Noah staggered backwards, his breathing ragged, his broken arm hanging limp at his side.

He tried to gain distance, to create any space between himself and Cecilia, but she refused to let him breathe.

Fire trailed behind her as she advanced, looking graceful, deadly, and inhumanly fast.

Her every movement was fluid, the air itself bending to her will as flames coiled around her fists and feet.

"Professor!" he shouted, retreating another step.

But the plea fell on deaf ears. The vacant whiteness of her eyes gleamed in the light of her own magic.

She blurred forward, her heel slamming into his guard with bone-rattling force.

The impact cracked the stone beneath his feet, sending shockwaves through his body.

Noah blocked with his good arm, reinforcing it with the darkness of his armor, but the strength behind her blows was simply monstrous.

"Damn it!" he hissed, barely catching her next punch. The collision sent sparks scattering. His armor groaned under the strain, tendrils of black energy cracking along its surface.

Cecilia didn't stop. A flaming uppercut sent him reeling, then she pivoted in the air, her knee colliding with his ribs.

Crack!

Noah's breath vanished in a burst of pain. His vision blurred as his body lifted off the ground, the force of the hit propelling him backwards.

He crashed into the wall with a thunderous boom, cracks spiderwebbing out from the point of impact.

For a split second, the world slowed, the pain in his chest amplifying, his ears ringing, and his vision swimming with dots of light.

He could feel his armor flickering, its protective layer weakening.

Cecilia was already moving again, flames coiling around her like a crown of fury. She was preparing to strike once more, to finish it.

Noah pressed his hand weakly against the wall behind him.

He could feel it pulsing. The sigils etched into the cavern walls were vibrating with that same hypnotic rhythm, glowing brighter with Cecilia's movements.

He gritted his teeth, knowing what he had to do. And he didn't hesitate.

Feast!

The darkness answered.

A massive black maw erupted from the wall behind him, fangs of shadow splitting into the air.

It lunged forward with a roar that couldn't be heard as sound.

The light in the sigils flared desperately, as if fighting back, and then the entire cavern shuddered.

The soft, melodic hum that had filled the space transformed into a hideous, ear-splitting screech.

It wasn't music anymore. It had become agony.

The sound tore through the air, forcing Noah to cover his ears, wincing at how loud it was.

Across from him, Cecilia screamed, dropping to her knees.

Her hands clutched her head as flames burst wildly from her body, uncontrolled and unstable.

"Noah…" she gasped, voice breaking. "Make it... stop!"

Feast didn't stop. The maw continued consuming, devouring the glowing symbols one by one.

Every time it ate another cluster of sigils, the cavern dimmed further, the pulsating light fading into black.

Noah could barely stay upright. His ribs burned, his lungs struggled for air, and blood filled his mouth.

He dropped to one knee, his vision swimming with pain. The power of the abyss was overwhelming, even to him.

The darkness swirled around the chamber, consuming everything. The sound, the light, even the heat.

And then, as the last sigil was devoured, the cavern became quiet.

The maw closed with a deep thrum, vanishing into the wall as if it had never existed.

Noah remained on his knees, his body trembling from the aftermath.

A familiar chime echoed in his head.

[Pure Abyssal Energy Detected.]

[Would you like to advance or forfeit the energy?]

He didn't hesitate. "Advance."

The moment he spoke, the energy rushed into him. Darkness wrapped around his soul, seeping into every cell and every nerve.

His heart hammered violently as his mana expanded, surging outwards with such intensity that the cavern itself seemed to hold its breath.

Then came the pain.

A burning pressure bloomed in his skull. He gritted his teeth, biting back a groan as his vision went white.

His head felt as if it were splitting open, and then it did.

Two beautiful black horns burst through his forehead, curving slightly backward like elegant blades.

They gleamed faintly under the dying embers of Cecilia's flames.

The pressure in his body eased, and with it came a rush of clarity.

Another notification appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations! You have ascended to D-rank.]

[40% synchronization with Abyssal Energy complete.]

Noah took a long, shaky breath. His broken bones throbbed, his ribs screamed, but deep within him, his mana thrummed with renewed power.

He had advanced again.

That was when Cecilia stumbled forward, still clutching her head from the pain of being hypnotized. Her steps were unsteady and her breathing shallow.

She reached Noah and dropped to her knees beside him, her expression filled with guilt.

"Noah…" she rasped, her voice trembling. "I— I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing."

"The sigils... they weren't markings. They were living things… monsters." She swallowed hard. "They're called Hypnotizers."

"They feed on mental energy, turning their songs into weapons. Once they take hold, they make you fight anything that moves."

Noah, still sitting against the wall, exhaled deeply, then winced from the pain in his broken ribs.

"You don't have to apologize," he said simply. "You weren't in control."

"But I—" she began, guilt twisting her voice.

He cut her off with a faint shake of his head. "You burned half the cavern trying to kill me, sure. But I've had worse days." He smiled faintly at the sight, though his eyes were tired.

Cecilia gave a weak laugh, then winced, pressing a hand to her temple. "We need to get out of here," she said quietly.

"You're injured. We need to get you to the infirmary." She turned her gaze towards the tunnel they had entered through.

Noah didn't argue. He pulled himself to his feet, sending his new horns merging back into his skull as he straightened.

His body still ached, but he followed her without complaint.

Together, they turned towards the tunnel, the faint light of Cecilia's rekindled fireball illuminating their path.

Then a soft chime echoed in Noah's mind, and a translucent window flickered before his eyes.

[Warning!]

[Through extended use of Feast, you have attracted the attention of an abyssal entity.]

[ETA: 10 seconds.]

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