Chapter 164: The Abyssal Devourer

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: The Abyssal Devourer

The Abyssal Devourer roared.

Its enormous body surged forward, crushing everything in its path. The remaining crystals shattered as its claws struck the ground, sending fragments flying across the chamber.

Ronan didn’t retreat.

He activated Burst Acceleration, propelling himself toward the creature while simultaneously using Gravity Affinity to alter his trajectory.

The Devourer swung one of its massive appendages.

Ronan twisted sideways.

The attack missed his body but struck the ground behind him, creating a deep crater.

He landed on the creature’s forelimb and immediately drove his fist into its armored scales.

BOOM!

The impact produced a loud explosion.

Several scales cracked, but the creature barely reacted.

Ronan’s expression changed slightly.

Its defenses were considerably stronger than those of the previous monsters he had encountered.

Before he could launch another attack, the Devourer raised its head and opened its enormous jaws.

A powerful suction force erupted.

The surrounding stones, broken weapons, and crystal fragments were pulled toward its mouth.

Ronan’s body shifted forward.

He immediately activated Gravitational Resistance and attempted to stabilize himself, but the suction was too strong.

His feet scraped across the floor.

The creature’s jaws widened.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

He activated Wind Step, releasing a burst of wind energy behind him. The opposing forces slowed his movement, allowing him to grab a broken pillar.

The stone cracked beneath his fingers.

He couldn’t remain there for long.

The Devourer was consuming everything around it, including the energy scattered throughout the chamber.

Ronan’s attention sharpened.

So that’s how it hunts.

It didn’t simply devour physical objects. The creature was capable of absorbing energy from its surroundings, weakening anything that relied on an external energy source.

That explained why the sanctuary’s crystals had been destroyed so quickly.

Ronan released the pillar and allowed himself to be pulled forward.

Just before reaching the creature’s jaws, he activated Burst Acceleration.

His body shot sideways.

He landed against the creature’s lower jaw and drove his fist into its exposed flesh.

CRACK!

The impact forced its mouth shut.

Ronan immediately jumped backward.

The creature roared, shaking its enormous head.

A thick stream of gray energy erupted from the gaps between its scales.

The energy spread across the chamber, and the broken crystals began dissolving.

Ronan watched carefully.

The creature was recovering.

The damage he had inflicted was already disappearing.

His expression turned serious.

If he continued exchanging attacks without understanding its regenerative ability, he would eventually lose the advantage.

He needed to find its weakness.

The Eight-Star King Realm vampire who had previously fought him was standing near the chamber’s entrance.

His armor was damaged, and blood covered one side of his face.

"Don’t attack its body!" he shouted.

Ronan glanced at him.

"Then where should I attack?"

"The core! Its energy gathers beneath the plates along its chest. But you’ll have to break through its armor first!"

Ronan looked back at the Devourer.

A core beneath its chest.

That was useful information.

The creature suddenly turned toward the vampire.

Its crimson eyes brightened.

The vampire’s expression changed.

"Move!"

The Devourer lunged.

He immediately retreated, but its enormous claws struck the ground before he could escape.

The vampire was thrown into a wall.

Ronan clicked his tongue.

The creature was becoming troublesome.

He activated Predator’s Perception and focused on its movements.

The Devourer’s attacks were powerful, but its body had several moments of vulnerability whenever it absorbed energy.

Its chest plates expanded slightly, exposing narrow gaps between them.

That was his opportunity.

Ronan waited.

The creature raised its head and released another suction wave.

This time, Ronan didn’t resist it.

He used Gravity Affinity to adjust his movement, allowing the force to pull him toward the creature while maintaining control of his trajectory.

The Devourer’s jaws opened.

Ronan accelerated.

At the last moment, he changed direction and landed directly on its chest.

His fist descended.

BOOM!

The armor cracked.

The creature convulsed.

Ronan struck again, concentrating Annihilation Force into his knuckles.

The second attack shattered several scales.

Beneath them, he saw a dark-red core surrounded by gray energy.

His eyes brightened.

There it was.

However, before he could attack again, the creature’s chest expanded.

A violent burst of energy erupted.

Ronan was thrown away.

He crashed through a stone pillar and landed among the debris.

Pain spread across his body.

He slowly stood, blood dripping from his forehead.

The Devourer had already begun recovering.

Ronan frowned.

The creature’s armor wasn’t simply protecting its core. It could release stored energy whenever someone attempted to penetrate its defenses.

That made attacking the core directly extremely dangerous.

He needed another approach.

The vampire approached him, clutching his injured side.

"You’re wasting your strength. We need to seal the lower chamber before it reaches the upper levels."

Ronan glanced at him.

"How?"

"The central formation controls the passage. If we restore it, we can trap the creature beneath the sanctuary."

Ronan looked toward the shattered platform.

The formation had been damaged when the Devourer emerged.

Several channels were still active, but their energy was flowing in the wrong direction.

He activated Formation Sense.

The structure became visible.

