Over an hour had passed since Scott left the elves behind. He had embarked on yet another monotonous trek, the sound of his boots pressing against the icy floor echoing through the silence, drowning out the faint clinks of the swinging pendant.
Scott periodically tried to contact his companions, but the same restrictions remained in place. Though tempted, he resisted the urge to activate the imprint of madness—its promise of gruesome mental torture was something he didn’t want his companions to endure.
The voidweaver continued his journey, each step measured and deliberate. His gaze occasionally lingered on the chains wrapped around his arm, unable to discern any change yet. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of effects the chains would have once they fully merged with the nihilistic zone.
Scott marched forward; his eyes fixed on the path ahead. He walked for another hour before noticing a flickering light in the distance.
It’s the same, except no one’s trying to kill me this time, Scott thought, his gaze sharpening as he neared the end of the pathway. He continued with calm, measured steps, his vigilance at its peak. Moments later, he entered another dome-ceiling room, this one with six sealed pathways but devoid of any presence.
Scott halted, his eyes scanning the area. “System, which path should I take?”
You can’t intercept the invader beyond this point!
“Oh?” Scott nodded gently. “Which path will they arrive from?” Scott quizzed.
Requesting Permission… Permission Denied!
Scott chuckled softly. “I guess I’ll have to wait, then,” he muttered, his gaze shifting away from the flickering notifications. His impassive eyes roamed the area briefly as he mentally speculated which pathway the invader might emerge from. I wonder how the others are doing? There’s no telling how long we’re going to be stuck in this damned place… With that, Scott retreated to the center of the area, waiting in quiet contemplation.
The invaders are arriving! Defend your path!
Scott’s brows creased as he stared at the notification. There’s more than one? he wondered, his gaze shifting toward the sealed pathways. Suddenly, the area was filled with the sound of cracking, and massive fissures appeared on the walls in front of him, behind him, and on the pathway to his right.
The Chains of Oblivion have successfully merged with the Nihilistic Zone! Item: Chains of Oblivion have been upgraded!
Item: Chains of the Abyss! Description: ??? Effects Void Lash: When whipped or extended, the chains create rifts in space, causing anything in their path to potentially disintegrate into nonexistence. These rifts can also disrupt magical energies, nullifying spells or enchantments. Eternal Erasure: Any target completely bound by the Chains of Annihilation cannot be resurrected, regenerated, or reformed. Their essence is entirely obliterated. Annihilation Zone: The wielder can create a temporary zone of annihilation, a fragment of the Nihilistic Zone itself, where anything that enters is swiftly eroded of their existence. Abyssal Constriction: The chains can extend infinitely into the Abyss, pulling their target into an endless void. Anything drawn into the Abyss is lost forever, unable to return to the material world. Void Warden: The chains can bind and control void-dwelling entities, summoning them to fight alongside the wielder or imprisoning them within the chains' links. Abyssal Hunger: The chains can consume energy, life force, or magic from anything they touch, absorbing it into the endless void within. This energy can then be used to empower the wielder or extend the chains' abilities.
Scott stared at the system messages, his gaze unconsciously shifting toward the chains. The Chains of the Abyss still maintained their silver luster, but now, blackened tendrils flickered between the silver links.
A thunderous bang echoed through the room, and Scott instinctively raised his head. The pathway in front of him was on the verge of collapsing, and the other two weren’t far behind. The voidweaver stretched out his right hand, summoning three massive nihilistic portals, each one as large as the seals covering the pathways.
But as soon as the portals manifested, they distorted and disintegrated. Scott frowned as another explosion rocked the area, sending broken ice slabs whizzing through the air.
“I was looking forward to our next meeting…” A samurai in full regalia stepped out from the pathway directly in front of Scott, his katana already drawn. “I knew we’d meet again, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon,” another samurai emerged from the pathway behind Scott, katana also in hand. The echo of wooden sandals on ice signaled the arrival of a third samurai from the last pathway. “It’s just like before. There’s still nothing from you,” he sighed, stepping into the area. “I really don’t like you.”
The samurais paused as soon as they exited the pathways, their yellow eyes glaring at the man standing in the center of the area.
Why did it have to be this fucking freak? Scott’s frown deepened. The samurais looked nothing alike—the first was old and one-armed, the second’s face was mutilated beyond recognition, and the third was barely out of adolescence. But they all shared one trait: a pair of ominous yellow eyes.
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I don’t even know if he’s mind-controlling these people, or if this bastard is actually a parasite, Scott thought. One thing was certain: these samurais weren’t clones of the Hurly he had killed before. But how could four distinct individuals possess the same ability?
“You really are a parasite after all,” Scott began, adjusting his stance as he shifted his gaze between the samurais. “Do you take pleasure in controlling the minds and actions of others?”
The samurais tilted their heads, seemingly confused by the question. “Why would I take pleasure in something so mundane?” the older samurai countered.
“I’m a god,” the youngest samurai declared. “It’s my divine right to do as I please,” the second samurai added. All three then raised their weapons, their yellow eyes locked on Scott. “Your existence displeases me. I will no longer—”
“Enough of that crap,” Scott interjected, wiggling his fingers. The pendant shook vigorously as the War Hammer of the Mad God revealed itself. Meanwhile, the chains rustled violently, slowly unraveling around Scott’s arm. The former ego weapon expanded several times over, coiling around Scott like a sentient snake. “Like I promised, this monkey here is going to keep killing you over and over until I get to your real body,” Scott declared, tightening his grip on the war hammer. “Now, get over here, you fucking parasite!”
