Abyss Sovereign: Lin Yuan's Awakening

Chapter 007: Ruins Sentinel

THUD! THUD! THUD! Heavy, rhythmic footsteps boomed through the empty underground plaza, each step shaking the ground so violently that loose stone chips rained down from the weathered stone pillars above. The tremors shot up through Lin Yuan's boots, sending a chill down his spine as he tightened his grip on the Abyss Longs word, his knuckles turning white and his palms slick with cold sweat. The air was thick with the smell of ancient stone and faint energy, the silence broken only by the Sentinel’s approaching footsteps and the faint hum of blue light pulsing from its armor.

The two-meter-tall armored giant marched straight toward him, its pitch-black armor glinting with a menacing sheen, bright blue light pulsing along the intricate patterns carved into its surface—patterns that matched the ones on the ruin’s stone pillars. Its massive greats word, as tall as Lin Yuan himself, dragged along the smooth blue stone floor, carving a deep, smoking gash and emitting an ear-splitting scrape that made his eardrums ring. “High D-Rank…” Lin Yuan sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, forcing down the panic that threatened to overwhelm him.

The system’s prompt flashed instantly in his mind, stark and urgent:

【Rank Gap Alert: A High D-Rank monster’s combat power is 5-8 times that of a High E-Rank Elite.】【Recommendation: Utilize skills and target weak points—head-on combat is suicidal.】

Five to eight times stronger? Lin Yuan’s pupils shrank to pinpricks, cold sweat soaking through his tattered clothes and dripping down his back. He’d grown accustomed to cutting down E-Rank Cyclops and even the Rare Silver Spider effortlessly with his current skills and equipment, but this boss was on an entirely different level—its aura alone was enough to make his legs tremble. His survival chance was less than 30%, but there was no turning back. Behind him was the ruin’s core, and ahead was certain death if he retreated. Either he killed the Ruins Sentinel and claimed the ultimate rewards, or he died here, his hard-won gains from the ruin amounting to nothing. “I’m not afraid of you,” he ground his teeth, his jaw tight with resolve, every muscle in his body tensing as he slipped into a fighting stance, ready to fight to the death.

The Ruins Sentinel struck first, showing no hesitation. It lifted its massive greats word with one hand, the blue light on its armor flaring brighter, before swinging down with world-shattering force. “BOOM—!!” The blade slammed into the stone floor, sending a shock wave rippling outward, and stone shrapnel exploded in all directions like shards of glass. But Lin Yuan was already gone—he’d activated Wind Step the moment the Sentinel moved, his body blurring into a faint afterimage that shattered under the impact of the strike. In the same breath, he flashed to the Sentinel’s side, his movements as fast as a gust of wind. “BREAK!” He roared, channeling all his strength into his arm and stabbing the Abyss Longs word straight for the armor seam at its waist—the only visible weak spot he could find.

“CLANG—!!” A deafening crash echoed through the plaza as the blade bounced off the Sentinel’s armor, leaving only a faint scratch on the black metal. A massive jolt shot up Lin Yuan’s arm, numbing his fingers and splitting his palm open, blood dripping onto the stone floor. The force nearly yanked the sword from his grip, and he stumbled back a step, his heart racing. His full-power strike, which would have impaled an Elite Cyclops in one hit, hadn’t even dented the Sentinel’s armor. The giant slowly turned, its blue-flame eyes flickering as if mocking his futile attempt, and let out a low, rumbling roar that shook the air.

The next strike came twice as fast, the greats word sweeping horizontally in a wide arc, covering all possible escape routes. Lin Yuan activated Basic Evasion instinctively, his body reacting faster than his mind—he dropped low, sliding across the smooth stone floor on his knees, narrowly dodging the blade. Even so, the wind from the swing sliced his shoulder, tearing his clothes and leaving a deep, burning gash that oozed blood. “SSS—!” He hissed in pain, clutching his shoulder, and realized with a cold dread that the Sentinel’s attack was so powerful, even the wind from its blade could kill him if he made one mistake. He couldn’t keep dodging forever; he needed a plan, and fast.

“Weak points only,” he muttered through gritted teeth, activating Weak point Insight. In an instant, his vision shifted, and the only bright spot in the sea of darkness was the blue fire flickering beneath the Sentinel’s helmet—its fatal core, the only part of its body unprotected by armor. But the giant stood over two meters tall, its helmet towering above Lin Yuan’s head; he couldn’t reach it from the ground, no matter how high he jumped. Then his gaze locked on the stone pillars lining the plaza—tall, sturdy, and just close enough to the Sentinel’s path. A bold plan took shape in his mind, risky but his only chance.

Lin Yuan sprinted for the nearest stone pillar, his boots crunching on the loose stone chips. The Sentinel chased instantly, its heavy footsteps thundering behind him, its greats word slamming into the pillars as it went, leaving deep, jagged gashes in the stone. With Wind Step boosting his speed and Basic Evasion keeping him agile, he weaved between the pillars like an eel, leading the giant on a wild chase around the plaza. After two quick circles, he slammed a foot into the side of a pillar, using the recoil to launch himself into the air, his body soaring straight toward the Sentinel’s head. “DIE!” He roared, gripping the Abyss Longs word with both hands and stabbing it directly at the blue fire core.

