The Abyssal Rift yawned south of Eldrin—a chasm of pulsing darkness, air thick with void and silence that swallowed sound. Beelzebub stood at its edge, Steel Sword in hand, aura a twenty-meter storm of cold dominance, doubled by his Devourer profession. Level 17, 2475 EXP, stats a towering testament—Strength at 599, Speed at 510, Luck and Charisma at 110. The Void Spawn loomed within—Level 22, a writhing mass of tendrils, eyes glowing with nothingness, its presence a void that tugged at the mind. Its whisper rasped, chilling: "You consume… but the abyss consumes you."
"Bow or break," Beelzebub growled, King's Roar thundering (10/10—maxed). The Spawn shuddered, tendrils recoiling, then lashed—darkness whipping like blades. He flickered with Phantom Step (Mastery to 7/10), teleporting aside, then struck with Razor Rush, Speed at 510 slicing through tendrils. Shadows bled, but a tendril grazed him—HP dropping 15%, Minor Life and Magic ticking it back slowly.
The voices screamed—Chains… shadow… void… who?—Paladin's oath, Stalker's hunt, now Spawn's emptiness bleeding in. His head split, memories clashing: crypto screens, his old laugh, drowned in nothingness. "I'm Beelzebub!" he roared, aura shattering stone—a flex against the chaos within. Mana Surge flared, Mana spiking to 753 for thirty seconds. Storm Call summoned lightning—crashing into the Spawn, Mastery to 3/10.
It pulsed—void wave rippling. Dark Aegis rose (Mastery to 2/10), dark shield absorbing the blast—HP dipping 5%. Horned Frenzy pushed Speed to 765 briefly—Arcane Breath seared its core (Mastery to 5/10), Shadow Bind locking tendrils (Mastery to 3/10). The Spawn broke free, tendrils coiling—Defense at 415 tanked it, HP dropping 8%. He grinned, cold and cruel, then Phantom Step flickered him above—Strength at 599 driving the Steel Sword through its mass. Void flared—HP fell 18%—but the Spawn dissolved, darkness pooling.
"Ding! Void Spawn defeated. Absorbed: Strength +70, Speed +60, Defense +50, Mana +90, Luck +5, Charisma +5, Void Grasp (Skill). Loot: Void Shard x2, Copper x600."
Strength: 669 Speed: 570 Defense: 465 Mana: 592 Luck: 115 Charisma: 115 Skills: Void Grasp (Summon void tendrils, Mastery: 1/10)
"Ding! Quest Complete. Reward: 300 EXP, 120 Copper, Favor (Mage Guild Trust +5%)."
"Ding! Level Up! Reached Level 18. EXP: 2775/2500."
The voices howled—Nothing… void… who am I?—Spawn's emptiness now, a hollow abyss. His skull split, a cacophony of wills—Wyrm's storm, Paladin's duty, Spawn's nullity. He staggered, aura flaring wildly—crushing rock to dust. "I'm me!" he roared, fists clenched, shoving it down. The strain pulsed—Gluttony devouring too much, identity a fraying thread stretched taut. His smirk returned, colder, a mask over the fracture deepening within.
POV Shift: Ryn, the Assassin
Ryn watched from the rift's edge, cloak blending with shadows. Beelzebub's aura was a storm—Level 18, a force teetering on collapse. Her trust hit 35%, her past as a cursed player binding her tighter. "He's drowning," she whispered, dagger steady. "But he fights it." His power echoed her lost self—salvation or a shared abyss, she'd follow to see.
Beelzebub emerged, aura a tempest, Void Shard—+15 Mana, +5% Mana Regen—clutched like a trophy. Eldrin's square hushed—players gaping, NPCs shrinking. Elara approached, trust at 15%, eyes dark with dread. "You're… fading," she said, voice trembling.
He leaned close, Charisma at 115 weaving charm into menace. "I'm growing, priestess. Your goddess fades before me." She stepped back, trust dropping to 12%—fear overtaking.
The twins rushed up—Lia at Level 13, Mira at 14, both hardened now. "Level 18?" Lia breathed, ambition glowing. "Help us—a dungeon run, please?"
Mira scowled. "We'll top you soon."
He winked, flirty yet sharp. "Prove your worth, ladies. I don't carry trash." Lia's resolve flared; Mira's rivalry burned brighter.
Kael stormed in, Level 16, Warrior's armor scarred. "Void-killer?" he spat. Beelzebub's aura splintered a stall. "Trash dreams loud. I'll crush you next." Kael retreated, rage veiling terror.
The Mage Guild summoned—trust at 45% now, tense. The priestess, eyes wary, offered a tome: "Lore: The chained force stirs. Gods fear its awakening." "Your goddess trembles?" he teased, flirty and cold. Her trust fell to 4%—dread consuming.
POV Shift: Beelzebub's Mind
The voices clawed—Void… chains… who?—Spawn's nullity, Paladin's oath, more bleeding in. His head split, a memory flashing: his old life, a laugh, now lost in emptiness. "I'm Beelzebub," he growled, aura flaring in the guild—cracking crystal. Was he? Gluttony's cost gnawed—identity a tangle of stolen wills, a void threatening to swallow. He smirked through it, pride a blade. "I'll break the gods—then I'll carve myself anew."
A new quest pinged: "Seek the Light. Slay the Radiant Warden in the Sunken Cathedral. Reward: 350 EXP, 140 Copper, Favor." He headed north—Ryn shadowing him. "Still here, Blade?" he called, flirty edge sharp.
"Bound," she replied, trust ticking to 38%. "You're… a storm I can't escape."
"Stay close," he teased. "You'll burn with me."
The Sunken Cathedral rose—stone drowned in light, air thick with radiance. The Radiant Warden stood—Level 24, armor blazing, spear aglow with holy fire. Beelzebub grinned, aura a storm. "Bow or break."
Tracker
Level: 18 (EXP: 2775/2500)
Stats: Strength: 669 | Speed: 570 | Defense: 465 | Mana: 607 | Luck: 115 | Charisma: 115
Talents: Gluttony (Error) – No stat gains from leveling; absorbs all attributes, skills, bloodlines, blessings from defeated beings; duplicates enhance mastery
Powers/Skills: Horned Dash (5/10), King's Roar (10/10), Horned Frenzy (1/10), Basic Slash (10/10), Razor Rush (1/10), Shadow Cloak (2/10), Bone Ward (7/10), Necrotic Pulse (7/10), Phantom Step (7/10), Mana Surge (1/10), Arcane Breath (5/10), Storm Call (3/10), Shadow Bind (3/10), Dark Aegis (2/10), Void Grasp (1/10)
Profession: Devourer – Gluttony absorption +50%, Devourer's Mark (Aura potency x2)
Bloodlines: Human
Blessings: Minor Life (+5% HP regen, 1/10), Minor Magic (+5% Mana Regen, 1/10)
Harem: No bonds yet (Twins Lia and Mira intrigued, Priestess Elara at 12% trust, Assassin Ryn at 38% trust, Magic Priestess at 4% trust)
Recent Gains: Strength +70, Speed +60, Defense +50, Mana +90, Luck +5, Charisma +5, 1 Skill
Loot Drops: Void Shard x2 (+15 Mana, +5% Mana Regen), Copper x720 (total: 5130), Health Potion x1