Ominous energy oozed from the Black Rift as it expanded. Ripples crossed its surface before it erupted, releasing traces of Void into the surroundings.

David’s heart skipped a beat, but he reacted in time, casting [Bloodbound Bastion] to create a protective barrier before Zachariah. It shattered instantly, unable to block the traces of Void as they filled the atmosphere, yet his quick reaction managed to slow the spread. Maja seized the moment, enveloped Zachariah in twinkling sparkles, and teleported him away.

A moment later, more creatures coated in the all-consuming darkness of the Void Barrier emerged from the Black Rift, carrying corpses of monsters David couldn’t quite identify. However, he could feel remnants of power coming from them—a thick presence similar to Zachariah’s Sword Aura, though not the same. The Regressor’s Aura manifested at his command; it wasn’t permanent like the hue shrouding the monster corpses.

The corpses are still full of lifeforce and didn’t disintegrate yet. David’s eyes narrowed.

While there were clearly traces of the Void in the monster corpses, they didn’t move. The Void traces neither spread through the corpses nor destroyed them.

Inactive Void traces?

Unsure, his focus shifted back to the Void Fragments. Three had emerged from the Black Rift, each one stronger than the last. Two were bipedal and resembled Giants coated in darkness—if not for their elongated necks and skulls. Their backs were hunched, and long, glowing horns jutted from their skulls, each hoarding the Void.

The third, and the strongest, was a four-legged monster resembling a truck-sized wolf with a barbed tail and an anti-proportionally large head.

How are we supposed to deal with them? David asked himself, a droplet of sweat trickling down his temple. Even the weakest of the Fragments had accumulated more Void power than the Fragment they had just defeated. The weakest was only slightly stronger, but that hardly mattered. There were three of them—one with more than twice the Void energy at its disposal than the weakest.

Could they retreat and hope the Fragments would leave again? Or, in the worst case, separate them to deal with individually? David was unsure, and a glance in Zachariah’s direction didn’t help either.

“Don’t do anything. The Voidre will sense us the moment we use an ability,” Zachariah whispered, sweat pouring down his face as he retrieved close to a dozen glass vials, each containing a tremendous amount of energy or lifeforce—some both.

“It’s only a matter of time before they perceive us. We’re probably just outside their detection range.”

David nodded slowly, glancing at Maja. The Portaligist was shaking like a leaf in a tornado. Zachariah set two glass vials down before her but removed one, lips pressed together, when her life signals pushed her to the verge of cardiac arrest. The look on his face made it clear he didn’t expect much from Maja, which—while cruel—was probably the truth. But it wasn’t like David was confident either.

“I don’t care what you do—just kill the weakest Fragment and come to help me,” Zachariah muttered, somehow muffling his voice for David’s ears alone as he placed five potions in front of him. “And you need to push me as much as you possibly can once I move. Keep me alive if you can, and tell the Mythical Electra to heal me constantly, or I’ll be as good as dead.”

Still unsure what Zachariah was about to do, David grimaced. It didn’t look like the Regressor knew exactly what he was doing either. No—that wasn’t entirely true. Zachariah knew what he was doing, but he was afraid. That, in retrospect, was not much better than uncertainty. To some, it might even be worse.

But they didn’t have the luxury of doubting their actions. David remained silent and listened to the Regressor as he laid out the plan. It was risky and made him grimace as his subconscious listed the unknown variables. There were simply too many uncertainties to turn Zachariah’s suicidal plan into something less deadly. But that only showed how desperate Zachariah was as he eyed one of the golden potions.

David listened silently and watched the Voidlings from above through the Mythical Electra, trying to cast aside the fear seeping through their connection. Not even Electra could hide her anxiety and stayed as far away as possible as the Voidlings began to move. As they spread out, they never released the corpses from their claws and fangs. Yet—was fortune finally on their side, or was it just dumb coincidence?—none of the Voidlings moved in their direction.

