The Crown of the Hollow Glutton pulsed violently on Adam’s brow as the first wave of souls struck him. A torrent of whispers, fragments of forgotten lives, and ancient sorrow flowed into the artifact like a river breaking through a dam.

Adam’s body convulsed. His eyes blazed crimson-gold as the souls surged into him, each one adding to the Crown’s growing hunger. The Void Manifest recoiled, its hollow form flickering with alarm as the darkness around them began to thin, devoured by the Crown’s insatiable appetite.

"No... NO! This is not—!"

The Void Manifest’s voice cracked, its madness returning in full force as it saw its prison being consumed. It lunged forward, shadows erupting from its form in a desperate attack.

But the Crown responded.

The aura around Adam flared, dark and hungry, forming a barrier that absorbed the Void Manifest’s attack like water into parched earth. The shadows dissolved, feeding the Crown’s growing power.

Adam’s voice rang out, cold and commanding, as the souls continued to pour into him.

"Keep them coming. I’m not done yet."

The Void Manifest screamed, its form flickering violently as it hurled wave after wave of void energy at Adam. But each attack was consumed, the Crown growing brighter with every passing second.

The Crown’s hunger was absolute. It devoured everything—souls, shadows, the lingering remnants of the Void’s victims, the echoes of their despair. And with each soul consumed, Adam felt the Crown’s power deepen, pressing against his consciousness, testing his will.

[+83 Souls Acquired]

[+112 Souls Acquired]

[+94 Souls Acquired]

[+156 Souls Acquired]

[+127 Souls Acquired]

[+203 Souls Acquired]

[+89 Souls Acquired]

[+178 Souls Acquired]

[+145 Souls Acquired]

[+221 Souls Acquired]...

The notifications cascaded across Adam’s vision, a relentless flood of blue light. The Crown’s hunger was insatiable, and the prison’s souls were endless.

Adam’s eyes blazed as the souls poured into him, each one adding to the Crown’s growing power. The Void Manifest’s attacks grew weaker, its form flickering as the darkness around it was consumed.

But Adam felt it—the Crown’s presence pressing against his consciousness, testing his will, seeking to overwhelm him.

He gritted his teeth, his voice sharp and commanding.

"I will not be consumed."

The Crown pulsed, and the flow of souls slowed. Then, with a final surge, the Crown’s power expanded, and a new notification appeared.

[Total Souls Acquired: 12,737]

[Crown of the Hollow Glutton Authority Unlocked: Avarice’s Maw]

[Effect: The Crown can now serve as a dimensional storage space, similar to an inventory pouch, with a large capacity for items, materials, and even living creatures (if they consent or are unconscious). Additionally, Avarice’s Maw can be used as a weapon—the user can "open" a maw in the air or on a surface, releasing stored energy, objects, or even consuming enemy attacks. The maw can also be used to "devour" incoming projectiles or spells, absorbing their energy into the Crown’s reserves.]

[Cooldown: Avarice’s Maw can be used for storage at any time. Offensive use of the maw (releasing energy/objects, devouring attacks) consumes a significant amount of stored soul energy and has a cooldown period of 10 minutes per use. The cooldown is necessary to allow the Crown to "digest" the absorbed energy. Overuse may cause instability.]

Adam’s eyes widened as the notification scrolled past. A slow, dark smile spread across his face. The Void Manifest, still trying to attack, was caught in the Crown’s barrier.

"An inventory that can also eat attacks," Adam murmured, his voice low with dark satisfaction. "I think I’m in love."

He turned his gaze back to the Void Manifest, his eyes blazing.

"Now then..... let’s continue the fight."

He took a step forward and the world lurched.

His vision blurred, doubling, then swimming in dark waves. His legs buckled beneath him, and he caught himself on one knee, his hand pressing against the invisible ground. A violent cough wracked his body, and blood sprayed from his mouth, dark and thick, splattering against the void.

It wasn’t just his mouth. Blood trickled from his nose, his ears, the corners of his eyes—every opening in his face weeping crimson. Adam’s body trembled, his regeneration struggling to keep up with the damage.

"Damn... is this the side effect...?"

The Void Manifest’s hollow eyes fixed on him, its form flickering with something that might have been satisfaction.

"That is the price for committing an act that should be taboo. The Crown of Gluttony is not a tool to be wielded lightly. You forced it to consume souls beyond its capacity. Now your body is paying the price."

Adam’s lips curled into a bloody, defiant smile. His voice came out rough, strained, but still sharp.

"Heh... you have no right to say that."

He pushed himself up, his legs trembling, his body screaming in protest. But he stood. His eyes blazed, dimmed, then blazed again.

"You’re a monster sealed away because of your kind’s greed. You killed Ouroboros, drank his blood, tried to become gods. And now you stand before me, talking about prices?"

He spat blood onto the void floor.

"You don’t know what price means. You’ve never paid a price. You only take. And now? It’s my turn to take."

He raised his hand.

"[Avarice’s Maw]!"

A rift tore open in the air before him—a swirling, gaping maw of darkness, lined with teeth of shadow and starlight. It pulsed with hunger, ancient and ravenous.

Adam’s voice echoed through the void, resonant and cold.

"You want to talk about prices? Let’s see how much you have to pay."

The Void Manifest’s hollow eyes widened as the maw tore through its defenses, consuming shadow and void energy alike. It staggered back, its form flickering as the Avarice’s Maw bit into its essence.

"Don’t underestimate me!"

It raised its hands, summoning a wall of condensed darkness to shield itself. But the maw didn’t stop. It tore through the barrier like paper, devouring the shadows and surging forward.

"Ghh—!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Adam’s voice cut through the void, cold and sharp. "How does it feel?"

The Void Manifest thrashed, its form flickering violently as it tore itself free from the maw’s grip. It stumbled back, its hollow eyes blazing with a fury that had been dormant for millennia.

"WRETCH! WRETCH! WREEEEETCH!"

It straightened, its form convulsing. The darkness around it began to pulse, contracting inward as if the void itself was holding its breath.

"I’ll crush you! I’ll destroy you! I’LL UNMAKE YOU FROM EXISTENCE!"

The Void Manifest’s body began to shift. The shadows around it condensed, growing denser, more absolute. The air in the chamber grew heavy, pressing against Adam like the weight of an ocean. The darkness itself seemed to become a vacuum, pulling at him, draining his strength.

Adam’s eyes widened as he felt the pressure building. "What the—"

The Void Manifest’s form swelled. Its body was no longer shadowy and indistinct—it was solid, gleaming like polished obsidian. Stars began to ignite across its surface, bright pinpricks of light that pulsed with ancient power. They swirled around its form, condensing into patterns, constellations that shifted and writhed as if alive.

The change was absolute. The hollow voids of its eyes blazed into twin stars, starburst pupils radiating cold, terrible light that seemed to carve through the darkness itself. Its horn flared crimson, and the core on its forehead pulsed with renewed, violent energy.

The creature’s form grew, expanding until it towered over Adam, its presence pressing against him like a physical weight. It was no longer a mere fragment of the Void. It had become the Void itself, the Abyss made manifest.

The Void Manifest’s voice echoed through the chamber, layered and resonant, carrying the weight of countless eons.

"YOU HAVE FORCED ME TO REVEAL MY TRUE FORM. I AM NOT A FRAGMENT. I AM THE ABYSS. I AM THE DARKNESS THAT CONSUMES ALL LIGHT. I AM THE VOID THAT EXISTS BEFORE AND AFTER ALL THINGS."

It raised its hand, and the stars around it blazed brighter.

"AND YOU... WILL BE ERASED."