The Glitched Mage

The world reset.

Riven exhaled sharply as the battlefield reformed around him, the cracked obsidian ground pulsing with abyssal veins beneath his feet. The golden light of Cassiel's divine presence returned, suffocating, oppressive—an unyielding force pressing down on him like a celestial hammer.

But this time, Riven didn't immediately charge.

He stood still, his grip tightening around his sword, feeling the lingering ache in his limbs. The pain wasn't real—this was the Created Space—but his mind and body had experienced every brutal impact, every searing cut. He had lost count of how many times he had fallen, how many resets he had endured.

And yet, he was still here.

Cassiel watched him, his stance relaxed, yet poised. His golden eyes gleamed beneath the shifting glow of divine energy. "You're learning," he mused, tilting his head ever so slightly. "But it's still not enough."

Riven smirked, "I'm not the one who just took a hit."

Cassiel's fingers flexed over the hilt of his sword. "A scratch."

The space between them exploded.

Cassiel moved first, his blade a streak of radiance, divine mana cascading from every strike. Riven barely had time to react before he was forced to move, his Phantom Step activating in rapid bursts. His body flickered through the battlefield, barely staying ahead of the paladin's relentless assault.

But he wasn't just dodging anymore.

Every shift, every step, he was calculating. Watching.

His Crimson Mirage ignited, heated afterimages flickering in the air like distorted ghosts, forcing Cassiel to divide his focus. His Scorching Chains lashed out again, but this time, he feigned an attack from the left, only to twist, the real chains surging from the right, aiming for Cassiel's weapon arm.

The golden warrior reacted instantly, divine light flaring as he severed the chains—

And that was exactly what Riven had planned for.

The moment Cassiel's divine energy burned through the attack, Riven was already moving in, his abyssal fire coiling around his sword in a controlled, searing arc. The momentum carried him straight through the opening, his blade cutting through the divine aura—

And landing.

His sword bit into Cassiel's forearm, abyssal flames surging along the cut, clashing violently with the golden mana trying to heal the wound.

Cassiel's eyes widened—only for a moment.

Then he moved.

A pulse of divine energy erupted from his body, throwing Riven backward. The force of it sent him skidding across the battlefield, his arms trembling from the sheer power behind the blast.

Cassiel inspected the wound, golden flames licking over his skin as it began to heal, slower this time. He exhaled, rolling his wrist. "I'll admit…" His gaze lifted back to Riven, sharper now. "That was impressive."

Riven let out a breath, his smirk growing. "That almost sounded like a compliment."

Cassiel's lips quirked. "Almost."

The air shifted.

Riven tensed just in time to block, his blade barely catching Cassiel's as the paladin closed the distance instantly, faster than before. The weight of the divine energy behind his strikes was stronger now, heavier, forcing Riven onto the defensive.

He's increasing his output.

Riven gritted his teeth, every clash sending tremors through his arms. Cassiel was adapting too.

It wasn't just Riven who was learning.

Another exchange—divine light against abyssal fire, gold clashing against black in a blinding display. Riven adjusted, fire roaring to life along his blade, the black flames reaching out like hungry shadows.

But Cassiel didn't retreat this time.

He moved into the flames.

Riven barely had time to widen his eyes before Cassiel's hand closed around his wrist, a divine pulse shattering his flames, breaking his stance completely.

The next second—

A knee drove into his ribs.

Air exploded from his lungs.

Then, before he could recover—

Cassiel's elbow slammed into his jaw, sending him staggering backward. His vision blurred for half a second—long enough for Cassiel to close in, his sword thrusting forward, golden energy flaring—

And piercing straight through his chest.

White-hot agony flared through his entire being, the divine flames burning him from the inside out.

Riven gasped—

And the world shattered.

[[ —RESET— ]]

Riven cursed violently as he was dragged back to the start, his breath ragged. His body remembered the pain even if the wounds were gone.

Damn it.

Too slow.

He clenched his fists, his jaw tight, fury coiling in his chest. He was getting closer—but it still wasn't enough.

He had held back. He had controlled his abyssal power, siphoned it in small amounts, kept himself from drowning in it.

But Cassiel was still stronger.

Riven's fingers twitched.

He had seen the weakness. He had cut through his divine aura. His abyssal flames had worked—but he needed more.

Slowly, his eyes flickered with dark fire.

How much more could he take?

He exhaled, his body steadying.

Once more.

He activated Phantom Step, this time moving even faster, his instincts sharpening. No hesitation. No doubt.

Cassiel lunged, his divine sword cutting through the space between them, but Riven was already dodging, his body shifting seamlessly. Crimson Mirage activated—except this time, the afterimages weren't just distractions.

They moved with him.

They copied his exact steps, attacking from multiple angles, making it impossible for Cassiel to tell which one was real.

Cassiel hesitated for a fraction of a second—

Riven struck.

His blade came down faster than before, abyssal fire coiling around the steel, a perfect blend of darkness and control—

Cassiel blocked.

But Riven didn't stop.

His abyssal flames flickered—and then pulsed.

