Dark Divinity

The force of the sudden grip was immense, dragging him deeper into the crushing depths of the sea. Omen plummeted through the dark waters, his body slamming painfully against the bedrock. The impact rattled through him, but miraculously, his skin remained unharmed. It was the crustacean's passive durability in addition to both [physical attack immunity] and [enhanced durability] that had protected him from the worst of the impact, but he couldn't afford to rest. The danger was far from over.

He barely had time to assess his situation before the giant fish's horn, a jagged, deadly weapon, swung toward him once more. Reacting on pure instinct, Omen rolled away, narrowly evading the lethal spike as it drove into the bedrock where he had been moments before. The beast, now focused entirely on him, retracted its horn and prepared for another attack.

But Omen was already gone. In one smooth instant, he vanished. The enormous fish's gaze searched the dark, murky sea in confusion, its massive body flailing as it attempted to locate its meal. The fish's horn remained stuck in the bedrock, leaving the space where Omen had stood just minutes before empty.

Omen took one of the crustacean's passive abilities, [Imperceptive], which caused his unexpected vanishing. It enabled him to blend into the environment, rendering him undetectable to the ordinary sight. Omen used this ability to its fullest, fading into the background of the underwater landscape.

Omen knew he couldn't stay hidden forever. He needed a plan to deal with these monsters and escape this perilous situation. Using the [Imperceptive] ability, he moved silently through the water, his mind racing through possible strategies. Despite his invisibility and imperceptibility, the tentacled monstrosity—its monstrous form a blend of terror and sinew—loomed ominously behind him. Its presence was unmistakable, a dark shadow growing larger and more menacing by the second.

Desperation fuelled Omen's movements as he summoned the crustacean with the [beast summoning] he had stolen from one of those four friends back in the black desert, hoping that its passive durability and formidable size would offer him the protection he so desperately needed. The crustacean materialised with a bone-shaking presence, its massive, chitinous body emerging from nothingness as it shielded Omen. 'This is the [beast summoning] ability I'd stolen during the previous purge.'.

He could almost feel the sense of relief as the crustacean's form solidified, believing that this would give him the precious moments he needed to escape. But fate had a cruel twist in store. As Omen looked back, he saw the tentacled monstrosity's enormous appendage slicing through the water with terrifying precision. In a split second, the monstrosity's massive hand shot forward with incredible speed, its intent clear and deadly. The hand struck the crustacean with a force that was nothing short of catastrophic.

The impact was immense. The crustacean, which had been a symbol of resilience and durability, was obliterated in an instant. Chitinous shards and steaming, blackened remnants scattered in every direction as the creature's body disintegrated under the monstrous assault. The tentacled monstrosity's appendage remained extended, dripping with the viscous remains of the crustacean, its many eyes reflecting a cold, merciless hunger.

Omen's heart pounded as the last vestiges of the crustacean's form dissipated into the murky depths. The protection he had relied upon was gone, destroyed in a brutal display of power. The monster was now focusing solely on him, its grotesque tentacles writhing and slithering with renewed intent.

Omen instantly activated [immobilisation], but the creature shrugged off the attack with terrifying ease, its vast, undulating form unscathed. His [soul manipulation], still underdeveloped, offered no solace against such a colossal foe.

Panic surged through him as he realised the futility of his situation. In a flash the monstrosity's tentacle soon coiled around him, its grip inescapable. The crushing pressure of its appendage constricted around him, pulling him closer with an inexorable force.

Then, from the corner of his eye, Omen spotted the swordfish monster charging at him with lethal intent. Its horn gleamed menacingly as it hurtled through the water. In a split-second decision, Omen used his remaining exogene to [soul manipulate] the swordfish's horn. He twisted the weapon's trajectory, guiding it away from himself and directing it towards the giant monstrosity.

The swordfish's horn, now guided by Omen's will, veered sharply and collided with the massive creature's head. The collision was powerful, sending ripples through the seas. The horn entered the creature's black, gelatinous body, eliciting a guttural roar of pain. The strike was precise enough…phew!

