"This is so annoying—why the hell are there so many of them?!"
Irina snapped, flames bursting outward as they spread across the cavern walls, lighting everything in a fiery glow.
Nia cut through another Void-Born, her blade slicing cleanly as the creature collapsed.
"Sigh… there are too many…"
Chrono narrowed his eyes.
They had fallen into this cavern minutes ago—the moment they stepped forward, the door behind them had slammed shut.
And then—
They came.
Grotesque, spider-like Void-Borns, crawling from every direction.
Individually, they weren't strong.
But their numbers—
Were overwhelming.
Carl moved just behind them, far more focused than before, his gaze constantly scanning their surroundings.
Wave after wave fell.
Time blurred.
—
"…Finally."
Chrono stepped forward.
Ahead of them stood a massive stone door embedded into the cavern wall.
After what felt like three straight hours of fighting—
They had found it.
—
As they approached—
Something felt off.
A sound.
Wet.
Unnatural.
Chrono turned back.
"…Huh?"
The remains of the spiders—
Were moving.
The corpses they had cut down began to twitch… then slide… then merge.
Grotesquely.
Limbs fused. Bodies collapsed into one another. Flesh twisted and reformed into something far worse.
Then—
It stood.
Eight massive eyes opened at once.
Looking down at them.
The creature towered over the cavern—
Easily as tall as a building.
A deafening screech tore through the air.
"Fuck—GO! Get the door open!" Chrono shouted.
Nia rushed forward, forcing the door—
"It's not opening! I-It's stuck!"
Then—
A sharp, sickening sound.
Crack.
Chrono's head snapped to the side.
His eyes widened.
"…Carl?"
A jagged, monstrous leg had pierced straight through Carl's stomach.
"CARL!!" Irina screamed.
The creature lifted him effortlessly.
For a split second—
Carl's body twitched.
Then—
CRUNCH.
"…A-ah… it… it ate him…" Irina whispered, her voice shaking.
"Fuck—snap out of it!" Chrono barked.
Nia turned, her grip tightening on her blade, but her voice trembled.
"I-it's… at least B-rank…"
The creature's eight eyes glowed faintly.
Locked onto them.
Hunting.
"Haah…"
Chrono exhaled slowly.
Then—
"Irina."
She looked at him.
"Burn the entire floor."
She froze.
"H-huh? You're going to fight that?"
Chrono didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
His eyes locked onto the monster.
"I'm going to kill it."
A brief silence.
Then—
Irina clenched her teeth and slammed her hands onto the ground.
Flames erupted.
The entire cavern floor was swallowed in fire—heat rising violently, turning the battlefield into a blazing inferno.
The creature screeched in pain—
And lunged toward them.
Nia stepped back, eyes wide.
"How are you even going to kill that, Chrono?!"
He didn't answer.
Instead—
He raised his hand.
"Paradox."
A faint distortion flickered around him.
A system window opened before his eyes.
Without hesitation, he reached into it—
And pulled.
A sword emerged.
Black.
Not just in color—
But in presence.
As if it absorbed the light around it.
Chrono gripped it tightly.
"Let's dance… you disgusting creature."
—
Azeor
Rank: S+
Status: Corrupted — Highly Unstable
Skills:
• Devour — Absorbs residual energy from defeated targets to strengthen the blade. Growth potential: unknown.
• Ruin Pulse — Releases compressed destructive energy with each strike. Power scales with the user's instability.
• Black Veil — Gradually erodes the surroundings, weakening defenses and structure over time.
• Abyss Mark — Targets struck repeatedly become "marked," amplifying damage with each consecutive hit.
• Corruption Sync (Passive) — The more mentally unstable the wielder becomes… the stronger the weapon grows.
The flames roared.
The monster charged.
Chrono stepped forward—
Alone.
The creature lunged.
The ground cracked beneath its weight as its massive legs slammed forward, tearing through the burning floor.
Flames scattered.
Heat distorted the air.
And in the middle of it—
Chrono stood still.
Watching.
Waiting.
"…Come."
In an instant—
It was in front of him.
A massive leg swung down, fast enough to split the air apart.
Chrono moved.
Not back—
Forward.
BOOM.
The leg crashed where he stood—
But he was already beneath it.
His grip tightened around Azeor.
"Too slow."
He slashed upward.
—
The blade connected.
For a split second—
Silence.
Then—
BOOOOM.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Flames were blown back.
The cavern walls cracked.
A violent surge of dark energy erupted from the blade—
Ruin Pulse.
The creature let out a distorted screech as its limb was blasted upward, black cracks spreading across it.
Chrono landed lightly, sliding back across the burning ground.
His eyes narrowed.
"…That worked."
—
The creature staggered—
Then its eight eyes locked onto him.
All at once.
Its body twitched.
Adapted.
Then—
It moved again.
Faster.
Two legs this time—piercing toward him like spears.
Chrono twisted his body, barely dodging one—
The second grazed his side—
SHRK.
Blood splattered.
Nia's voice rang out—
"CHRONO!"
He didn't respond.
Didn't even look at the wound.
Instead—
He smiled.
Just slightly.
"Good."
A faint dark aura began to leak from the blade.
The flames around him flickered unnaturally.
The ground beneath his feet began to erode
Turning black.
