The Invincible Young Master

The cave was quiet, save for the soft crackling of the bonfire. Its light flickered against the rough stone walls, casting shadows that danced with the flames.

Outside, the Abyssal Forest lay in perpetual darkness, a thick miasma shrouding the land and obscuring any sense of day or night. Time seemed to lose meaning in this forsaken place, where the line between one day and the next was blurred.

Spark had fallen asleep, leaning against the cold stone wall. His golden hair caught the firelight, giving him an almost ethereal glow. His usual mischievous grin had softened into a peaceful expression. On his chest, Chaos, once a mighty gecko, was now a small and harmless creature, its dark scales absorbing the firelight as it slept soundly.

Amelia sat a short distance away, her posture straight and eyes closed in quiet concentration. She could still feel the energy from the spiritual fruits coursing through her, revitalizing her after the exhausting chase that had driven her to the brink of collapse. The fruits had worked their magic, replenishing her strength and restoring her vitality.

As she focused inward, the energy gathered within her core, swirling in a controlled rhythm. Her strength returned bit by bit, and her senses sharpened as the weariness left her body. She took a deep, steadying breath, allowing the energy to settle, her connection to her inner power growing stronger with each passing moment.

Glancing at Spark, she noticed how serene he looked in sleep, a stark contrast to his usual playful demeanor. For a moment, she wondered who he truly was beneath the teasing and wit. But as her thoughts returned to her own state of mind, she felt a surprising sense of ease, even in the heart of this dangerous forest.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The fear that had gripped her earlier had faded, replaced by a quiet resolve and she also took a rest.

…

Suddenly, Amelia's eyes snapped open, her senses heightened. A cold sensation crept up her spine, alerting her that something was wrong.

Before she could react, a rough hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her. Her eyes widened in shock as her heart pounded in her chest. It was Spark, his expression serious, a stark contrast to his usual carefree attitude.

Her mind raced with questions, but Spark's finger to his lips stopped her from voicing them. His eyes locked onto hers, silently urging her to stay still.

Slowly, he removed his hand, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. Amelia remained frozen, her back pressed against the cold stone wall, trying to understand what was happening.

Without a word, Spark began to move toward the cave entrance, each step deliberate and cautious, as if avoiding waking a sleeping giant.

He turned back and motioned for her to follow. Though confusion clouded her thoughts, she trusted his instincts and silently trailed behind him.

As they reached the entrance, the sight outside made Amelia's blood run cold. The Abyssal Forest was as shrouded in miasma as before, but now something horrifying was different.

Countless skeletons littered the forest floor, their bony forms animated by some dark energy. Beastly skeletons, some as large as trees, mingled with human remains, their empty eye sockets glowing with an eerie light.

Amelia's breath caught in her throat as she realized these were no ordinary skeletons. Each radiated power on par with a Soul Tempering Ascendant. The sheer number of them was staggering—an undead army capable of obliterating anything in its path.

She realized, that these creatures, twisted remnants of bone and darkness, were once living beings, corrupted by the miasma that seeped through every inch of the Abyssal Forest.

The miasma, a force of pure corruption, drained the life from anything it touched, transforming living creatures into mindless husks driven by a hunger for the life they had lost. It was a fate worse than death, a cursed existence binding these creatures to eternal torment, unable to escape the forest that had claimed them.

Spark's movements were precise, his expression calm yet focused as he gently petted Chaos awake. The small gecko, nestled on his shoulder, opened its eyes with a sleepy blink. It only took a glance from Spark, and the creature understood its task.

Chaos leaped from Spark's shoulder and landed outside the cave. As it hit the ground, its body began to shine, growing in size until it was the same formidable beast Amelia had first encountered.

The skeletal army seemed to pause, their march halted as if some instinctual fear told them to retreat.

But before they could act, Chaos opened its mouth wide, and a swirling vortex of dark energy formed in front of it.

The pull was immediate and irresistible; the skeletons were dragged toward the vortex, their forms disintegrating into dust as they were devoured. In moments, the once-threatening horde was gone, leaving only silence in its wake.

Amelia stood rooted to the spot, her mind struggling to comprehend what she had just witnessed. The power Chaos had just displayed was beyond anything she had ever seen. It wasn't just strength; it was a force of nature, something far beyond the capabilities of ordinary beasts or even high-level Ascendants.

As the last of the vortex faded, Chaos shrank back to its small, unassuming form and returned to Spark's side. Spark gave the gecko an approving pat, his expression betraying no surprise at gecko's ability.

Amelia's gaze lingered on the gecko, her mind racing with questions. In this forest, where everything else succumbed to the miasma's malevolent influence, Chaos had not only survived but grown stronger. Amelia couldn't help but wonder

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Was it Chaos's ability to devour and absorb the energy around it? The vortex it unleashed on the skeletal army was a display of raw, terrifying power—a power that didn't just destroy but also absorbed the essence of its enemies.

Was this how Chaos had resisted the forest's corruption? By turning the miasma's influence back on itself, using it as fuel rather than being consumed by it?