Not out of control, not in an overwhelming surge—

But in a deliberate siphon.

The dark fire lashed out, not to burn Cassiel—but to consume.

To devour.

The divine light flickered.

Cassiel's eyes widened, just as Riven's flames wrapped around the golden energy, feeding on it, pulling it inward like a black hole.

For the first time—

Cassiel took a step back.

Riven grinned, baring his teeth.

Got you.

But before he could press forward—

His body locked up.

Pain ripped through his veins—too much, too fast.

The divine energy he had siphoned clashed violently with the abyss, the two forces raging inside of him, threatening to tear him apart from the inside. His knees buckled, his vision darkened—

And suddenly, the world collapsed.

Riven's eyes snapped open, his breath ragged as he was pulled back into reality. The oppressive heat of the cave pressed down on him, but it was nothing compared to the fire burning inside his veins. His mana heart pulsed erratically, his body shaking from the raw energy still coursing through him.

"Riven." Nyx's voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable edge to it—tight, controlled, yet laced with something dangerously close to unease. "What the hell did you just do?" she asked, her dark eyes scanning him, sharp with suspicion.

Riven exhaled slowly, feeling the remnants of divine and abyssal energy still crackling beneath his skin. His head was pounding, his muscles tense, but beneath the pain, beneath the exhaustion, there was something else.

Satisfaction.

He smirked whilst rising fully to his feet. "I think," he murmured, his voice rough but steady, "I just figured something out."

Nyx remained where she was, watching him carefully, her arms folding across her chest. "And what exactly is that?"

Riven rolled his shoulders, testing the way his mana flowed now—different, refined. His body still ached, but it was adjusting. He could feel the shift, the way the Abyss responded to him now, no longer thrashing wildly, but… waiting.

He met Nyx's gaze, his smirk deepening. "That divine energy Cassiel wields? I can devour it."

Nyx's eyes widened, the weight of his words sinking in. She blinked once, then again, as if testing whether she had misheard. "Devour… divine mana?" Her voice was steady, but there was something new beneath it—something sharp, edged with disbelief and unease.

She didn't move for a long moment, her expression unreadable. But Riven knew her well enough to recognize what was running through her mind. As one of his most loyal generals, she had seen him push himself to terrifying limits before. She had witnessed his rise, his brutal efficiency, his ability to manipulate the abyss like no one else before him.

But this?

This was different.

"Devour divine mana," she echoed, slower this time, as if testing how the words tasted in her mouth. Her jaw tightened. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

Riven exhaled, flexing his fingers as the lingering divine energy still clashed with the abyss inside him. His mana heart pulsed erratically, but beneath the discomfort, he could feel the shift—his body was adapting, his connection to the Abyss deepening. He could take in divine energy, and despite the violent rejection at first, his mana hadn't broken under the pressure.

If anything, it had changed.

"It means I have another way to win," Riven said, meeting Nyx's stare. "The next time I fight a Paladin, they won't have the same advantage."

Nyx's fingers twitched at her sides. "Or it means you're stepping into something you don't fully understand," she countered, her voice sharp. "Divine and abyssal forces aren't meant to coexist, Riven. You saw what happened. It nearly tore you apart."

"Nearly," Riven corrected, his smirk darkening. "But it didn't."

Nyx's frustration flickered across her face for only a second before she masked it. She sighed, rubbing her temples. "This isn't just about whether you can or can't handle it. The Abyss isn't some tool to be refined like a spell or a weapon. You're not just wielding it anymore—you're letting it consume things beyond its reach."

"That's the point," Riven said, stepping past her toward the entrance of the cave. His voice was calm, but there was an undeniable finality to it. "The Paladins have always had the upper hand because of divine mana."

He turned back, meeting Nyx's gaze head-on.

"But now, I can turn their greatest strength into nothing."

Nyx's lips pressed into a thin line, her sharp eyes searching his face for any hesitation, any doubt. But there was none. Just unwavering certainty.

She let out a slow breath, straightening. When she spoke, her tone was measured, but there was something colder beneath it.

"You do realize you're treading into something even Velmorian never dared to attempt," she said. "Even he didn't try to corrupt divine power."

Riven chuckled, his smirk tilting. "I'm not Velmorian."

"No," Nyx murmured, watching him carefully. "You're not."

A pause.

She studied him for another lingering moment, then sighed again, shaking her head. "Fine. But if you end up on the ground convulsing from divine poisoning, don't expect me to be surprised."

"I'd expect nothing less," Riven said smoothly.

Nyx scoffed, but there was no real heat behind it. "Just don't go too far into the unknown," she muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

The tension in her shoulders barely eased, but Riven could tell she had already accepted it. She wasn't going to stop him.

Because deep down, Nyx knew the truth.

This wasn't just about power.

This was about war.

The Paladins, the Solis Kingdom, the forces that had destroyed the Shadow Kingdom—they all relied on divine power as their trump card. It was their shield, their sword, their ultimate defense against the Abyss.

And if Riven could devour it?

If he could make divine energy his own?

Then the war was already shifting in his favor.