The night had fallen, yet the air hummed with a tension that could be felt even by the dead. The Void Tear in the sky had expanded since Null's last battle, its edges pulsating faintly like the breath of a dying god. And for the first time, Null allowed himself to feel the weight of his existence.
He stood alone at the edge of the ruins, looking out over the vast expanse of the kingdom he had once called a humble starting point. Below him, the scattered remnants of civilization still clung to life. People, like ants, still went about their business—oblivious to the fact that they were standing on the precipice of a world that was about to be devoured.
Null had tasted divinity now—twice, actually. The Sky-Saint had been an appetizer, his powers were a delicious, corrupt banquet that he had consumed, and the priestess's knowledge stirred a ravenous hunger deep inside him. The gods were real. And they were his to hunt.
A shiver ran through his form as he felt the power surge again inside him. The Sovereign Mutation was near completion, and with it, his sense of self grew even more. He was not human anymore—he was beyond that. He was divinity incarnate, with the ability to consume, control, and reshape the world as he saw fit. And in the end, all the gods who had abandoned the worlds would fall before him.
Null's mind flashed back to the words of the priestess: "They will not tolerate the existence of another who can devour them."
[Skill Progression: Sovereign Mutation – Stage 2: Devourer of the Divine]Effect: Your hunger for divinity has no equal. As you consume the essence of divine beings, you gain control over their powers and abilities. The gods are no longer your protectors; they are your prey.
"The gods… will fall."
Null spoke the words aloud, but the truth of them seemed to echo across time. With the Devourer's Wrath now fully awakened, it would not be long before the heavens themselves felt his presence.
The village beneath him was no more than a fading memory. But the path he had walked to reach this point was one of blood, of broken promises, and of gods who had long since abandoned the world.
Null had no patience for the small, petty concerns of mortals. The time for play was over. The hunt would begin.
He turned away from the village, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the Divine Aura emanating from the tear in the sky. Somewhere, far beyond the reach of mere mortals, there were gods watching—waiting for his next move.
And Null would be ready for them.
[Achievement Unlocked: Divine Presence Detected]Effect: A divinity of great power has sensed your existence. Prepare for their approach.
Null's lips curled into a faint smile. He had been expecting this. It was only a matter of time before one of the lower-tier gods came to investigate his sudden rise to power. They would likely assume he was a threat or some sort of anomaly that needed to be eliminated.
"Let them come," Null murmured.
With a single step, he left the ruins behind and entered the forest surrounding the village, his mind already calculating the battle ahead. The hunt would not be an easy one, but he was not the same being he had once been. The Void Echo now ran through his veins, guiding him with an awareness that was far beyond mortal comprehension.
A god would soon come to test him, but they would be no match for him.
As Null moved deeper into the forest, the shadows began to grow longer, the atmosphere becoming thicker. He felt the divine presence draw closer—an all-consuming energy that swept through the trees, sending the creatures of the forest into a frenzy.
Suddenly, the ground shuddered, and a dark crack appeared in the sky, a rift between the mortal world and the realm of the divine. From within the rift, a figure descended—a being shrouded in radiant light, its form towering and majestic. This was no mere god, but one of the Seraphim, a celestial being that embodied the might of the heavens.
The figure's wings spread wide, their golden feathers glimmering like the sun itself. Eyes of pure white glowed with divine fury as the Seraphim locked its gaze onto Null, sensing the immense hollow power that surrounded him.
"You are not of this world," the Seraphim's voice boomed, carrying with it the weight of eternity. "Who dares to defile the sacred grounds of the divine?"
Null's eyes glinted with a cold, calculating light.
"I am the Hollow Sovereign," Null replied, his voice like a whisper of wind. "And you… are the prey."
The Seraphim's wings flared in anger. Divine energy surged from its body, sending shockwaves through the air. It was a being of unimaginable power, and its radiance filled the forest, casting long shadows on the ground.
"You dare claim such a title? You, a mere mortal?" the Seraphim sneered. "You are but a fleshling, destined for nothing more than destruction."
Null did not flinch. Instead, he allowed the Void Echo to surge within him, expanding like a wave of darkness. The Hollow Sovereign was no mortal. And he would make the Seraphim understand that fact.
Without warning, Null lunged forward, the Void swirling around his body like a storm. The Seraphim retaliated with a blinding flash of divine light, sending a pulse of energy toward Null.
But the light did not reach him.
The moment the divine energy touched the edge of the Void, it fractured, dissipating into nothingness. Null's body surged forward with an overwhelming force, his hand extending to meet the Seraphim's chest.
With a sickening crack, Null's hand tore through the Seraphim's divine armor, its radiance flickering as the Void consumed its essence. The Seraphim screamed in agony, but its cry was drowned out by the deafening roar of the Void.
"You are nothing," Null said, his voice devoid of emotion.
With a single motion, Null devoured the Seraphim's divine essence, and with it, all its power was absorbed into him. The light of the Seraphim flickered and died, leaving only the broken body of a once-proud celestial being.
[Achievement Unlocked: Devourer of the Divine – Seraphim Level Divine Consumed]Effect: All skills of the devoured Seraphim are now yours to command. You gain the ability to control Divine Light and Celestial Forces for a short period.
The forest around Null fell silent. The creatures, sensing the end of the divine presence, returned to their natural state, unaware of the cataclysmic battle that had just occurred. But Null felt the shift within him—new powers, new abilities that were now his to command.
For the first time, Null understood the true depth of his power. He had devoured a Seraphim, a being born from the very light of the heavens, and had not only survived but emerged stronger.
The gods were now on notice.
Null smiled to himself.
[Achievement Unlocked: The Divine Hunt Begins]Effect: You have begun your journey to hunt and devour the gods. Their powers will fuel your rise to an unimaginable height.
With the Seraphim's power coursing through him, Null's eyes turned toward the sky once more. The gods had already sensed his presence. They would not be far behind.
But Null was ready for them.
The hunt had begun.