The Void Conqueror

Ral Zareth awoke in darkness, his senses sluggish and his mind foggy. He lay on cold stone, the air around him thick and stifling. The faint scent of earth and decay filled his nostrils as he struggled to sit up. His body felt foreign—an unfamiliar strength coiled in his limbs, and his heartbeat was unnaturally slow, steady, deliberate. Something was different.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim surroundings, revealing the vast expanse of a cavernous chamber. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like jagged teeth, and pale, phosphorescent fungi clung to the walls, casting an eerie green glow over the rocky terrain. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint drip of water from some unseen source.

Ral's mind raced as he tried to piece together how he'd gotten here. The last thing he remembered was… what was it? He couldn't recall. His memories were fragmented, scattered like ashes in the wind. He didn't know how he had ended up in this place or even what this place was. A name lingered at the edge of his consciousness, however—Ral Zareth. His own name. That, at least, he remembered.

Pushing himself to his feet, he took stock of his situation. His body felt surprisingly agile, his muscles taut and responsive, as if they held untapped power. Yet his surroundings were entirely unfamiliar, as was the gnawing sensation in his chest—a feeling of incompleteness, as though he was missing something crucial. But he was no fool. Panic would get him nowhere.

"I need information," he muttered to himself, his voice echoing faintly in the cavern. "And quickly."

A sudden sound—voices, distant but approaching—broke the silence. Ral's instincts kicked in immediately. He pressed his back against the nearest wall, allowing the shadows to cloak his form. His movements were fluid, natural, as if he had trained for this moment his entire life.

Two figures soon came into view, their torchlight flickering in the distance. They were humanoid but odd—one had dark, leathery wings protruding from his back, his skin a deep shade of violet, while the other had a shimmering, almost crystalline appearance, his body reflecting the dim light like glass.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" the winged one asked, his voice gruff and impatient.

"Of course it is," the crystalline figure replied, his voice smoother, more measured. "The spatial rift occurred here. There's no mistaking the energy signature. Something—or someone—came through the rift."

A rift? Ral's mind latched onto the word. Was that how he had arrived in this place?

"We should report back to Lord Zarnath," the winged one said. "This is bigger than we thought."

Ral remained still, listening intently. He didn't know who Lord Zarnath was, but it sounded like someone of importance. Information. That's what he needed. He wasn't ready to reveal himself just yet.

As the two figures passed by, Ral stepped out of the shadows, moving silently behind them. His body moved with a predator's grace, instinctively attuning to the terrain. He followed them, careful to keep his distance, as they continued deeper into the cavern.

"We can't just leave the area unchecked," the crystalline figure was saying. "If something dangerous came through the rift, Lord Zarnath will have our heads if we don't investigate properly."

"Fine," the winged one grumbled. "Let's make it quick."

The two stopped, and Ral crouched behind a large boulder, close enough to hear but far enough to remain unseen. He needed to learn about this place, and eavesdropping seemed to be his best option.

"There's something off about this place," the winged figure continued, his tone uneasy. "The mana feels… strange. As if it's been tainted."

"Could be the rift's influence," the crystalline figure replied. "You know how unstable they are. Lord Zarnath's been tracking these disturbances for weeks. It's only a matter of time before another major event happens."

Mana? Ral narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. So, this world operated on a system of energy—mana. That much was clear. But how did it work? He needed more details.

The two figures exchanged a few more words before turning around and heading back toward the direction they came from. Ral made his decision swiftly. If he wanted answers, he would need to act now.

With silent precision, he moved behind the winged figure and struck, delivering a swift, calculated blow to the base of the man's skull. The winged figure crumpled to the ground before he could react, unconscious.

The crystalline figure whirled around, alarmed. "What—?"

Ral lunged forward, grabbing the man by the throat with lightning speed. His grip tightened, and the figure's eyes widened in fear.

"You'll answer my questions," Ral said, his voice calm but lethal. "Or I'll kill you where you stand."

The crystalline figure struggled but quickly realized that resistance was futile. He gasped for air, his body shimmering in the torchlight. "W-What do you want?"

Ral's grip loosened slightly, just enough to allow the man to speak. "Where am I?"

"You… You're in the Lower Abyss," the figure stammered. "A realm near the borders of the Shattered Dominion."

"The Lower Abyss?" Ral's mind turned, processing the information. "What is the Shattered Dominion?"

"It's one of the many realms… part of the multiverse," the man wheezed. "After the great fracture, the multiverse splintered into countless realms… each governed by its own rules, its own power."

Ral frowned. The multiverse? Fragmented realms? None of this sounded familiar, but he stored the information for later. "And what about this 'mana'? How does it work?"

The figure hesitated, clearly fearful for his life. "Mana is the lifeblood of the realms… It's the source of all magic, all power. Different races use it differently. Those who control mana control everything—empires, armies, the fabric of reality itself."

Ral's eyes narrowed. So, mana was the key to power in this world. But what did that mean for him? Did he have access to this mana? If so, how could he control it?

"One more question," Ral said, his tone as cold as ice. "What's this 'rift' you were talking about?"

The crystalline figure swallowed hard. "The rifts are… tears in reality. They open between realms, letting things pass through. Sometimes, powerful beings from other dimensions cross over… like you."

Ral processed the man's words. It was as he suspected—he hadn't always been in this realm. Somehow, a rift had brought him here, but the details of his past were still unclear. However, one thing was certain: he wasn't from this place.

With a final squeeze, Ral crushed the crystalline figure's throat, silencing him. The body collapsed in a heap, lifeless.

[Kill confirmed: +100 points]

The chime echoed in Ral's mind, startling him. He froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing as words began to appear in his vision.

[Void Conquest System activated.]

[Points accumulated: 100.]

Ral's heart skipped a beat. His mind raced as the system began to explain itself in a cold, mechanical voice only he could hear.

[The Void Conquest System grants points for kills and conquests. Points can be used to enhance abilities, summon units, and increase your dominion over realms.]

Ral's breath caught as the information flooded his mind. The more he killed, the stronger he became. The more territory he conquered, the more power he would have. A system—one that thrived on violence, subjugation, and domination.

A slow, cold smile crept onto Ral's lips.

So this was his cheat. His edge in a world teetering on the edge of destruction. The others in this multiverse may fight for survival, for fleeting empires and fragile alliances, but Ral Zareth would be different.

He would dominate them all.

His gaze drifted toward the unconscious winged figure. He had questions—many more. But the most important question had already been answered.

Ral was not just another pawn in the game of gods and monsters. No, he was destined to be the one pulling the strings.

And his rise to power had only just begun.

Ral stood tall, his eyes gleaming with cold purpose. He needed more information about this fractured multiverse, about its powers, its weaknesses. And he would stop at nothing to gather it all.

The multiverse was vast, but it was fragile. And he would shatter it entirely.

With one last glance at the dead crystalline figure, Ral turned and vanished into the shadows, leaving nothing but the silence of the Abyss behind him.

The Void Conqueror had awakened.