The Abyssal Nest reeked of decay. Every breath Ethan took burned his lungs, as if the air itself had been tainted by poison. The cavern stretched upward like a cathedral of bone and black crystal, its ceiling lost in shadow. Egg sacs clung to the walls like grotesque ornaments, their surfaces glistening as something writhed inside. The faint sound of skittering claws echoed through the tunnels behind them.
Ethan wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist, his baseball bat resting on his shoulder. It had once been a regular piece of sports equipment, dented from years of backyard games. Now, with the Shadowfang reinforcement, it gleamed with faint silver etchings and pulsed like a living weapon. He could almost feel the System energy inside it.
"Stay sharp," Kayla muttered, her voice tense but steady. She adjusted her grip on her rune-spear. The spear's shaft was polished wood etched with glowing blue runes, its blade humming faintly. She was already breathing hard—fighting through the swarms of lesser creatures on their way here had drained all of them.
Ethan glanced at the group: six Inducted, including himself. Kayla, the defacto leader, with her calm precision. Rogan, the self-declared "Berserker," glaring at Ethan like he was an intruder. A skinny young man named Jace, who wielded a bow of some kind of conjured light. Two siblings—a blonde girl in light armor with a shield, and her older brother with dual daggers—both clearly terrified but trying to look brave. And then there was Ethan. The outsider. The glitch.
The ground trembled. From the center of the chamber, the Abyss Queen rose.
The Queen was… monstrous. Its black chitin glimmered like obsidian glass, and its eight legs were serrated like sawblades. Its wings unfolded with a wet snap, dripping some dark fluid onto the ground. Its mandibles clicked, producing a sound like grinding metal, before it released a piercing, otherworldly shriek.
Ethan's interface chimed in his vision.
[Boss Detected: Abyss Queen — Level 10] [HP: 1,500/1,500] [Threat Level: Extreme]
Kayla raised her spear. "Target the joints and the wings! Jace, focus fire on the eyes! Everyone else—don't bunch up, it'll use area attacks."
"What about him?" Rogan muttered, jerking his head toward Ethan.
Ethan smirked. "Try to keep up."
Rogan scowled. "Cocky little—"
The Queen lunged before Rogan could finish. Its front legs slammed down like battering rams. The entire chamber shook. Ethan rolled to the side, instinctively activating Quick Dodge, and felt a rush of System energy sharpen his reflexes.
The first wave of combat was chaos. Kayla struck with surgical precision, landing a blow on one of the Queen's rear legs. Jace's arrows of light pelted its face, forcing it to rear back. Ethan darted between the creature's strikes, his bat glowing with Arcane Strike, each swing leaving trails of blue fire.
Rogan… wasn't fighting the Queen. He was watching Ethan.
When Ethan slammed his bat into the creature's side, chipping away its armor, Rogan's eyes narrowed. His envy was palpable.
"Not normal…" Rogan muttered. His grip tightened on his axe. "No Level 5 rookie moves like that."
"Focus on the fight!" Kayla shouted. She was already dripping sweat.
But Rogan wasn't listening. As Ethan ducked under a venomous swipe, Rogan suddenly pivoted—not toward the Queen, but toward Ethan. The axe whistled through the air.
Ethan barely blocked it with his bat, the shock rattling his arms. "Are you insane?!"
"You're a damn freak," Rogan growled, spittle flying from his lips. "You think I don't see it? You're not like us. No one grows this fast unless they're cheating the System. People like you can't be trusted."
"You're trying to kill me? Right now?" Ethan shouted, pushing back against Rogan's strength. Behind them, the Queen shrieked, charging toward Kayla and the siblings.
"Stop it!" Kayla yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the Queen's roar.
Rogan swung again. Ethan jumped back, barely avoiding a decapitating blow. The Queen's tail slammed down between them, forcing them to leap in opposite directions.
Ethan's instincts flared. He didn't know how, but his System Overlord class whispered solutions into his mind. He focused on Rogan's weapon—the glowing, rune-carved axe—and thought take control.
[System Override Attempt: Berserker's Axe Lv. 5] [Chance of Success: 15%... 40%... 100%!]
The axe froze in Rogan's hands. His eyes widened in horror as the weapon was yanked from his grasp by invisible force and landed in Ethan's hand with a heavy thud.
"What the hell?!" Rogan shouted.
Ethan twirled the axe experimentally. It felt heavier than his bat, but right. He glared at Rogan. "Try that again, and you'll regret it."
Kayla's voice cut through the chaos. "Ethan! Rogan! If you want to kill each other, do it after the bug's dead! Right now, we'll all die if you don't help!"
The Queen charged again.
5. The Battle Intensifies
The chamber erupted into a maelstrom of violence. The siblings worked together, the girl raising her shield to block venom sprays while her brother stabbed at the Queen's exposed joints. Jace's glowing arrows distracted the creature's eyes, while Kayla darted in with spear strikes that left trails of rune-light.
Ethan jumped into the fray, now wielding both the bat and the axe. His interface pinged.
[Dual Wield Unlocked: Lv. 1] [+10% Attack Speed]
"Oh, this is going to be fun," he muttered.