"Let's keep going."
He vanished.
Appearing right in front of its core.
He swung again.
Faster.
Harder.
He vanished.
The real fight had begun.
The clash continued.
Steel met flesh.
Flames roared.
The cavern shook with every impact.
Chrono moved faster now—
Too fast.
Each strike of Azeor exploded with violent dark energy, tearing into the creature again and again.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Black cracks spread across its massive body.
Marks.
Stacking.
Deepening.
And then—
Chrono laughed.
"…Ha…"
A low chuckle.
Almost quiet.
Another strike—
BOOOOM.
"—haha…"
It grew louder.
Unstable.
Unhinged.
"Hahahaha—!"
His laughter echoed through the cavern, clashing with the monster's screeches.
Nia froze.
"…Chrono?"
Irina's flames flickered uncertainly.
"…what the hell"
—
Chrono didn't hear them.
Or maybe—
He didn't care.
His eyes had darkened.
A faint black haze bled into them.
His grip on Azeor tightened.
The blade pulsed.
Alive.
Hungry.
"More…"
He dashed forward again—
Faster than before.
Dodging, weaving, cutting—
Each hit landing with brutal precision.
Each strike heavier than the last.
The creature tried to retaliate—
But it was being overwhelmed.
Driven back.
Forced.
—
"Hahahaha—!!"
Chrono spun mid-air and brought the blade down again—
BOOOOM.
The ground shattered beneath the impact.
The flames were swallowed by darkness for a moment—
Then burst back violently.
Nia's voice trembled.
"…He's enjoying this."
Irina clenched her fists.
"No… look at him properly."
Chrono stood in the center of the battlefield.
Breathing heavily.
Still laughing.
But his posture—
Was off.
His aura—
Was wrong.
The ground around him had completely blackened now, slowly decaying under the influence of Black Veil.
Even the flames struggled to exist near him.
—
The sword pulsed again.
Darker this time.
Stronger.
—
And for just a second—
Chrono's laughter stopped.
His expression stilled.
Then—
A whisper escaped his lips.
"…Don't stop."
—
The creature lunged again.
And Chrono—
Charged to meet it.
The battle descended into madness.
Chrono moved like a blur—
No rhythm.
No restraint.
Only destruction.
"Hahahaha—!!"
His laughter tore through the cavern, louder now, sharper—almost painful to hear.
Each swing of Azeor landed—
Again.
And again.
And again.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Dark energy erupted with every strike.
Marks spread across the creature's body—black, jagged symbols burning into its flesh.
Stacking.
Growing.
Deepening.
Abyss Mark.
—
The creature screeched—
Loud.
Desperate.
It lashed out wildly, its massive limbs tearing through the cavern—
But Chrono didn't dodge cleanly anymore.
He tanked hits.
A leg slammed into him—
CRASH.
He was sent flying—
But before he even hit the ground—
He twisted mid-air.
Laughing.
"Hahaha—MORE!!"
He slammed back down and rushed in again.
Faster.
Harder.
Unhinged.
Nia's voice broke.
"Chrono, STOP—!"
He didn't even look at her.
Didn't hear her.
Didn't care.
—
Another strike—
BOOOOM.
The marks flared.
Brighter.
Darker.
The creature's entire body was now covered in them.
It staggered.
Its movements slowing.
Breaking.
Chrono stood in front of it—
Breathing heavily.
His shoulders shaking.
Then—
He started laughing again.
Louder than before.
"HAHAHAHA—!!"
His voice cracked.
Distorted.
"SCREAM!!"
He swung again—
And the creature let out a horrifying screech in response.
The two sounds clashed—
Laughter.
And agony.
The sword pulsed violently.
Dark veins crept up Chrono's arm.
His eyes—
No longer clear.
Swallowed by black.
"MORE—!!"
He dashed forward again—
Relentless.
Merciless.
Every hit causing the marks to react—
To resonate—
To build toward something catastrophic.
Irina stepped back unconsciously.
"…He's gone."
Nia gritted her teeth.
"No… he's still—"
But even she couldn't finish that sentence.
Because the aura around Chrono—
Was no longer just power.
It was corruption.
The creature tried to retreat.
To escape.
But it was too late.
It had already been marked.
Completely.
Chrono raised Azeor high.
Still laughing.
Still shaking.
Still breaking.
Chrono stood before the creature—
Laughing.
Shaking.
Breaking.
"LET'S END THIS—!!"
He brought Azeor down.
—
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Silence.
Stillness.
Then—
Every single mark across the creature's body—
Lit up.
Abyss Mark.
Activated.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
A catastrophic explosion tore through the cavern.
Dark energy erupted from within the creature itself—ripping it apart from the inside.
Its screech was cut short—
Its body collapsing, disintegrating under the overwhelming force.
Limbs shattered.
Flesh dissolved.
The massive form crumbled into nothing.
The shockwave blasted outward.
Flames were extinguished.
The cavern walls cracked and caved in—
Dust and debris filling the air.
And in the center of it all—
Chrono stood.
Sword still raised.
Laughing.
"…hahaha…"
Weaker now.
Fading.
"…ha…"
The blade pulsed one last time.
Then—
Silence.
Chrono's body swayed.
His grip loosened.
The black aura around him flickered—
Then collapsed entirely.