As the horn embedded itself in the monstrosity's head, the giant creature released an immediate reaction: a thick, inky black fog billowed from its wound, spreading rapidly through the water. The fog was dense and oppressive, obscuring visibility and making the surrounding water a swirling, murky haze.

Omen took advantage of the black fog, which hid him from the tentacled creature's frontal attack. He wriggled wildly in the tentacle's clasp, attempting to extricate himself from its tight grip. The fog, while adding to the confusion, also provided him with a fleeting chance to escape.

Desperation fuelled his movements as he struggled against the tentacle's grip. The black fog swirled around him, creating a chaotic, disorienting environment. He could barely make out the shapes of the giant fish and the tentacled monstrosity through the thick, swirling darkness. The swordfish monster, now seemingly in a rage from its injury, darted erratically through the water, its horn still embedded in the monstrosity's head.

Omen reached deep within himself, drawing on his remaining strength and focus. With a final, determined effort, he activated [Sand Phasing], using his ability to phase through the monstrosity's tentacle. The moment his body was enveloped in the sand-like energy, he slipped free from the crushing grip and propelled himself away from the scene.

The black fog continued to billow around him as he swam frantically towards the surface. He could hear the muffled roars and thrashing of the creatures behind him, but the dense fog provided some cover. With every ounce of strength he had left, Omen pushed through the dark, swirling water, aiming for the safety of the open air.

The fog, an almost sentient entity of destruction, enveloped the swordfish monster with a voracious appetite. In moments, the once-formidable creature was reduced to a macabre display of charred skeletons, the fog having devoured its very life force with chilling efficiency.

The sight was enough to drive a spike of fear through Omen's core. 'Oh, hell no!' he screamed inwardly as panic surged through him, spurring him to push every ounce of his exogene into a desperate escape.

With a surge of raw power, Omen shot himself upward through the water, propelled by the full force of his combined exogene. The black fog, now a voracious, undulating abomination, chased him with unrelenting malice. It appeared to have an almost malignant will of its own, powered by an insatiable appetite.

The fog surged towards him, altering and slithering as it pursued Omen's fleeing figure. Its perimeter flashed eerily with an unsettling glow as it kept sucking up the life energy of everything it encountered.

Following what felt like a long time, Omen broke through the surface of the sea with a tremendous thrust, spurring himself higher into the air. The unexpected speed of freedom felt like an appreciated break, even if the threat was far from concluded. He soared dozens of feet above the sea, the wind rushing past him as he looked down at the black fog still churning below.

The fog, its hunger unsated, lashed out in frustration as it reached the surface, tendrils of darkness snapping and writhing against the intense sunlight. As Omen hovered mid-air, the last of his exogene reserves dwindling, he made a final, desperate decision. Summoning the last ounce of exogene, he called forth the river bird. The air around him crackled with the energy of his [beast summoning] spell, and a dense shroud of dark shadows coalesced into the form of the relentless giant bird.

The bird's appearance was both magnificent and menacing. Its feathers seemed as black as the abyss, swallowing light instead of dispersing it. The creature's irises blazed an eerie deep crimson, and its gigantic wings extended out in a terrifying display of might. Despite its sinister appearance, the bird was unmistakably a formidable ally right now.

The summoning was completed; the river bird's form solidified. With a graceful, yet intimidating rotation, it extended its talons and caught Omen on its back. The bird's presence was imposing but oddly reassuring. Omen, exhausted and battered from his ordeal, lay down upon the bird's black-feathered back, allowing himself to sink into its dark plumage.

The river bird responded with a powerful beat of its wings, lifting Omen high into the sky. The wind roared around them, and the landscape below shrank as the bird climbed higher and higher. The viewpoint from the sky was of a vast expanse of sea and woodland, but Omen's perspective was narrowing as fatigue caught up to him. He slipped into a deep, soothing sleep, his body and mind finally resting after the unrelenting struggles he had endured. The river bird's black wings lifted him through the sky, affording a brief respite from the perils of the ground below.