I’m going to die…

…

..

.

But then, something else stirred. Something deep, ancient, stirred beneath the sands. The clear ground began to darken, shadows creeping up from the depths like tendrils of the abyss, swallowing the light.

The sands beneath them shifted, darkening, and a low rumble echoed across the mindscape. The Titan of Light froze, its expression shifting from anger to... fear?

Out of the corner of Arthur’s eye, something moved—an eye, massive and slitted, opening within the void of the darkened sands. A low, primal rumble echoed across the mindscape, a sound so deep it seemed to resonate with the very core of his being. The light around them flickered, dimming as the presence of something far more ancient, far more powerful than the Titan of Light, began to rise.

The voice was more of a force than a sound, and with those simple words, the Titan of Light recoiled in terror. It tried to flee, its wings flaring as it attempted to escape into the safety of the heavens, but the voice spoke again.

The voice that followed wasn’t just heard—it was felt.

“Be gone.”

The words shook the very fabric of the mindscape. The Titan of Light recoiled, its wings flaring wide as it tried to flee. It moved faster than Arthur could comprehend, but the voice spoke again.

“Be Gone.”

The Titan of Light didn’t even have time to scream. It simply... vanished. Erased, as though it had never existed.

Arthur collapsed, gasping for air, his body trembling from the brutal assault. Every inch of him ached, his scales cracked and broken, his muscles torn from the repeated blows. He barely had the strength to lift his head, let alone move.

And then, he saw it.

The eye—the same one that had appeared in his earlier visions—was staring down at him, its gaze cold and ancient. It didn’t speak this time, but the message was clear.

The primal force of Destruction had saved him. And before it vanished into the void, it gave Arthur a single, terrifying command.

“Devour.”

With that, the eye closed, and Arthur was plunged back into reality.

*

Arthur gasped as he woke with a start, his entire body drenched in sweat, his mind reeling from what had just happened. His muscles ached, his very essence felt like it had been torn apart and rebuilt. But the system chimed once more.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

New Passive Ability Acquired: Synergy

Light and Darkness now coexist within your Void Core. When exposed to light, your body will heal over time. When enveloped in darkness, your overall abilities will be enhanced. Synergy between these two elements allows one to activate the other when present.

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Arthur’s lips curled into a sharp grin, though his mind was still buzzing from the encounter. The rewards were immense, but the experience had shaken him to his core. He had come so close to death—so close to being nothing more than a broken shell.

That Titan... it could have ended him. Were Titans that strong? He had already gone through his first major evolution!

He was an Abyssal Drake now!

And, that Titan blitzed him in seconds?

He growled low, the satisfaction of his new power mixing with the fear that still lingered from the battle. One thing was certain: the rules of this world were more complicated than he thought.

And there were beings far more dangerous than him out there.

For now.

*

Arthur’s muscles still ached from the beating he’d endured in the mindscape, but the thrill of his newly acquired Synergy ability simmered beneath his skin. There was power in the air—thick and palpable—and his Void Core buzzed with anticipation. He needed to test it, to understand just how deep this newfound connection between light and darkness ran.

Moving deeper into the crystal cave, he sought out the darker corners, away from the gleaming light of the towering crystal spires. The shadows stretched long as he descended, the air growing cooler. Each step felt deliberate, purposeful, as if his body already knew what was waiting for him in the darkness.

The moment he stepped into the gloom, everything changed.

Arthur gasped, his entire body vibrating with energy. It was as if his very essence doubled, no—tripled, in strength. His limbs felt lighter, his movements swifter. It was an overwhelming surge of power, like he had downed ten red bulls in a single breath. The connection was immediate, primal. Darkness wasn’t just his ally now—it was his fuel, igniting something deep within him.

He flexed his claws, feeling the molten heat swirling through them. A grin tugged at his maws. With a flick of his wrist, he swiped at the nearest crystal, and molten fire blazed from his claws.

Hisssssss...

The crystal didn’t just crack—it melted, the glowing residue dripping like molten glass onto the cave floor. The molten heat felt stronger here, more intense, almost as if the dark amplified it beyond anything he had experienced before. His claws shimmered with a brighter hue, the heat radiating off them in waves.

Arthur chuckled darkly. Synergy wasn’t just a passive skill—it was an amplifier. The darkness itself was bending to his will, enhancing his power in ways he hadn’t fully realized until now.

“Looks like darkness and I are going to be good friends,” he muttered, stepping further into the shadows. Every inch of his body buzzed with raw, untamed energy. He could feel it thrumming in his veins, pushing him to test the limits of what this synergy could truly achieve.

His gaze drifted to his tail, thick and muscular, coiled behind him like a waiting serpent. He hadn’t given it much thought since his transformation, but now… now he felt the potential in every fiber.

The dark energy continued to pulse around him, amplifying every sensation. Arthur flexed his tail, feeling the raw strength that had come with his new form. It moved like an extension of his will, responding instantly as he swiped it across the cave floor. The force of the movement sent a gust of water and debris scattering in all directions, the sharp crack echoing off the crystalline walls.

Not bad. But he wanted more.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed, focusing on one of the sturdier crystal formations further ahead. It jutted out of the cave floor like a jagged spear, its shimmering surface glowing faintly even in the darkness. He positioned himself, tensing his muscles before twisting his body in a sudden, fluid motion.

Wham!

His tail slammed into the crystal spire with a sound that reverberated through the entire chamber. The crystal buckled under the impact, cracks spiderwebbing out from the point of contact. Arthur’s tail vibrated from the force of the strike, but the crystal didn’t shatter—at least, not yet.

Arthur bared his teeth. “Let’s see how much more you can take.”

With another surge of dark energy fueling him, Arthur swung his tail again, this time with even more force. The strike was brutal, the molten power from his core pouring into his tail as it connected with the crystal once more.

Crack!

The crystal spire shattered into pieces, fragments flying through the water in a glittering spray. Arthur watched with satisfaction as the remnants clattered to the cave floor, the water around them steaming from the heat still radiating off his tail.

He swished his tail through the water, the remnants of the molten power still flickering along its length. His strength was undeniable—enhanced, sharpened by the darkness that surrounded him. Every inch of his body felt like a weapon, his tail especially.

Arthur chuckled, the sound low and dangerous in the quiet of the cave. “Yeah, this will do.”

Testing the limits of his newfound strength, both in his claws and tail, left him invigorated. He could feel the power building within him, the essence of darkness intertwined with his very core. This world was unforgiving, but now… so was he.