[ System Notice ]
Abyssborne Tyrant has been defeated!
You have gained +10 Levels.
You have obtained 40 unallocated stat points.
Exclusive Title Reward Unlocked: Abyssborne Legacy.
Temporal Labyrinth has been conquered.
***
I landed smoothly, my dagger dissipating the last traces of abyssal energy.
The battlefield was silent. Then, before I could react, the final system prompt appeared.
***
[ System Notice ]
You have cleared the Temporal Labyrinth.
A new path has opened.
Would you like to proceed?
[ Yes ] / [ No ]
***
I smirked. "Like there's any other option."
I selected [ Yes ]—and stepped forward.
-
[ Final Trial Cleared ]
[ New Path Unlocked – ??? ]
-
[ System Notice ]
You have chosen to proceed.
The Temporal Labyrinth acknowledges your dominance.
A hidden path has been revealed.
The Abyss watches your next move.
-
As I stepped forward, the battlefield dissolved around me. The shattered ground, the lingering abyssal energy, even the corpses of my fallen summons—all vanished into the void.
For a brief moment, I felt weightless, like reality itself was being rewritten around me.
Then, the darkness gave way.
-
[ Abyssal Throne Room ]
I found myself in a colossal chamber, unlike anything I had seen before.
Towering monolithic pillars stretched endlessly into the void, covered in ancient runes that pulsed with eerie blue light. The air was heavy, thick with lingering abyssal power.
At the center of the room, embedded into the floor, was a massive obsidian throne.
Cracks of dim, violet energy ran along its surface, pulsating faintly—as if the throne itself was alive.
And then, I heard a voice.
"You have come far, Ryzen Kael."
The words weren't spoken. They echoed inside my mind, as if coming from the abyss itself.
I tensed, every instinct screaming danger.
And then, a figure materialized atop the throne appeared.
-
[ ??? – Abyssal Arbiter ]
A being wrapped in shadow, its form shifting between something humanoid and eldritch. Four glowing violet eyes peered down at me from beneath a jagged, blackened crown.
The Abyssal Arbiter.
Not a monster. Not an enemy. Something… more.
-
[ System Notice ]
The Abyssal Arbiter has acknowledged your existence.
Your actions have altered the course of fate.
A choice shall be granted.
-
The Arbiter slowly raised a hand.
"Mortal. You have conquered the Abyssborne Tyrant, shattered the Labyrinth's trials, and defied fate itself.
Now—prove your worth.
Kneel, and the Abyss shall grant you power beyond limits.
Reject it, and forge your own path."
-
I narrowed my eyes. This wasn't just a reward. It was a test.
If I accepted, I would be taking on a power I didn't fully understand.
If I refused, I would risk losing something I might never get again.
The Abyss itself was watching my choice.
***
[ System Notice ]
Abyssal Legacy Awaits.
Do you accept the Abyssal Arbiter's Offer?
[ Accept ] / [ Refuse ]
***
[ System Notice ]
You have made your choice.
The Abyss responds accordingly.
***
I pressed my hand forward, my fingers hovering over the ethereal option.
As soon as I made my decision, the entire throne room trembled.
***
[ The Abyss Stirs ]
The Abyssal Arbiter leaned forward, its four violet eyes narrowing.
"Interesting."
It slowly raised its arm, shadows twisting like living tendrils around its form.
"Then let the Abyss embrace your fate."
The very air around me warped—pressure crushing down like a thousand unseen hands pressing against my soul.
I gritted my teeth.
***
[ System Notice ]
Abyssal Energy is invading your body.
Your existence is being rewritten.
***
My vision darkened.
A flood of whispers surged through my mind—words I couldn't understand, but could somehow feel.
Memories. Power. The remnants of something far older than me.
Then, It stopped. The whispers faded. And I breathed again.
***
[ System Notice ]
You have inherited the Abyssal Legacy.
A new path has been unlocked.
Your fate has been altered.
Your presence in the Abyss is now recognized.
***
I opened my eyes.
Something had changed.
I could feel it—like a pulse of energy deep within my core.
And then, the system finally updated.
***
[ New Trait Acquired ]Abyssforged Soul (Unique Trait)
Your body has been permanently marked by the Abyss.
Abyssal energy no longer harms you—instead, it fuels your strength.
Resistance to Abyss-related abilities increased.
Stealth effectiveness in darkness greatly enhanced.
***
I clenched my fist, feeling the new power settling inside me.
The Abyssal Arbiter slowly rose from its throne.
"You have taken the first step," it intoned.
Its violet gaze burned into me.
"Now go, Ryzen Kael. Your path does not end here." Abyssal Arbiter paused, "It has only just begun."
***
[ System Notice ]
The Temporal Labyrinth has acknowledged your dominance.
You have conquered the final trial.
You are no longer bound by its limits.
Would you like to leave?
[ Yes ] / [ No ]
***
I exhaled. I had achieved what I came here for.
But this was only the beginning.
I reached forward, and chose [ Yes ]
***
[ System Notice ]
You have chosen to leave the Temporal Labyrinth.
Initiating Extraction…
***
I emerged into the world once more.
The chilling stillness of the labyrinth was gone, replaced by the distant echoes of reality.
I stood at the very same location where I had entered—yet nothing had changed.
Or rather, time had not moved at all.
The sky was still the same shade of fading blue. The wind carried the same faint rustle of leaves.
And standing a few feet away—Leon.
***
I barely had a second to process before his gaze snapped toward me.
His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, maybe concern.
"Something's wrong?" he asked
I tensed for a fraction of a second before forcing myself to relax.
Leon couldn't have known. To him, I hadn't disappeared for almost a full day—only a single second had passed.
I exhaled, shaking my head. "No. Nothing's wrong."
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly. "You sure? You just spaced out for a moment there."
I nodded. "Yeah. Just thinking."
He studied me for another moment before sighing. "Maybe you're just tired. Makes sense after all that fighting we did."
I almost laughed.
To Leon, the hardest thing we had done today was clear a low-tier dungeon full of D-Rank monsters.
But for me, I had faced something far worse.
I had battled an Abyssal Guardian, faced the Riftborn Executioner, met an entity beyond comprehension… and survived.
And yet, to the rest of the world—nothing had changed.
Only I knew the truth.
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the weight of my new Abyssforged Gauntlets, the lingering power from the Abyss still coursing through me.
But I kept my expression calm.
No one—not even Leon—could know. For now.
"Yeah," I finally said. "Maybe I'm just tired."
Leon smirked, giving me a light punch on the shoulder. "Then let's head back. You owe me a meal after all that work."
I scoffed. "You mean after I did all the work?"
Leon chuckled. "Details."
I smirked, but as we walked away, my mind was already elsewhere.
Because I knew the truth. And soon, the world would too.