The Heavenly Demon of Terror-Chapter 294: Oblivion Core – Valley of Grief

Samuel's POV

I'd torn through monsters for what felt like hours, maybe days—time didn't flow the same way here. Sometimes the sun refused to set. Other times, night folded in like a suffocating cloak for what felt like weeks.

I didn't care. I was too busy hunting.

But eventually, I stopped when I saw it—a tower. No, not a tower... a monument of bones, twisted steel, and crimson crystal, spiraling into the sky like a scream frozen in stone.

At its base stood a gate—massive, ancient, marked with glyphs I didn't recognize... until my blood reacted.

[System Ping: Forbidden Knowledge Detected.]

You have encountered a Domain Ruled by a Dimensional Sovereign.

----

Sovereign: Queen Nerezza, the Widow of Realms

Title: The Pale Queen of Oblivion

Race: God-Forsaken Archon (Ascended Void-Born)

Dominion: Oblivion Core, Realm of Forgotten Fates

----

I stepped back.

Not in fear.

In respect.

The air near the monument felt heavy. Like it was watching me. Testing me.

That's when I saw her name burned into the sky itself in obsidian flame:

"QUEEN NEREZZA"

They called her a Widow. Word is, she killed the gods who tried to claim her. She wears their names like jewelry now. One around her neck, another bound to her throne, a third woven into her hair like a crown of suffering.

She doesn't rule Oblivion.

She is Oblivion.

And now I was in her backyard.

"Heh," I chuckled under my breath. "Looks like I've found my next dance partner."

Then the air trembled.

Not with threat.

With invitation.

The Pale Queen knew I was here.

And she wanted to meet me.

-----

Oblivion Core – Shadowed Ridge

Samuel's POV

I stood on the jagged cliffside, the wind lashing at my cloak like the hands of the damned. Below me stretched the Howling Gulch, a cursed trench swarming with Oblivion-born horrors that could rend steel like paper. Exactly the kind of place I needed.

I wasn't going to be foolish.

Queen Nerezza?

I've heard enough of her. A monster draped in elegance. She may not be on Roselle's level—the Goddess of Darkness who nearly crushed my spine and my ego on the battlefield and her bed—but she was no pushover either.

And I'm not walking into another woman's domain half-cooked.

Not again.

I flicked my fingers open and summoned the Status Window.

---

[Status Window]

Name: Samuel Gebb

Title: Harbinger of Destruction

Race: Abyss‑Touched Human

Level: 200

HP: 250,000 / 250,000

Mana: 100,000 / 100,000

Strength: 850

Agility: 620

Endurance: 780

Intelligence: 630

---

[Combat Techniques]

1. Oblivion Chain – Summons chains of void energy to bind and fracture enemy defenses.

2. Crimson Cataclysm – Creates a bloody vortex that tears the battlefield apart.

3. Demon's Grasp – Instantly teleports into enemy ranks, crippling multiple foes with shadow claws.

4. Apocalypse Roar – Unleashes a deafening roar that fractures armor and shatters morale.

5. Last Rites – A finishing strike that siphons life force, healing the Harbinger.

[Magical Abilities]

6. Nightmare Eclipse – Blots out light, plunging the area into pure darkness that devours magic.

7. Soulforge Nova – Ignites the souls of the fallen around me, detonating in waves of infernal fire.

8. Voidstep – Phases through reality to avoid any attack or cross vast distances in an instant.

9. Raven's Descent – Summons a storm of shadowy ravens that peck at enemies' souls.

10. Rune of Ruin – Places a cursed mark on a target; when triggered, the target's powers backfire catastrophically.

[Unique Skills]

11. Harbinger's Wrath – Increases all damage by 50% when HP drops below 30%.

12. Dread Sovereign – Terror aura; enemies within range suffer crippling fear and reduced defenses.

13. Eternal Desolation – Grants immunity to crowd control and status effects for 20 seconds.

14. Blood Oath – Bonds to an ally; when either falls below 10% HP, both gain massive regeneration.

15. Oblivion Ascendant – Once per day, fully restores HP/Mana and doubles all stats for 1 minute.

---

Level 200. Still not enough.

If I want to challenge the Pale Queen, I'll need at least 220—maybe 250 if she's hiding god-tier forms. I'd rather not end up as a decorative corpse stitched into her throne.

I clenched my fist, eyes narrowing toward the ridge.

"Time to grind."

Oblivion's ecology was brutal—but perfect. The Night Shrikes, Mire Golems, Abyss Drakes, even the Cursed Paladins from fallen realms—each one dropped soul shards, skill fragments, and rare drops tied to ancient warlocks.

And unlike Earth or Terra—this world never runs out of enemies.

I took one step forward and let Voidstep carry me into the storm.

Time to bathe in blood, sharpen my soul, and earn a level that even Nerezza can't ignore.