Scott charged toward the disabled older samurai first. At the same time, the Chains of the Abyss raced toward the other samurais, expanding several times over and embedding themselves into the icy barrier. Massive nihilistic portals appeared next to the chains, but they disappeared as quickly as they came, negated by the men with yellow eyes. The chains attempted to ensnare the samurais, but they displayed remarkable agility, twisting and turning to evade the serpentine links.
Scott, with the war hammer in both hands, reached the disabled samurai. He unleashed a brutal downward swing, fueled by the very essence of the void. His goal was clear—kill the samurai as swiftly as possible. But the samurai had other plans. He skillfully countered with a powerful upward swing, the clash of metal sending shockwaves that further cracked the surrounding ice.
“Is this the power I’m supposed to fear?” Hurly teased; his expression impassive. “Let me show you the power of a god!”
A faint ripping sound echoed as the samurai’s arm swelled to five times its original size. With a low growl, he overpowered Scott, sending the voidweaver flying several feet away. In that brief moment, portals manifested near the chains attacking the other samurais, and the youngest samurai’s left foot was devoured by one of them. However, the portals vanished just as quickly, and the samurai’s foot began to regenerate.
Scott landed safely on his feet, his gaze lingering on the samurai’s hulking arm. That freak has more tricks up his sleeve… but regeneration is going to be a real problem, he thought.
Meanwhile, the disabled samurai took a step forward, his yellow eyes fixed on Scott. He paused, shifting into a sword stance with his katana raised for a sideways slash. Suddenly, the samurai’s legs trembled, expanding just like his arm. Scott’s expression grew serious. In the next instant, the samurai moved like a blur, his sandal print embedding deep into the ice, leaving a massive crater in his wake.
The samurai appeared in front of Scott in a flash, unleashing a series of furious sideways slashes, aiming to cleave the voidweaver into unequal halves. The Chains of the Abyss reacted first, abandoning their relentless assault to form a protective cocoon around Scott. The other samurais responded in kind, their limbs swelling several times over as they launched a barrage of attacks at the chain-enclosed entity. The area was soon filled with the sharp clacking of unrelenting sword strikes clashing against the sturdy chains; tremors and shockwaves cracking the surrounding ice further.
Deep within the protective cocoon, Scott frowned, his thoughts racing. Although it was only for a second, that bastard’s negating abilities disappeared… but they know it too, and they’re covering for each other. This is going to be difficult; He contemplated his options. Do I really need to use my domain here? He shook his head slightly. This bastard is definitely gathering data on me. I can’t reveal all my cards now.
“Is this all you’ve got, huh?” the disabled samurai roared, unleashing another barrage of slashes at the chains. “Show me how powerful a dancing monkey can be! Don’t tell me this is all you can do,” he taunted, raining more sword lights down on the slithering chain cocoon.
Suddenly, the cocoon began to shrink, startling the samurais. Instinctively, they retreated, their gazes fixed on the shrinking chains. Faint, bestial growls and ominous howls began to emanate from within, as if creatures from the depths of hell were clawing their way to the surface. The samurais exchanged wary glances, their limbs swelling even further as their clothes shredded under the strain of their bulging muscles. Then, just as abruptly, the chain cocoon loosened, and the samurais froze.
Where Scott had stood, over a dozen abominations and nightmarish entities now towered—each more robust and intimidating than the voidweaver himself.
“I knew you had more in store for me,” the youngest samurai muttered, a deranged smile spreading across his face. “Let’s see how tough these—”
Before he could finish, an eldritch summon appeared in front of him in a blur, grabbing his face with a monstrous hand. The abomination squeezed, but the samurai managed a brutal swing despite being at a disadvantage. However, the sword light couldn’t even scratch the summon’s skin. With a sickening crack, blood and brain matter sprayed into the air as the samurai’s body went limp in the abomination’s grip.
The other samurais stared at their slain companion; their eyes devoid of emotion. “Another variable. So, these are your minions,” the older samurai observed, as if mentally cataloging Scott’s abilities.
The eldritch abomination flung the corpse against a nearby wall, where it shattered into a gory mess on impact. The towering summons turned their bloodthirsty eyes toward the remaining champions, their savage intent unmistakable. Without warning, they surged forward, and the samurais’ muscles swelled further in response, the sound of breaking bones mingling with the rustling chains and bestial roars. The samurais unleashed a barrage of furious sword lights, desperate to obliterate the summons. But the chains absorbed most of the impact, and then the eldritch entities arrived.
The violent beings tore into the samurais, ripping them limb from limb. Fresh blood splattered across the icy walls and floors as the samurais were reduced to mangled flesh. Seconds later, the blood-soaked abominations returned to Scott’s side, towering over the voidweaver in submissive silence.
Scott stared at the decapitated head of the older samurai—the only identifiable remnant of the three corpses. The man’s lifeless eyes remained locked on Scott, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“That’s another victory for the monkey. You’re not so good at this game,” Scott mocked, a smile curving his lips.
“You have no idea how much I don’t like—” The samurai’s words were cut short as an abomination stomped on his head, shattering it like an overripe watermelon.
Several portals opened behind Scott, and the eldritch summons silently retreated into them, vanishing from sight. The Chains of the Abyss rapidly shrunk, coiling back around Scott’s arm, while the War Hammer of the Mad God reverted to its pendant form.
You have slain the invaders! Proceed to the first checkpoint!