The Voidwalker Abomination, a colossal entity of swirling shadow and crackling void energy, radiated an aura of pure, unadulterated malevolence that seemed to drain the very spiritual essence from the air. Its voice, a guttural echo in Kenji's mind, had resonated with a terrifying, ancient power: "Intruders... you seek what belongs to themselves." And the pulsating obsidian orb, the Forbidden Relic, thrummed with a chilling familiarity, its aura screaming "Sacrifice."
Kenji Tanaka didn't have time to process the implications. The Voidwalker Abomination moved with terrifying speed, defying its colossal size. It raised a massive, shadowy arm, its form elongating, its razor-sharp claws shimmering with malevolence. A torrent of dark, spectral energy erupted from its palm, not a physical attack, but a wave of pure spiritual drain, targeting their very life force.
"Defensive formation!" Kenji roared, his voice strained. He pushed Lyra Shadowbrook and Ryuu behind him, forming a desperate shield. His own Qi Condensation Level 2 cultivation flared, his True Aetherial Roots absorbing the ambient Qi of the Echoing Spires to bolster his defense, but the Voidwalker's attack was unlike anything he'd ever faced.
The spiritual drain was agonizing. Kenji felt his Qi, his very spiritual foundation, being siphoned away at an alarming rate. It was a cold, empty sensation, as if an invisible vacuum cleaner was sucking the life out of him. His vision blurred at the edges, his muscles protested, threatening to buckle. Lyra gasped, clutching her staff, her body trembling as her own emerald Qi flickered precariously. Ryuu stumbled, his face paling, his spiritual senses overwhelmed by the sheer spiritual vacuum.
Kenji lashed out with his Basic Combat Skill: Iron Palm, infusing his strike with all his Qi. The blow met the Voidwalker's shadowy form, passing through it as if it were smoke, doing no damage. He tried his Beast Whispering Skill, projecting a burst of aggressive dominance, then calming empathy. The Abomination merely tilted its head, its red eyes glowing, seemingly amused by his futile efforts. He attempted to disrupt its Qi with his Arcane Disruption (Basic) Skill, but the Voidwalker's energy was too chaotic, too fundamentally alien, to be affected by his nascent skill.
"It's no use, Kenji!" Lyra cried, forcing a defensive Qi shield that barely shimmered against the relentless spiritual drain. "Our attacks just pass through it! And it's draining us dry!"
Ryuu, regaining some composure, pulled out a small, intricately carved compass. Its needle spun wildly, then snapped, shattering into fragments. "Its presence… it's warping the Aether itself! We can't even locate its true form!"
Kenji's mind raced, desperate. His System-enhanced agility allowed him to dodge the Voidwalker's secondary attacks—razor-sharp tendrils of void energy that lashed out from its form—but he couldn't stop the constant, agonizing spiritual drain. He was pushing his body and his System to their limits, but it was futile. They were outmatched. Completely.
The System screen, usually a guiding blue, pulsed with an urgent, alarming red, its warnings escalating rapidly:
CRITICAL WARNING! IMMINENT HOST DEATH.Threat Level: CATASTROPHIC.Host Qi: 20%... 15%... 10%...Suggestion: IMMEDIATE RETREAT.
Kenji stared at the "Host Qi" percentage plummeting. Retreat? Where? They were in a colossal, subterranean chamber, miles beneath the surface of the Echoing Spires, surrounded by decaying crystalline structures and the pervasive, energy-draining void. There was no escape. Not in the conventional sense.
The Voidwalker Abomination, sensing their dwindling strength, let out a low, guttural chuckle that echoed directly in Kenji's mind, a sound of pure, ancient malice. It raised both massive, shadowy arms, its form expanding, absorbing more of the surrounding void energy. A colossal orb of dark, pulsating energy began to coalesce between its palms, emanating a terrifying spiritual vacuum. This was its final, devastating attack. It would not just drain them; it would utterly annihilate their spiritual essence.
Despair, cold and absolute, threatened to engulf Kenji. This was it. This was how his journey ended. His ambitious dreams, his fight for survival, his quest to uncover the Architect's secrets… all for nothing. He closed his eyes for a split second, feeling the crushing weight of impending doom.
