Chapter 204 – Tempestborne… and Blackstar in Disbelief
Blackstar crossed his arms, looked at Aeris… then at the King… then back at Aeris.
— "So basically, I could've finished him in ten seconds, maybe you'd have awakened some even more broken thing like 'Hyper Divine Ultimate Wind Whatever.' But no. You decided to be… nice."
The King lifted his chin, offended:
— "And what do you think? I'm stronger than any power he could have—"
Blackstar raised his hand:
— "Shh. You. Wind. Breathe. This isn't your chapter."
Aeris timidly raised two fingers:
— "Anyway… I don't like killing. I'm not used to… well… yeah."
Blackstar ruffled his hair:
— "Don't worry, I won't force you. But still… what EXACTLY did you do to the king? Because I didn't get it. Even the gods must be confused right now."
The King nodded vaguely:
— "True."
Aeris blushed:
— "Uh… well… I didn't drain his energy… or absorb his essence… or do something weird…"
**Blackstar:**
— "THEN WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
**Aeris:**
— "I harmonized his flows."
Blackstar froze for three seconds. Even the wind stopped blowing, shocked.
— "What do you mean 'harmonized'…?"
Aeris fiddled nervously with his fingers:
— "I didn't take his power. Well, yes… but not by stealing it. I recalibrated my frequency to his. So… I stabilized his chaotic flow… without destroying it. He keeps his strength, and… I keep a synchronized version in my own energy."
The King, arms crossed:
— "In short, he just stopped me from being an uncontrollable hurricane… without nerfing me. It's humiliating but… effective."
Blackstar's jaw dropped:
— "So you didn't drain his energy… you didn't copy his magic… YOU DID A PATCH UPDATE?! You patched him?! You're a wind technician?!"
**Aeris:**
— "Kind of… I think…"
Then, timidly:
— "And it gave me a form… uh… 'Tempestborne Form'…"
Blackstar's eyes widened:
— "Oooh. That's stylish. Congratulations."
He patted Aeris's shoulder.
— "But tell me… is it strong enough to brush rank S? And you don't have dumb restrictions like 'I faint if I jump too high'?"
**Aeris:**
— "I hope not…"
The King intervened:
— "Technically, his flow is purified, so he SHOULD NOT have restrictions. But hey. I'm just saying."
Blackstar sighed:
— "Aeris… I warn you, the difference between rank A and rank S is a chasm. An abyss. A bottomless pit. A—"
**Aeris:**
— "Yes, I get it… it's a lot."
**Blackstar:**
— "So much that even I can't explain it. And that annoys me."
Aeris timidly raised his hand:
— "But my dream… is still to reach that level…"
Blackstar grabbed him by the shoulders:
— "The author just gave you a broken power‑up… BROKEN! Even I don't understand how it's possible. So please: don't disappoint him."
Aeris, blushing:
— "Do you want to test… my new form…?"
Blackstar stepped back at light speed:
— "Oh hell NO! Absolutely NOT! That's no longer my concern. I don't want to die in YOUR evolution arc. Not for me."
He snapped his fingers: the Quietus Sphere dissipated.
The King regained his powers and sighed in relief.
**Blackstar:**
— "So… what do we do with him now?"
He pointed at Azevran.
— "Personally I'd have preferred you eliminate him or absorb him completely.
— Just so we don't have to deal with Elyon, Duplicators, Thalathorn, or other headache teams later. But fine… I lost the vote."
**Aeris:**
— "I need him to master my powers. I'll never have a wind expert like him again!"
Blackstar stayed silent for five seconds. Then sighed, defeated.
— "It's true that at the guild… we have no wind specialists. No rank S mage either. Nothing. A desert.
— Azevran Tempesthorn… PUT AWAY YOUR HORNS. You're coming with us. And no trouble."
The King raised his hands:
— "OK. No problem."
**Blackstar:**
— "Good. Get ready, we're heading back to the guild."
**Aeris:**
— "Don't forget to close your domain, King."
The King snapped his fingers. The portal began to shrink.
Blackstar stretched:
— "Alright… let's get out of here. Before the author gets another weird idea."
**Aeris:**
— "Like what?"
**Blackstar:**
— "Like another antagonist popping out of nowhere, even more annoying than the last ones."
