Chapter 64 — Return to HQ
Valen and Zarion walked side by side toward HQ, still chatting as if nothing had happened.
The great Hunters' building stood before them—familiar and imposing.
As they entered, they greeted the other Hunters with casual waves.
Whispers quickly spread through the room.
— Look, it's Valen, the Divine Hunter! He's so handsome, so cool!
Hearing his name, Valen couldn't help but puff out his chest and strike a few poses like he was on a runway.
> "Hey, gotta keep the legend alive, right?"
Beside him, Zarion walked calmly, hands in his pockets, ignoring the stares.
That didn't stop more whispers from surfacing:
— And that's Zarion… So mysterious… We're obsessed!
Valen froze, offended.
> "Excuse me?! Fans of him?! Is this a joke? I actually put in effort!"
Zarion turned his head slightly, unfazed.
> "Try less effort. Might work better."
> "Jealous."
— "Tired."
— "Same thing."
They climbed the stairs in their usual vibe—half serious, half ridiculous.
Around the corner, Arthur spotted them and raised a hand.
> "Well, look who's back from the beyond. Been a while—where've you two been?"
Valen answered immediately, full of confidence:
> "You know, when you're beautiful and famous, you've got to make time for your fans."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
> "I asked a serious question, Valen."
Zarion sighed and answered for him:
> "We got sucked into another dimension. Total mess."
Arthur's eyes widened.
> "Again? Seriously, you two attract trouble like flies."
Valen winked.
> "Let's just say we've got… magnetism."
Arthur sighed.
> "I won't even try to understand. Liora's waiting for you in her office. I think she was a bit worried."
Valen smiled proudly.
> "Aww, that's sweet. She was worried about me."
Arthur shot back instantly:
> "Or maybe she just wants to chew you out."
> "Minor detail."
Zarion rolled his eyes while Valen adjusted his outfit before knocking on Liora's office door.
A calm but firm voice replied:
> "Come in."
The two Hunters stepped inside.
Liora, seated behind her desk, looked up. Her gaze shifted between them—relief mixed with exasperation.
> "I'm fine, thanks for asking. But you two… you vanished. Care to explain your long absence?"
Valen sat down uninvited, legs crossed, pretending to be relaxed.
> "Uh… let's call it a little multiversal sightseeing trip?"
Liora raised an eyebrow. Zarion, opting for the mental route, transmitted everything they'd experienced:
the Void dimension, Vael's chained incarnation, his awakening, the battle with Aeternus, and finally… the appearance of Death itself.
When the mental link broke, Liora slowly placed a hand on her forehead, visibly shaken.
> "You fought… an incarnation of Vael?"
Valen pretended to thinkged, insulted, repelled… you know, a typical Tuesday for me."
> "And Death intervened…" Liora said, lifting her gaze.
Zarion nodded slowly.
> "She took Valt."
Valen raised his hands, mock-offended.
> "Didn't even say thank you! Cosmic manners are dead, I swear."
Liora let out a deep sigh—equal parts exhaustion and relief that they were alive.
> "You two… you attract disasters like no one else."
Valen grinned.
> "We just keep things interesting."
Zarion added, deadpan:
> "The word is exhausting."
> "Pfft, you're just jealous of my flair for drama."
Liora finally raised a hand to silence them.
> "Out. Go rest. We'll talk about all this later."
> "Gladly!" Valen said, springing to his feet.
— "Assuming your office survives your mood."
Liora shot him a glare.
> "Out."
> "Yes, ma'am. Always a pleasure."
The two left the office.
In the hallway, Valen turned to Zarion with a wide grin:
> "She adores me. I can feel it."
> "No. She tolerates your existence. Barely."
> "That's still a start."
They laughed as they continued walking.
Chapter 65 — Return to the Palace of Nothingness
The Palace of the Void remained silent—but it was the kind of silence that felt heavy, the kind that made even shadows afraid to breathe.
