The dimensional-stretching sensation ended abruptly. There was no landing, no firm ground at first, only a transition from the nothingness of the Void to a... twisted existence. Cid and Jinwoo found themselves standing in a place that was the very antithesis of the Creation they had just left. This wasn't a planet or a known dimension; it was the domain of the Black King.
The "ground" beneath their feet was dark, pulsating, living matter, composed of a viscous, organic tissue that seemed to slowly writhe around itself. The "air" was heavy, oppressive, charged not only with corrupting energy but also with a silent psychic cacophony: whispers of despair, echoes of devoured worlds, and an overwhelming sense of nothingness and emptiness. Breathing wasn't physically difficult, but the sensation was repugnant, like inhaling the very essence of existential decay.
The landscape was a materialized nightmare. Twisting columns of symbiote matter rose toward a "sky" that wasn't sky at all, but an infinite vault of darkness flecked with distant, unhealthy glimmers that might have been consumed stars or imprisoned energies. Biomorphic structures, resembling twisted fortresses or petrified monsters, loomed in the distance, fused with the surroundings. The remnants of fallen civilizations were visible here and there: fragments of alien technology, ruined cities made of unrecognizable materials, all engulfed and partially digested by the encroaching dark matter.
This was Knull. His domain was an extension of himself, a living landscape made of darkness and conquest.
Jinwoo felt the immense pressure of Knull's presence, latent in every particle of this place. It was the source of the resonance he'd felt before, amplified a thousand times over. His shadow power felt... different here. No stronger or weaker, but vibrating in tune with the surroundings in an eerie way. His shadow army, though obedient to his will, seemed uneasy at the mere existence of this place.
Cid, however, seemed strangely unfazed. He adjusted his cloak and surveyed the landscape with an almost disturbing calm. The psychic oppression, the toxic atmosphere, the very nature of the living darkness... to him, this was simply the hostile environment of a cosmic-level final boss. Exactly what he expected.
Cid thought: Enemy territory. The domain of the Architect of Darkness. The aesthetic is... appropriate. Twisted, corrupted, filled with the essence of evil. Like the lair of an Ultimate Cult. The 'atmosphere' is intense, but manageable for a Level 7 Agent. I must assess the immediate environment to identify initial threats.
They stood on what appeared to be an elevated plateau made of the same dark matter, a calculatedly remote insertion point, far from the larger and presumably more heavily defended structures. But 'remote' in Knull's domain didn't mean 'safe.' The darkness itself was alive.
From the pulsating matter of the ground and nearby formations, the environment began to react to their presence. Viscous protrusions formed, bubbled, and solidified into rudimentary shapes. They were low-level symbiotes, drones of the living darkness, awakened by the intrusion. They had no defined form at first, only amorphous masses of black matter with sharp pseudopods, but they moved with a singular intent: to consume the intruders.
There were dozens, perhaps hundreds, emerging from the surrounding darkness. They weren't strong individually, but their numbers and unexpected origin made them the domain's first automatic defense. The oppressive stillness of the landscape was broken by a hissing and screeching chorus of these primordial creatures.
Jinwoo sensed their presence. They weren't normal monsters. They were... darkness made flesh, animated by a single, centralized will. He mentally summoned his army, their shadows stirring beneath his feet, ready to manifest. He drew his dagger, its surface reflecting the strange non-light of the surroundings.
Cid remained calm. He watched the rising tide of symbiotes approaching.
Cid thought: The first wave of defense. Base creatures. Symbiotic drones. An expected 'welcome' protocol. I need to assess their composition and vulnerabilities. The Level 7 Agent should be able to handle low-level threats efficiently.
The symbiotes accelerated, crawling and slithering across the dark matter of the ground. Their shapes shifted, taking on claws, teeth, or sharp tentacles. They were the most basic manifestation of Knull's power, and they were upon them.
The first confrontation at the heart of the Void was about to begin. The Threshold of the Abyss had been crossed, and the Living Darkness responded to the intrusion.
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