The First Dragon God-Chapter 128: Abyssal Realm

Leo and Tatiana stood before the gaping maw of the Abyssal Rift, a massive tear in the fabric of reality.

It shimmered like a living wound, its surface an unsettling mixture of deep black and bleeding crimson, swirling in a chaotic dance that pulsated with unnatural energy.

Even from a distance, Leo could feel the oppressive force rolling off it, an almost tangible wave that sent a shiver down his spine. The energy clawed at his skin, a creeping, corrosive sensation that made his instincts scream at him to turn back.

His gaze drifted to the landscape surrounding the rift. The land was dead—no, beyond dead. It was erased.

The ground was cracked and barren, drained of any essence of life. No grass, no trees, not even the stubborn weeds that usually managed to thrive in the most desolate places. Even the air felt suffocating, as though the very concept of existence had been stripped away.

"I think you can now understand why I didn’t want you to bring Ves and the others with you," Tatiana said, with a calm yet firm voice.

Leo nodded, his grip tightening on Nightshade. The sheer intensity of the energy leaking from the rift told him everything he needed to know.

The Abyssal Realm was not a place for the weak. It wasn’t just dangerous. It was like a predator, one that consumes those who weren’t strong enough to fight back.

Tatiana tilted her head slightly, her sharp eyes studying him.

"Can you hear it? The voices?"

Leo frowned. He strained his ears, but all he could hear was the faint, eerie sound of the swirling energy crackling at the edges of the rift.

"No," he admitted.

Tatiana nodded with a solemn expression.

"Good. You just need to know that it’s time to leave when you start hearing them. That means the corruption is settling in."

She crossed her arms, her gaze flickering toward the rift.

"That’s why most people don’t survive here. It’s not just the Dwellers. It’s the Abyss itself. The longer you stay, the more it seeps into you. And once it takes hold, there’s no coming back."

Leo exhaled slowly, letting the information settle. He had already made his decision. He couldn’t afford hesitation, not now.

"I’m curious, Leo. Have you unlocked your draconic traits?" Tatiana asked, as she looked at Leo.

Leo shook his head in response. He seem to remember Tatiana talking about racial traits before but he he’s yet to get one.

Leo decided to check his status screen as he hasn’t checked it since he completed his evolution requirements, and evolved.

[Name: Leo Astranox]

[Level: 24 (Evolved Rank)]

[Specie(s): Human, ****, ****]

[Class: Warden]

[Title: None]

______

[Strength: 35.5]

[Agility: 22.5 (+30)]

[Stamina: 34.5]

[Intelligence: 26.5]

[Mana: 150]

______

[Stat Point(s): 16]

______

[Skill(s): [Regeneration (Innate)], [Beastmaster’s Bond (Innate)], [Sesimic Stomp], [Berserker’s Roar], [Ravenous Regeneration], [Predator’s Instincts]. Enjoy new adventures from novelbuddy

.....

Leo was slightly surprised when he saw his stat information. He noticed that his last name that was previously hidden was now being displayed. But his race was still hidden and he has no idea why that is still so, as the information on the leaderboard ranking has told him all that he needs to know.

He also noticed that he was now at level 24 and all his stats has been increased by 1.5 stat points, except his Mana which has increased by 15 points.

He has no idea the reason for the increase but it felt it was somehow related to his evolution. And to him, the increase was a welcomed development

He also noticed that he now have 16 free stat points.

’Four level ups and 16 free stat points. It seem like the free stat points per level up for those in the Evolved Rank is four.’ Leo thought to himself.

He didn’t waste time as he quickly distributed all of his free stat points. He distributed the equally by allocating 4 stat points each to each of stats.

Immediately after adding the stat, Leo felt some changes in his body. He felt stronger, faster, lighter and he could feel his body brimming with energy.

.....

Tatiana frowned when she saw Leo shake his head in response to her question.

"That’s strange. Every race has their own unique traits. It’s a compilation of skills and abilities. It’s far superior to regular skills," Tatiana said, explaining.

Hearing Tatiana’s explanation, Leo realised something as the memory of the first notification he got the day the apocalypse started, telling him that the first seal has been broken.

’I guess that’s why they are hidden. There’s a seal on the both of them,’ He thought to himself.

"It seems you already know the reason why you don’t have it yet," she said, when she saw the look of realisation on his face.

"I think so but I’m not sure," Leo said, nodding.

"I hope you awaken it soon. Considering that you’re royalty, the awakening should come early. And I’m curious to know if you have god traits too," Tatiana smiled, and turned to look at the rift.

Leo smiled and also turned to look at the rift.

"So," he said, flexing his fingers around Nightshade’s hilt. "Do we go in?"