At the summit of a throne made of shifting shadows and inverted light, Vael sat like a king on vacation… except his vacation involved cosmic annihilation.
He blinked, fixed his multicolored gaze on Valt, and spoke in a calm voice:
> "Alright. Let's talk about your little tantrum."
Nyxa, standing nearby, chimed in—half shocked, half amused:
> "Unbelievable… He loses to a 'fraudulent' architect and gets saved by… a corpse. Seriously, Valt? This feels like a bad sitcom."
Death, in her human form, frowned.
> "You talk about me like I'm a failed soufflé. A little respect, please."
Nyxa shrugged, too blunt to apologize.
> "I'm polite, don't worry. Just honest. And hey, you're a stylish corpse."
Death rolled her eyes.
> "Hilarious. Keep it up and I'll turn you into a decorative statue hand—a simple gesture that made the air itself shudder—and the two fell silent.
> "Enough," he said. "Valt, there's a lot I don't understand about your behavior. Why stall so much? Why let Aeternus touch you, seal you, free you—put on his little show? Are you inexperienced? Too proud? Too playful?"
Valt smiled with a twisted, almost delightful grin:
> "Guilty. I like to play. Fight, torment, feel fear simmering… you know what I mean, master?"
Vael sighed—a sound that made nearby constellations shiver.
> "Very well. If you love games so much… I'll give you the ultimate playground. You'll dive into my Abyssal Realm and face a condensed fragment of my abyss. You'll call it… the Abyss. You'll be forced to confront yourself—and what you become when fear isn't a luxury, but a weapon."
Nyxa, incredulous, blurted out:
> "Wait. You mean 'swallow it'? Because this doesn't sound like actual therapy."
Vael looked at her, coldly amused:
. Yes, I'm hungry, but I didn't say 'eat the fragment.' I said: 'forge it.'"
He turned to Nyxa:
> "You'll go with him."
Nyxa pouted, looking as displeased as a queen asked to change a lightbulb during a cosmic war.
> "Me? Seriously? Why me. Why always me. Why do the 'unstable kids' get special chaperones?"
Vael didn't smile—and when Vael didn't smile, you could feel the foundations of a world tremble.
> "I'm not joking. You're the only one who can tolerate him without trying to skin him alive. And… you make him shiver. That's useful."
A chill ran through Nyxa. She straightened up, visibly amused and slightly flattered.
> "Alright, Master Vael. As you command. But first… make me shiver again. I loved it last time."
Vael threatened her with a voice glacial and perfectly serious:
> "You're weird. Do as I say, before I annihilate your existence."
Nyxa burst out laughing, placed a hand on her hip, and gave a theatrical salute.
> "Understood. So, where are we headed? Galactic brunch or abyssal pit? I'll bring snacks (and you, don't forget your blankie, Valt)."
Valt, as eager as a child who just found out he's going to the apocalypse amusement park, stood up, eyes gleaming with wicked excitement:
> "Finally! I'm gonna have a blast. Thank you, master. Thank you, Nyxa. Promise I won't cause too much damage… or maybe just enough."
Vael blinked, then with a casual gesture, opened a dark portal where wisps of shadow, whispers, and something like a permanent chill surged to escape.
> "Then… into the Abyss. Come back alive. Or interesting. I'll need a new toy if you die."
Nyxa winked at Valt.
> "Time to straighten you out, little maniac. And if you behave, I might buy you an ugly souvenir."
Valt chuckled like someone promised a forbidden gift.
> "Deal!"
They leapt into the portal. The shadows swallowed their silhouettes in a cold breath.
Vael remained still for a moment, then resumed idly playing with a fragment of absorbed star—like fiddling with a toothpick.
Nyxa shouted one last line as she crossed the ether:
> "And if I die, you're paying to replace my coat!"
Vael, without looking up, replied:
> "Get an indestructible one. And above all… don't die. I hate waste."
The portal closed, leaving the Palace of the Void to its illusory calm—the calm of a theater between acts, where the next scene promised to be explosive.