The King, stepping back toward the exit:
— "Please… let him be wrong."
Chapter 205 – When Your Teammate Sleeps… But Still Destroys Everything
The dark abyss still vibrated from the golem's explosion.
Shadow particles fell slowly, silent, like black snow that had forgotten how to be dramatic.
Kronn yawned.
Just one yawn.
A single one.
And the entire platform shook as if an invisible giant had set its foot down to test the floor's solidity.
Seline rolled her eyes, utterly blasé.
— "I'm literally partnered with a walking earthquake."
But the worst part?
She was smiling anyway.
(She was starting to get used to it. Which was objectively worrying.)
Before them, the darkness cracked open.
A hundred silhouettes emerged from the black mist:
— Shadowpits, with arms like thin blades,
— Abyssians, creatures fused with the abyss, their bodies snapping like poorly stacked planks of wood,
— and other nameless horrors, probably offended they didn't even get a name.
The collective roar made the air vibrate.
Seline took her stance.
Kronn… was already closing his eyes.
— "NO NO NO— KRONN, STAY AWA—"
Too late.
He was asleep.
Standing.
Again.
Seline inhaled deeply, like someone resigning themselves to fate.
— "Okay. You're officially the most stressful ally in history."
The monsters charged all at once.
The air grew heavy, tense, ready to burst.
Seline raised her hands:
— "HARMONIA — Luminous Rift!"
A circle of sonic waves spread from her feet, carving the ground into perfect arcs.
The Shadowpits in the front line were stopped cold, as if an invisible hand had pressed pause on them.
Behind her, Kronn scratched his head… while asleep.
An Abyssian tried a sneak attack, leaping at him with a gaping shadow‑maw.
Kronn raised his elbow.
Without aiming.
The Abyssian flew like a rocket, slicing through the air with a humiliating *FIUUM*,
and ended up embedded in a column twenty meters away.
Seline turned, mouth slightly open.
— "…I'm not even surprised anymore."
She blinked twice.
— "Wait— KRONN!"
But Kronn had already switched into sleep autopilot.
A capacity probably forbidden by every natural law.
Seline sighed, grabbed something from her belt… and brandished her relic microphone.
— "Arcasonus… the Echo‑Scepter."
A silver mic, engraved with sonic runes, vibrated in her hand as if it had a personality.
(Probably snobbish.)
The monsters hesitated, sensing a bad idea incoming.
Some stepped back.
The smarter ones already turned to flee.
Too late.
Seline inhaled.
Then sang:
— "HARMONIA — Cathartic Wave!!!"
A pure light burst from her, exploding in brilliant spirals, illuminating every corner of the abyss.
A crystalline sound, gentle yet commanding, surged like a wave.
The Shadowpits screamed silently.
The Abyssians recoiled, trying to hide behind rocks.
Other monsters literally dove into fissures to escape the wave.
But the light caught them all, cleansing them of corruption.
The creatures disintegrated like dust blown away by the wind.
In seconds, the abyss—once saturated with darkness—became clear, almost peaceful.
Seline exhaled, wiping a bead of sweat.
— "There. See? I can do absurd things too."
She turned:
— "Did you see that, Kronn?! Admit it, I nailed it!"
Kronn didn't even notice her.
He was… snoring.
Standing.
Sword still in hand.
With a peaceful smile, as if dreaming of pastries.
Seline put her hands on her hips.
— "…It's official. I'm the secondary heroine in MY own exploit."
Kronn sniffled lightly in his sleep.
The ground trembled.
Seline looked skyward.
— "Well. We've still got a long way to go. Wake up whenever you want, walking earthquake…"
She sighed, but an amused smile tugged at her lips.
— "At least you get the job done. Even asleep."
Chapter 206 — "When Even a Portal Says: 'Wait… Is This Legal?!'"
A silence fell over the purified abyss.
A silence… strange.
Not the calm kind.
The worried silence, the kind of silence from a portal suddenly realizing:
> "Wait… WHO cleaned me up this fast?!"
---
Seline ran a hand through her hair, Arcasonus resting on her shoulder, more confident than ever.
— "I literally just did a cosmic spring cleaning.
I deserve at least a thank you, don't I?"
Kronn wasn't listening.
He was asleep.
