The metallic plains of the Disaster Realm split open like a wound.
The tremor wasn't like the earlier quakes.
This one had weight.
Purpose.
Hunger.
Lee Geon's expression shifted — not fear, but a rare seriousness.
"Alright, kid. Time for the real trial."
Chaos Tenno wiped blood from his mouth, still recovering from the Disaster Beast he had barely subdued. His body trembled, but the faint pulse of the Crown Spark inside him kept him standing.
"What's coming?" he asked.
Geon pointed toward the horizon.
"Something that Monarchs avoid. Something that eats dimensions for breakfast. Something I only fight when I'm bored."
The ground convulsed again.
The sky darkened.
The stars flickered out.
The System activated on its own, as if terrified.
---
[SYSTEM — STATUS & ABILITY DISPLAY]
Name: Chaos Tenno
Race: Rift Origin (Evolving)
Class: Proto-Monarch of Destruction
Realm: Disaster Realm — Trial Zone 2
Core Stats
• Strength: 9,800 → Suppressed to 1,200
• Endurance: 10,200 → Suppressed to 1,500
• Agility: 8,900 → Suppressed to 1,100
• Willpower: 13,500
• Existence Anchor: Weakening (0.6% per hour)
Monarch Progression
• True Form Synchronization: 21%
• Stability: Moderate
• Authority Access: Fragmentary
Abilities
• Chaos Pulse (Locked)
• Rift Step (Locked)
• Monarch Mantle: Destruction (Locked)
• Absolute Termination Authority (Sealed)
• Crown Spark (NEW)
Allows micro-manifestation of Monarch power without triggering full transformation. Extremely unstable.
Trial Status
Round Two Initiated: Cataclysm Leviathan
Objective: Survive.
Secondary Objective: Inflict meaningful damage.
Tertiary Objective: Impress Lee Geon (Still impossible)
---
Tenno stared at the display. "Everything is still locked."
Geon shrugged. "If you can't fight without your powers, you don't deserve them."
The ground split open completely.
A tidal wave of molten mana erupted upward, spiraling into the sky. The air vibrated with a deep, ancient growl — a sound that felt like it came from the bones of the universe.
Then it emerged.
A colossal serpent-like titan, its body made of obsidian scales and cosmic magma. Each scale reflected a dying star. Its maw was a vortex of annihilation. Its eyes were twin supernovas burning with hatred.
The Cataclysm Leviathan.
The System nearly crashed trying to scan it.
---
[SYSTEM SCAN]
Entity: Cataclysm Leviathan
Rank: Beyond Monarch-tier (Cataclysm-Class)
Size: 900 meters (visible)
Abilities:
• Dimensional Consumption
• Reality Pressure
• Cataclysm Breath
• Absolute Regeneration
• Cosmic Pressure Field
Weaknesses: None
Survival Probability: 0.8%
---
Tenno exhaled. "Zero point eight percent."
Geon smirked. "See? You're improving."
The Leviathan roared.
The Disaster Realm shattered.
Entire floating continents cracked. Rivers of molten mana evaporated. The sky split into spirals of collapsing dimensions.
Tenno was thrown back instantly, the shockwave hitting him like a collapsing star.
He crashed into a jagged cliff of metal, coughing blood.
The System screamed.
---
[DAMAGE REPORT]
Bone Fractures: 12
Organ Damage: Moderate
Stamina: 39%
True Form Agitation: Rising rapidly
Warning: Host nearing physical collapse
---
Tenno forced himself to stand.
The Leviathan lunged.
Its maw opened — a swirling vortex of annihilation.
Tenno dodged left, barely avoiding being erased from existence. The vortex consumed a mountain behind him, erasing it completely.
Geon called out, voice sharp.
"Stop dodging like a scared rabbit. Use your instincts."
Tenno gritted his teeth. "My instincts say run."
"Then ignore them."
The Leviathan struck again, its tail whipping across the battlefield. Tenno raised his arms to block — and was sent flying miles away, crashing through three floating islands.
His vision blurred.
His body screamed.
But he stood.
Barely.
The Leviathan coiled, preparing another strike.
Tenno clenched his fists. "Crown Spark…"
The void-light flickered around his knuckles.
He sprinted forward.
The Leviathan's tail came down like a meteor.
Tenno punched upward.
A spark of Monarch power exploded from his fist.
The shockwave tore the air apart.
The Leviathan's tail cracked — a small fracture, but a fracture nonetheless.
The beast roared in pain.
Geon grinned. "There you go."
Tenno staggered, panting. "I can't keep using Crown Spark. It's unstable."
"Good," Geon said. "Use it anyway."
The Leviathan opened its maw again.
The air warped.
The System shrieked.
---
[WARNING]
Cataclysm Breath charging
Impact: Guaranteed death
Recommendation: Evade or counter immediately
---
Tenno's heart pounded.
He couldn't dodge that.
He couldn't block it.
He couldn't survive it.
Unless—
He closed his eyes.
Reached inward.
Touched the faint, burning crown inside him.
Crown Spark — Overdrive.
Void-light erupted around his arm.
The Leviathan fired.
A beam of pure annihilation.
Tenno punched.
The collision was apocalyptic.
The Disaster Realm split open.
The sky inverted.
The ground shattered into fragments of molten metal.
The shockwave erased entire landscapes.
Tenno was thrown back, skidding across the broken realm.
The Leviathan reeled, its maw cracked, cosmic blood spilling into the void.
Tenno collapsed to one knee, trembling violently.
The System flickered.
---
[CRITICAL STATUS]
True Form Synchronization: 29%
Stability: Failing
Host Integrity: 18%
Crown Spark Overdrive: Cooldown 12 hours
Warning: Cataclysm Leviathan enraged
---
The Leviathan roared — louder, angrier, hungrier.
It wasn't defeated.
It was just getting started.
Tenno tried to stand.
His legs buckled.
Geon finally stepped forward.
"Alright, kid. You did enough."
Tenno looked up, exhausted. "You're… stepping in?"
Geon cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah. Because if I don't, you're going to die."
He smirked.
"And I'm not done training you yet."
The Leviathan lunged.
Geon vanished.
A shockwave tore the realm apart.
The real fight was about to begin.
TO BE CONTINUED.