The world did not welcome him.
There was no sun, no sky, no light.Only silence. And rot.And something deeper — watching.
Beneath the earth, in a cavern forgotten by gods and man, mana twisted like a storm. From that cursed storm, a form began to take shape.
A body.
A child.
He took his first breath — thick with mold and iron.He screamed.
"Subject 0... Core stable. Physical structure complete."
The voice was ancient, mechanical, and cold — not heard by ears, but felt inside his skull.
"Dark mana density: 237%. Evolution threshold: unlocked. Intelligence: low. Assigning assistant… activating SAGE."
A flash of white-hot light surged through his mind. His body tensed, then stilled.
"Greetings. I am SAGE. I will be your guide."
He did not understand.But he felt it.
The shadows coiled around him like kin. He was small. Weak. Hungry. Alone.
But alive.
Time passed. Without measure.No days. No nights. Just survival.
He learned to crawl. To stab rats with bone. To eat glowing mushrooms and drink black water. To listen when SAGE whispered things he didn't yet understand.
[Trait Gained: Shadow Affinity Lv.1][Passive Unlocked: Mana Absorption]
He learned that mana was not just power. It was life. It moved through the walls. It answered when he called.
One day, he found a pool of still, dark water.For the first time, he saw himself.
Pale skin. Silver eyes. A mist of black energy swirling around his hands.
He looked like a ghost.
Or a weapon.
"Begin spell test. Focus on the hatred inside."
He lifted his trembling hand.Dark energy surged—
And a chunk of the cavern wall exploded.
[Skill Acquired: Void Scratch Lv.1]
He collapsed, panting.
Then he laughed.
He could fight.He could destroy.
He was no longer nothing.
Days later, he found a creature.
A goblin — weak, bleeding, snarling.
It attacked.
So did he.
They fought with claws and instinct. Blood splattered the walls. And when it was over, he had the goblin pinned by the throat.
"Naming Protocol Unlocked. Assign identity to initiate evolution."
He didn't know why he said it.He just knew he had to.
"Zar."
The goblin convulsed. Mana surged through its veins. Its body changed — growing sharper, leaner, stronger.
It knelt.
"Zar… serves Master…"[Zar: Named Goblin | Rank F+ | Loyalty: 100%]
He stared. This wasn't magic.
It was command.
The power to take the broken and make them rise.
He had no name.
But now, he had a follower.
And soon… he would have a kingdom.
"Welcome to the abyss, Kael."[Title Gained: The Abyssborn]