The vampire was right.

There was a way to restore the formation, but it required redirecting energy through three separate junctions.

Unfortunately, two of them were located directly beneath the Devourer’s body.

Ronan stared at the creature.

Then he smiled.

"How long would it take?"

"Several minutes."

"Do it."

The vampire looked at him.

"What?"

"Restore the formation. I’ll keep it occupied."

The vampire stared at Ronan as if he had lost his mind.

"You cannot fight that thing alone!"

"Then watch carefully."

Ronan moved.

The Devourer turned toward him, its enormous jaws opening.

He activated Limit Break.

His body surged forward.

This time, he didn’t aim for its chest.

Instead, he attacked its limbs.

His fist struck the creature’s front leg, followed by another concentrated blow to the joint.

The armor cracked.

The Devourer roared and swung its tail.

Ronan ducked beneath it, using Burst Acceleration to move toward the opposite side.

He struck the same joint again.

CRACK!

The creature’s leg bent.

Its enormous body tilted.

Ronan immediately retreated before it could crush him.

The Devourer slammed into the ground.

The impact shook the entire sanctuary.

"Now!"

The vampire shouted at the remaining guards.

They rushed toward the formation’s first junction.

Ronan watched them briefly before turning back to the creature.

It was already recovering.

The Devourer raised its head and released a wave of gray energy.

Ronan activated Gravitational Resistance.

The pressure struck him, but he managed to remain standing.

He then used Gravity Affinity to shift his weight and move through the force.

His new traits were beginning to complement each other.

Gravitational Resistance reduced the disadvantage imposed by the creature’s energy, while Gravity Affinity allowed him to adjust his movement. Burst Acceleration supplied the sudden speed necessary to exploit openings.

None of these traits made him overwhelmingly stronger.

Together, however, they allowed him to fight opponents who would otherwise dominate him through their abilities.

Ronan charged again.

The Devourer attempted to crush him beneath its forelimb.

He accelerated sideways and struck the damaged joint.

The creature stumbled.

Another roar shook the chamber.

Ronan followed with Annihilation Force, shattering another section of its armor.

This time, he didn’t retreat immediately.

He seized the exposed tissue and pulled.

A thick layer of flesh tore away.

The Devourer thrashed violently.

Its tail swept across the chamber.

Ronan was struck before he could fully evade.

His body flew backward.

He crashed into the floor, and his vision blurred.

The creature turned toward him.

Its crimson eyes glowed brighter.

The suction force returned.

Ronan attempted to stand, but the force dragged him across the broken ground.

He gritted his teeth.

The Devourer was preparing to consume him.

His injuries were accumulating, and the creature was still far from dead.

He needed to finish this before the battle became a war of endurance.

Then he noticed something.

The gray energy gathering around the Devourer’s mouth was flowing from its chest.

The creature’s exposed wound was releasing energy toward its head.

Its core was supplying the suction ability.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

That’s it.

He stopped resisting the pull.

Instead, he activated Burst Acceleration.

The suction force dragged him forward while he accelerated in the same direction.

His speed increased dramatically.

The Devourer’s jaws opened wider.

Ronan adjusted his trajectory using Gravity Affinity.

At the last moment, he veered away from its mouth and landed directly against the damaged section of its chest.

His fist gathered Annihilation Force.

The Devourer attempted to release another burst.

But Ronan was already attacking.

His fist penetrated the exposed tissue.

He drove it deeper.

The dark-red core appeared beneath the broken flesh.

Ronan grabbed it.

The creature convulsed.

Its entire body shook violently as the gray energy inside it surged.

Ronan felt an overwhelming force pressing against his arm.

He tightened his grip.

Then he activated Limit Break and pulled.

CRACK!

The core tore free.

The Devourer’s roar echoed throughout the sanctuary.

Its massive body collapsed.

Ronan jumped away as the creature crashed onto the ground.

For several seconds, the chamber remained silent.

Then the gray energy surrounding its body began dissipating.

The Devourer was dead.

Ronan landed on one knee, breathing heavily.

His right arm was badly injured, and blood covered his clothes.

But he had won.

A notification appeared.

[Target eliminated.]

[Analyzing available traits...]

[Trait acquired: Energy Devouring.]

Ronan’s eyes brightened.

He immediately examined the new trait.

Energy Devouring allowed him to absorb certain forms of external energy and convert them into usable energy within his body.

However, the trait had limitations.

Not every energy type was compatible, and attempting to absorb unfamiliar or excessively concentrated energy could damage him.

That was understandable.

Even so, the trait was extremely valuable.

It could potentially allow him to absorb the energy contained within the black crystals without relying on an external refining process.

More importantly, it gave him another avenue for strengthening himself.

Ronan examined the creature’s remains.

The core was still in his hand.

He placed it inside his storage space.

He wasn’t going to waste such a valuable resource.

Then he looked toward the vampire.

"How’s the formation?"

The man stared at him.

For several seconds, he seemed unable to speak.