Not initially, at least.

The plan laid out, Zachariah nodded to them and removed the cork of the first glass vial. That faintest exposure of energy and lifeforce was all it took to attract the Voidlings’ attention. David saw them suddenly turn their way and sprang into action, releasing a trace of Blood shaped like a butcher’s knife to cleave through the glass vials just below the corks. Not a drop of the viscous liquid spilled, even as he raised the vials to his lips. He was painfully meticulous as he swallowed the disgustingly sweet and sour potions.

The Voidlings were already on the move, but a screech from above forced them to halt suddenly. Electra descended from the sky, black lightning bolts pouring down to the ground.

David was certain not even Elite monsters would survive the lethal downpour of the black death, but the Voidlings didn’t even try to escape. They looked upward, not even letting go of the monster corpses, and released a beam of condensed Void into the air. For a moment, David was certain the Mythical Electra would die. The Sacred Beast was still hundreds of meters away, but the beam of Void moved at a ridiculously high velocity, making evasion nearly impossible. Fortunately, the Sacred Beast was an Echo and could surrender a portion of the pure Blood that allowed its existence to drastically change its position. A shockwave of pure Blood was enough to push it aside, but that did not stop the terror flooding David as the gates of their connection burst open.

Electra had been certain death was coming for it… and it was afraid. It no longer wanted to die, yet it helped David, risking its life for their survival.

I’ll remember that, you annoying serpent.

David grimaced as multiple notifications popped up as if on cue.

[Potion of Haste has been consumed.]

[Potion of Superior Aether Recovery has been consumed.]

[Potion of Unbreakable Soul has been consumed.]

[Potion of Pathway Protection has been consumed.]

[Customized potion of Nemesis Resistance has been consumed.

Having been told what the potions would do, David wasn’t surprised about the changes his body was undergoing. The potions’ potency was higher than expected, which was great and all as long as they defeated the Voidlings before the effects of the first potions wore off.

David could sense the effects of the potions not only within himself, but also in Zachariah’s and Maja’s bodies. Maja was given something that reassured her survival for a few minutes, pushing her into a state similar to death once certain conditions were met. While that had been confusing at first, Zachariah’s reasoning had convinced them.

Amidst the insanity of every other step in the Regressor’s plan, Maja’s task was the simplest—though also the most hazardous for the success of their plan.

David wasted no more time and overclocked [Herald’s Blessing] with pure Origin Essence, applied to Zachariah and his weapon. Not even a quarter of a second later, Maja teleported Zachariah to the taller bipedal Void Fragment. Their enemies, in the meantime, charged ahead as David cast [Chain of Will] three times on Zachariah. The first chain pulled the taller bipedal Fragment toward Zachariah, whereas the other chains ensured the weaker Fragment and the Voidre would charge ahead.

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Suddenly, Zachariah’s final potion took effect and his lifeforce plummeted, pushing him to the verge of death. At the same time, his power level skyrocketed drastically.

His presence changed suddenly, and torrents of information threatened to overwhelm David.

What the hell is going on here?! he cursed inwardly, considering cutting the link to Zachariah.

He stopped paying attention to the Regressor and his fight, and jumped into position, drawing on the river of pure Blood within the Sacred Beast Core. Maja’s scream rang out, but David didn’t even flinch. He saw blood bursting from her eyes, nose, and ears as she forcefully teleported the weakest Void Fragment further away, before she disappeared from his view, collapsing to the ground as her eyes landed on the Void Wolf—the Voidre.

His connection with Maja indicated that she had collapsed and that her potion had finally taken effect, which was all David needed to set aside his thoughts about her. As long as he and Zachariah survived, she would make it out alive as well.

Focusing on survival, David redoubled his efforts and charged his abilities faster. He cast [Phantom Rush] and, cracking the concrete beneath him, closed the remaining distance to the Void Fragment.

