Inside the Elven Royal Palace, within the private chamber of Queen Evelyne, a heavy and suffocating silence filled the space as both figures sat across from each other, neither speaking for a long while as tension quietly built.
Velzahar remained completely still, his expression calm yet distant, as if his mind was occupied with something far beyond the present moment, something even the Queen herself could not grasp.
Unable to endure the silence any longer, Evelyne finally spoke, her voice steady yet carrying an unmistakable edge of concern.
"…You sent him there, didn't you?"
Velzahar did not answer immediately. Instead, his gaze slowly shifted toward her, his vertical pupils reflecting faint light before he gave a small, silent nod, confirming her suspicions without hesitation.
Evelyne's lips tightened, her brows knitting slightly as she leaned forward, her tone sharpening as restrained emotion surfaced.
"You know what that place is… You know exactly what kind of nightmare exists there, yet you still chose to send him into it without hesitation?"
Velzahar closed his eyes briefly, as if acknowledging the weight behind her words, before opening them again with a faint, unreadable calm.
"Yes… I know better than anyone."
He paused, then his gaze sharpened slightly, something ancient and dangerous flickering beneath his composed exterior.
"But you are underestimating him."
Evelyne frowned, confusion mixing with unease as she tried to understand what he truly meant.
Velzahar leaned back slightly, his voice lowering, each word carrying quiet certainty.
"He is the one who broke the laws of existence itself… so tell me, Evelyne—what do you think will happen when someone like that enters the Abyss?"
Silence fell instantly.
Evelyne's thoughts raced, piecing together his meaning until realization struck her like a violent shock, her pupils shrinking as her breath hitched.
"…He won't die…"
A pause.
"…He'll evolve."
Velzahar smiled faintly, his eyes narrowing with quiet satisfaction.
"Exactly."
His voice turned firm.
"He will return… as something far more monstrous than he already is."
Hell Dungeon
Noah stood amidst a vast wasteland of ash and corpses, his senses stretched to their absolute limits as he felt countless presences rapidly converging toward him, each one radiating hostility thick enough to suffocate the air itself.
The ground trembled beneath their approach, subtle at first, then increasingly violent as the sheer number of creatures closing in began to distort the environment itself.
"…They definitely felt that explosion…"
His perception sharpened, capturing clearer shapes as the creatures entered range, revealing not only the massive Sand-Worms—but far more terrifying beings lurking behind them.
Towering figures, nearly eighty feet tall, advanced with heavy, crushing steps, their three grotesque heads swaying as thick saliva dripped from their jaws onto the corpse-filled ground.
"…So those are the real threats…"
The System reacted instantly.
[WARNING!]
[Detected: Abyssal Cerberus]
[Threat Level: Certain Death]
[Recommendation: DO NOT ENGAGE]
Noah exhaled slowly, his earlier excitement fading into a cold, calculating focus as his mind began processing possibilities at a speed far beyond human limits.
'Running won't work… they'll catch me instantly, and once I'm surrounded, I won't even have time to react.'
His thoughts shifted rapidly toward his current abilities, analyzing their efficiency in real time.
'Doom Shard is too slow for this many enemies… it consumes too much focus and leaves openings.'
A pause.
Then—
An idea surfaced.
'…Then I'll make something better.'
Noah focused inward, drawing the black Ether from his core and guiding it toward his right hand, not compressing it—but shaping it with precision.
The Ether responded immediately, forming a faint outline that gradually solidified into the shape of a long, double-edged sword, its structure becoming clearer with each passing second.
At first it remained translucent, unstable, but as more energy flowed into it, the blade turned pitch black, with smoke-like Ether drifting along its surface like a living entity.
Noah tightened his grip, feeling its weight, its balance, its sharpness.
"…Perfect."
He lowered his stance, one foot forward, the other behind, stabilizing his center of gravity as Ether gathered beneath his feet like a compressed spring.
"I need speed… and control."
Without hesitation—
He moved.
The ground beneath him shattered as he surged forward explosively, his body cutting through the air with such force that a sharp shockwave trailed behind him.
Within a single breath—
He reached the first Sand-Worm.
His blade flashed horizontally, slicing cleanly through its massive body before it could even react, its scream echoing behind him as its form split apart.
Noah didn't stop moving.
But his mind registered everything.
'That slash left an opening… inefficient. I need tighter control over my follow-through.'
Another Sand-Worm lunged forward, its massive circular mouth opening wide, attempting to devour him in a single motion.
Noah reacted instantly, channeling Ether beneath his feet and launching himself upward just before impact, narrowly avoiding the crushing bite.
Mid-air, his eyes sharpened further.
"This ends now."
He raised his sword above his head, gripping it with both hands before bringing it down with immense force, gravity amplifying the power behind his strike.
The blade descended like a falling guillotine, cleaving the creature in half as its massive body collapsed beneath him.
He landed—and immediately moved again.
No pause.
No hesitation.
Because—
Something faster had arrived.
A massive shadow surged from the side.
A Cerberus.
Its enormous body crashed toward him with overwhelming force, aiming to crush him instantly before he could react.
And yet—
It stopped.
Frozen.
Just inches away.
Infinity.
Noah felt the invisible force take hold, halting the creature mid-motion, though the pressure it emitted still pressed heavily against him.
"…That was close."
But there was no time to relax.
Another Cerberus approached from the front, its three heads watching him carefully now, no longer underestimating him.
Noah's thoughts accelerated further, analyzing patterns, movement, weight distribution—everything.
'Its legs… that's the key.'
He surged forward again.
At the last possible moment—
He dropped low, crouching while maintaining full momentum, causing the creature to hesitate for a fraction of a second.
That hesitation—
Was fatal.
His sword swung in a wide arc, releasing a compressed crescent of Ether infused with killing intent that tore violently through the air.
The attack struck the Cerberus's front legs directly.
They were severed instantly.
A deafening roar erupted as its massive body collapsed violently onto the ground, shaking the battlefield and scattering corpses in every direction.
Noah didn't stop.
He moved again.
In a single leap, he appeared above the fallen creature, his shadow cast over its writhing heads.
He could feel it clearly now.
Fear.
Rage.
Desperation.
"…You were smiling earlier, weren't you?"
His voice was calm.
Cold.
He raised his blade slowly.
"Where did it go?"
The sword plunged downward, piercing straight through the central head as blood erupted violently outward.
Without pause, he swung again, severing the remaining two heads in a single, fluid motion.
Silence spread.
For a brief moment—
Everything stopped.
Thousands of Abyssal creatures watched from a distance, their instincts shifting as they recognized the change in the battlefield.
Noah slowly turned toward them, his grip tightening around the black blade as a faint, dangerous smile formed once again.
"…Now then."
A pause.
"…it's your turn to be preyed upon."