Darkness swallowed everything.
Daichi's body smashed against jagged stone, pain exploding in his ribs. His breath tore from his lungs as he tumbled deeper, deeper still, down the endless maw of the Abyssal Pit. The air howled past his ears, reeking of sulfur and rot.
When he finally crashed against solid ground, he lay broken. His skin was torn, his uniform shredded and soaked in blood. Each breath was a knife, each movement agony.
Above, the light had vanished. Only blackness pressed in on every side.
"…damn… it…" His voice cracked, hoarse.
The scent of decay hung heavy. Bones littered the floor, gnawed clean, some still fresh with sinew clinging. The walls pulsed faintly, as though alive, covered in slimy moss that glowed dimly green.
This was no place for the living.
---
As he tried to crawl forward, voices echoed—not from the dungeon, but from his mind.
"Rotten Soul! Even slimes are stronger than that!"
"Figures. Trash here, trash there."
"Pathetic. Always dragging us down."
The laughter of his classmates rang louder than the blood rushing in his ears. Hiroshi's triumphant sneer. Takeshi's scorn. Rina's cold disgust.
And worst of all—Seraphiel's voice, gentle as silk, venomous as poison.
"You were born trash. You will die trash."
His hands shook. His nails scraped stone until they bled.
"…shut up…"
But the voices would not stop. They carved into him, over and over, until his chest heaved with sobs he refused to release.
---
A low growl answered him.
From the shadows, yellow eyes gleamed. Then another pair. And another.
Goblins.
They crept from the dark, skin slick and green, their crude weapons glinting. Their twisted faces leered, jagged teeth dripping saliva. They chittered, laughing in cruel mimicry.
"Not… now…" Daichi tried to stand. His legs betrayed him.
The first goblin lunged. Its spear pierced his shoulder. Pain ripped through him, blood spraying hot. He screamed, collapsing against the wall.
The others shrieked with glee, circling him, their laughter high-pitched and mocking. One kicked his ribs. Another yanked his hair back. Their words were nonsense, but their cruelty was universal.
Daichi's vision blurred. I can't… I'm going to die here… like trash.
---
Then it came.
A cold chime in his skull.
[ SYSTEM ERROR ]
Trait: Rotten Soul – INVALID
Reconstructing...
The goblins froze as violet runes spread beneath Daichi, spiraling outward. Shadows writhed, slithering like serpents.
Another message burned across his vision.
Inquiry: Rotten Soul bearer, your existence defies the Goddess' order.
Do you wish to awaken a forbidden path?
Warning: Once chosen, you can never return.
[Y/N]
His body convulsed. His chest heaved.
The goblins raised their weapons, shrieking as they rushed to finish him.
Daichi's lips curled into a snarl. His voice cracked but fierce.
"…YES!"
---
The dungeon shook.
Violet light flared, consuming the goblins mid-charge. They shrieked as skeletal claws burst from the stone, dragging them screaming into the dark. Their blood splattered across the walls, sizzling as if devoured.
Shadows clawed up Daichi's body, coiling like armor, searing his veins with fire.
Knowledge poured into his mind—alien, cold, intoxicating.
Class Acquired: Soulbinder (Lv.1)
Skill Unlocked: Shadow Grasp
His eyes burned violet. For the first time, fear receded. In its place surged rage—and power.
---
The runes pulsed again. Another message blinked.
Summoning Protocol: Activated
Caution: Bound entity may alter destiny.
Proceed with Soul Contract? [Y/N]
Daichi's heart pounded. His hands trembled.
"…Yes!"
The circle erupted, flames of black and violet. The temperature plummeted, frost forming on bone-littered ground. The goblins that remained shrieked in terror, fleeing into tunnels.
And from the circle—
She rose.
---
A woman's silhouette emerged, her figure elegant and dangerous. Long violet hair cascaded down pale shoulders. Crimson eyes glowed in the darkness, gleaming like embers.
Wings unfurled—vast, leathery, bat-like—casting shadows across the chamber.
