Chapter 209: Pure Abyssal Energy

Standing across from Noah, Othello’s new form flexed, his body a grotesque mix of human intellect and abyssal corruption.

Horns curled like jagged crowns, claws shimmered with unnatural sharpness, and his twisted grin burned with madness.

“You can’t win, boy,” Othello roared, lunging forward.

His claws raked through the air, carrying streaks of corrosive mana that left dark blots on the panels of the space.

“I am progress incarnate!”

Noah blurred away with Flash Step, only for Othello to appear at his flank, moving with demonic speed.

A clawed fist slammed into Noah’s ribs, cracking bone.

Noah’s tail whipped out instinctively, catching Othello across the face, but the man only laughed, spitting blood.

Every second, Othello didn’t give him room to breathe.

His demon-born resilience mocked Noah’s strikes, his booming voice lashing as cruelly as his claws.

“Is this all the dragon inside you has to offer? Pathetic! You’ll fall like the others!”

Noah gritted his teeth, focusing.

He bent space with Null Stride, vanishing mid-swing to reappear behind Othello.

His palm ignited with Void Bolt, and he drove it into Othello’s back.

The bolt seared through flesh, smoke hissing from the wound. Othello snarled, spinning and lashing out.

“Not enough!”

Noah layered Eternal Cradle over the ground, the invisible hunger gnawing at Othello’s body.

Veins of crimson energy pulsed under the demon-scientist’s skin as the spell fought to siphon life away.

Othello stumbled, rage flaring.

“Stop trying, you insect!” he bellowed, swiping again.

Noah ducked under the swipe, his tail slamming into Othello’s chest. The blow staggered him.

Noah continued the attack, flash stepping, striking with fist, tail, and spell, every move flowing into the next.

Void Bolt cracked the air, Devour ate at the edges of Othello’s spells, and judgements of fire rained down as Noah chained his arsenal together.

For every injury Othello regenerated, Noah struck again.

And again. And again.

Slowly but surely, the tide shifted. Othello’s laughter grew hollow, his sneers thinning into desperation.

“This… this is impossible,” he gasped, panic flashing in his warped eyes. “You’re nothing but a child! A child!”

Noah’s grin widened, predatory. “Then what does that make you… being beaten by me?”

His onslaught never stopped. He poured everything he had in his mana pool.

Pillars of Judgement flared one after the other, scouring Othello’s skin with flame that refused to fade.

A Void Bolt hammered into his chest, ripping through scales and bone. Othello shrieked, stumbling back.

“You don’t know what you’re tampering with!” Othello’s voice cracked, his earlier grandeur collapsing into terror. “You’ll drown in the abyss just like me—”

Noah silenced him.

He gathered everything, his left palm glowing with the compressed annihilation of a Void Bolt, and his right burning with layered Pillars of Judgement.

He pointed both palms together, then unleashed both at once.

The blast consumed Othello.

Void collapsed inward, while the ever-burning flames rained down, burning body, soul, and essence.

The collision tore across the Cube, thunder echoing as the panels cracked and reality itself quivered.

When the smoke cleared, Othello lay broken on the floor.

His grotesque form twitched, regenerating sluggishly, but it was done.

The madness in his eyes dimmed. His laughter was gone.

Noah staggered, vertigo pulling at his senses.

His mana pool was nearly dry, and his body was screaming in exhaustion.

He dragged his feet across the floor until he stood over the fallen man.

“You lose,” Noah whispered.

Then, with a final breath, he raised his hand. Darkness swirled like a hungry storm.

“Devour.”

The maw of darkness surged forward, swallowing Othello whole.

As it consumed him, Noah’s vision flashed.

[Pure Abyssal Energy Detected.]

[Would you like to receive a spell, or advance?]

Noah’s lips curved into a grim smile. “Advance.”

The world shook inside him.

Mana surged, expanding, doubling, tripling. His very veins felt as if they were being reconstructed and put together again.

[Congratulations! You have ascended to F-rank.]

[20% synchronization with Abyssal Energy complete.]

Agony and ecstasy intertwined as new limbs tore from his back.

With a wet snap, great wings burst forth.

They were scaled and black, lined with veins of molten orange, each span wide enough to darken the space.

The power rolling from them was immense and primal.

He let them spread once, the aura of his dragon heritage filling the Cube.

Then, with a thought, he retracted them, his back smoothing as if they’d never been.

Noah swayed, his body drained. He had just enough for one last spell.

“Null Stride.”

The Cube collapsed as he vanished.

He reappeared in his dorm room, the quiet familiarity of his bed waiting.

With his last ounce of strength, he pulled off his cloak, let himself collapse onto the mattress, and fell into sleep, the shadows curling protectively around him.

For the first time in a long while, Noah dreamed.

[][][][][]

Noah woke with a groan, every muscle in his body screaming in protest.

His mana pool was still barren, dry as cracked earth, leaving him hollow.

He dragged himself upright, clutching his head as if it might split open.

Afternoon sunlight leaked through his window, stabbing into his skull.

“Theriology,” he muttered.

First day of the week, and he was already behind.

Exams were moving closer every day. He couldn’t afford to slack now.

He staggered into the shower, letting cold water pound down on his head, but even that did little to relieve the pressure behind his eyes.

His temples throbbed with every heartbeat.

By the time he stepped out, toweled, and dressed, the headache had grown even more intense, like a knife twisting behind his brow.

Still, he slung his satchel over his shoulder and forced himself out the door.

The sun was merciless. Its glare made him squint, his steps heavier with every inch of the walk across school grounds.

He considered turning back more than once.

His bed called to him, sweet and inviting.

But then he thought of exams, the endless preparation, the pressure to perform, and the weakness he could not afford to show.

He clenched his teeth and continued forward.

By the time he reached the cafeteria, his headache was pounding like war drums.

He grabbed a tray with a robotic motion, eyes searching for an empty seat. That was when Arlo spotted him.

“Look at you,” Arlo grinned, sliding in beside him with his usual cheer. “Enjoying your little vacation from life, are we?”

“Fuck off, Arlo,” Noah muttered, voice rough. He tried to set his tray down…

And then it hit him.

The pain rolled through his veins, stealing the air from his lungs. His vision wavered.

And he collapsed into darkness.

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