The dungeon groaned as if alive. Deep within its broken walls, Kael stood, staring at the ethereal figure before him—the Shadow Guardian.
It hovered silently, its chains drifting like smoke, awaiting command. It wasn't alive in the normal sense. It didn't breathe. It didn't think. But it was connected to him.
> [Servant Slot: 1/3 Active]
Vitality: Stable
Shadow Link: Locked at current tier
Kael clenched his fists. His body still ached, but compared to before… he felt capable. The system, the core—it had changed him.
He lifted his hand, just to test.
The Shadow Guardian mirrored him.
It obeys without question…
A menu shimmered into view:
> [Status Updated]
Name: Kael Virek
Level: 2
Class: Unassigned
Shadow Core: Active
Servants: 1/3
Vitality: 62%
Abilities: None unlocked
"Not much yet… but it's a start," Kael muttered.
A distant rumble pulled his attention. The dungeon wasn't just reacting—it was collapsing. He needed a way out.
---
As he ventured deeper into the cracked tunnels, he came across remains—other hunters. Some wore guild armor. Some still clutched weapons. All were dead.
And then, something curious.
A faint light pulsed from one corpse.
Kael approached carefully and found a core shard lodged in the chest of a fallen Rank D hunter.
The system reacted immediately.
> [Shadow Core Resonance Detected]
Absorb shard and convert to shadow memory?
[Yes] / [No]
Kael hesitated. The idea of absorbing someone… even dead… was foreign.
But he needed strength.
He touched the shard.
> [Core Absorbed]
Memory Imprint: "Piercing Dash" – Rank D
Ability Acquired.
A surge of black light ran through his veins. His body staggered—but didn't collapse.
I just stole his skill…
---
Further in, he reached a sealed gate—large, ancient, and glowing with blood-red symbols.
He touched it.
> [Exit Gate – Shadow Trigger Required]
Conditions: Shadow Core active + Minimum Rank D
Access: GRANTED.
The stone trembled. Runes shattered.
Kael stepped back as the seal cracked and disintegrated, revealing a swirling vortex beyond.
Behind him, the dungeon howled.
Ahead, the world waited.
"I'm not the same man anymore," Kael said softly.
Then, without looking back, he stepped through the portal.
---
📌 Next: Chapter 3 – Forbidden Exit