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Chapter 54: Echoes of Power
The wind howled across the high cliffs as Rio, Iris, and Retina stood just outside Eldoria's city walls. The magic city sparkled behind them, unaware of the storm that was about to be unleashed upon the world. The quest to stop the Nihilborn had begun—but before they could even think of entering the cursed land of Stormrend, they needed to understand and harness the power they had gained in the Abyssal Dungeon.
Rio pulled out his sword, the one gifted by the King—now glowing faintly after absorbing the energy of the Mythril Dragon. He could feel it pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.
"Let's test our new skills before moving," Rio said, stepping onto a flat stone surface.
Retina nodded, already forming a magic circle beneath her feet. "Mine feels different… like I can control a piece of the abyss now."
Iris, her eyes glowing with a soft violet aura, smiled faintly. "I've awakened something too—my vision goes beyond sight now. I can see emotions, auras… even time distortion."
Rio activated his new skill—Shadow Phantom Drive. In an instant, he vanished, appearing behind a nearby tree, and then beside a rock, moving faster than the eye could track.
"Whoa," he said, breathing heavily. "That's insane…"
Retina's hands shimmered with shadowy blue flames. She whispered the name of her new spell: Abyssal Dominion. As she cast it, dark vines burst from the ground, spiraling up and forming spears of condensed mana.
"These could easily tear through demon armor…" she murmured.
Iris stood quietly, then opened her arms. A sudden surge of air pressure rushed through the clearing. Her voice echoed, "Beast Awakening: Astral Form." Her body glowed, and a translucent wolf-shaped aura enveloped her. Her eyes sharpened like a predator's.
"I can track the Nihilborn's trail," she said. "It's faint… but leading straight toward Stormrend."
Rio looked at them both, pride swelling in his chest. "Alright then. No time to waste."
They summoned their mounts—shadow steeds from Retina's summoning scroll—and began galloping across the open plains toward the dark horizon.
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As the sun began to set, the skies above Stormrend turned unnaturally gray. Clouds spiraled like a whirlpool, and thunder cracked despite no rain falling.
At the edge of the Cursed Vale, an enormous stone arch loomed—ancient, cracked, and glowing with crimson runes.
"This is it…" Rio said, stepping down from his mount. "The Vale of Stormrend."
But even before they could take another step, a wave of necrotic energy blasted across the field. The grass withered. Trees groaned as if screaming. And from the shadows, twisted creatures began to crawl out—distorted beasts corrupted by the same dark mana that had fueled the Nihilborn's awakening.
"Not even five minutes in, and we already have company," Retina muttered, forming magic seals.
Rio drew his sword, now whispering in his hand, reacting to the corrupted aura. "Let's clear them fast and get that first artifact."
The fight was quick, brutal, and clean. With their newly awakened powers, the trio overwhelmed the corrupted beasts. Shadow Phantom Drive, Abyssal Dominion, and Astral Form worked in perfect sync, making them an unstoppable force.
But just as the last enemy fell, a whisper crawled through their minds. It wasn't a voice—it was a sensation. A presence watching. Waiting.
The cursed vale had awakened.
And the artifact… was guarded by something far worse than they imagined.
Chapter 54 Ends.
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