The usual rush of adrenaline that followed any jump into a rift was there, but something else lingered in the air, something darker, heavier.
His crimson eyes flickered as he took in his surroundings.
The red stone ground beneath his feet was jagged and uneven, and in the distance, lava rivers could be seen flowing.
‘Devil’s Abyss, heh~’ Stark smirked, ‘I guess I’m in hell.’
Stark stood up straight, scanning the area for Lana and Sora.
They had jumped into the rift right before him, yet now there was nothing, actually, there was no one.
He waited a few moments, expecting to hear their familiar voices, or at the very least, the sound of other students landing around him.
But the silence stretched on, filling the air with an eerie emptiness.
“…Where is everyone?” Stark muttered to himself, his senses sharpened as a cold chill ran down his spine.
Suddenly, a holographic message flashed in front of his eyes.
[Welcome to your doom, chosen one.]
“…” Stark’s focus increased by a hundred the moment he saw the words ‘chosen one’.
The next set of words hit him harder.
[You cannot leave.]
[You are stuck here with us.]
[Come and try to challenge us, chosen.]
The gravity of the situation set in, and Stark’s smirk faded.
And then it hit him.
“The apostles…” Stark whispered, his hand instinctively clenching into a fist, the three apostles of this rift were here, they were waiting for him.
The apostles must have sensed his presence.
And knowing that he would eventually come to kill them here, they must have crafted this trap just for him.
Meaning that while the other students teleported to the beginning areas with their other peers, passing through its normal challenges, he was in a separate reality—a realm designed by the apostles themselves, much harder.
His crimson eyes gleamed with excitement, even as his situation became more dangerous “Stuck in here?” he laughed, “No… you’re stuck here with me, idiots.”
Meanwhile, in the regular section of the Devil’s Abyss, Lana stood up from her landing.
Dozens of students were already scattered across the open zone, preparing for the trial.
She looked around, her brow furrowing.
“Huh? Where is Stark?” she asked, her voice concerned.
Sora appeared beside her, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings,”He should’ve landed right after us…” she muttered, equally perplexed.
The two exchanged glances, but neither could see any sign of their teammate.
Back in Stark’s personal nightmare, he couldn’t help but laugh more, “Incredible! Thank you for making the job easier!” he shouted into the air while spreading his arms, hoping it would reach the apostles from their safe little zones.
He had come to the Devil’s Abyss prepared to fight alongside his team, but if the apostles wanted to give him this kind of special treatment, then so be it.
Without wasting any more time, he took his first step forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet as if even the earth itself trembled at his approach.
His crimson aura surrounded him completely, lighting up the dark, desolate landscape around him.
[Devil’s Abyss has 5 zones.]
The message appeared briefly, but Stark barely paid it any mind.
He was already moving.
Five zones were more than what a normal rift would have, but that didn’t matter to him. He would tear through them, one by one.
[First Zone: Beginning of Hell]
The landscape shifted as he moved deeper into the rift.
Red, jagged rocks jutted from the ground, and the air grew hotter as he approached the rivers of lava that were spread through the zone.
It was exactly what you’d expect from a place named “Devil’s Abyss,” but Stark didn’t care about the scenery.
His focus was on the creatures that lurked ahead, each between level 250-300.
In the distance, he spotted them: devils and demons, grotesque figures with twisted horns, leathery wings, and glowing eyes filled with malice.
They sensed him as well, their guttural roars shaking the air as they charged toward him in a wave of fury.
Stark’s smirk returned, “Come on, then.”
Around twenty of these things rushed at him all at once, wanting to get rid of him at the same time.
Without hesitation, Stark raised his hand, his [Crimson Purification] ability activating in a flash of light.
A surge of holy energy exploded outward from him, crashing into the demonic horde like a wave.
The demons didn’t even have a chance to react.
The moment the purifying light touched them, their bodies disintegrated into ash, their screams of agony barely reaching Stark’s ears before they were snuffed out entirely.
-764293! -832717! -743612!
The damage was phenomenal, and the shockwave of energy swept through the area, annihilating every demon in its path.
Stark walked forward calmly, the light fading behind him as he advanced deeper into the zone.
“Too easy,” he muttered, shaking his head.
The apostles clearly underestimated him if they thought these basic demons would slow him down.
[Exorcist] was a masterclass of a skill inside such a rift after all.
As Stark pressed on, more demons appeared, crawling from the shadows, emerging from fiery portals that opened up around him.
But none of them lasted more than a few seconds.
His [Crimson Purification] wiped them out with ease, and if it was on cooldown, he would easily use his other skills or fists to get rid of them.
He swept through the demons with minimal effort, not even needing the full extent of his power to kill them all.
Minutes passed, and Stark found himself nearing the end of the first zone.
And eventually, what had to happen happened.
Ding!
[Your level has increased to level 100, granting you five skill points and a boost in stats.]
He had reached level 100, but before he could even celebrate, he heard a loud roar.
And that’s when he felt it: a presence far more powerful than the low-level demons he had been fighting.
Something big.
Stark stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area ahead of him.
From the shadows, a massive figure emerged.
“Oh come on…” Stark just wanted to check his panels at this point.
Its hulking form towered over the landscape, standing at least thirty times the height of a normal man.
Its skin was jet-black, its muscles rippling with raw power, and its eyes burned with an intense red glow.
Two enormous horns curled from the sides of its head, and in its hand, it carried a massive, jagged blade that radiated dark energy.
A message appeared in front of Stark’s eyes as the creature roared, the ground shaking beneath its feet.
[The First Elite Demon Commander: Bel’zar the Ravager]
[Level: 300]
[Defeat the zone’s commanders to advance to the next!]
Stark’s smirk widened, “Finally, something interesting.”
Bel’zar the Ravager let out another earth-shattering roar, its bloodthirsty eyes locked onto Stark as it raised its weapon, ready to strike.
But Stark didn’t flinch, he just took his fighting stance, ready to attack as well.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Stark muttered, stepping forward to meet the elite head-on.
The real beginning of the [Devil’s Abyss] could now start, and from the shadows, the apostles watched Stark’s every move.
