Adam caught only a fleeting glimpse of it.
A vast, swirling mass of tentacles and tendrils filled the center of the cavern, constantly folding into and out of itself.
Countless eyes were embedded along the writhing flesh, so large, so small, opening and closing without rhythm, all of them aware. These eyes had white sclera, black irises, and bottomless dark pupils.
At the center of the mass stood a glowing, arched gateway, unnaturally firm amid the chaos. Within that gate were more gates layered inside one another, receding endlessly, leading to sowhere impossibly distant.
Space bent around it, and distance lost aning.
And in that instant, Adam understood a simple truth...
This thing was not ant to exist within this world!
Had he witnessed the abomination with his eyes, he would have surely been corrupted and driven to insanity. Just like Aldo Wagner had been.
But because he had used the Sphere of Resonance, an ability related to the lotus, to perceive the monster, he was safe from ntal corruption, and no harm was done to his physical body as a result.
However, when his senses swept over the arched gates at the center of the swirling mass, Adam felt the protection of the lotus wavering, and he imdiately deactivated the Sphere of Resonance.
In that mont, Adam knew where the gates led.
’The Beyond... the Beyond... the Beyond...’
The relentless ravings assaulted his mind, but they were suppressed by the lotus. Adam turned utterly pale.
Just what was this abomination? What was the Beyond? Was this knowledge sothing he was even ready to face?
Adam instinctively feared that if he learned anything even remotely connected to the Beyond, then he would be driven completely mad!
Blood poured from his mouth as he clasped his stomach. The attack from the abomination wasn’t anything special, but it surely did a number on him. Add to that fact, the creature had been in a concealed state, preventing him from defending against or evading the attack.
In such a scenario, how was he to battle the abomination?
If the monster only made itself visible the mont before it made a move, how was Adam to capitalize on that window that barely lasted a fraction of a second?
Furthermore, the aura of dread radiating from the creature made it almost impossible for him to act in that short ti fra.
Calm down! Calm down, Adam scread inwardly.
But the aura of dread made it difficult for him to have a calm state of mind. His torso hurt from the abomination’s previous attack, and his limbs trembled from fright.
He gulped nervously and spread out the Sphere of Resonance once again, encompassing the entire chamber.
Once again, he received no feedback. He sensed absolutely nobody in the cavern.
Just what kind of magic is this?! This invisibility spell should have emanated faint mana fluctuations at the very least. Unless...
Adam thought of a possibility, and his heart sank.
Unless the abomination has the ans to conceal its mana fluctuations!
Although extrely rare, it is still possible.
The Faceless Mask is capable of such a feat. The unknown magic of the Devil of Secrets could also do sothing similar.
The very essence of that form of magic revolves around secrecy!
So then... the abomination not only had the ability to radiate the aura of dread, but also the ability related to concealnt or secrecy—
Before Adam had the chance to analyse any further, intense warning bell rang inside his mind. Every cell in his body scread at the incoming danger.
Right at that mont, the Sphere of Resonance perceived the abomination once again.
BAM!!
But Adam was still too late to react in ti.
A thick tentacle slamd into his side, hurling him against the cavern wall. This ti, a few more of his ribs shattered on impact.
Adam collapsed to the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of blood as pain flooded his body.
Before he could recover, the presence returned once again. The air seed to warp as the abomination’s tentacles shifted.
This ti, Adam gritted his teeth and rolled away from the attack.
But in the end, the abomination’s strike still managed to find its mark. Adam’s shoulder was struck this ti, and for a few monts, he lost all sensation in his arm. The Staff of Calamity fell at his feet.
Imnse panic washed over him. The more nervous he beca, the more the abomination’s aura of dread affected him.
In that mont, only one thought echoed in his mind.
Run!
Retrieving his staff, he bolted towards the way he had co from. Just as he was about to exit the cavern, however...
BAM!!
The abomination struck again.
But this ti... Adam had been able to completely evade the attack! For he knew where the monster would attack next, and so it was fairly easy for him to predict and dodge.
With his back against the wall, Adam faced the center of the cavern. His breathing was heavy, and his legs ceaselessly trembled from the dread perating the cavern.
However, the attack he was expecting never ca.
Is it... toying with ? He thought with a grim look on his face.
Were the previous attacks retaliation for encroaching into the center of the cavern?
Adam’s mind worked on overdrive, and he honed in his Sphere of Resonance to a radius of only a few ters around him.
If he was unable to perceive the enemy right up until the mont when it attacked him, then he might as well only sense his imdiate surroundings. That way, his chances of defending against the attacks were higher.
And right as he did that, the abomination struck once again.
But this ti, Adam positioned the staff directly in the path of the attack. Though the force still sent him flying, he had finally managed to block it!
With it ca the confidence that he could hold his own against the abomination. And as soon as that happened, the feeling of dread gnawing at his bones started to gradually diminish.
Fine then! If you won’t let escape, then I’ll stay here and adapt, he thought to himself.
And the first step to defeating the enemy was understanding its true weaknesses.
Thus began Adam’s bloody trial to overco the creature from the Beyond.
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