The Nexus quaked violently, a sound like tearing metal and breaking stars filling every corner of Sung Jinwoo's senses. The Core had fractured, yet the energy it released was far from spent. Tendrils of pure mana coiled through the void, twisting space around him, warping the very air into jagged, impossible shapes. Jinwoo's shadows writhed beneath him, resisting the pull of the collapsing realm, their forms flickering as the laws of the Nexus fought to erase them.
Beru hovered nearby, wings slicing the distorted air. "My king, the Core's collapse is accelerating faster than anticipated. The dimensional rift is destabilizing. Escape routes are collapsing."
"I know," Jinwoo replied, his voice calm yet edged with steel. His eyes glowed faintly violet as he assessed the battlefield. The shadows beneath him surged forward like living water, probing the shifting ground for solid footing.
From the void, a voice rang out, deep and resonant, carrying the weight of countless realms. "Sung Jinwoo… you dare trespass in my domain?"
Agnorath had arrived. His presence was impossible to fully comprehend, a living mass of Xx energy coiling through the broken reality. Fractured light refracted across his form, every movement bending the void itself. SS–X ranked guardians erupted from the collapsing terrain, each one a nightmare of molten shadows, jagged crystal, and serrated limbs, moving with perfect coordination under Agnorath's command.
Jinwoo's shadows coiled, forming a barrier around him as the first guardian lunged. Its form blurred across dimensions, slashing with blades of condensed energy that bent space where they moved. He dodged fluidly, teleporting through shadows, his aura flaring violently. Every strike he landed seemed to shatter fragments of reality, yet the guardians regenerated instantly, weaving back together with impossible speed.
"This isn't just combat," Jinwoo muttered. "The Nexus is rewriting them in real time. Agnorath is testing me… calculating my limits."
Igris emerged from the shadows, his crimson blade igniting with pure mana. "Master, allow me—"
"No. We survive first. Then we strike." Jinwoo's hand shot out, summoning a legion of shadows that twisted into monstrous forms, their attacks creating shockwaves that rippled through the warping terrain. Yet even they struggled to maintain coherence; the Nexus tore at their essence, trying to dissolve every anchor he had in this realm.
Agnorath's voice rang again, omnipresent, cutting through the chaos. "You think a shadowbearer can defy me? This realm bends to my will. Your SS rank is insignificant here."
Jinwoo clenched his fists. "Insignificant? I am the anchor of your failure!" He unleashed a torrent of shadow energy, colliding with a guardian whose strike had shattered a portion of the terrain. The impact created a wave of pure darkness that tore through the void, and for a moment, the guardian faltered.
But Agnorath did not hesitate. A wave of distortion washed over Jinwoo, forcing him back. The guardians multiplied, now numbering dozens, each a perfect mirror of his shadows' weaknesses, each attacking in precise rhythm. Jinwoo adapted, melding his shadow army into a singular flowing entity, moving and attacking as one.
System Message: Sung Jinwoo – Current Rank: SS → Progressing Toward SSS Threshold.
A sudden surge of power coursed through him. His body burned with violet energy as the Nexus itself seemed to recognize his will. He pivoted, unleashing an attack of pure shadow mass. Guardians were obliterated in an instant, their fragments spinning into the void. Yet even as victory flickered before him, Agnorath's laughter resonated, a sound that shook the very structure of existence.
"Do you believe this is enough?" Agnorath's form appeared above him, suspended in the broken air, a storm of black lightning and molten energy surrounding him. "I am the judge of all realms. You are not even the storm—you are the breeze I allow to touch my world."
Jinwoo's eyes glimmered. "Then I'll become the hurricane you cannot control!"
He extended both hands, drawing every shadow, every fragment of mana he had left into himself. His body expanded, aura exploding outward, bending the collapsing Nexus around him. Shadows merged into his form, fusing with him as if they were part of the realm itself.
"Shadow Fusion: Abyssal Legion," he intoned, and the Nexus shuddered violently.
The guardians recoiled, some disintegrating instantly under the pressure. Agnorath's eyes narrowed, a flicker of surprise breaking through his calm dominion. The void erupted as Jinwoo launched forward, teleporting through fractured space, striking with precision, tearing at the very foundation of Agnorath's defensive matrix.
Lightning and darkness collided in midair, fracturing the collapsing horizon. Jinwoo's voice rang out, resolute. "I will not fall here. I will not fail the world!"
The battle reached its peak. Agnorath unleashed a wave of energy so intense it threatened to erase Jinwoo's form entirely. Every shadow, every fragment of his power, was tested. The guardians converged for a final strike, their SS–X ranked bodies surging in a coordinated attack.
Jinwoo gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of focus and power. His shadows coalesced into a single, massive entity, eyes glowing with ancient intelligence. With a roar that echoed across realms, he surged forward, colliding with the apex of Agnorath's assault.
The Nexus exploded. Light, darkness, and raw mana erupted outward in a cataclysmic storm. Space folded, fragmented, and then began to reform as Jinwoo's shadow force held the center intact. The guardians shattered, their fragments evaporating into the void. Agnorath recoiled, energy sparking violently from his form.
Breathing heavily, Jinwoo's body glowed faintly violet, his aura a storm of pure shadow. He raised a hand toward the remaining Core fragments, eyes blazing with certainty.
"This… is only the beginning. I will not stop. Not until every last Anchor, every last guardian, and you, Agnorath, are broken!"
Agnorath's laugh echoed, menacing and distant. "Then come, Sung Jinwoo… let the final storm decide everything."
The Nexus trembled. The void bent around them. Shadows and energy converged, setting the stage for the next confrontation that would decide the fate of all realms.
Jinwoo clenched his fists. His heart burned with determination. "Bring it. I'm ready."
And in that instant, the air itself seemed to pause. Even the collapsing Nexus acknowledged the presence of a being who would challenge infinity.
To be continued...