The villagers whispered behind closed doors when they saw me walk again.
"He should be dead."
"No one survives a Shadow Howler."
"Did he make a deal with something… darker?"
They weren't wrong.
Even I didn't know what I'd become. But I knew one thing—I wasn't normal anymore.
In the days that followed, I started to feel different. I could sense monsters before they even came into view. My body healed faster. My heart beat slower. Every part of me was sharpening.
And the black flame mark on my chest?
It hummed when danger was near.
My first hunt began on the edge of the Abyss Maw—the massive, ever-shifting Dungeon that breathed monsters into the land.
I found a Gravetooth Boar—a wild beast with razor tusks and stone armor for skin—feasting near a ruined watchtower. Bigger than a bull. Strong enough to crush my spine in one charge.
I should've run.
Instead, I fought.
The mark burned.
[Skill Unlocked: Soul Pulse Lv.1]
Launch a shockwave of soul force. Weakens nearby enemies.
Energy exploded from my chest.
The boar staggered. I moved on instinct—grabbing a shard of bone I'd taken from a fallen beast—and rammed it into its throat.
The creature thrashed.
I held on.
Until it stopped.
[Essence Absorbed: +38 XP]
[Level Up: 2 → 3]
[Passive Gained: Undying Resilience Lv.1]
I didn't feel tired. I felt… alive. My breath was sharp, my hands steady.
But that night—
The nightmare came.
I was in a vast, broken world.
The skies bled ash. Mountains hung upside down. Corpses lined rivers of fire, whispering names I'd never heard before.
Then the whispers stopped.
And he appeared.
A massive shadow loomed over me—twisted horns, burning eyes, and a grin carved from madness. He walked with pride, wearing a cloak of souls, dragging a blade made of living screams.
My legs gave out.
"So… Death gave you a taste, did she?" the figure said, his voice deep enough to shatter stone. "She's always meddling."
I couldn't breathe.
The pressure… the hatred… it was suffocating.
"You dream of rising?" he mocked. "You'll die screaming before you touch my throne."
The ground cracked. Screams rose from beneath. The throne of bones burst into flame behind him.
"I am Maldrak the Infinite," he thundered. "The Dungeon obeys me. The monsters fear me. The world kneels or burns."
He pointed at me.
"Climb, little insect. Fight, level, pretend you're strong. But know this—when we meet again…"
His smile widened, too wide.
"…I will tear your soul apart."
I screamed—
—and woke in a cold sweat, clawing at my chest.
The mark burned brighter than ever.
But beneath the terror…
I smiled.
He noticed me.
And I would make him regret it.