Chapter 66 — Descent into the Abyss
Nyxa and Valt were literally tearing through space, diving across layers of reality. Around them, the world had become a mosaic of inverted colors, sounds that didn't yet exist, and extinguished thoughts.
The Abyssal World… a realm without time, without narrative, without laws.
Even the most fundamental concepts — life, death, cause, effect — wandered here like tourists without GPS.
When they finally touched "the ground" (or at least something vaguely resembling it), a black wave rippled through the void.
Before them stretched an infinite landscape — a cosmic prison.
Chains of inverted light held countless deities, entities, and monsters:
ancient gods, fallen angels, architects of reality, primordial demons… even fragments of the Void itself.
All screamed, wept, begged.
> — "Help us! Free us from Vael's grasp!"
The voices echoed in every language, every time, every mind.
Even Nyxa frowned, visibly disgusted.
> — "Bunch of parasites… shut your throats before I stitch your screams backward."
Valt, meanwhile, was looking around, eyes sparkling like a kid in a divine weapons store.
> — "Yo… look at all this! It's a carnage museum! These weapons… they're gorgeous!"
He reached toward a golden blade floating in a glass prison.
Nyxa sighed.
> — "Ever noticed that all the weapons you summon from your inner space are linked to this place?
To Vael's Abyss?"
Valt froze, then glanced around, suddenly nervous.
> — "Wait… are you saying I've been using stuff digested by Vael?!"
— "Pretty much."
— "Gross. I feel spiritually dirty."
Nyxa burst out laughing.
> — "I knew he was hungry, but not that hungry. The guy collects worlds, entities, and silverware."
They kept walking through the silent chaos until a deep rumble rose.
A fissure of shadow opened before them, and a figure emerged, floating above the ground.
Hair black as absolute night.
Eyes red, pupil-less, reflecting nothingness.
His mere existence made laws tremble.
> — "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, his voice resonating through their souls.
— "I am the Abyss. Vael warned me of your arrival."
He turned to Nyxa and gave a cold smile.
> — "You must be Lady Nyxa. A pleasure to meet you."
Nyxa raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.
> — "Yeah, yeah, you're polite. I don't like that. Always means trouble."
Then the being turned to Valt.
> — "And you… the curious one. You overflow with energy."
Valt, impressed, nodded.
> — "Whoa… so you're the Abyss? You radiate something wild!
You look strong. Like, really strong."
The Abyss smiled faintly.
> — "Enthusiastic. I like that. And a bit reckless too — I like that even more."
Valt continued, suddenly serious:
> — "Vael, that cosmic psychopath, says I lack experience.
So… you're supposed to fix that, right?"
Nyxa blinked, shocked by Valt's tone.
> — "Wait, since when do you talk seriously? What's with that voice?! I'm freaking out!"
The Abyss chuckled softly… and suddenly, his body warped, liquefying like shadow.
In an instant, he took on Nyxa's exact appearance — same arrogant expression, same provocative air.
> — "Of course I can fix your problem, darling," he said in her voice.
Nyxa jumped, fists clenched, outraged.
> — "You dimensional bastard! Change back before I gut you with your own shadow!"
The Abyss raised his hands in peace.
> — "Calm down, Lady Nyxa. Imitation is a form of admiration."
> — "Admiration? I'll return it straight to your face if you keep it up!"
Sighing, the Abyss shifted again, this time taking Valt's form.
Same grin, same aura, same overly confident gaze.
> — "There. Better?"
Valt crossed his arms, eyeing his copy.
> — "Honestly? I'm hotter."
Nyxa rolled her eyes.
> — "Dear gods, next time lock me up with normal people…"
The Abyss watched them, impassive, then declared:
> — "Very well. If you're ready… the test may begin.
Valt, you'll face what you fear most.
And Nyxa… you'll have to endure Valt the entire time."
Nyxa paled.
> — "Wait… what?!"