He cast [Chain of Will], creating a flicker of interest in the Voidling’s mind. It wouldn’t last long, as he and the Fragment were the only living beings in the district, but it should be enough to distract his enemy for a moment. And that was all he needed to reach the Voidling.

The Maelstrom appeared in his left hand as a silverish-gray sphere materialized in his right. Yet, before he jumped into action, ArchaicShacklesArchaic ShacklesArchaicShackles leaped to life. A dozen chains sprouted and burst from the ground. Several coiled tightly around the Voidling’s legs and moved up to its lower body, whereas the rest wrapped around the Fragment’s arms, wrenching them downward.

David felt tremendous strain pressing on the chains, and it was only a matter of moments before the restraints would shatter. But a quarter of a second was all he needed. First, he cast [Herald’s Blessing] on the chains, increasing the time given to finish his preparations. He then overclocked [Herald’s Blessing] again to augment the sphere forming in his hand.

He thought about doing the same to the Maelstrom but decided against it as he heeded the call of the Void from within it.

David hesitated no longer and pressed the Maelstrom with his left hand against the Void Fragment’s chest, while his right moved to the same spot. However, his right hand halted just before the Void Barrier, whereas the Maelstrom pushed into it.

You better work! David shouted inwardly, trying to call upon the power within the Maelstrom to drain the Void Barrier and weaken it.

However, drawing on the power of the Void was not as simple as he had hoped. Even his weeks of thorough study hadn’t prepared him for the pressure and the voices descending upon him.

Countless voices flooded his head out of nowhere. At first, they were whispers—barely audible and easy to tune out. However, the whispers quickly transformed into ear-piercing screams, which overlapped with one another, amplifying their volume and intensity drastically.

But while the voices were terrifying and hard to ignore, the pressure descending upon his very being was even more horrifying. David felt it restrain his movements, cloud his thoughts, and weaken his access to all his abilities and energy reservoirs. It affected his Body, Mind, and Soul alike.

While the Void within the Maelstrom seemed to attack him directly, it also seemed to be listening. The Void within the one and only Maelstrom he had already used to cleanse a plot of nothingness was heeding his call. It responded to him—and helped.

His plan had been to bypass the Void Barrier using the Maelstrom, but the frail trace of Void within was not enough to overwhelm the Void power surging through the Barrier as David attacked. Even so, it was enough to pierce into the Barrier as it was part of the same power and work its wonders. In essence, it created ripples in the Void Barrier, which decreased its stability for a moment.

And David needed a moment to push through with [Primeval Pulse]. His right hand, holding the strident sphere, phased through the insatiable Void Barrier with little resistance and erupted the next moment. [Primeval Pulse]’s power, containing the brute force of 50 pure Blood droplets, was unleashed in an instant, tearing through the far more fragile skin and flesh beneath the all-consuming darkness.

Restrained, the Fragment could only stare at him as the Void Barrier protecting its chest shattered, giving way to the bigger portion of its upper body. David didn’t think twice as a roar of Words of Power escaped his lips. He called upon the Law of Blood for the first time in an eternity and replaced the Maelstrom with the Obsidian Blade. He called upon Rend as well, enveloping his soulbound blade in a thick grayish hue, and plunged it deep into the Void Fragment’s chest.

The resistance was greater than expected, but David didn’t stop. More Words of Power escaped his lips, augmenting the Obsidian Blade’s unique trait. The Voidling’s lifeforce was forcefully drained, weakening it rapidly. Its fading lifeforce, drained by the gaping hole in its chest and the blade plunged near its heart, was exhilarating to witness. Yet, as exciting as the sight was, David never lowered his guard.

He glimpsed at his screaming Source, which was only held together thanks to the potion of Unbreakable Soul, as more Words of Power escaped his lips. He called upon the potential hidden within the Law of Blood, attention lingering on the increased effect and the dazzling engravings etched onto the Source.

