The moment Lior and Night stepped out of the tunnel, they froze. The air was thick, cold, and suffocating—like the world itself was holding its breath. The chamber stretched endlessly, the walls shrouded in a black mist that seemed to swallow light. The sound of dripping water echoed faintly, but beneath it was something else—a pulse, slow and heavy, as if the dungeon itself had a heartbeat.
Night's eyes narrowed. "This presence… it's not just a beast," he said in a low tone, his usual confidence replaced by caution. "It's something ancient."
Before Lior could respond, the ground beneath them trembled. Cracks of purple energy split the floor, and from the darkness below, a massive claw emerged—pitch-black with veins of crimson energy running through it. The entire chamber shook as the creature began to rise. A monstrous form, wrapped in shadows and fog, with eyes like burning void orbs, glared down at them.
Lior took a step back, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. "System, identify target!"
But the screen that appeared only showed a single line:[Unknown Entity — ??? Level: ???? — Origin: The Abyssal Void]
Night smirked faintly, trying to keep the tension light. "Guess the system's scared too."
The void beast roared, its voice distorting the air, causing the entire chamber to quake. Lior and Night were thrown backward, barely managing to stabilize themselves. Lior coughed, gripping his sword. "We can't afford to run. We end this here."
"Finally, something I agree with," Night replied, his dark aura flaring to life. Shadows swirled around him as his blades took form from pure darkness.
Lior charged forward, his blade igniting with faint crimson energy. Their movements were fast, synchronized from countless battles. Lior struck first, slashing across the beast's leg, while Night's shadows darted up its arm, slicing through the black mist surrounding it.
But the void beast barely reacted. It raised one massive arm and swung it down. The shockwave alone sent both of them flying into the wall. Lior's chest burned as he coughed out blood.
"Damn it," he muttered, trying to stand. "He's not taking any damage."
Night wiped the blood from his mouth. "Then we'll make him feel it." His eyes glowed, his voice deepening as he chanted. "Shadow Domain — Eclipse!"
The room darkened even further until it felt like they were standing inside a living shadow. Within it, Night's body flickered in and out of sight, attacking from every angle. The void beast growled, slashing wildly, its claws breaking through stone.
Lior took advantage of the chaos, closing his eyes for a moment. He whispered, "System… fusion skill, activate."
A response came.[Fusion Skill: Level 2 — Dual Fusion Available]
He didn't hesitate. "Fuse — Night ."
A surge of energy engulfed him. His body was surrounded by swirling shadows and radiant gold light. His eyes glowed with dual tones—one side burning gold, the other deep black. The energy that came from this form was overwhelming.
Night, now part of him, spoke inside his mind, "Let's make this quick, before it consumes us both."
Lior's aura exploded, shattering the mist around them. With blinding speed, he moved—each strike leaving trails of light and shadow that tore through the void beast's limbs. The creature roared, trying to counter, but Lior teleported behind it, slicing through its chest with a crescent slash of light-dark energy.
"Void Slash!"
The attack hit directly, splitting the air and forcing the creature to reel back. But even as the beast staggered, its body began to regenerate.
Lior gritted his teeth. "It's healing too fast…"
Then, suddenly, he heard a voice—ancient and echoing in his mind."Prove your resolve, Summoner… or be devoured by the darkness you wield."
The void beast charged, faster than before. Lior barely blocked, sparks and shadows flying as their powers clashed. The impact shook the entire chamber.
He knew what he had to do. "Night… we're going all in."
"Already ahead of you," Night replied.
Lior raised his sword, channeling every ounce of his remaining mana. The fusion core within him began to glow violently. His aura spread, forming a massive sigil beneath the beast.
"Fusion Burst — Eclipse Nova!"
The explosion of light and shadow consumed everything. The roar of the beast echoed, then faded into silence.
When the light cleared, the chamber was in ruins. The void beast was still standing.
an explosion of water and fire erupted from behind the beast.
"Oceanic Judgment!" Aqua's voice echoed, her trident glowing."Infernal Spear—Ignis Blaze!" Ignis charged through the smoke, his flaming spear tearing into the beast's torso.
Lior's eyes widened. "You guys—!"
Terra's voice followed, steady and powerful. "You didn't think we'd let you have all the fun, did you?"
Behind him, Solaris and Sylph unleashed a combined blast of wind and light that cut through the dark mist surrounding the creature. with a series of coordinate attacks they won
Lior collapsed to his knees, panting heavily, the fusion form fading. Night's voice echoed weakly beside him, "You… really overdid it this time…"
Lior gave a faint smile. "Yeah… but we survived."
From the dissolving form of the beast, a glowing black crystal floated toward him. The system's voice echoed:[Dungeon Core Fragment Acquired — Abyssal Void Type][Ability Unlocked: Dimensional Rift — Allows the user to traverse short-range space gaps]
with them having limited time they pressed on