Valt puffed out his chest, proud.
> — "Hey, come on, I'm tolerable!"
> — "I'd rather fight an existential dragon, thanks."
The Abyss smiled.
> — "Too late. The test begins now."
The ground tore open beneath their feet.
Screams, laughter, reflections of past realities rose as they were swallowed by a living ocean of shadow.
The world inverted.
Silence twisted.
And the descent began…
toward the heart of the Abyss.Chapter 65 — The Echo of Aeternus
Valt and Nyxa kept falling—endlessly.
Around them, entire worlds drifted. Realities twisted like heated glass, and stones floated in directions that didn't exist.
> "What the hell is this?!" Nyxa growled, her hair whipping in every direction.
"Is the Abyss trying to get me to pluck him or what?!"
Valt clenched his jaw, a vein pulsing on his forehead.
> "So this is the test? Eternal freefall? I'm gonna puke a concept at this rate!"
Nyxa glanced upward.
> "Hard to say, considering time doesn't even exist here… Just wait till I catch that lunatic."
Valt shut one eye. The other remained open—its iris shaped like a star, slowly rotating.
A wave of power rippled outward.
> "You feel that?" Nyxa asked with a feral grin.
> "Yeah… things are getting interesting."
A burst of inverted light erupted—and they slammed into the ground with flair.
---
The landscape was a fractured field—shifting obsidian beneath their feet, with fragments of memories floating in the air.
Valt stood, brushed off the dust (or whatever passed for it), and spotted a silhouette a few meters away.
The figure lunged at him without hesitation, grabbed his sword mid-motion, and kicked him hard, sending him flying.
> "Aeternus?!" he shouted.
"You've got to be kidding me… The test is Aeternus?!"
A voice echoed—calm, amused:
> "No, Valt. Not him… a copy. A replica of your nightmare."
The Abyss hovered ten meters away, hands behind his back, wearing a smile that was almost paternal.
> "This test isn't meant to kill you, Valt. It's meant to trigger you."
Valt glared at him, irritated.
> "Seriously?! You think I'm gonna lose it just because he looks like Aeternus or talks down to me?"
Nyxa raised an eyebrow.
> "Hmm… personally, I'd say yes."
> "...Shut up, Nyxa."
> "I'm just saying the Abyss isn't wrong—you've got the emotional control of a volcano on amphetamines."
Valt sighed.
> "You two exhaust me."
---
The clone of Aeternus rose slowly.
Same arrogant gaze. Same crushing aura.
> "Poor lost children," he said, almost kindly.
"Let me guide you back to the righteous path."
Valt's fists clenched.
> "Look at this pompous freak!"
"He thinks he can fix me?! You're the one who killed my mother, you degenerate!"
The false Aeternus smiled.
> "Your mother? The one who tried to protect a useless creature?
I eliminated her. Simple. Necessary. Balanced."
Nyxa rolled her eyes.
> "Oh great, here come the trauma flashbacks. Cue the screaming."
Valt laughed like someone who'd snapped—his aura turning red and black, pure instability.
> "Say it again."
The clone laughed—a cold, mechanical sound.
> "She looked at you, crying, before she died.
She promised she'd return… what a joke.
Get this through your head: the dead don't come back.
She abandoned you. She's never coming back."
Nyxa sighed.
> "Seriously… are we doing the whole drama monologue thing again?"
Valt turned his head toward her slowly, eyes hollow.
> "So that's your test, huh, Abyss? Push me to the edge? Make me explode?"
The Abyss replied gently:
> "You say that like it's a bad thing."
A twisted grin spread across Valt's face.
His veins burned with red light.
> "Then get ready to pick up the pieces…"
His aura erupted, shattering the ground around him.
The clone of Aeternus assumed a calm battle stance.
Nyxa took a step back, unimpressed.
> "Great. Another 'existential meltdown level ten thousand.'
I hate working with soul-pyromaniacs."
And the red light consumed the horizon.