Standing.
Looking like a baby dragon dreaming of eating clouds.
The dark abyss, offended at not being taken seriously, made the whole zone tremble.
Then it focused at the center of the platform.
A humanoid silhouette slowly emerged, surrounded by liquid shadows.
Long, black, floating hair.
Eyes like a rift.
A black blade appeared in its hand.
The entity vanished—
—and reappeared behind Kronn.
**BOOOOM.**
Kronn, without opening his eyes, grabbed its neck with one hand.
Just that.
A lazy grip.
And the entire abyss shook as if someone had just activated "free destruction mode."
Rocks fell.
Cracks spread.
The dungeon panicked.
Seline reacted instantly, setting Arcasonus down.
— "HARMONIA — Canticle of Balance!"
A soft sound wave burst from her, stabilizing the space that was tearing apart.
The cracks stopped dead, as if someone had pressed "pause" on an explosion.
— "There. We'll avoid total collapse, thank you very much."
She glanced at Kronn.
— "You're a public hazard… asleep."
The entity tried to break free—just before Kronn punched it.
The punch was slow.
Slow-motion slow.
Like "I'm too sleepy to aim" slow.
But when it landed…
**CRISHHHHHHH.**
Space-time shattered like fragile glass.
Shards of light scattered everywhere.
The entity vanished—
—and Seline, who was midair thanks to an amplified jump, saw the creature reappear beneath her.
She let out:
— "AAAAH!"
A scream.
High-pitched.
Too high-pitched.
Reality vibrated so hard it fragmented into rippling circles.
The monster collapsed instantly, as if it had just taken a supersonic scream to the soul.
Seline landed, proud of herself.
— "See? I don't just stabilize things."
The entity rose again… as if nothing had happened.
Then vanished once more.
Its speed? Unbelievable.
It reappeared right in front of Kronn…
…and slammed into him full force.
Kronn blocked with his foot.
**BOOOOM.**
The shockwave shook the entire platform.
Even the mist scattered under the impact.
Seline kept stabilizing the zone, the air around her vibrating like a colossal harp.
— "Kronn… you can't do that with EVERY move. I'm going to get sonic cramps."
The entity charged again.
Each strike fast enough to slice a mountain.
Kronn, still asleep, blocked them randomly:
a fist here,
an elbow there,
a foot lifting as if someone had tickled his ankle.
Seline sighed.
— "This man fights better asleep than I do awake."
She dashed forward.
Energy pulsing in her hand.
— "ARIA — Strike of Dissolution!"
She struck the entity square in the chest.
The impact didn't just push it back:
its body vibrated, rippled, began to "dissociate," as if losing its shape.
The entity groaned, distorted:
— "Wh… what is this…?! You… you're trying to disassemble me?!"
Seline smiled.
— "Well, yeah. It's in the name of the spell."
The entity nearly fell apart completely—
Then Kronn kicked into empty space, without aiming.
And hit the creature.
**FOUUM.**
It flew across the abyss like an unlucky projectile, smashing through several pillars before crashing into a heap of compact shadow.
The entity rose again, trembling.
— "What… what ARE these monsters…?
If it hadn't been the one asleep, she would've finished me with that strike…"
Seline crossed her arms.
— "I feel like insulting you, Kronn.
But I'll refrain.
Because technically… you just admitted I would've won."
She glanced at Kronn.
Kronn snored.
Standing.
Arms dangling.
Completely out of the conversation.
— "… and of course, he doesn't even notice me."
She exhaled, lifted Arcasonus, and straightened the mic.
— "Alright then. Let's continue.
You're going to listen to MY new music.
It's called…"
Arcasonus lit up.
— "SYMPHONY OF REALITY SHOCK!"
She inhaled, ready to sing.
— "It's dedicated to you, creature who runs fast but thinks slow!"
The monster paled.
Seline opened her mouth.
And the entire abyss braced itself for suffering.
Chapter 207 – When Your Voice Can Destroy a Dungeon… and Kronn Does Worse While Sleeping (Again.)
The entire abyss tensed.
Even the walls seemed to whisper:
> "Wait… is she really going to sing?!"
---
Seline raised Arcasonus, the golden light of the mic turning her face into a cosmic star.
Her hair rippled as if it was afraid too.
