LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 39: The Hollow Rift
The landscape shifted as Dain and the Knights of the Silver Dawn moved deeper into the wastelands.
The sky was wrong here.
Clouds swirled in unnatural patterns, glowing with veins of pale blue lightning. The air carried a weight that pressed against their skin, a suffocating presence that whispered of something ancient waking.
A system notification flashed.
[Final Location Discovered: The Hollow Rift]
• Status: Unstable
• Threat Level: Catastrophic
Dain stood on the ridge of a shattered cliff, looking down into the Hollow Rift.
It was a gaping chasm, wide enough to swallow an entire city, its depths shrouded in thick black mist.
And at the very center—
A colossal stone gate, cracked and pulsing with violent energy.
A system prompt appeared.
[WARNING: THE FINAL SEAL IS FAILING]
• Time Until the Hollow Lord Awakens: 12 Hours
Dain gritted his teeth.
"Twelve hours."
"Not enough time to rest. Not enough time to prepare."
"We fight now or we die later."
The Knight Commander of the Silver Dawn stepped forward, her silver armor reflecting the eerie glow of the Rift.
"This is the moment, Warden."
"The Hollow is already pushing through. If we do not hold this line, the world will fall."
Dain exhaled sharply.
Then—he unsheathed Silverlight.
"Let's finish this."
And with that—they descended into the Hollow Rift.
The Hollow Rift was not empty.
As they moved through the black mist, figures began to emerge.
Twisted beasts, skeletal knights, and things that did not belong in this world.
A system notification flashed.
[Final Hollow Guardians Detected]
• Threat Level: EXTREME
• Numbers: COUNTLESS
The knights formed their ranks, shields raised, swords glowing with holy enchantments.
Dain stood at the front, the Mark of the Hollow Slayer burning on his arm.
The Knight Commander raised her sword.
"Hold the line! Do not falter!"
The Hollow screamed in response.
And then—the battle began.
The first wave hit hard.
Dozens of twisted creatures lunged from the mist, their claws slicing through armor, their jaws snapping with unnatural speed.
Dain moved like lightning, cutting through the first Hollow Knight with a clean strike.
[Direct Hit! 150 Damage Dealt]
The creature collapsed into black smoke.
But there were hundreds more.
The Silver Dawn knights fought fiercely, their weapons flashing through the darkness.
Holy energy burned away the Hollowborn, but for every one they cut down, more emerged.
A system notification flashed.
[Final Quest Updated: Defend the Rift]
• Survive for 10 more hours.
Dain exhaled sharply.
"We're holding for TEN HOURS?"
"Impossible."
Then—
The ground trembled.
A deep, unnatural growl rumbled through the Rift.
A system notification appeared.
[WARNING: THE HOLLOW LORD IS AWAKE.]
Dain stiffened.
And then—the Hollow Lord stepped through the gate.
The Hollow Rift split open, a massive shockwave blasting outward.
Dain was nearly thrown to the ground as the final seal shattered.
From the darkness—it emerged.
A colossal figure, nearly twenty feet tall, its form shifting between shadow and reality.
A system notification flashed.
[FINAL BOSS IDENTIFIED: THE HOLLOW LORD (LV.25)]
• Health: ???
• Threat Level: GODLIKE
Dain's breath caught.
"This thing… it's beyond anything I've fought before."
The Hollow Lord's eyes burned with endless hunger.
It spoke, its voice like thunder in the void.
"Your world belongs to the Hollow now."
And then—it raised its hand.
A massive wave of Hollow energy erupted forward, tearing through the battlefield.
Dain braced himself.
A system warning flashed.
[IMMINENT DESTRUCTION]
"I have to stop it."
"Now."
He tightened his grip on Silverlight.
And then—he charged.
Dain sprinted forward, Silverlight burning with holy energy, the Mark of the Hollow Slayer flaring with power.
Behind him, the Knights of the Silver Dawn clashed with the Hollowborn horde, their silver blades cutting through the endless tide of darkness.
But none of it mattered.
Because standing before him was the Hollow Lord.
A system notification flashed.
[FINAL BOSS: THE HOLLOW LORD (LV.25)]
• Health: ???
• Threat Level: APOCALYPTIC
The Hollow Lord towered over him, its form shifting between existence and nonexistence, as though reality itself was struggling to hold it in place.
And then—it moved.
A colossal hand swung down, black fire trailing from its fingers.
Dain barely had time to react.
A system alert flashed.
[Warning: Hollow Lord's Attack – IMPACT IN 1 SECOND]
Dain threw himself to the side—
Just as the hand smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave across the battlefield.
