Chapter 20 - Clash of Monarchs
Jin-Ho Kang stood his ground as the Forsaken King loomed before him, its hollow eyes burning with ancient malice. The abyss itself trembled at the presence of two rulers, each vying for ultimate sovereignty.
The Forsaken King raised a skeletal hand, and the darkness roared to life.
[Abyssal Calamity: Annihilation Surge]
A massive wave of abyssal energy erupted from the entity, surging toward Jin-Ho with destructive force. He reacted instantly.
[Shadow Step] Activated.
Jin-Ho vanished, reappearing above his foe. He summoned a blade of pure darkness in his grip and slashed downward.
[Dark Severance]
The attack connected, carving a deep wound through the Forsaken King's form. A guttural roar shook the cavern, and the entity retaliated, swinging a colossal claw wreathed in black fire. Jin-Ho barely managed to dodge, the heat searing his skin despite the evasion.
"You're not as invincible as you act," Jin-Ho taunted, landing lightly on the shifting abyss.
The Forsaken King's laughter echoed hollowly. "Neither are you. Let us see how long you can endure."
The entity raised both hands, summoning towering figures of pure darkness—ancient wraiths, each exuding a power that rivaled the strongest creatures Jin-Ho had faced.
[Abyssal Wraiths Summoned.]
Jin-Ho exhaled sharply. "Good. I was getting bored."
He raised his own hand, and the abyss answered. Shadows swirled and coalesced into his own army—knights clad in black armor, their glowing eyes locked onto their spectral enemies.
[Abyssal Manifestation: Shadow Legion]
With a mere thought, Jin-Ho commanded his legion forward, and the battlefield erupted into chaos. Blades clashed, shadows howled, and abyssal energy crackled in the air.
Jin-Ho didn't waste time. He closed the distance between himself and the Forsaken King, his body moving like a phantom. He launched a barrage of precise, devastating strikes, forcing his foe back.
The Forsaken King snarled, its form flickering. "You fight well... but let us see how you fare when the abyss itself betrays you."
The darkness beneath Jin-Ho's feet twisted violently, attempting to consume him. He felt a force pulling him under, but he gritted his teeth.
"You don't get it, do you? The abyss doesn't own me. I own it."
A surge of willpower exploded from him, forcing the abyss to bend to his command.
[Abyssal Dominion: Absolute Control]
The Forsaken King staggered. "Impossible...!"
Jin-Ho grinned. "Your reign ends now."
With one final step, he plunged his blade straight through the Forsaken King's core, darkness erupting like a dying star.
The Forsaken King let out a final, agonized shriek before its form shattered into nothingness.
[The Forsaken King Has Fallen.]
[You Have Claimed Supreme Authority Over the Abyss.]
Jin-Ho exhaled, feeling the abyss kneel before him in silent submission.
He had won.
He was now the undisputed ruler of the shadows.