“CLANG!” The Sentinel reacted faster than he expected, lifting its gauntlet to block the strike. The force of the impact made Lin Yuan’s arms ache, but he didn’t panic—he twisted his body mid-air, releasing the longs word with one hand and snatching the Abyss Dagger from his belt. He drove the dagger into the narrow gap on the side of the Sentinel’s helmet, the blade sinking in but missing the core by inches. Enraged, the Sentinel let out an ear-piercing roar, snapping its massive hand toward the helpless Lin Yuan. He crossed the longs word in front of him to block, but the force of the blow sent him flying backward, crashing hard into a stone pillar and coughing up blood. Pain shot through his chest, and he struggled to stand, his vision blurring.

“System! Any way to boost my attack?!” he screamed mentally, desperation creeping in.

【Available Options: 】

【1. Abyss Point Boost (currently on cooldown). 】

【2. Combo Strikes (requires consecutive hits). 】

【3. Utilize Environmental Factors (unstable terrain, pillars, etc.).】

Environmental factors—Lin Yuan’s gaze snapped to the cracked stone floor near the central platform, where the slabs were loose and hollow beneath, weakened by the Sentinel’s earlier strikes. If the giant stepped there, the floor would collapse, trapping it. It was a long shot, but it was his only hope.

Hope blazed in his chest as the Sentinel marched toward him, lifting its greats word for another killing blow. Lin Yuan rolled away, wincing in pain, and sprinted straight for the cracked zone. The Sentinel took the bait, thundering after him, its massive weight widening the cracks in the floor with each step. The second its full body stepped on the unstable slabs—“c***k!!” The stone floor collapsed beneath it, trapping its leg in the gaping hole and throwing it off balance. The Sentinel roared, thrashing wildly, but the more it struggled, the deeper it sank into the stone, completely immobilized.

“THIS IS IT!” Lin Yuan shouted, activating Wind Step once more, his body blurring as he charged forward. The Sentinel thrashed and roared, swinging its greats word blindly, but it couldn’t reach him. He leaped onto its shoulder, gripping the Abyss Dagger with both hands, his muscles straining as he raised it high. With all his strength, he drove the dagger straight into the blue fire core beneath the helmet.

“SQUELCH—!!” The dagger sank fully into the core, and dark blue liquid gushed out, sizzling as it hit the stone. The Sentinel let out an agonized roar, its armor cracking, the blue light fading rapidly.

Lin Yuan twisted the dagger violently, and a deafening explosion rang out—the blue fire snuffed out, and the giant’s body went limp, crashing to the ground with a thud before dissolving into glowing blue motes.

The system’s prompt flashed instantly, filling his mind with relief and joy:

【Ruins Sentinel (High D-Rank) Killed! Abyss Points +100! 】

【Obtained: Guardian Armor Shards ×3 (can be used to forge High D-Rank armor)】

【Complete Ruins Core ×1 (contains powerful Abyss energy)】

【Rare Skill Scroll: Guardian's Wrath ×1】

Lin Yuan collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, his body soaked in sweat and blood, every muscle screaming in pain. He’d done the impossible—an F-Rank Awakened killing a High D-Rank monster! A wide, blood-stained grin spread across his face as he pulled up his status panel: 197 Abyss Points, System Evolution Progress 35/100. He reached out to grab the glowing Ruins Core, its warm energy seeping into his hand, and absorbed it instantly.

【System Evolution Progress: 35 → 65!】

Only 35 more points to unlock the system’s evolution—he could almost feel the power waiting to be unleashed.

Next, he picked up the Rare Skill Scroll, its surface pulsing with faint energy.

The system’s description appeared:

【Guardian's Wrath (Active): Temporarily boosts all Attributes by 50% for 10 seconds, grants Super Armor (immune to all crowd control effects).】

【Cooldown: 5 minutes. Side Effect: All Attributes reduced by 20% for 10 minutes after use.】

“Learn!” he said instantly, no hesitation in his voice. Now he had five skills—Abyss Sense, Basic Evasion, Weakpoint Insight, Wind Step, and Guardian's Wrath—his power had reached a new tier, far beyond any other F-Rank Awakened.

Lin Yuan pulled out his last Minor Stamina Potion, twisting off the cap and drinking it in one gulp. A warm, soothing current surged through his body, healing his wounds, easing his exhaustion, and clearing the dizziness from his head. He stood up, stretching his limbs, and felt the newfound strength coursing through his veins. With the Sentinel dead, the ruin was safe, and he headed for the exit gate, eager to see what lay outside. But the second he stepped through the gate, Abyss Sense blared a shrill, urgent warning in his mind, freezing him in his tracks. The world outside was nothing like the one he’d left behind—the sky was dark red, the ground was covered in monster corpses, and the air reeked of blood and destruction. The Monster Tide had not dispersed—it had intensified, sweeping across the entire Floor 1.