Chunks of stone and shattered ruins flew in every direction.
The Knights of the Silver Dawn were knocked off their feet, several of them thrown into the darkness.
Dain rolled across the stone, skidding to a stop.
[Health: 100 → 70]
"Even a near miss hit me like a falling mountain."
"How the hell do I fight this thing?"
The Hollow Lord slowly turned, its glowing eyes locking onto Dain.
"You wield the blade of my executioner."
"It will not save you."
Dain gritted his teeth.
"We'll see about that."
A system notification appeared.
[New Objective: Strike the Hollow Lord's Core]
• Its body is resistant to normal attacks.
• Its true form is hidden within.
Dain narrowed his eyes.
"I need to break through the shell."
He tightened his grip on Silverlight—
And charged.
The Hollow Lord swung its arm again, a wave of Hollow energy exploding outward.
Dain jumped, flipping over the attack.
A system notification flashed.
[Skill Activated: Reckless Charge (Lv.3)]
• Temporarily increases speed and power at the cost of stamina.
Dain moved like lightning, closing the distance.
He slashed at the Hollow Lord's chest—
And his blade bounced off.
A system notification appeared.
[Attack Ineffective: The Shell is Too Strong]
Dain's eyes widened.
"Damn it, that won't work!"
The Hollow Lord raised its massive claw, moving to swat him like an insect.
A system warning flashed.
[Dodge or Die]
Dain twisted his body, barely avoiding the strike—
But the shockwave sent him flying.
[Health: 70 → 40]
Dain gasped, rolling onto his knees.
"I need a new plan—fast."
The Knight Commander of the Silver Dawn shouted from across the battlefield.
"Aim for its core! The Hollow Lord's shell is just a vessel!"
Dain narrowed his eyes.
"The core…"
A system prompt appeared.
[Hollow Lord's Core Located]
• Beneath its chest, protected by Hollow energy.
• Only a direct strike with holy power can pierce it.
Dain tightened his grip on Silverlight.
"Then that's where I strike."
He turned to the Knight Commander.
"Buy me an opening!"
She nodded, raising her sword.
"Knights! Focus your fire on the Hollow Lord's limbs! Distract it while the Warden makes his move!"
The knights rallied, unleashing a barrage of holy magic and steel.
The Hollow Lord snarled, its massive hands sweeping through the battlefield, swatting knights aside like insects.
But it was distracted.
And that was all Dain needed.
Dain activated his strongest ability.
A system notification flashed.
[Skill Activated: Hollow Banishment (Lv.3)]
• Silverlight's power surges to maximum.
• The next strike will pierce all Hollow defenses.
The blade burned white-hot, its holy light cutting through the surrounding darkness.
Dain rushed forward, dodging collapsing stone and clawed hands.
The Hollow Lord sensed the danger.
"No."
"YOU WILL NOT STRIKE ME DOWN AGAIN."
It lunged forward, its massive mouth opening, preparing to consume him.
Dain did not stop.
He leapt into the air—
And drove Silverlight straight into the Hollow Lord's core.
A system notification appeared.
[CRITICAL HIT! DIRECT STRIKE TO THE CORE]
The Hollow Lord froze.
A pulse of blinding light erupted from its body.
And then—
It began to unravel.
The Hollow Lord let out a deafening roar, its form splitting apart as the holy energy consumed it.
"This is not the end…"
"The Hollow will never die…"
"It will only wait…"
Dain held Silverlight firm, forcing the blade deeper.
"Then it will wait forever."
The Hollow Lord let out one final, agonized cry.
And then—
It collapsed into nothingness.
A final system notification appeared.
[FINAL BOSS DEFEATED: THE HOLLOW LORD]
• The Hollow Rift has been sealed.
• The Hollow Age has been prevented… for now.
Dain fell to his knees, gasping for breath.
The Knights of the Silver Dawn stood in stunned silence, watching as the rift began to close.
The war was over.
And they had won.
Dain sat on a broken pillar, watching as the last remnants of the Hollow Rift disappeared.
A system notification flashed.
[Final Quest Completed: The Hollow Rift Sealed]
• The world has been saved—for now.
• New paths will soon open.
Dain exhaled.
"It's over."
The Knight Commander approached, standing beside him.
"You ended something that should have consumed the world, Warden."
"But I fear this is only the beginning of your journey."
Dain smirked tiredly.
"It always is, isn't it?"
A final system notification appeared.
[New Title Unlocked: Hollow's End]
• You are the first in history to end the Hollow Age before it began.
Dain stared at the notification.
Then—he slowly stood up.
He sheathed Silverlight.
And turned toward the unknown future.