Eldrin's sky burned with an unnatural hue as Beelzebub emerged from the Ebon Abyss, the violet storms now streaked with crimson—a celestial omen that sent shivers through the city. The air carried the scent of ozone and something darker, a metallic tang that whispered of blood and chaos. At Level 28, with 11445 EXP, Beelzebub's stats were a colossus—Strength at 2899, Speed at 2488, Defense at 1841, Mana at 3564, Luck at 245, Charisma at 245 after absorbing the Abyssal Wraith's essence. His aura, a twenty-meter storm of cold dominance amplified by his Devourer profession, now shimmered with void-like tendrils laced with shadow, a visual echo of the Echo of the Abyss bloodline and Abyssal Resonance talent. The Abyssal Shard at his side glowed faintly, its A-tier power (+50 Mana, +20% Shadow Damage) a constant reminder of the Abyssborn's whisper: "The Devourer… the breaker of chains."
The voices in his mind—Wraith's shadow, Fate's starlight, Ebon's darkness—clawed louder, a cacophony that threatened to unravel him. Chaos… void… who am I? The strain of Gluttony pulsed harder, his identity a fraying tapestry woven with stolen wills. He clenched the Ebonheart Greatsword, its S-tier blade humming with dark energy, and growled, "I'm Beelzebub," shoving the chaos down. But a flicker of doubt lingered in his crimson eyes—eyes that now held a void-like sheen, a physical manifestation of his evolving magic. The Abyssborn's awakening had shifted something fundamental in the Realms, and he felt its gaze upon him, a weight that both tempted and terrified.
Ryn walked beside him, her cloak still tattered from the abyss, her dagger sheathed but her posture tense. Her trust had risen to 45% after their shared moment in the cavern, but her eyes darted to the crimson sky, unease etched in her features. "The sky… it's bleeding," she said, her voice a low thread, barely audible over the murmurs of panicked NPCs in Eldrin's square. "The Abyssborn—it's not just awake. It's here."
Beelzebub turned, Charisma weaving a flirty edge into his sharp tone, but his gaze softened slightly. "It's watching, Blade. But I'm the one it wants. Stay close—you'll see me tame it." Her lips twitched, a faint smile breaking through her stoicism, her trust ticking up to 46%. The bond between them deepened with each shared trial, her hope in him a quiet anchor against the storm within.
The leaderboard crystal in Eldrin's square glowed, players crowding around it: "1. Beelzebub (Lv. 28), 2. Kael (Lv. 25), 3. Mira (Lv. 23), 4. Lia (Lv. 22), 5–10 TBD." Whispers spread like wildfire—tales of Beelzebub hearing the Abyssborn's whisper, of the crimson eclipse heralding doom. Lia and Mira approached, their levels now 22 and 23, their eyes wide with a mix of ambition and fear. "Level 28? You've heard it?" Lia asked, her voice trembling with excitement. "SS-rank—help us, please?"
Mira smirked, her rivalry sharp. "We'll claim it ourselves soon."
Beelzebub winked, flirty yet sharp. "Earn my help, ladies. I don't carry the weak." Their resolve burned brighter, Lia's ambition flaring, Mira's competitive edge sharpening. But their gazes lingered on him, a spark of something deeper—intrigue turning to admiration, the seeds of a slow-burn romance taking root.
Kael stormed through the crowd, Level 25, his fury etched in every line of his scarred face. "Abyss whisperer?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom. Beelzebub's aura surged, splintering a nearby stall into splinters. "Trash chases dreams. I'll bury you soon," he said, his tone a cold promise. Kael backed off, his rage masking the dread in his eyes, but Beelzebub noted the flicker of a plan in his rival's gaze—a plan that would soon come to fruition.
The Mage Guild's summons came swiftly, their trust at 92% but laced with tension. Beelzebub and Ryn entered the guildhall, the air thick with the scent of ancient parchment and the faint glow of enchanted tomes. A senior scholar, an NPC named Elaraen, awaited them, her hands trembling as she opened a glowing tome. "The Abyssborn speaks," she said, her voice a whisper. "Gods tremble as its shadow grows. The crimson eclipse—it's a sign. The Realms will burn unless the Devourer is stopped… or guided." Her eyes met Beelzebub's, a mix of fear and hope. "You are the Devourer, aren't you?"
Beelzebub's smirk was cold, but a philosophical question gnawed at him, unvoiced: Am I the Devourer of fate, or its pawn? "I'm Beelzebub," he said, his tone a blade. "And I don't bow to prophecies." The guild's trust ticked up to 93%, their desperation outweighing their fear.
A vision flickered in his mind, unbidden—a parallel timeline from the gods' perspective, seen through the eyes of the Goddess of Life. She stood in a sacred grove, her golden hair shimmering like sunlight, her hands weaving threads of renewal as the Abyssborn's sealing began. "We bind it, but at what cost?" she whispered to the Goddess of Fate, her voice heavy with sorrow. "Its chaos will return… through a devourer." The vision faded, leaving Beelzebub staggering, his breath ragged. The voices screamed—Light… void… who am I?—the Abyssborn's will brushing against his own, a whisper of power that both tempted and terrified.
The guildhall's doors burst open, a messenger NPC panting as he shouted, "The Crimson Eclipse—it's summoned a rift! SS-rank dungeon… the Eclipse Hollow!" Beelzebub's HUD pinged: "Clear the SS-Rank Dungeon: Eclipse Hollow. Slay the Eclipse Harbinger. Reward: 1000 EXP, 400 Copper, Achievement." The scholar's eyes widened. "The Abyssborn's influence… it's growing. You must stop it—or harness it." Beelzebub grinned, aura surging—parchment fluttering as he turned to Ryn. "SS-rank, Blade. Ready?"