He leapt onto the Queen's back, slamming the axe into its carapace while following up with a bat strike infused with Arcane Strike.
-85 HP (Critical!)
The Queen bucked, screeching, trying to throw him off. Ethan rolled across its shell, narrowly avoiding its snapping mandibles, and fired a Mana Bolt point-blank into its face.
[Skill Mana Bolt has leveled up! Lv. 5] -100 HP
"Ethan!" Kayla called. "It's focusing on you! Keep it busy!"
"Sure," he grinned, "because that sounds safe."
The Queen's wings spread wide. A ripple of sickly green energy surged from its body.
[Warning: Venom Storm Incoming.]
"Take cover!" Kayla shouted.
The Queen unleashed a hail of venomous needles, a storm of toxic shards that shattered against the stone walls. Jace wasn't fast enough—he screamed as a shard pierced his leg, burning through his armor.
Ethan's mind raced. He had power now. He could do more.
His Skill Fusion option flickered open.
[Fuse Arcane Strike + Mana Bolt + Quick Dodge?] [Resulting Skill: Overlord Mode (Tier 1)]
"Yes!" Ethan shouted.
The moment he accepted, his body ignited with blue-white energy. The world slowed. Every movement, every detail—the beating of insect wings, the drip of venom—became clear.
[Overlord Mode: Tier 1 Activated] [+100% Attack Speed | +50% Damage | +30% Dodge for 60s]
"Let's finish this."
Ethan became a blur. He leapt high, slamming both weapons into the Queen's thorax.
-200 HP (Critical!)
The Queen howled, spinning to swat him away. But he was already gone, darting under its legs with Quick Dodge, the axe slicing through chitin, the bat smashing into exposed flesh.
Kayla and the siblings took advantage of the opening, stabbing into weakened joints. Jace, pale and sweating from poison, fired one last glowing arrow that struck the Queen in its remaining eye.
"Now, Ethan!" Kayla yelled.
Ethan vaulted onto the creature's head, channeled every ounce of energy he had, and brought both weapons down.
-350 HP (Fatal Critical!)
The Queen convulsed and collapsed with a deafening crash.
The System chimed.
[Abyss Queen Defeated!] [+1,500 EXP] [LEVEL UP! Lv. 9]
Ethan staggered as Overlord Mode faded. His body felt like it had run a marathon, but the rush of power was addictive.
Kayla approached, spear lowered. "What… was that? You moved like—like nothing I've seen."
"New skill," Ethan said with a tired grin.
Rogan, bruised and scowling, muttered something under his breath but stayed silent. He didn't meet Ethan's eyes.
From the Queen's remains, a glowing weapon materialized—a jagged black blade with a faint blue glow.
[Item Acquired: Abyss Fang (Epic)] [Would you like to bind this weapon?]
Ethan smiled. "Oh yeah, I'll take that."
As they exited the dungeon, Kayla slowed. "Ethan," she said quietly, "you're not like the rest of us. What's your class, really?"
He hesitated. "System Overlord. Prototype."
Kayla's eyes widened. "That's not… that's not a real class."
"No," Ethan said. "It's better."
The dungeon gate flickered as they stepped out, its once-pulsing violet light dimming like a dying flame. The group emerged onto the ruined streets of Chicago, where the world was no less chaotic than when they had entered. Black smoke curled from shattered buildings. Distant explosions echoed. The faint howls of monsters rippled through the broken cityscape.
Kayla, supporting the poisoned archer Jace, exhaled heavily. "We made it… barely."
Ethan glanced at Rogan, who trailed behind with a sullen expression. The big man's pride had been battered as much as his armor. The siblings walked close together, whispering to each other in voices barely above the wind.
The System's cold voice cut through the tense silence.
[Dungeon Cleared: Abyssal Nest] [Rewards Granted: +500 EXP, Abyss Fang (Epic)] [Level Up! Lv. 10]
Ethan's entire body tingled as power surged through him. He opened his Status Window.
Ethan Cross — Level 10Class: System Overlord (Prototype)HP: 200/200MP: 140/140STR: 20DEX: 14VIT: 14INT: 10WIS: 8CHA: 5LCK: 5Stat Points Available: 10
From the remains of the Abyss Queen, Ethan now held the Abyss Fang, a weapon forged of obsidian-like chitin fused with glowing veins of blue energy. It was a curved blade, serrated on one side, with a handle wrapped in black leather.
[Abyss Fang (Epic)] Damage: +40 Effect: Each hit drains 5 HP from the target and heals the wielder for 5. Bonus: +15% Attack Speed against insect-type enemies. Bound Item: Cannot be looted if wielder dies.
"Nice," Ethan muttered, admiring the faint, pulsing glow of the blade. "This is better than my old bat."
Kayla tilted her head. "You… just bound it without asking?"
"It's not like anyone else was going to use it," Ethan said, shrugging.
Rogan scowled but said nothing. His glare promised trouble later.
The group limped back to their temporary base—the burned-out fire station near the river. They collapsed around a makeshift fire, the siblings tending to Jace's wounds with a healing potion looted from the dungeon. The atmosphere was heavy, with Rogan's occasional mutters breaking the silence.
