smiled.
"…Good."
The heartbeat reached its peak.
THUMP—!!
The entire temple shook violently.
Something deeper—
Was waking up.
Both of them felt it.
Muyeon narrowed his eyes.
"…There's something below us."
The creature nodded slowly.
"…Yes."
A pause.
"…And it is watching you."
Silence.
Then—
The ground beneath them cracked open.
BOOM—!!
A massive fissure split the temple.
Darkness surged upward.
The heartbeat—
Now deafening.
Muyeon stared into the abyss below.
For the first time—
He didn't smile.
"…What the hell is that…"
The creature stepped back.
Not in fear.
In respect.
"…Your next trial."
Muyeon's eyes sharpened again.
Even now—
Even here—
He stepped forward.
Toward the darkness.
"…Good."
Because no matter what it was—
He would face it.