She nodded, her trust steady at 46%. "Always."
The Eclipse Hollow lay in Eldrin's northern wastes, a rift in reality where the crimson eclipse cast a blood-red glow over jagged obsidian spires. The air was thick with the scent of blood and ash, the ground trembling with the Abyssborn's heartbeat. Shadows surged: Eclipse Shades, Level 65, spectral warriors with crimson blades, fifty strong, their forms radiating a darkness tinged with bloodlight. Beelzebub's aura erupted—spires cracking as he swung Ebonheart, Strength at 2979 (gear-boosted) cleaving the first Shade's core. Dark damage flared, 30% bonus igniting—darkness spraying as Ebon Slash (Mastery to 3/10) slashed through another, void energy tearing through shadow.
They retaliated—blades slashing in a storm of crimson, their movements a blur of lethal precision. He weaved, Speed at 2518 (gear-adjusted) dodging a flurry, then Phantom Step (10/10) flickered him mid-strike—Ebonheart arcing, Crimson Tide (Mastery to 7/10) carving six more, bloodlight clashing with crimson. A blade grazed his chest—HP dipping 25%, Paladin's Crest ticking it back. Storm Call (10/10) erupted—lightning chaining through fifteen, void sizzling, screams echoing. Horned Frenzy flared, Speed spiking to 3777—Ebonheart whirled, Inferno Burst (Mastery to 10/10—maxed) igniting twelve in a fiery blast, Emberheart fueling the roar. The last charged—Void Grasp (10/10) pinned it, Strength snapping its core. Fifty fell, the rift trembling.
"Ding! 50 Eclipse Shades defeated. Absorbed: Strength +250, Speed +200, Defense +150, Mana +300, Luck +50, Charisma +50."
The Eclipse Harbinger rose from the rift's core—a Level 70 colossus of crimson and shadow, its massive scythe glowing with bloodlight, eyes blazing like twin eclipses. "The Abyssborn's will… you cannot resist," it intoned, voice a storm of blood and void. Beelzebub grinned, aura surging—spires splintering—as he charged, Ebonheart Greatsword raised.
The Harbinger swung—scythe arcing in a wave of crimson, reality fraying at its edge. He leaped, Speed at 2718 weaving through, then countered with Radiant Strike (Mastery to 10/10—maxed)—holy light slashing its arm, void hissing. It retaliated—crimson wave rippling, slamming him into a spire—HP dropping 45%. He laughed, aura pulsing, Mana Surge spiking Mana to 5346. Abyssal Rend (Mastery to 5/10) roared—void clashing with crimson, Void Whisper amplifying the darkness.
The scythe spun—Dark Aegis (10/10) rose, splintering under the blow—HP dipping 35%. Beelzebub darted, Shadow Bind (10/10) locking its arm—scythe faltered. He lunged, Crimson Tide slashing its side—bloodlight cutting deep, a bleed igniting. The Harbinger roared—crimson storm erupting, throwing him back—HP falling 40%. He rolled, Speed weaving through debris, then Horned Frenzy flared—Speed at 4077—Ebonheart a blur, Whisper of the Void (Mastery to 2/10) unleashing a shadow wave, Abyssal Resonance amplifying the darkness. Crimson Rage ignited as HP dropped below 50%, damage surging.
It thrust—crimson piercing stone. Void Grasp countered, tendrils snapping its wrist—scythe clattered. Beelzebub leaped, Wraith Slash (Mastery to 9/10) carving its neck—mana flared, void damage searing. The Harbinger roared—Storm Call crashed lightning down, spires shattering. He gripped Ebonheart, Strength at 3229 driving it through its core—crimson exploded, HP dropping 45%. The Harbinger collapsed, bloodlight pooling, its final whisper echoing: "The Abyssborn… rises."
"Ding! Eclipse Harbinger defeated. Absorbed: Strength +400, Speed +320, Defense +240, Mana +480, Luck +15, Charisma +15, Bloodline: Crimson Eclipse (Blood Resistance +10%), Talent: Bloodlight Surge (Boost blood-based skills), Crimson Wave (Skill). Loot: Eclipse Scythe (SS-tier, Scythe, +100 Strength, +35% Blood Damage), Copper x2000."
Skills: Crimson Wave (Unleash blood-charged wave, Mastery: 1/10)
"Ding! Quest Complete. Reward: 1000 EXP, 400 Copper, Achievement: Crimson Eclipse – First to clear an SS-tier dungeon. Reward: 700 EXP, Title: Eclipse Sovereign (+5% Strength)."
"Ding! Level Up! Reached Level 29. EXP: 13545/5250."
The voices screamed—Crimson… void… ebon… who?—Harbinger's bloodlight, Wraith's shadow, Fate's light. His skull split—Crimson Eclipse's heat, Bloodlight Surge's pulse threading into him. He staggered, aura flaring—spires crumbling. "I'm Beelzebub," he growled, but Gluttony's strain pulsed harder—identity fraying further. His aura shifted, now laced with crimson tendrils, a visual cue of his evolving magic.
Ryn stepped closer, her hand on his shoulder, her touch a quiet anchor. "You're… more than human now," she said, her voice soft, laced with awe. "But you're still you… right?"
He turned, Charisma weaving a flirty edge into his tone, but his eyes held a flicker of doubt. "For now, Blade. For now." Her trust ticked up to 48%, the moment of vulnerability deepening their bond.