Throne Of The Forbidden God

Time Distortion

Ravian lowered his body, his claws glowing with a bloodthirsty, blackish-purple light. The monster mentioned by the System had not yet shown itself, but the air around the massive stone pillar suddenly grew so cold that Ravian's breath froze.

"He's here," Ravian hissed.

"Wait, Host. Do not attack," the System's voice suddenly changed, sounding more alert. "Something is wrong. My energy sensors are detecting unstable spatial distortions behind that monster."

"What do you mean? I don't care about space; I just want to rip its throat out!"

GRRRRR...

A creature resembling a giant spider with a weeping human face crawled out. However, as the monster lunged toward Ravian, its movements suddenly slowed down, as if it were trapped in an invisible mass of honey.

"Why did it... stop in mid-air?" Ravian was stunned, his hand already poised to strike now held in check.

"Enter the area behind it, Ravian! Quickly! This is a Zero Point Anomaly!" the System commanded with an urgent tone.

Ravian used Hell Step, dashing past the frozen monster. The moment his feet stepped into the area behind the giant stone pillar, the world around him seemed to shake. The roar of the abyss wind vanished, replaced by a silence so thick he could hear his own heartbeat, which now pulsed with a strange rhythm.

"System? What is this place? Why isn't that monster chasing me?" Ravian asked, looking back. There, the giant spider was still moving incredibly slowly, barely shifting an inch.

"You are inside the Ruined Nest of Eternity," the System replied. "This is an area where the physical laws of the Astrala Continent do not fully apply. The immense gravity at the bottom of this abyss has warped time."

"Warped time? Speak human, System!"

"Simply put: time here moves much slower than in the outside world. If you spend a month here, perhaps only a single day will have passed on the surface."

Ravian fell silent, his eyes widening. He stared at his palm, then at the darkness around him, which felt more static. "So, I can train without fearing that Kaelan and Xuelan will have grown too strong by the time I get out?"

"Exactly. In this place, you have a luxury that no genius on the surface possesses. Time is entirely yours. However, there is a price."

"There is always a price. Tell me, what is it?"

"Absolute loneliness. No light, no sound other than my voice, and no change in environment. The average human soul would shatter from madness in a short time. Can you endure it, Heir?"

Ravian let out a short laugh, one that sounded hoarse and cold. "Shatter from loneliness? I’ve already been destroyed by the people I loved, System. This darkness is far more honest than Lin Xuelan’s fake smile."

"Good. Then, let us begin this isolation. I will open the deeper gates of the Forbidden God's knowledge."

The first few days in the anomaly felt like mental torture for Ravian. He meditated for hours, then practiced the Soul-Severing Claw technique until his hands bled and shattered, only to be healed again by the System.

"System, talk to me," Ravian said one day, lying on the cold ground while staring at the invisible ceiling.

"What do you wish to hear, Host?"

"Anything. Tell me about the outside world. About those sects that call themselves orthodox. I want to know how much I’ll have to destroy later."

"You have already asked that fifteen times during the period you perceive as this week, Ravian."

"Then what else? You’re the only one I can hear. If you’re silent, I feel like I’m truly dead and this is just my personal hell."

"You are in hell, Ravian. But you are its ruler, not its prisoner. Focus on your Hell Meridians. Feel how they throb every time you imagine Kaelan’s face."

Ravian closed his eyes. The image of Kaelan laughing while stepping on his foot appeared vividly. That rage exploded, triggering the black energy within his chest to swirl faster.

"Yes... like that," the System whispered. "Make that grudge your conversation partner."

The third month in the anomaly.

Ravian no longer asked about the outside world. His hair began to grow long, covering part of his face, which now looked more sunken yet glowed with a malevolent aura. He was often seen talking to himself or more accurately, debating with the System as if the entity were another part of his own being.

"System, did you ever have a host before me?"

"A few. But they all failed. Some died during the baptism of fire; others had their souls shattered the first time they devoured human essence."

"And you? What is your true goal? You give me this power... what do you want in return?"

"I simply want to see this world burn, Ravian. I want to see the false order created by those Gods crumble. You are my weapon, and I am your guide. We share the same enemy."

"A weapon, huh? At least you’re honest." Ravian stood up, his claws glinting sharply. "Again. Teach me the next technique."

"Movement Technique: Shadow Without a Trace. With this, you will not only move fast, but you will vanish from the opponent's five senses."

The sixth month inside the abyss.

Ravian stood in the center of the anomaly area. His body no longer looked like that of a weak eighteen-year-old youth. His muscles were dense, packed with hellish energy ready to explode at any moment. His aura was no longer just dark; it was so thick that the air around him seemed to vibrate and shrink in fear.

"System, how much time has passed in the world above?" Ravian asked. His voice now sounded like muffled thunder heavy and authoritative.

"Exactly one month since you were cast down here," the System replied. "In here, you have trained for six months without pause. Your cultivation has now stabilized at the late stage of the Intermediate Realm. You have surpassed the growth of any genius on the Astrala Continent."

Ravian stepped out of the anomaly area. In front of him, the giant spider with the weeping face suddenly began moving at normal speed again. The monster immediately sensed Ravian's presence and lunged with its fangs bared.

"You're still here?" Ravian murmured coldly.

Without even looking, Ravian swung his hand horizontally.

SRET!

Five lines of purple light sliced through the air. The monster didn't even have time to scream; its body was severed into six neat pieces before hitting the ground. The black energy from the carcass was instantly absorbed into Ravian's body without needing a command.

"Too weak," Ravian said flatly.

"The time has come, Heir," the System's voice sounded deeper. "The time at the bottom of this abyss can no longer offer you anything. On the surface, Kaelan and Lin Xuelan’s engagement party might be over, but their celebration is about to turn into a funeral."

Ravian looked up toward the towering cliff walls, piercing through the mist and darkness toward the world that had discarded him.

"One month..." Ravian clenched his fist until the air around it let out a small explosion. "They must think I’ve turned to dust. They must be planning a beautiful future atop my suffering."

"Are you ready to crawl back up, Ravian?"

Ravian did not answer with words. He released his entire aura. Instantly, the entire floor of the Soul-Annihilation Abyss trembled violently. Shadow predators hiding in the distance immediately cowered in fear, sensing the presence of an entity far more terrifying than themselves.

A thick black aura enveloped Ravian's body like a war cloak. His glowing red eyes pierced the eternal darkness, radiating a hatred that had been ripened by six months of isolation.

"I will not crawl up, System," Ravian hissed. "I will climb this wall and ensure that every person I see will tremble when they hear my name again."

He leaped toward the vertical stone wall, his claws digging deep into the hard rock as if it were mere mud. With one powerful movement, he began his ascent toward the surface, bringing with him the darkness of hell that would soon swallow the Astrala Continent.

"The upper world will never be the same after tonight," the System murmured.