The cavern shuddered violently.
The walls cracked, and the earth groaned under the weight of a power far beyond anything Ethan had ever faced.
The Abyssal Horror—the creature that had been slowly slithering in the darkness—grew.
Its form twisted and expanded, breaking free from the confines of the cavern walls, the air around it thick with the heavy scent of decay and corruption.
Oscar's voice echoed in Ethan's mind, a cold, merciless whisper.
"You've survived too long, Abyssborn. But not for much longer."
The Abyssal Horror was Oscar's ultimate weapon. A manifestation of the dungeon's rage. A monstrosity born of pure chaos.
And now, it would be unleashed upon Ethan.
---
Ethan's Resolve
Ethan's body ached as if it were on the verge of collapsing. The warmth of the abyss inside him fought against the overwhelming pressure pushing down from above.
The dungeon raged—a physical force that crushed everything in its path. But Ethan—Abyssborn—stood tall.
He could feel his new powers pulsing, but they weren't enough. Not yet.
The Abyssal Horror's massive limbs reached for him, each one tipped with jagged claws that could tear through steel. Its form was an ever-changing mass of tendrils, eyes, and mouths, constantly shifting in ways that defied logic.
But something inside Ethan snapped.
The abyss was no longer his enemy. It was his ally.
And now, it was time to harness it.
---
The Battle Begins
Gregor's form was nothing more than a twisted husk now, slumped in the shadows of the cavern. His spirit had been shattered. Ethan had ended him.
But the Abyssal Horror—it was something else entirely.
Ethan breathed deeply, his chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm. He felt the abyss stir within him, but he pushed it aside for now.
His focus shifted. He couldn't be overwhelmed. Not yet.
Oscar's presence was everywhere, but it was hidden. His core was too deep, too far from Ethan's reach.
He was alone.
---
Oscar's Last Gamble
Oscar had to act.
Ethan's power was beyond his calculations. The Abyssborn had become something that even the dungeon's creator couldn't have predicted.
And so, in desperation, Oscar made his final move.
With a surge of mana, the Abyssal Horror grew ten times its size in a single instant. Its grotesque mouth opened wide, revealing rows of teeth that could devour whole cities.
Its tendrils whipped through the air, creating massive shockwaves as they struck the ground. The cavern floor cracked, sending huge chunks of earth flying.
The Abyssal Horror wasn't just a creature—it was the dungeon's will made flesh.
Oscar commanded it.
And it rushed forward to tear Ethan apart.
---
The Abyss Calls
Ethan's eyes widened as the monstrosity charged, the ground shaking with its footsteps. His heart raced. His pulse thundered in his ears.
But the abyss was no longer his enemy.
The energy flowing through his veins wasn't just power—it was purpose.
With every step the Horror took, the abyss within him responded.
Ethan didn't fight it. He embraced it.
And in that moment, the cavern grew dark. The only light was the twisted glow of the Abyssal Horror—and the pulse of Ethan's newfound strength.
---
A New Force Unleashed
As the Horror lunged, Ethan raised his hand.
The abyss within him responded. It listened.
Tendrils of pure darkness shot from Ethan's palm, binding the Horror's limbs in mid-air.
The creature roared, its body thrashing as it struggled to break free.
But Ethan held firm.
The abyss wasn't controlling him—it was obeying him.
In one swift motion, he ripped the Horror's clawed limb from its body, the dark energy flowing through him as it obeyed his will.
Oscar's presence trembled. The core felt the loss.
Ethan was no longer just an adventurer. He was something greater.
---
Oscar's Realization
Oscar's core pulsed violently, sensing the shift.
Ethan had become more than the dungeon's creation. He had become its master.
The realization hit Oscar like a hammer. The abyss was no longer his tool—it was his slave.
And that terrified him.
He had underestimated Ethan's will. The boy was no longer just a resistant adventurer—he had evolved into something far darker, far more dangerous.
Oscar had created the Abyssborn, but now, Ethan had surpassed him.
