NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Chapter 12 – The Second Challenger: Abyssal Tyrant
The divine arena had barely recovered from Aric's last battle, but now, it trembled once more.
Darkness surged.
The Abyssal Tyrant descended, his very presence corrupting the space around him. Unlike the Celestial War God, whose aura was radiant and overwhelming, the Abyssal Tyrant's was all-consuming, devouring light itself.
> [Abyssal Domain: The End of All Things]
The ground beneath them melted into blackened void. Aric's Celestial Combat Arts flickered as if struggling to resist the oppressive darkness.
The gods, once enthusiastic spectators, fell silent. Some even retreated, unwilling to stay near such malevolent energy.
> "You fought well against that divine fool," the Abyssal Tyrant said, his voice a deep, guttural growl. "But I am not bound by honor. I am destruction incarnate."
Aric exhaled, steadying himself. "Then I'll just have to destroy destruction itself."
---
Opening Clash – Abyss vs. Celestial
BOOM!
The Abyssal Tyrant moved first, and reality shattered in his wake. He was so fast that the concept of distance became meaningless—he was simply there in front of Aric.
> [Abyssal Strike – Void Annihilation]
His claw tore through space itself, aiming to erase Aric from existence.
Aric reacted instantly.
> [Celestial Combat Art – Heaven's Reversal]
Golden light surged as he deflected the attack with his bare hands. The collision created an explosion so powerful that mountains in the distance crumbled into dust.
But—
Aric gritted his teeth. His arms burned from the sheer corrosiveness of abyssal energy.
> Tch. This bastard's attacks eat away at my body.
The Abyssal Tyrant grinned. "Did you think a mere celestial technique could suppress me? Foolish."
Before Aric could counter, the Abyssal Tyrant twisted his body mid-air, his tail whipping forward like a black comet.
> [Abyssal Tail Strike – Planet Crasher]
CRACK!
Aric barely managed to block, crossing his arms as the attack sent him crashing through the entire divine arena.
His body slammed into the ground, forming a massive crater that stretched for miles. Dust and debris filled the air as cracks spread across his bones.
He was strong.
Too strong.
Aric wiped blood from his mouth, eyes sharpening.
> "Alright, you bastard. You want to play dirty? Let's go all out."
---
The Shift – Tactical Adaptation
Aric knew something now—brute force alone wouldn't win. The Abyssal Tyrant didn't just attack; he corrupted. His energy ate away at defenses, and even the Celestial Combat Arts weren't enough to completely stop it.
> I need to counter his abyssal energy directly.
Aric analyzed the battlefield.
The Abyssal Tyrant's attacks were overwhelming, but they followed a pattern. Unlike the Celestial War God, who relied on precision, this monster thrived on chaos, brute strength, and sheer dominance.
That meant—
> If I can disrupt his momentum, I can create openings.
Aric took a deep breath. Time to turn the fight in his favor.
---
Counterattack – Overpowering the Abyss
The Abyssal Tyrant lunged again, his claws wreathed in void energy.
> [Abyssal Chains – Eternal Binding]
Dark chains erupted from the ground, seeking to trap Aric in absolute darkness.
But Aric was ready.
> [Celestial Combat Art – Heaven's Eruption!]
He slammed his foot down, and golden pillars of light erupted from the ground, obliterating the abyssal chains before they could fully form.
The Abyssal Tyrant flinched.
That was his opening.
Aric vanished—moving at speeds that shattered the sound barrier. He reappeared right behind the Abyssal Tyrant.
> [Heaven-Slaying Fist – Ninth Strike!]
BOOM!
A punch landed cleanly on the Abyssal Tyrant's back, sending him soaring across the battlefield, crashing through mountains of void energy.
Aric didn't stop.
> [Phantom Step – Twelfth Form!]
He chased after his enemy mid-air, reappearing above him in an instant.
> [Celestial Blade Manifestation – Divine Severance!]
A golden blade of pure celestial power formed in his hands. He swung down—aiming to cleave the Abyssal Tyrant in half.
> SLASH!
The attack connected. The Abyssal Tyrant roared as his chest was split open, abyssal energy leaking out like dark fire.
A successful hit.
But—
It wasn't enough.
> "You think this is the extent of my power?!"
The Abyssal Tyrant's body regenerated instantly. His blackened blood ignited, forming abyssal flames that devoured the air itself.
> [Abyssal King's Domain – Total Corruption]
A black sphere expanded outward at an insane speed, engulfing everything.
Aric tried to retreat, but it was too late.
The moment the darkness touched him, it felt as if his very existence was being erased.
Pain.
An unbearable, soul-devouring pain.
---
Surpassing Limits – Transcending Mortal Flesh
> "You cannot win, mortal."
The Abyssal Tyrant approached slowly, watching Aric struggle. "This is the nature of the abyss. It devours all."
Aric clenched his fists.
> "Then I'll devour it instead."
He activated the transformation he had obtained from the Abyssal Devourer.
> [Abyssal Sovereign Form – Partial Awakening]
His body shifted. His golden celestial energy fused with abyssal darkness, creating an entirely new power.
> [Abyssal-Celestial Fusion Achieved.]
The black void that had been eating away at his existence—began to submit.
Aric absorbed the abyssal energy instead of being consumed by it. His wounds healed instantly, his body overflowing with both light and darkness.
For the first time—
The Abyssal Tyrant took a step back.
> "What… are you?!"
Aric looked at his hands, feeling the perfect balance of destruction and divinity.
> "I am Aric Valen."
"And I am above both light and darkness."
He raised a hand—and the battlefield itself trembled.
> [Final Art – Abyssal Celestial Annihilation]
A massive explosion of combined abyssal and celestial energy erupted from his palm—
Engulfing everything.
---
Aftermath – The New Path Forward
When the dust settled, the Abyssal Tyrant was gone.
The gods were silent.
Aric stood alone, victorious.
> [Second Challenger Defeated.]
[You Have Created a New Power – Abyssal Celestial Authority.]
A new title appeared on his status window:
> [The One Who Walks Between Light and Darkness.]
The gods watching no longer saw him as a mere challenger.He was something else now.Something beyond their understanding.
And this was only the beginning.