Chapter 58 - The Abyssal Tournament

    The Aftermath of Destruction

    As the dust settled from my Oblivion Break, I exhaled, watching the absolute nothingness left in its wake. Even in my second life as the Heavenly Demon, I had never wielded power so absolute.

    "System." I spoke, my voice steady and commanding. "Show me my status window and tasks."

    A familiar blue screen materialized before me.

    ---

    [STATUS WINDOW]

    Name: Samuel Gebb

    Title: Heavenly Demon, Harbinger of Destruction

    Level: 88 (+3 from Emergency Quest completion)

    Strength: 295 (+25 from defeating Rift Intruders)

    Agility: 260 (+20 from enhanced combat adaptation)

    Endurance: 270 (+20 from battle resistance)

    Intelligence: 240 (+20 from tactical evolution)

    Charisma: 210 (+10 from overwhelming dominance)

    ---

    New Unique Skill Unlocked:

    Oblivion Break – (Each destructive impact increases in potency. The final strike unleashes all stored energy, erasing everything in its wake.)

    ---

    [AVAILABLE QUESTS]

    1. The Demon King''s Summoning – The Demon King has demanded an audience with you. His intentions remain unknown.

    (Reward: +10 Strength, +10 Intelligence, Unique Title Unlock)

    2. The Abyssal Tournament – A grand battle royale where only the strongest demons survive. Conquer the arena and leave no survivors.

    (Reward: +15 Strength, +10 Agility, +5 Endurance, Rare Artifact Drop)

    3. The Forsaken Titan – A long-sealed Titan stirs beneath the core of the Demon Realm. Decide its fate—free it, or destroy it before it breaks loose.

    (Reward: +20 Strength, +20 Intelligence, Special Skill Unlock)

    ---

    I smirked, rolling my shoulders.

    "Every path leads to more destruction... I like it."

    I smirked, rolling my shoulders as I looked at the glowing blue screen.

    "System, activate Quest 2."

    ---

    [QUEST ACTIVATED: The Abyssal Tournament]

    Objective: Enter the grand arena of the Demon Realm and eliminate all competitors. Only one warrior will stand at the top.

    Reward:

    +15 Strength

    +10 Agility

    +5 Endurance

    Rare Artifact Drop

    ---

    As soon as I accepted the quest, a powerful force surrounded me.

    The ground beneath my feet shifted. The air twisted.

    Then—

    BOOM!

    In an instant, I was teleported to the center of a massive coliseum.

    The roar of the bloodthirsty crowd filled the air. The stadium stretched for miles, filled with demons, monsters, and warlords screaming for blood.

    "So this is the Abyssal Tournament?" I muttered, cracking my neck. "I expected worse."

    Then I turned my gaze forward—

    And saw my opponents.

    ---

    The Competitors

    1. Gorath the Behemoth – A 30-foot-tall demon covered in black steel armor, wielding a colossal spiked warhammer that could shatter mountains.

    2. Sareth the Shadow Reaper – A rogue assassin, his body covered in dark mist, moving like a phantom with dual bladesdripping with poison.

    3. Rak''zul the Devourer – A four-armed, horned monstrosity with razor-sharp teeth, rumored to have consumed over a thousand warriors.

    4. The Undead Gladiator Legion – A horde of cursed warriors, bound by unholy chains, fighting as a single entity.

    5. ??? – A hooded figure, standing at the opposite end of the arena, his power radiating pure malice. His name was unknown, but his presence was suffocating.

    ---

    The ground trembled as the announcer''s voice boomed across the arena.

    "WELCOME TO THE ABYSSAL TOURNAMENT!"

    The crowd erupted in a deafening roar.

    I let out a dark chuckle, my fingers tingling with anticipation.

    "This should be fun."

    BOOM!

    The coliseum trembled as Gorath the Behemoth took a step forward, his sheer weight cracking the stone beneath him. Standing at 30 feet tall, his body was wrapped in obsidian steel armor, each plate thicker than a castle wall. His spiked warhammer rested on his shoulder, dripping with the blood of past challengers.

    I cracked my neck and exhaled slowly, watching him with a smirk.

    "You''re big," I muttered, rolling my shoulders. "Too bad size doesn''t mean shit."

    Gorath let out a booming laugh.

    "SMALL MAN! I HAVE CRUSHED TITANS! YOU ARE NOTHING!"

    He swung his massive warhammer in a wide arc, aiming to turn me into a smear on the ground.

    Flick.

    I vanished.

    His hammer slammed into the ground where I had stood, sending a shockwave that obliterated everything within a 30-meter radius. The force alone sent debris flying, knocking back smaller demons in the stands.

    "HE IS FAST!" someone in the crowd gasped.

    I reappeared behind Gorath, standing on the shaft of his warhammer.

    "You missed, big guy."

    I drove my heel into his forearm, sending a wave of destruction through his gauntlet. Metal cracked. Bone shattered.

    "SON OF A—!"

    Before he could react, I Void Stepped again, this time above him.

    I clenched my fist, letting Oblivion Break build. My arm glowed black, the energy within it twisting reality itself.

    "SIT DOWN."

    BOOM!

    I drove my fist into the top of his skull, releasing a wave of annihilation. The entire coliseum shook as Gorath''s head snapped downward, his legs buckling. His knees slammed into the ground, forming a crater beneath him.

    "IIIIIGH!" He roared in agony.

    Blood trickled from his forehead, his vision hazy. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself back up.

    "YOU THINK THAT IS ENOUGH TO FELL ME?"

    I landed smoothly, wiping a speck of dust off my coat. "No. But this will be."

    I charged forward.

    Gorath lifted his warhammer with both hands, swinging it down with all his might.

    This time, I didn''t dodge.

    I caught it.

    "NO WAY!" someone in the stands screamed.

    The warhammer trembled against my grip, its weight enough to crush mountains.

    I tightened my fingers—

    CRACK!

    The hammer shattered into pieces.

    Gorath''s eyes widened in horror.

    I smirked. "Your turn."

    I grabbed his throat and lifted him.

    A 30-foot monster, dangling in the air, helpless.

    I clenched my other fist. Oblivion Break reached its limit.

    "EXTINCTION IMPACT!"

    I drove my fist straight into his torso.

    BOOM!

    The shockwave ripped through Gorath''s body.

    His torso disintegrated, his head and limbs torn apart, reduced to dust.

    The coliseum went silent.

    A single punch.