Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 392

Chapter 392: Abyssal Outpost

Hours Later, Abyssal Outpost

The outpost loomed before them, its dark spires rising against the crimson sky. Aiden, Myne, and Dren crept through the shadows, their movements silent and precise. Myne’s shadowmancy cloaked them, rendering them nearly invisible to the patrolling guards.

Inside the outpost, the trio moved swiftly. Myne’s shadows silenced guards, while Dren’s blades struck with deadly precision. Aiden led them with unwavering focus, his senses attuned to every sound and movement.

They reached the communications room, where Abyssal operators monitored glowing screens. Aiden gave a silent signal, and in an instant, the room descended into chaos. Myne’s shadows wrapped around the operators, while Dren dismantled the equipment with brutal efficiency.

“Phase one complete,” Aiden whispered into his communicator. “Rick, you’re up.”

From the nearby hills, Rick’s team launched their assault. Explosions rocked the outpost as the resistance fighters descended like a storm. The Abyssal forces scrambled to respond, but the chaos sown by Aiden’s team left them vulnerable.

As the battle raged, Aiden and his team moved to their next target—the command center. The deeper they went, the more resistance they encountered, but they pressed on, their mission clear.

The Abyss would fall, one strike at a time.

The Abyssal Outpost, Inner Perimeter

Aiden’s team pushed forward, the tension mounting with every step. The deeper they infiltrated the outpost, the more the air seemed to thrum with dark energy. Abyssal soldiers poured in from side corridors, forcing Myne to stretch her shadowmancy to its limits while Dren’s blades blurred in deadly arcs.

Aiden led from the front, his strikes precise and devastating. His blade crackled with ethereal energy, cleaving through Abyssal armor with ease. Despite the chaos, his focus never wavered. They had to reach the command center before the reinforcements arrived in full force.

“Myne,” Aiden called out as he deflected an incoming spear. “How close are we?”

Myne, her hands weaving intricate gestures to maintain their shadow cover, glanced at a glowing map projected from her wrist device. “The command center is just ahead, past that barricade. But I’m sensing something…off. Be ready for anything.”

The barricade loomed ahead, guarded by towering Abyssal elites clad in spiked black armor. Their glowing crimson eyes followed the trio’s every move. Behind them, the entrance to the command center pulsed with ominous energy, dark tendrils snaking out like living shadows.

“Dren, with me,” Aiden ordered, gripping his weapon tighter. “Myne, cover us.”

Dren smirked, adjusting his dual blades. “Been waiting for this.”

Aiden charged forward, his sword igniting with radiant light. Dren flanked him, moving with the speed and grace of a predator. The Abyssal elites roared, their massive weapons cleaving through the air with deadly force. The clash was immediate and brutal, sparks flying as weapons met.

Myne stayed back, her shadows forming a protective barrier around the team while snaking forward to disrupt the elites. One shadow latched onto a guard’s leg, dragging him off balance just long enough for Dren to finish him with a precise slash.

But the Abyssal elites were relentless. Their strikes grew heavier, their movements more coordinated. Aiden gritted his teeth as he parried a devastating blow, the force of it sending shockwaves through the ground.

“They’re stalling us,” Myne warned. “Something’s coming—something big.”

As if on cue, the air grew colder, and a deep, guttural laugh echoed through the corridor. A hulking figure stepped out from the shadows beyond the barricade, its form wreathed in dark flames. The Abyssal commander stood nearly twice Aiden’s height, its armor etched with glowing runes of power. In its hands, it wielded a massive warhammer that radiated malevolent energy.

“Aiden Valerian,” the commander rumbled, its voice like grinding stone. “I’ve heard tales of your defiance. Let’s see if you live up to them.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “And who might you be? Another Abyssal pawn too blind to see what they’re fighting for?”

The commander’s laugh boomed through the corridor. “You speak boldly for a man who walks into his death. I am Malkarath, Keeper of the Void Gate. Your resistance ends here.”

“Void Gate?” Myne muttered, her shadows faltering for a moment. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“We’ll deal with it after we deal with him,” Aiden said, stepping forward. “Dren, take the left. Myne, keep the grunts off us.”

The team moved into position, their training and camaraderie shining through as they faced the towering foe. Malkarath swung his warhammer with terrifying speed, the impact sending shockwaves through the corridor. Aiden narrowly dodged, countering with a strike aimed at the gaps in the commander’s armor.

The battle was fierce, each exchange of blows sending ripples of energy through the air. Myne’s shadows darted in to disrupt Malkarath’s movements, but the commander’s power was overwhelming. He batted away the attacks like swatting flies, his warhammer glowing with accumulating energy.

“Fall back!” Aiden yelled as Malkarath slammed the ground, releasing a wave of dark energy. The force sent them sprawling, the air crackling with residual power.

Dren coughed, pulling himself to his feet. “This guy’s tougher than he looks.”

“Keep moving,” Aiden said, his voice steady. “We can’t afford to lose momentum.”

As they regrouped, Myne’s eyes widened. “Aiden, the Void Gate—it’s activating! That’s what he’s stalling for!”

Behind Malkarath, the command center’s pulsing tendrils had converged, forming a swirling vortex of darkness. The Void Gate, a portal of pure Abyssal energy, began to expand, its edges sparking with chaotic power.

“If that thing opens, we’re done,” Myne said, her voice urgent. “We have to stop it!”

Aiden’s mind raced. The odds were stacked against them, but retreat wasn’t an option. “Myne, focus everything on the gate. Dren and I will handle Malkarath.”

Myne hesitated but nodded, her shadows converging on the swirling vortex. The tendrils fought back, lashing out violently, but Myne held her ground, her power surging.

Aiden and Dren engaged Malkarath again, their movements more synchronized than before. Dren’s blades struck with pinpoint precision, creating openings for Aiden to exploit. Despite their combined efforts, the commander was an unyielding force, his warhammer striking with devastating power.

“You cannot win,” Malkarath sneered, his laughter echoing through the chaos. “The Abyss is eternal!”

Aiden’s eyes blazed with determination. “So is hope.”

In a burst of energy, he unleashed a technique he had been holding back. His blade erupted with light, the force of it carving through Malkarath’s armor. The commander roared in pain, staggering back.

“Now, Myne!” Aiden shouted.