The Crown of the Hollow Glutton pulsed on Adam’s brow as if tasting the air. A low, resonant hum vibrated through the void, and the darkness around Adam began to shift.

It wasn’t retreating. It was being consumed.

Wisps of shadow, the lingering void energy that clung to the chamber walls, the scattered remnants of fallen Titans, all of it began to flow toward Adam like water toward a drain. The Crown blazed brighter, its hungry light pushing back against the oppressive darkness.

The Void Manifest’s hollow eyes narrowed. Its form flickered, a tremor of unease passing through its shadowy body. For the first time, something that might have been caution surfaced in its ancient gaze.

[Warning!]

[Crown of the Hollow Glutton’s influence is intensifying. The artifact is attempting to consume the host’s soul to sustain itself.]

[Recommendation: Withdraw immediately. Prolonged exposure may result in permanent soul damage or complete consumption.]

Adam’s vision swam. The Crown’s hunger pressed against his consciousness, cold and insistent. But his voice was steady, defiant.

"Warning noted."

[Warning!]

[Soul integrity is beginning to destabilize. The Crown’s influence is spreading. Terminate connection now to prevent irreversible damage.]

Adam’s lips curled into a bloody, defiant smile.

"That’s a price I’m willing to pay."

[Warning!]

[Soul integrity critical. Host consciousness at risk of being overwritten by Crown’s will. Pleas—]

Adam’s voice cut through, sharp and final.

"I don’t care!"

[Warning! Host consciousness at risk—]

The Void Manifest moved.

Its massive form surged forward, darkness gathering in its palm. A wave of void energy erupted from its hand, aimed directly at Adam’s chest.

Adam’s eyes blazed.

"[Berserker’s Bloodlust]!"

His muscles surged, the red aura of the Berserker skill enveloping him as the Crown’s influence spread further across his body. Dark energy coiled around his limbs, and the hunger in the Crown intensified, feeding on the void energy around him.

The wave of void energy struck him and dissipated.

Adam stood at the center of the void, his body wreathed in a corona of hunger and defiance. The darkness around him swirled, drawn into the Crown’s insatiable maw. His eyes blazed crimson-gold, and his voice echoed through the void, layered with the Crown’s ancient hunger.

"I’ve been patient, Void Manifest."

The Crown pulsed, and the darkness around Adam surged.

"But now? It’s my turn."

[Warning! Crown influence at critical levels—]

Adam ignored it. His gaze locked onto the Void Manifest, and he smiled.

"Let’s see how long you can last against a monster that eats Void for breakfast."

Adam moved.

The Crown blazed on his brow as he lunged forward, his body a blur of motion. The Void Manifest recoiled, raising its hands to summon more shadow but the darkness around it was already thinning, devoured by the Crown’s insatiable hunger.

It retreated, hurling a wave of void energy from a distance. The blast tore through the space where Adam had been, but Adam was already gone—his form dissolving into shadow and emerging directly in front of the Void Manifest.

"[Telekinesis Command]!"

Adam’s hand shot forward, his will latching onto the Void Manifest’s form. The creature’s body jerked, its movement halted mid-stride as Adam’s telekinetic grip locked around it.

"I’ve never done this before," Adam said, his voice sharp with effort and dark amusement. "But you should feel honored—you’re the first one I’m trying it on."

He pulled.

The Void Manifest was yanked forward, its form resisting, but Adam’s grip held. His fist, wreathed in the Crown’s devouring energy, slammed into its chest.

"[Monarch’s Pierce]!"

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the void. The Void Manifest’s form convulsed, a deep crack spreading across its chest as it was hurled backward, tumbling through the darkness.

It caught itself, hovering in the void, its form flickering. For a moment, it simply stared at Adam, its hollow eyes unreadable.

Then its voice echoed through the void, cold and distant.

"You are a fool."

The darkness around it surged. The shadows thickened, condensed, forming a massive, swirling vortex of concentrated void energy that filled the chamber. The air grew heavy, thick with malevolence, as the Void Manifest raised both hands.

"The void answers my call."

The vortex shot forward—a devastating wave of pure, unbridled void energy, aimed directly at Adam. It was too fast, too wide to dodge.

Adam raised his arms, the Aegis of the Colossus flaring to life around him. But the vortex slammed into him with the force of a collapsing star, shattering the barrier and hurling him across the void. He crashed through jagged stone formations, skidding across the invisible ground, his body a broken mess.

When the vortex finally faded, Adam lay crumpled on the ground, his body battered, blood pooling beneath him. His scales were cracked, his wings torn, his breath shallow.

The Void Manifest drifted toward him, its form flickering but intact. It stopped before him, looking down at his broken form with those hollow, empty eyes.

"I did not expect the artifact to still exist," the Void Manifest said, its voice carrying a note of genuine surprise. "The Crown of Gluttony... I thought it had been destroyed long ago."

It tilted its head, studying him with cold, ancient curiosity.

"It is... remarkable that it chose a vessel as broken as you. But it no longer matters. Your body is spent. Your soul is cracking. You cannot stand." Its voice dropped, flat and final. "This is the end. A dragon cannot defeat the absolute power of the Void. The seal will break. We will be free. And your death will be the first of many."

Adam’s chest heaved. Blood dripped from his lips. His eyes were dim, his body screaming in protest. But then—

A low, rasping laugh.

It started as a whisper, barely audible, then grew, rough and defiant, echoing through the void.

"Heh... hehehe...hahaha.... HAHAHAHA!"

Adam’s laugh tore through the silence, raw and unbroken, his body trembling with the effort. The Void Manifest’s hollow eyes narrowed. Its voice was flat, unamused.

"What is so amusing?"

Adam’s eyes, dim but blazing, fixed on the Void Manifest. His voice came out cracked, but steady.

"You really don’t learn, do you? You’re sealed here. By the Goddess. Because of your arrogance. You never learned." His voice hardened. "And here you are, still arrogant. Still thinking you’ve won."

He raised his hand.

"Crown of Gluttony." His voice echoed with authority, resonating through the void. "Consume every soul in this prison. This is what you do, isn’t it?"

The Crown blazed on his brow—a deep, hungry purple light that pulsed like a heartbeat. A terrible smile seemed to form in the darkness, ancient and ravenous.

The Void Manifest froze.

"No..."

The souls of the prison began to rise—wisps of shadow, fragments of forgotten consciousness, the echoes of the Void’s ancient victims. They swirled around Adam, drawn to the Crown like moths to a flame.

Adam’s voice rang out, cold and commanding.

"Devour."