Chapter 352 - 339: Touch of Profound Darkness

Chapter 352: Chapter 339: Touch of Profound Darkness

[Gaze from the Abyss]

[A sliver of malice from the darkest corner of the bottomless Abyss has pierced the planar barrier, marking you as its eternal plaything and prey.]

[An unspeakable Abyssal Creature, in the midst of its endless madness and strife, chanced upon the faint glimmer of dawn upon you. To certain Abyssal Lords who despise all Order and life, the existence of this light is both glaring and... interesting.]

[This gaze is not a pure Curse, but rather a twisted "gift." The Abyssal Lord did not destroy you outright, but instead seared a projection of its power into your soul—both a slow corrosion and a brand, as well as a dangerous and dark path to empowerment.]

[It constantly distorts your connection to the real world, attempting to drag the essence of your being into the Law of the Abyss, while also opening a shortcut for you to access profound dark power.]

[Mundane methods of purification have little effect on this brand. Whether it be sacred prayers, Arcane Stripping, or boons granted by lesser Deities, they can only temporarily suppress the howl from the source of the Abyss. They cannot uproot the corruption planted deep within your soul. This gaze is the manifestation of trans-planar malice, sustained directly by the will of that Demon Lord itself.]

[There is only one way to sever this venomous connection: completely destroy the abominable source of this gaze. Only when the Abyssal Creature’s foundation of existence is shattered, the power of its true name dispersed, and its Abyssal Authority crushed, will this brand—which relies on its will—dissipate like morning mist meeting the Fiery Sun. And only then might the stolen and corroded Soul Fragment be restored to Purity.]

The dark text slowly faded from view, but the sensation it left behind was like icy water seeping into soil, silently taking root in Roland’s Perception.

At first, there was no sharp pain or intense discomfort, only an extremely subtle yet undeniable feeling of wrongness.

It was as if a cold, eternal mark had been branded onto the very outer layer of his soul.

A faint, almost imperceptible whisper buzzed not in his ears, but directly at the very edge of his consciousness, spoken in a language he could not understand, yet instinctively felt was profane and chaotic.

It was in no hurry to destroy or possess him. Instead, it was more like a slow infiltration, subtly attempting to warp his perception of reality and pull him toward a set of dark laws from the Abyss, completely different from those of the mortal world.

However, running parallel to this sense of slow corrosion was another, clearer "gift" that felt almost tangible.

He could feel that a shortcut to Dark Power had indeed opened up to him.

Just then, a stream of cold, emotionless information abruptly appeared in his mind.

[High-concentration foreign Dark Energy detected...]

[Analyzing Energy source tier... Analysis complete...]

[Energy Source Tier: Low]

[Nature: Abyss]

[Recalibrating...]

[Simulating Energy characteristics... Reconstructing Perception module...]

[Calibration complete.]

[Trait: Shadow Perception, has advanced.]

[Touch of Profound Darkness]

[Touch of Profound Darkness: Your Perception has deeply merged with the veins of Darkness. You are no longer limited to merely ’observing’ the Shadow; you can now clearly sense the ’emotions’ and ’flow’ of the surrounding Shadow and can perform basic guidance and shaping with your will, turning it into an extension of your senses.]

[You can more easily discover beings and passages hidden within the Darkness, and can even draw trace amounts of Energy from it to replenish your own. The effectiveness of this ability is directly related to your Spiritual Attribute and is extremely susceptible to the attention and influence of high-tier dark beings.]

As this cold information settled in, Roland could feel a tangible difference.

The surrounding Shadow was no longer just an objective existence to be "perceived."

It was as if it had transformed into a viscous fluid possessing an extremely faint life of its own.

He could vaguely "feel" whether it was in a state of "dormancy," "agitation," or "hunger."

With a slight nudge of his will, it seemed he could make a small patch of Shadow squirm, gather, or disperse.

This was no longer a simple reconnaissance ability; it was imbued with the Basic Level possibility of "interacting" with and even "commanding" the Darkness.