Then, a flicker. A sudden, almost blinding insight. Not from the System directly, but a desperate, intuitive leap born of sheer terror and the memory of the Void-touched Charm (from Chapter 14) and the ruined ritual. The Forbidden Relic. The pulsating obsidian orb in the center of the chamber. It was the source. It was the conduit. It resonated with the same dark energy as the ritual that had almost killed Master Thorne. It was what the Voidwalker was guarding.
If it was the source of its power, or its connection to the Architect… could it also be its weakness?
A desperate, suicidal idea, so reckless it made his own mind reel, formed in Kenji's thoughts. He didn't know how. He didn't know what would happen. But he knew it was their only chance. He had to use the Forbidden Relic against its own guardian.
He opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto the pulsating obsidian orb. He turned to Lyra and Ryuu, his voice raw, but firm, projecting every ounce of his remaining authority.
"Distract it!" Kenji roared, pushing himself to his feet despite the searing pain from the spiritual drain. "Lyra, hit it with everything you've got! Ryuu, throw every talisman, every distraction you have!"
Lyra stared, her eyes wide. "Kenji, what are you doing? That's its main attack!"
"Just do it!" Kenji commanded, his voice laced with absolute desperation. He didn't wait for confirmation. He activated his System-enhanced agility to its absolute limits, drawing on every last molecule of Qi in his rapidly depleting Qi Sea. He moved not towards the Voidwalker, but around it, aiming directly for the Forbidden Relic, the pulsating obsidian orb.
The Voidwalker Abomination roared, its red eyes blazing. It was enraged by their defiance, but also momentarily confused by Kenji's unexpected movement. Its massive void orb, already coalescing, wavered slightly.
Lyra, seeing the desperate resolve in Kenji's eyes, trusted him implicitly. She clenched her jaw, summoning every ounce of her spiritual energy. Her staff flared with a blinding emerald light, and she unleashed a torrent of powerful, concentrated energy bolts directly at the Voidwalker's chest. The bolts impacted with explosive force, causing ripples of dark energy to surge across its shadowy form. It was a desperate, all-out assault, designed solely to draw attention, to create a momentary opening.
Ryuu, recovering from his initial terror, understood immediately. He pulled out a handful of specialized, Qi-infused talismans from his pack – talismans designed for minor distractions, for creating localized energy fluctuations. He activated them all, hurling them towards the Voidwalker, causing small, bright bursts of light and localized Qi explosions around its shifting form. They were utterly insignificant in terms of damage, but they were a chaotic, blinding nuisance.
The Voidwalker Abomination, momentarily distracted by the barrage of energy blasts and flashing talismans, let out a frustrated roar. Its colossal void orb, nearly fully formed, wavered further. This was Kenji's chance.
He pushed himself, ignoring the searing pain in his draining meridians, ignoring the rapid decline of his Qi, ignoring the System's constant "Imminent Host Death" warning. He was a blur of motion, a desperate dash across the crumbling crystalline ground, directly towards the pulsating obsidian orb. The Voidwalker's final, devastating attack, the massive void orb, was already roaring to life, ready to unleash its spiritual annihilation. He had seconds. Maybe less.
Kenji lunged, his hand outstretched, every fiber of his being focused on the Forbidden Relic. He reached it just as the Voidwalker Abomination roared, its massive void orb launching forward, its path aimed directly at Kenji, the spiritual vacuum it created threatening to rip his very soul from his body.
His fingers brushed the cold, pulsating surface of the Forbidden Relic. It was smooth, incredibly dense, and radiated a profound, ancient malice that made his skin crawl. It felt like touching pure, solidified evil. The Voidwalker Abomination's attack, the colossal void orb, was closing in, its spiritual suction growing overwhelming. Kenji could feel his essence straining, tearing.
At that exact moment, as Kenji's hand made contact, the Forbidden Relic hummed. A low, powerful vibration resonated from deep within its obsidian core, echoing the Architect's chilling laughter. The System screen, already flashing with dire warnings, exploded with a new, terrifying notification, its red text blazing with unprecedented urgency and alarm:
WARNING! UNKNOWN ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED!Source: Forbidden Relic.Status: Reacting to Host's Touch.Recommendation: IMMEDIATE DISCONNECTION. DO NOT ENGAGE.Override System? (Y/N)