"So, the Techno Void Ruin is being leveled up. Isha and Void are also evolving..." Ryuk muttered.
[Yeah. Your strength is being increased too.]
The system said as Ryuk nodded, landing back on the balcony as the glass door automatically slid open, and he continued inside.
"But now, there’s just one more thing I need to do."
[What’s that?]
"My cultivation. My Frost and Void Cultivation. They’ve been stuck in the same place for a while now."
"My Frost cultivation requires me to comprehend the runes on each Frost Apex Energy, and my Void one just needs more time... and pain, of course," Ryuk said as a chill ran up his spine.
His Void cultivation brought with it monumental pain—some of the worst he had ever experienced in his pain-filled life.
[Yes. But your Frost Cultivation will take more than a few days to see results. You will need weeks at least before you comprehend those runes.]
[Don’t you have to be with Aster next tomorrow?] the system asked.
Ryuk nodded.
"Correct. And I don’t want to accidentally fall into slumber for three weeks and miss that. So I won’t be starting the Frost Cultivation."
"That leaves just the Void cultivation," Ryuk said, as his hand reached forward, a Void rift opening right before him.
He stepped toward it, a thought flashing in his mind.
"I wonder what Antares is doing in there. He seems to like hanging out in there a lot..." Ryuk thought to himself, stepping in.
In the next instant, he felt the familiar sensation of traveling through a wormhole—only it was quicker this time.
As the darkness faded away and he stepped out, his hands thrust outward in a fast snap and then—
BAAAAAAAAANNNG
The end of a hammer smashed straight into Ryuk’s palm, a shockwave rippling through the surrounding space from the point of contact.
But then—
CLEEENCH
CRRAACCCKKK
Cracks suddenly spread across the massive two-meter hammer, as Ryuk clenched his finger around it and then—
SHATTER
It burst into pieces along with an enormous backward force, and he watched the figure soar backwards, his gaze sharpening on the bizarre form
Ryuk slowly lowered his hands, eyes scanning the area as his expression shifted into a deep frown.
"And what the hell is going on here..."
CLAAANG
CLAANG
CLAAANG
The sounds of weapons clashing echoed loudly as Ryuk looked on to the side, finding a total of four figures locked in an intense battle.
Swords, spears, and an axe collided with fierce force as one figure was repeatedly sent flying backward, the very ground exploding with each clash.
He fought with everything he had, barely managing to match the overwhelming power, exhaling heavily with every strike.
And he was none other than Antares. Ryuk’s gaze sharpened with concern as he watched him get tossed around the battlefield.
But the ones fighting him...
They were beings as thin as skeletons.
No—actual skeletons—but covered entirely in dark, runic lines that ran across every inch of their bony forms as they slashed at Antares with incredibly sharp weapons.
Around the battle scene, several broken skeletons lay scattered, revealing that Antares had destroyed at least a couple of them.
But then Ryuk didn’t understand.
"Just where did the skeletons come from?" he asked, turning his gaze away from the battle and scanning the area.
It didn’t take long to find what he was looking for.
Around the platform where he had previously undergone his cultivation, there were those bizarre graves—the same ones that had once shocked his hand with a weird current when he had tried to open them.
He had eventually left them alone.
But now, about 7 of those graves had been opened, their contents emptied—and when Ryuk looked at the skeletal figures attacking Antares, it was easy to tell the connection.
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The Void rippled as Ryuk turned his gaze to the side, watching as Antares appeared by his side, crouching on the ground as he exhaled puffy white smoke from both nose and lips.
"Hey... Ryuk."
"Thank the devil... you’re here."
"I’ve been... trying to reach you... For years now," Antares said, heaving like a madman as Ryuk shook his head.
Immediately, the skeletal figures appeared before them, all three slashing out with their weapons toward the two.
But then, Antares felt his spear, which he had been ripped off the hands of one of the skeletons, suddenly disappear and then—
CLAAANGGGGG
The spear slashed forward toward the Void with power, and when it collided with the three approaching weapons, they were sent flying backward over 20 meters before skidding to a stop.
Antares’ eyes widened in disbelief.
"If I remember correctly, Antares, I told you not to touch anything."
"But you didn’t just touch the graves—you opened four of them!" Ryuk said, dodging to the side as a black axe cleaved toward his neck, but it struck only an afterimage.
Ryuk reappeared behind the skeleton that attacked him, his spear slashing downward and cleaving it into two halves.
VROOOOOOOOOOOOM
The end of a staff slammed downward toward his chest, but Ryuk withdrew the spear with speed, clashing it against the staff and sending it flying out of the skeletal figure’s hands back before he moved again.
His spear pierced through the ribs of the one who had attacked him before. He raised it up and placed it behind him like a meat shield.
Immediately—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The entire Void shook as a massive dark club blasted toward Ryuk’s back, only to slam into the skeletal figure he had just impaled, shattering it into pieces.
Ryuk spun around, raising his spear and sending it piercing outward toward the skeletal figure’s eyes before jerking it upward and shattering the skull into bits.
The three bodies were instantly dismembered, floating in space as if lifeless—but it was hard to tell. After all, they had literally risen from graves just moments ago.
He slowly backed toward Antares as he watched the spear he held begin cracking, unable to handle the pressure before it broke into small parts, drifting into the Void.
"That was... fast. You’ve reached Eternity, too?" Antares asked in surprise, but when he turned to look at Ryuk, who was walking toward him with a cold, unreadable gaze, he could only sigh nervously.
"My curiosity got the better of me."
"Don’t do that next time..." Ryuk said as he floated back to the remains of the skeletons.