Kayla sat beside Ethan, watching him sharpen the Abyss Fang with a piece of scavenged metal. "You're different," she said quietly.
"Thanks, I think?" Ethan replied.
"No, I mean… you're growing faster than anyone I've seen," she said. "I leveled up twice in that dungeon. You… what are you now? Ten?"
Ethan didn't answer. He didn't want to brag—or worse, make himself a bigger target. Kayla didn't press, but her gaze lingered.
Later, as the others rested, Rogan approached. His axe was back on his shoulder—he'd reclaimed it after Ethan released the override. His expression was dark.
"You and I," Rogan said quietly, "we're going to settle this."
Ethan sighed. "Can't we just… not?"
"You humiliated me," Rogan growled. "In front of everyone. You think you can just take my weapon and make me look weak? No. We fight, or I make sure you don't see sunrise."
Ethan looked up at him with a tired smirk. "You saw what I did in there. You really want to fight me?"
Rogan sneered. "Don't get cocky. I've been a soldier my whole life. A little 'glitched class' isn't going to save you."
Kayla stepped between them before things escalated. "Enough, Rogan. We can't afford to fight each other. Not with what's coming."
"What's coming?" Ethan asked, though his gut already had an answer.
The sky cracked like shattered glass. A booming voice, cold and mechanical, echoed across the city.
[Attention, Inducted.] [Phase 1 Complete.] [Phase 2: World Boss Event Initiated.]
Every person in the city froze. The fire flickered in the sudden silence.
[Warning: The first World Boss will arrive in 12 hours.] [All Inducted are advised to increase strength or risk extinction.] [Reward for World Boss Slayer: Mythic Class Evolution Token.]
Ethan's blood ran cold. A World Boss? If the Abyss Queen was a challenge at level 10, what kind of monster was a World Boss?
Kayla's face was pale. "We have half a day," she said. "If we don't get stronger… we're dead."
Ethan slipped away from the group after nightfall, finding an empty alley to test his abilities. He couldn't shake the memory of Overlord Mode—the speed, the strength, the clarity. It had felt… addictive.
"Let's see what you can do," he muttered.
He activated the skill.
[Overlord Mode: Tier 1 Activated.] [Duration: 60 seconds.]
Energy surged through his body like liquid fire. His vision sharpened; even the faint sway of a leaf in the distance seemed vivid. He swung the Abyss Fang experimentally, and the blade sliced clean through a streetlight pole.
"Holy—" He staggered as the timer expired. The rush faded, leaving him exhausted and shaking.
[Warning: Overlord Mode causes physical strain. Cooldown: 4 hours.]
"Guess I can't spam it," he muttered, wincing as his muscles ached. "Still… if I can level this up…"
As Ethan returned to the fire station, he passed groups of survivors. Some were armed, others were desperate and empty-eyed. The System had divided humanity into two groups—those who adapted, and those who didn't.
One man shouted from a rooftop, holding a glowing rifle. "The strong live! The weak die! That's the way now!" He shot a scavenger for trying to approach his stash.
Ethan's stomach turned. This wasn't just about monsters anymore. The System was changing people.
When he got back, Kayla was talking to the siblings. She glanced at him. "We'll need allies for the World Boss. There's a big group forming downtown—a mix of guilds. We should join them."
"Yeah?" Ethan said. "And let Rogan try to stab me in the back while I sleep?"
She smirked faintly. "I'll keep him in line."
The next hours were spent preparing. Ethan distributed the loot from the dungeon—potions, armor scraps, a few trinkets that boosted minor stats. He kept the Abyss Fang but reforged his bat, merging it with leftover materials.
[Shadowfang Bat Upgraded: +15% Critical Damage.]
He also invested his stat points, focusing on raw strength and dexterity.
Updated Stats:STR: 25DEX: 16VIT: 15
Kayla drilled the group on formation fighting. Ethan, despite his lone-wolf tendencies, participated—mostly to keep an eye on Rogan.
That night, Rogan cornered Ethan again. "When this World Boss fight is over," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "you and me. No interruptions. We settle this."
Ethan stared at him for a long moment, then smirked. "Fine. But you won't like how it ends."
At dawn, the sky cracked again—this time violently. A massive rift opened above Chicago, glowing like a wound in reality. Something enormous moved in the shadows beyond, its form obscured but terrifying.
[World Boss Approaching.] [Target: The Abyssal Behemoth — Level 30.]
Kayla's face paled. "Level thirty? We're barely ten."
Ethan's grip tightened on the Abyss Fang. "Then we get creative."
The streets rumbled as the first tremors of the Behemoth's approach shook the city. Cars toppled, and windows shattered as its unearthly roar filled the air. All around, Inducted gathered—nervous guilds, lone wolves, and terrified survivors—staring up at the rift.
For the first time since the System came, Ethan felt the weight of its true message: adapt or perish.
He glanced at Kayla, then at Rogan, who stood silently gripping his axe.
"Let's kill a god," Ethan muttered.