But Roland did not revel in the new Perception brought by the [Touch of Profound Darkness].

On the contrary, his brow furrowed, his heart chilled. A cold sense of crisis quickly overshadowed any curiosity about his new power.

’Just from locking eyes once during a battle?’

’A brief exchange of gazes with an Abyssal phantom attached to Anno, not even a physical entity.’

’And it resulted in such a bizarre and malevolent mark?’

’It’s simply unbelievable.’

The dangers of this world were far beyond his imagination. The malice and methods of certain beings were strange, unpredictable, and impossible to guard against.

Even with his Giant Dragon Bloodline and numerous Traits, he was by no means invincible.

A seemingly insignificant contact could lead to a planar-level catastrophe.

It was like walking along the edge of a cliff; one misstep could lead to eternal damnation.

An intangible sense of oppression quietly spread, an instinctual awe and vigilance born from facing a vast and malicious unknown.

At this thought, Roland took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and carefully examine the changes within himself through Introspection.

The chill branded deep in his soul was not intense, but it clung to him like the most stubborn stain, impossible to dispel.

Even more unsettling were the ceaseless, profane whispers originating from the edge of his consciousness.

They were as fine as silk threads, yet they seeped into everything, subtly trying to warp his perception.

He clearly realized this was no small trouble that could be ignored.

If left unchecked, this sliver of malice from the bottomless Abyss would spread and corrode like a drop of ink in clear water—slowly, but irreversibly.

One day, he might no longer be himself.

His will would be dragged into eternal madness, his soul would sink into that Darkness that hated all light, and finally...

...find "rest" within it.

He would become just another lost vessel under the command of that Abyssal Creature.

Just as Roland focused on his Introspection, suppressing the chill and oppression caused by the Gaze from the Abyss, the turbulent flow of Energy around them completely subsided.

"Roland! By the Deities! You were just... you were like a walking epic, the very embodiment of the dawn that tears through the long night!"

Galvis was the first to rush forward, his face filled with near-fanatical adoration and excitement as he gestured wildly.

"That strike! And that Giant Sword forged of light! I must rewrite my epic! I’ll make the entire continent sing your name!"

Teresa followed silently behind him.

She said nothing, merely walking over quickly, her gaze filled with clear worry as she swiftly and carefully scanned Roland from head to toe.

Only after confirming he had no obvious wounds did the tension in her shoulders relax imperceptibly.

After a moment of silence, she spoke softly. Her voice was still calm, but it held a hint of subtle warmth.

"Mr. Roland, it’s good that you’re all right... What should we do now? Should we take this chance to leave the Golden Valley Kingdom?"

Roland pulled himself out of his deep thoughts. His gaze swept over his two companions, and he finally shook his head, his expression complicated.

"No. I plan to hunt down Anno and finish him for good."

He paused for a moment before speaking bluntly.

"This decision... it concerns me alone. You don’t need to get involved. Leaving this place would be the safer choice for you."

"Safer?"

Galvis immediately cried out, his poet’s characteristically dramatic tone laced with undeniable sincerity.

"An epic hero stands at the turning point of a legendary tale, and you want me—the poet destined to sing of it all—to leave? Absolutely not! Roland, danger is the best spice for a Legend! I’m not going anywhere."

Teresa said nothing, but simply took a small step forward, standing closer to Roland.

Her expression remained aloof, but her resolute posture said everything.

Her azure eyes met his calmly as she gently shook her head.

Looking at his two companions’ unhesitating choice, Roland was slightly taken aback, but finally shook his head with a sense of resignation.

An indescribable warmth quietly seeped into his heart, dispelling some of the chill that had spread from the Abyss.

Just as he was about to speak again, a clear voice tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction drifted out from a nearby Shadow.

"Hey, hey, Roland? Discussing something so dangerous and exciting, yet you only ask those two... Did you forget about me, your important companion?"