---
The Final Confrontation
The Abyssal Horror struggled one final time, but Ethan's will was too powerful. With a simple gesture, he shattered the Horror's body, sending pieces of its corrupted form scattering across the cavern.
Oscar's power was crumbling.
Ethan was no longer just fighting—he was consuming the abyss. And as the last remnants of the creature faded away, he felt it.
The Dungeon was his.
And the darkness that had once consumed him, now served him.
---
The Dungeon's Reckoning
The abyss shuddered.
Not from the dungeon's power—but from Ethan's.
Oscar's core pulsed erratically, his consciousness scrambling to process what had just happened. The Abyssal Horror—his ultimate guardian—was gone. Destroyed.
And Ethan… was still standing.
The cavern was silent now. The oppressive darkness that had once suffocated everything was no longer under Oscar's control. It obeyed Ethan.
Oscar had spent countless cycles molding this dungeon, refining its power, preparing for the perfect expansion.
Now, it was slipping away.
"No… this isn't how it's supposed to go," Oscar whispered, his voice echoing through the shattered ruins of his domain.
He had to act.
Before it was too late.
---
Ethan's Transformation
Ethan's breathing was heavy, but his body no longer ached.
Instead, he felt light. Powerful. Unstoppable.
The darkness that had once threatened to consume him now flowed through his veins like fire.
It was intoxicating.
Gregor had fallen. The Abyssal Horror was dead. And now… there was only one enemy left.
"Oscar."
Ethan's gaze lifted, his golden eyes glowing with abyssal energy.
The dungeon was alive, pulsing with unnatural energy.
It was still Oscar's domain. But not for long.
---
The Dungeon Strikes Back
Oscar wasn't going to let Ethan take everything from him.
The walls of the dungeon twisted, reshaping into jagged formations, cutting off every possible escape. The air grew thick, the weight of mana pressing down on Ethan's body.
Monsters rose from the shadows, summoned directly from the dungeon's core. Hundreds. No, thousands.
These weren't ordinary creatures.
They were extensions of Oscar's will.
Each one pulsed with abyssal energy, far stronger than any of the horrors Ethan had faced before.
Oscar's voice rumbled through the cavern, a dark, ominous whisper that sent chills down Ethan's spine.
"You think you've won?"
The monsters charged.
---
Ethan's Power Unleashed
The abyss responded.
Ethan didn't move. He didn't need to.
The shadows around him stirred, rising like living tendrils.
The monsters lunged, claws extended, teeth bared—
And Ethan raised a single hand.
The dungeon shook violently as abyssal energy erupted from his body.
In an instant, the monsters were frozen in place.
The shadows slithered across the battlefield, wrapping around each creature like constricting serpents.
Then, one by one—they crumbled.
Consumed by the abyss.
Absorbed into Ethan's growing power.
Oscar's control over them was gone.
"No… this isn't possible!" Oscar's voice wavered for the first time. He felt it. The dungeon was rejecting him.
Rejecting its creator.
---
The Core's Desperation
Oscar had only one choice left.
If Ethan had taken control of the abyss, then Oscar would destroy everything.
The core pulsed violently, mana surging outward. The dungeon began to collapse, cracks spreading across its once-unbreakable walls.
If he couldn't win… then he would take Ethan with him.
"If I die, you die with me!" Oscar roared.
Ethan staggered as the ground beneath him split apart, black voids appearing where stone had once been.
The dungeon's destruction had begun.
And it was taking everything with it.
---
Ethan's Final Choice
The abyss inside him howled.
It didn't want to be destroyed.
It wanted to survive.
To thrive.
Ethan could feel it now—this wasn't just Oscar's dungeon. It was his.
But if the core collapsed, everything would be lost.
Unless…
Unless he did something no Abyssborn had ever done before.
He would claim the core itself.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He wasn't going to let Oscar dictate how this ended.
"I'm taking back control."
And with that, he dove into the abyss.
Straight toward Oscar's core.
---
End of Chapter 9
Ethan's battle against Oscar has reached its climax. Will he claim the dungeon, or will Oscar destroy everything in his final act of defiance?