Tatiana nodded and, without another word, grabbed Leo by the arm. The next thing he knew, the world around them blurred as she propelled them forward at breakneck speed.

The moment they crossed the threshold of the rift, reality shifted.

Everything vanished.

Leo felt like he had plunged into a bottomless void. His vision was gone, replaced by an all-consuming darkness so complete that he wasn’t sure if his eyes were still open.

His hearing followed next—silence, absolute and suffocating, as if all sound had been swallowed whole. Even his sense of touch disappeared. He couldn’t feel Tatiana’s grip, couldn’t feel his own body, as though he had been stripped of all existence.

Panic began to claw at his mind, but then—just as abruptly as it started—the sensation lifted.

For a brief moment, he thought he saw something in the void—something staring back at him. But when his senses returned, it was gone.

His vision returned in a flash, and with it, the crushing silence shattered.

Leo inhaled sharply, his lungs burning as if he had been drowning moments ago. He stumbled slightly, his legs sinking into the cracked, colorless earth beneath him.

The stench of decay and something far worse assaulted his senses. He looked up, and his breath caught in his throat.

The Abyssal Realm stretched endlessly in all directions, a landscape of death and ruin. The sky was a churning mass of gray and black, devoid of any sun, moon, or stars.

The air was thick with ashen flakes, swirling like dying embers in a world that had long since been abandoned by life. Each flake that touched his skin left a faint, cold sting before disintegrating into dust. It wasn’t just ash. It was like the remnants of things that had once lived.

And then, in the distance, he saw them.

Dark, twisted figures lurking at the edges of the horizon, their bodies shifting unnaturally, their forms barely distinguishable from the oppressive shadows surrounding them. The sound of their low, guttural screeches sent a chill through Leo’s spine.

"We can’t go deeper than this," Tatiana, who was beside him, said, scanning the moving figures.

"We will fight them here."

Leo tightened his grip on Nightshade and nodded.

The Dwellers moved.

It wasn’t a charge. It was something far worse. They flowed like liquid shadows, their bodies bending and twisting in ways that defied logic.

The closer they got, the more their forms became visible. They had elongated limbs, their hands ending in razor-sharp claws.

Their faces were grotesque mockeries of humanoid features, with hollow, glowing eyes that flickered with something malevolent, something that didn’t belong in any sane reality.

And they were fast.

Too fast.

One of them was already upon him before he could react.

A clawed hand lashed out. Leo barely managed to bring Nightshade up in time to block, but the force behind the attack sent him skidding backward, his legs grinding against the cracked ground. The impact rattled his bones.

Strong.

Leo didn’t have time to recover before another was on him. He ducked as a second Dweller swiped at his head, its claws slicing through the air where his skull had been a fraction of a second ago.

He spun, bringing Nightshade in a horizontal slash aimed at its midsection. The blade cut through its flesh, but instead of blood, a dark, viscous substance oozed from the wound.

The creature didn’t even flinch.

It lunged, mouth stretching unnaturally wide, revealing a row of jagged, interlocking teeth.

Leo barely managed to leap back, but his heart was pounding.

Tatiana was already moving. Unlike him, she wasn’t caught off guard. With a swift motion, she extended her hand, and the air around her vibrated.

A thin, crimson spear formed from her fingertips, and with a flick of her wrist, she launched it at an approaching Dweller.

The spear pierced straight through its skull, and the creature let out an unearthly screech before collapsing.

Leo exhaled, forcing himself to focus. He needed to be faster. Stronger.

The Dwellers kept coming.

They didn’t move like ordinary creatures. They didn’t hesitate, didn’t flinch, didn’t retreat. Even when struck, they only faltered for a moment before continuing their relentless assault. They weren’t fighting to survive. They were fighting to consume.

Leo adjusted his stance. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

The next Dweller lunged at him, and this time, he was ready. He sidestepped the attack, twisting his body to avoid the claws.

As he turned, he swung Nightshade in a brutal downward arc, cleaving straight through its arm. The severed limb hit the ground, writhing for a few seconds before turning into black dust.

But the Dweller didn’t stop. It snarled, lunging again, and Leo drove Nightshade straight through its chest. The blade cut deep, and the creature let out a piercing shriek before dissolving into the same black dust.

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Immediately, Leo got a notification.

[You have acquired an Abyssal Spawn Refined Death Force!]

.....

Leo didn’t have the luxury of paying attention to the notification as he noticed more of the Dwellers coming.

Leo wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily.

"We might have a problem."

Tatiana grinned, twirling another blood spear between her fingers.

"Good. That just means more to kill."

As the next wave of Dwellers surged toward them, Leo pushed aside his doubts.

This was his first battle in the Abyss. And he was going to survive it.