A noise—a subtle cracking—threatened to interrupt him, threatening to unravel the power he had accumulated with the Law of Blood’s aid. But David continued. He didn’t move away but looked at the cobweb-like cracks forming all over the chains of [Archaic Shackles]. The chains restraining the left arm shattered as the power of the Void seeped out, infesting them.

While that had been within his expectations, David had hoped for one—preferably two—more seconds. After all, the Maelstrom had barely been enough to destabilize the Void Barrier, and he knew better than to hope the same tactic would work again against the same creature. This was bound to work only once.

It did work, and David had to ensure the attempt would kill the Fragment. Otherwise, he would be the one dying to its monstrous regeneration and the power of the Void.

[Archaic Shackles] failed at last as torrents of Void erupted from the Voidling. David protected himself by overclocking [Blood Armor] and [Bloodbound Bastion], ensuring the torrents would never touch him. But it worked only partially. His Skills shattered near-instantaneously, barely giving him a moment to leap back and coat the Obsidian Blade in a thick layer of Lightning Rend.

Words of Power kept rolling from his lips, but now David had to simultaneously augment the Obsidian Blade’s unique trait and alter Rend to accept and maintain [Origin Lightning].

Putting the cost of pure Blood: drained from the Sacred Beast Core: aside, David’s Source and Mind suffered the most, as did the Void Fragment, whose lifeforce hit rock bottom.

The moment the Obsidian Blade’s trait reached the limits of its current form, it had already consumed one quarter of the Fragment’s lifeforce. Void filled the Fragment and surged toward the Obsidian Blade with a simple intention: to infect and destroy it. However, David had planted enough [Origin Lightning] within the blade and the Rend coating it to block it temporarily.

It wouldn’t last long, yet it was bound to occupy the Voidling’s greatest force long enough to inflict damage elsewhere.

You cannot use your monstrous regeneration without using the power of the Void, can you? Everything about you depends on the Void’s power. Without it, you are nothing. David mused, his lips quirking into a smile as the Words of Power ceased at last.

Serpent Fang appeared in his hand. He swung it once, releasing a blade of Rend at the Voidling. It impacted but didn’t inflict any damage, even though the Void Barrier had yet to fully regenerate. The Obsidian Blade and the Lightning Rend coating it prevented full restoration. However, at the same time, the gaping hole in its chest was also a preventing factor for perfect recovery.

Dark blood, created and modified by the Void, poured from the wound. David took it upon himself to make full use of it. He cast [Blood Manipulation] and willed the Voidling’s blood at his command. The voices in his head returned, and so did the pressure, but both were weaker—less intrusive—than before. Trying to wield Void-altered blood was clearly different from forcefully manipulating Void power itself.

It was still frustrating and painful to a certain degree, as it deprived him of full access to Body, Mind, and Soul, but David overclocked [Herald’s Blessing] on the black blood as they shaped into blades. He released them with a burst of energy and watched the blades return to their owner—faster, stronger, and deadlier than ever.

His aim was precise, but the restraints made it hard to focus on the moving target. David’s blades struck regardless, yet only a handful hit the tiny gap in the imperfectly restored Void Barrier. Despite his condition, all blades pierced the Void Barrier—whether they struck the imperfect spots or properly functioning parts. That attracted David’s interest and would have drawn more attention if the weakened Voidling hadn’t been towering before him.

As it turned out, weakened Void Fragments were still far from dead. It abandoned all thoughts of destroying the Obsidian Blade—which had already consumed close to 50% of its lifeforce—and attacked the wielder instead. That turned out to be the right decision, especially with David’s condition. He terminated [Blood Manipulation] and slowly regained full control of his very being, but it was already too late.

The Void Fragment’s claws dug into his right arm and abdomen, piercing what was left of Scalemore easily. His armor wasn’t infected by the Void; however, his body was not as fortunate. Void surged through the Fragment’s claws as they dug through skin, carving deep into his flesh and intestines.