Eventually, he shook his head.

"You’re insane."

"That’s not an answer."

The vampire glanced toward the central platform.

"The first and second junctions have been restored. The last one is damaged, but we should be able to repair it."

"Then do it."

The vampire hesitated.

"Who are you?"

Ronan looked at him.

"Someone who wants to leave this place alive."

---

Several minutes later, the formation finally activated.

The remaining energy channels illuminated the floor, and a circular barrier formed around the collapsed section of the chamber.

The opening through which the Devourer had emerged began closing.

The entire sanctuary trembled before falling silent.

The immediate danger had passed.

Ronan examined the formation.

With his newly acquired Formation Sense, he could clearly understand how the energy moved through the structure.

He could also identify several weaknesses.

The original formation had been designed to prevent creatures from entering the sanctuary, but years of deterioration had weakened its outer channels.

The Devourer had simply exploited those weaknesses.

Ronan turned toward the Eight-Star King Realm vampire.

"What’s your name?"

The man hesitated.

"Arden."

"You’re in charge here?"

"I am the senior guardian of this sanctuary."

Ronan nodded.

"Then explain why you were allowing the lower chambers to deteriorate."

Arden frowned.

"We weren’t allowing anything. The energy reserves have been declining for years. We’ve been unable to replenish them quickly enough."

"Why?"

"The crystals recovered from the lower chambers have become increasingly unstable. Several of our refining devices have stopped working."

Ronan’s interest increased.

"Show me."

Arden looked toward the storage area.

"You’re injured."

"I’ll recover."

Arden considered arguing but eventually nodded.

He led Ronan through a side passage into a smaller chamber.

Several pieces of equipment stood along the walls. Their surfaces were covered in inscriptions, and dark crystals were embedded in their centers.

One of the devices had been dismantled.

Ronan approached it.

Formation Sense revealed the internal structure.

It was a refining device.

Unlike the ordinary equipment he had seen earlier, this machine was designed to extract usable energy from the black crystals.

He examined the inscriptions.

The process was complicated, but he could understand parts of it.

Energy was drawn from the crystal, separated into different components, and then passed through a series of channels before being converted into a more stable form.

It was an elegant method.

Ronan looked at Arden.

"Can this device be repaired?"

"Not with the materials we currently possess. The central regulator has been damaged."

"What does it require?"

Arden retrieved a small diagram.

"The regulator needs a stable crystal capable of withstanding concentrated energy."

Ronan glanced at the black fragments in his storage space.

Then he remembered the crystal core he had extracted from the Devourer.

Its energy had been considerably denser than the crystals used by the Covenant.

He took it out.

Arden’s eyes widened.

"Where did you get that?"

"From the creature."

"That’s the Devourer’s core!"

Ronan looked at him.

"Can it replace the regulator?"

Arden stared at the core.

After several moments, he nodded slowly.

"Possibly. But it would require a skilled craftsman."

Ronan smiled.

"Then find one."

He had no intention of giving the core away for free.

If the sanctuary could refine its energy, he wanted to know how to reproduce the process.

And if the machine could be repaired, he might have discovered a reliable source of energy for his future development.

He placed the core back into storage.

"First, I want to examine your remaining crystals."

Arden nodded.

"I’ll arrange it."

Ronan leaned against the wall.

He had entered the sanctuary searching for information about the Ashen Covenant.

Instead, he had acquired a valuable new trait, discovered a refining method, and obtained the core of a powerful creature.

His strength hadn’t advanced to another realm.

But his options had expanded considerably.

And that was progress he could use.

As Arden prepared to leave, a loud alarm suddenly echoed throughout the sanctuary.

The vampire froze.

"What now?" Ronan asked.

Arden’s expression changed.

"The outer barrier..."

He rushed toward the entrance.

Ronan followed.

When they returned to the central chamber, several guards were already gathered near the main passage.

A scout hurried toward Arden.

"Senior Guardian! We’ve detected multiple energy signatures approaching the fortress!"

"How many?"

"At least thirty."

Arden frowned.

"Are they Covenant members?"

The scout shook his head.

"No. Their energy signatures match the ones recorded during the previous disappearances."

The chamber fell silent.

Ronan’s expression sharpened.

The Hollow.

They had finally appeared.

And judging by the number of energy signatures, they weren’t sending a small scouting party.

He looked toward the entrance.

"How strong are they?"

The scout swallowed.

"The leading presence is extremely powerful. Our detection formation cannot determine its exact strength."

Ronan slowly smiled.

He had just acquired a new trait and a potentially valuable resource.

Now, another group of enemies had arrived.

He wasn’t particularly pleased about the timing.

But he wasn’t going to waste an opportunity either.

"Arden."

The vampire turned toward him.

"Prepare your soldiers. I want to know what we’re dealing with."

Ronan activated Predator’s Perception.

Beyond the fortress, several powerful presences were approaching.

And one of them felt considerably different from anything he had encountered in the Ashen Reach so far.