Pain.
It was the first thing Aeron felt as he drifted between consciousness and oblivion. A deep, searing agony that clung to his shattered body like a curse. His vision swam, and the scent of blood—his own—filled his nostrils.
He tried to move, but his limbs refused to obey. Cold stone pressed against his back, the jagged edges digging into his flesh. Above him, the dungeon ceiling loomed, faintly illuminated by the eerie glow of bioluminescent fungi.
He was still alive.
But not for long.
The realization was bitter. His own guild—his supposed comrades had led him into this dungeon, knowing full well what awaited him. They had fed him lies, sent him ahead as if on a routine scouting mission. Then, the ambush. A monstrous entity, far beyond the dungeon's supposed rank, had descended upon them.
No warning. No backup.
Aeron had fought. He had bled. And when the dust settled, he was the only one left. Not because he had won—but because they had ensured he wouldn't escape.
A mission that was never meant to succeed. A death sentence disguised as an assignment.
They had abandoned him.
He clenched his teeth, fury mixing with the pain. His strength was failing, his heartbeat slowing. The edges of his vision darkened. Was this it? Was this where his story ended?
His sister's face flashed in his mind.
Pale. Weak. Trapped in an endless sleep, her life slipping away with each passing day.
No.
He couldn't die. Not yet.
A flicker of movement in the shadows caught his eye. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light—a hallucination born from his fading consciousness. But then, the darkness twisted. Swirled. Took shape.
A presence coiled around him, suffocating in its weight. And then—
"Do you wish to live?"
The voice was deep, ancient, and laced with an eerie resonance. It didn't come from around him. It came from within the abyss itself.
Aeron's breath hitched. He wanted to respond, but his throat felt like sandpaper.
"Speak, forsaken one. Do you seek vengeance? Power? Or do you simply fear the void?"
Vengeance. The word echoed in his mind. His guild. The people he had once trusted. The ones who had left him to rot.
"I…" His voice came out as a rasp. Weak. Dying. "I won't… die here."
The shadows pulsed.
"Then make a contract with me."
Aeron's blood ran cold. A contract? He knew the legends—hunters who had made pacts with beings beyond comprehension. Some gained immeasurable power. Others lost their humanity.
"Pledge yourself, and I shall grant you strength beyond mortal limits."
His body screamed for rest. His mind wavered on the edge of unconsciousness. He should hesitate. He should question the cost.
But he had no choice.
His sister's face burned in his mind's eye. The cure—he knew it existed in the highest-tier dungeons. If he died now, she would too.
"I accept."
The moment the words left his lips, the world exploded into darkness.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
New Contract Established: Nyxus, The Fallen War God
Aeron's body convulsed as a searing force tore through him. Every muscle ignited with unbearable heat, his bones creaking under the pressure. The pain that had nearly killed him moments ago paled in comparison to this.
And then—power.
His shredded muscles knitted themselves back together. The fractured bones realigned. Strength flooded his limbs, raw and untamed. His heartbeat surged, faster, stronger, as if his body had been reforged in the depths of the abyss.
He gasped, his breath ragged. The pain was gone.
And in its place—something else.
A presence lingered in the back of his mind. Cold. Watching.
"Arise, Shadowbound."
Aeron's eyes snapped open, now glowing with a faint, otherworldly light. The dungeon that had once been his grave was now his proving ground.
He was no longer the man they had left behind.
And he would make them regret it.
Aeron's breath came in sharp, measured inhales. His body, broken just moments ago—felt whole again, but different. Stronger. Faster. Like something was coiling beneath his skin, waiting to be unleashed.
The darkness surrounding him felt alive. It whispered at the edges of his mind, shifting like unseen tendrils beneath the flickering dungeon light.
Then, the voice returned.
"Your contract is sealed, Shadowbound. You have taken the first step."
Aeron clenched his fists. The raw power coursing through him wasn't just physical—something inside him had changed.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: CONTRACT ACCEPTED]
Contractor: Aeron
Bound Deity: Nyxus, The Fallen War God
Primary Ability Unlocked: Shadow Infusion – Enhances strength and speed in darkness.
Secondary Ability Pending…
He barely had time to process it before something stirred in the shadows ahead. A low growl echoed through the cavern.
A monster.
It emerged from the gloom—a hulking, mutated beast with too many eyes and twisted limbs that looked both reptilian and insectoid. The creature's mouth split open, rows of jagged fangs gleaming in the dim light.
Aeron had fought monsters before. He had taken down beasts three times his size. But this was different. He had no weapons. No allies. And if he wasn't careful, his newly given life would be ripped away before he could even test his strength.
The monster lunged.
Instinct took over. Aeron dove to the side, moving faster than he should have. His body responded before his mind could catch up, his muscles surging with unnatural agility.
He landed lightly, pivoting as the monster slammed into the stone where he had just stood. A sharp crack echoed through the cavern. If that had hit him, he would have been paste.
A new system message flashed before him.
[Skill Activation: Shadow Infusion]
Strength and speed increased by 30% in darkness.
The shadows clung to him, and he felt the shift immediately. The heaviness in his limbs was gone. His senses sharpened. Every movement of the creature—the twitch of its muscles, the way its eyes flicked toward him became clear.
His lips curled into a smirk.
"Let's see what this new body can do."
The beast roared, charging again. But this time, Aeron moved.
He surged forward, ducking under its massive claw. His instincts screamed at him to strike, but he had no weapon. He needed an opening, something he could use.
Then, Nyxus's voice echoed in his mind.
"You are not weaponless. Use the contract."
The words sent a shiver down his spine.
His contract.
[System Notice: New Ability Available – Shadow Armament]
Manifest a temporary weapon forged from darkness.
Without hesitation, Aeron willed it into existence. The shadows around him twisted, condensed, and solidified in his grip.
A blade.
Black as midnight, jagged like broken glass, yet light as air in his grasp. It pulsed with the same energy coursing through his veins.
The monster's claws came down, but Aeron was already moving. He sidestepped, twisted, and
Slashed.
The shadow-forged blade cut through the beast's carapace like it was paper. A shriek of agony tore from its throat as black ichor splattered across the cavern floor.
It staggered. Aeron didn't give it time to recover.
He surged forward, shadow-infused speed driving him faster than the creature could react. Another slash—this time at the base of its throat.
A fatal strike.
The beast gurgled, collapsed, and lay still.
Silence.
Then, a notification blinked in his vision.
[Dungeon Boss Defeated – Rank C]
Rewards:
EXP gained.
Stat enhancement granted.
Skill upgrade pending…
Aeron exhaled, gripping the hilt of his new blade as the adrenaline settled.
He had won.
Alone.
Against a creature meant to kill him.
He stared down at his hands—at the power he now wielded. The same power that had been granted by the Fallen War God.
Nyxus's voice returned, quieter this time.
"You are not the same man they left behind. Rise, Aeron. The path of vengeance begins now."
Aeron smirked.
He was coming for them.