Chapter 501: Law of Darkness..

After Nyx’s declaration, she raised one hand.

Then—

She snapped her fingers.

Snap!

The endless darkness surrounding them suddenly surged forward.

Before Nero could react, darkness swallowed his soul completely.

His vision disappeared.

His consciousness was dragged into an entirely different world.

"Do your best... and survive."

Those were the last words Nero heard before the darkness completely consumed him.

---

Silence.

Nero opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was the color.

Black.

And grey.

That was all.

The world stretched endlessly in every direction, covered by a grey sky without clouds and a black ground that seemed to absorb all light.

There was no sun.

No moon.

No stars.

No signs of life.

Only an endless, desolate world.

Nero slowly looked around.

His expression remained calm.

Then he tried to circulate his prana.

Nothing happened.

He attempted to summon his Law of Fire.

Nothing.

Law of Lightning.

Nothing.

Law of Water.

Nothing.

Law of Earth, nothing.

Nero’s crimson eyes narrowed.

Only one power responded.

Darkness.

"So that’s the rule."

His voice was calm.

This place had restricted everything except the Law of Darkness.

It wasn’t a place where he could rely on his other Laws.

He couldn’t rely on his usual combinations.

He couldn’t simply overwhelm his opponents with overwhelming power.

He had to learn.

He had to adapt.

And then—

BOOM!

The ground beneath Nero suddenly exploded.

A gigantic beast emerged from beneath the black earth.

Its body was enormous.

Four thick legs supported a frame covered in black scales, while dark mist constantly poured from its body.

Its eyes glowed grey.

Its entire body was composed of prana and Darkness.

The beast opened its mouth.

ROOOOAR!

The roar shook the entire world.

Nero didn’t move.

His crimson eyes calmly observed it.

The beast disappeared.

BOOM!

It appeared directly in front of him.

A massive claw descended.

Nero tilted his body slightly.

The claw passed beside his face.

The ground behind him exploded.

Nero stepped forward.

His fist struck the beast’s chest.

BAM!

The enormous creature was launched backward.

It rolled several times before digging its claws into the ground.

Nero looked at his hand.

His physical strength remained with him.

Even though this was only his soul, the powerful physique he had cultivated throughout his life was reflected in his spiritual body.

His physical instincts.

His swordsmanship.

His battle experience.

Everything remained.

Only his Laws had been restricted.

Nero looked at the beast again.

A sword slowly formed in his right hand.

Darkness gathered around his palm.

It condensed.

Compressed.

Then hardened.

A completely black sword appeared.

Nero slowly raised it.

"So this is the Law of Darkness."

The beast charged again.

This time, Nero moved first.

SHING!

His figure disappeared.

The black sword flashed.

The beast’s attack missed.

Nero appeared beside it.

Slash!

A dark line appeared across the beast’s body.

The creature staggered.

Nero immediately followed.

Another slash.

Then another.

His movements were simple.

Precise.

There was no unnecessary motion.

Every strike was placed exactly where it needed to be.

The beast attempted to counterattack.

Nero stepped around it.

His sword moved.

Slash!

The creature’s massive body collapsed onto the black ground.

Silence returned.

Nero looked down at it.

The beast didn’t disappear immediately.

Instead, its body slowly dissolved into dark particles.

Nero felt the Law of Darkness inside himself reacting.

He understood.

His eyes narrowed.

"So I have to absorb it."

He reached out.

Darkness gathered around the fallen beast.

The particles began flowing toward Nero.

The moment they entered his soul—

BOOM!

A strange sensation spread throughout his body.

His soul trembled.

Information flooded into his consciousness.

The nature of Darkness.

Its characteristics.

Its instincts.

Its ability to conceal.

Its ability to corrupt.

Its ability to swallow.

Nero closed his eyes.

He didn’t resist.

Instead, he allowed the energy to spread through him.

He began assimilating it.

The process wasn’t comfortable.

The Law of Darkness wasn’t something that simply entered his body and became his.

It resisted.

It tested him.

It attempted to spread through his soul like an endless abyss.

Nero remained completely still.

His expression didn’t change.

He simply endured.

Minutes passed.

Then hours.

The black particles continued entering his soul.

Slowly—

His understanding began increasing.

He opened his eyes.

The grey world remained unchanged.

But Nero was different.

He could feel Darkness more clearly now.

He could sense it.

Understand it.

Manipulate it.

His hand moved.

Darkness gathered around his palm.

This time, the sword formed much faster.

Nero looked at the weapon.

The blade was completely black, with no reflection whatsoever.

He swung it once.

SHING!

A black arc traveled across the ground.

Nero nodded slightly.

"Not bad."

But he didn’t have time to rest.

The ground suddenly began shaking again.

Nero looked ahead.

Several enormous shadows appeared in the distance.

Then—

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Three beasts emerged simultaneously.

They were different from the previous one.

One resembled a giant wolf.

Another looked like a massive serpent.

The final creature had six limbs and a body covered in thick black armor.

All three released powerful roars.

Nero’s expression remained cold.

"Three at once."

The wolf charged.

Nero moved.

BOOM!

The beast’s jaws snapped shut where he had been standing.

Nero jumped onto its back.

His sword descended.

SHING!

The wolf staggered.

The serpent attacked from behind.

Nero sensed it without looking.

He twisted his body in midair.

Its massive body passed beneath him.

Nero landed on the ground.

The six-legged beast was already approaching.

Its fist-like limb smashed down.

BOOM!

Nero crossed his sword in front of himself.

The impact pushed him backward.

His feet carved two lines into the ground.

Nero looked up.

The creature attacked again.

This time, Nero didn’t block.

He stepped inside its attack.

His sword pierced through the darkness surrounding its body.

Then he twisted.

The beast staggered.

Nero kicked it away.

BAM!

The wolf returned.

Nero turned.

His sword moved.

Slash!

The wolf’s attack was cut apart.

Nero immediately used the opening.

His sword struck again.

And again.

The beast finally collapsed.