The shadow entity, already cracked from the Strike of Dissolution, stepped back.
— "No. No no no.
I know that look!
You're about to do something stupid!"
Seline smiled.
— "Correction: something spectacular."
She inhaled.
Then:
— "HARMONIA… SYMPHONY OF REALITY SHOCK!"
Her voice rang out.
A pure wave, sharp, vibrating with invisible colors, struck everything around.
The rocks trembled.
The shadows screamed.
Reality itself tried to switch to airplane mode.
The entity panicked:
— "NO NO NO, YOU'RE CRAZY, YOU—"
Too late.
A crystalline ray caught it.
It spun through the air like a rag wrung out too hard.
**CRACK. CRISHHH. POK.**
Each note from Seline made the air vibrate like a giant drum.
— "La-la-la-LAAAAA—"
With every "Laaa," the scenery shook so much that a stalagmite unscrewed itself and muttered:
> "I'm leaving, I didn't sign up for this."
---
The entity was slammed against a wall.
Again.
Then a very tired voice:
**BAM.**
An elbow to the head.
From Kronn.
Still asleep.
— "…I was LITERALLY five seconds away from finishing," said Seline, exasperated.
— "Why do you ruin my cool moments?"
Kronn snored.
The snore shook the ground.
A stalactite flipped upside down as if trying to hide.
The entity, stuck to the wall like a badly placed poster, still managed to rise.
— "YOU ARE MONSTERS!" it shouted.
It pointed at Seline:
— "You! You want to dissolve me!"
Then at Kronn:
— "And HIM, he hits me while asleep! Who does that?! IT'S ILLEGAL!"
Seline rolled her eyes.
— "For the record, I drained you down to 2% battery. He's just… a bug."
— "A bug that can kill a continent!" screamed the entity.
Seline tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
— "Well… everyone has flaws."
The entity raised its hands.
— "STOP STOP! I SURRENDER!
I refuse to die in a chapter where your tank is in deep sleep mode!"
Silence.
Seline blinked.
— "You give up? Just like that?"
— "YES! I just want to leave!"
— "Ah. Sorry.
I want to sing."
— "NO—"
Too late.
**Piiing.**
A soft note.
The entity collapsed instantly, KO.
— "Perfect. A clean finish."
She turned.
Kronn was sleepwalking.
Each step = mini‑earthquake.
— "NO NO NO! Stop walking! The dungeon will—"
Too late.
Kronn lifted his foot.
The abyss screamed:
> "DON'T TOUCH THE GROUND! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'LL OPEN THE PASSAGE FOR YOU!"
---
Silence…
Then the abyss changed tone:
— "…Actually no.
You're getting on my nerves.
TOOOO MUCH."
Dark mist seeped from the walls.
The portal began to contract.
Kronn snapped awake.
— "Oof… this doesn't feel good."
Seline stepped back.
— "This time… I think it wants to mutate."
The abyss contracted again, creaking like it had joint pain.
Seline frowned.
— "Wait… what is it TRYING to do?"
The mist gathered.
It condensed…
Again…
And again…
Until it formed a SILHOUETTE.
At first blurry.
Then precise.
Short black hair.
Suddenly lengthening, cascading like ebony.
An androgynous face, strangely beautiful, too perfect to be human.
Gray pupils, deep, as if holding secrets thousands of years old.
A slim, tall body.
A sleeveless black kimono, open at the chest.
Wide flowing pants, tied with ceremonial warrior cloth.
Shadow ribbons orbited around him like nervous satellites.
Seline whispered:
— "…Okay. He's stylish. I'll give him that."
The silhouette lifted its head.
Its hair lengthened further, floating as if underwater.
Then a smile appeared.
A smile of boredom.
Or disdain.
Or both.
— "I am the Dark Abyss.
Your nightmare, Premium level.
Hahahahahaha…"
Seline clapped her hands together.
— "Oh great. A dungeon that decides to be sexy. That was missing."
Kronn, still half‑asleep, stared at him with half‑open eyes.
— "…nice kimono."
The Dark Abyss blinked.
— "…YOU'RE NOT AFRAID EVEN HALF‑AWAKE?!"
Seline raised Arcasonus.
— "Alright… Chapter 208 then?"