Her body was flawless, sculpted like marble but warm, alive. A gown of shadow clung to her curves, slit high along her legs, neckline plunging to reveal pale skin that glimmered in the dim glow.
She stepped forward barefoot, the sound echoing. The dungeon itself seemed to hold its breath.
Her lips curved into a sultry smile.
"My, my… what a delicious surprise." Her voice was velvet and smoke, wrapping around him like chains.
She crouched, cupping his chin with a cold, slender hand. Her touch sent a shiver racing down his spine.
"So… you are the wretched one. The Goddess's rejected trash. And yet… you chose me."
Her crimson eyes narrowed, gleaming with hunger and amusement.
"Call me Lilith. Queen of Succubi. Demon Lord of the past. And now… your first summon."
She lifted his trembling hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. The touch seared like fire, a bond sinking deep into his soul.
---
Daichi gasped, his vision trembling between horror and awe.
"…You… you're real…"
Lilith's laughter was soft, sensual. "Oh, I'm very real, darling. And from this moment, so are you."
Behind her, shadows coiled, skeletal claws writhing, waiting.
The goblins regrouped at the edges of the chamber, snarling, spears raised.
Lilith's smile sharpened. She rose to her full height, wings stretching wide.
"Perfect. Let's give your new power a proper debut."
Her whip of black flame cracked into existence, coiling like a serpent.
Daichi's eyes widened as his heart thundered.
This… this is the power they wanted me to throw away…
The chamber reeked of blood and fear.
Dozens of goblins crawled from the tunnels, their eyes glowing yellow in the dim mosslight. They shrieked, weapons of stone and bone rattling as they pounded against the ground.
Daichi staggered, clutching his bleeding shoulder. His body screamed for rest, yet a fire burned inside his chest—a fire that hadn't been there before.
Beside him, Lilith stretched her wings, the air heavy with her presence. Her gown fluttered like living shadow, clinging to every curve. She looked utterly unbothered, as if a swarm of goblins was no more than an evening's entertainment.
"Pitiful creatures," she purred. "Unworthy even of being your prey, but… acceptable for practice."
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming crimson as she studied him. "Now, darling. Show me what you can do."
---
A goblin shrieked and lunged. Its spear thrust for Daichi's chest.
Instinct screamed in his veins. He raised his hand.
"[Shadow Grasp]!"
The ground beneath the goblin split. From the black cracks, skeletal arms erupted—clawing, writhing, dragging. The goblin shrieked as bony fingers pierced its flesh, ripping muscle and bone apart.
Its body convulsed, eyes bulging, until it was dragged screaming into the stone, vanishing as if the earth itself devoured it.
Blood splattered across Daichi's face.
He froze, chest heaving. His hand trembled.
"…I… did that?"
Lilith's laughter echoed, rich and sultry. "Oh yes. And wasn't it… exhilarating?"
---
The goblins howled, enraged. Ten more charged.
Daichi staggered back, panic threatening to swallow the fire in his chest. "T-there's too many—!"
Lilith's whip cracked, a flaming lash of shadow that split three goblins clean in half. Their blood hissed, evaporating as it touched the whip.
She licked her lips, her fangs glinting. "I'll play… but the rest are yours. Fight, or die. Choose."
Daichi's eyes widened as claws slashed for his throat. He ducked, the blade scraping his cheek. Another goblin lunged. His body moved on instinct, shadows coiling around his fist, hardening into jagged claws.
"GRAAAAH!"
His punch tore through the goblin's chest. Hot entrails spilled, splattering across the stones.
Daichi gasped, staring at the gore staining his hand.
Lilith leaned close, whispering, "Yes… embrace it. Stop running from the monster inside."
---
Pain burned in his veins, the strain of new power tearing at his body. His legs faltered.
Lilith caught him, pressing against his back, her lips brushing his ear. Her skin was cold, her breath hot.
"Our bond isn't complete," she murmured. "You need more of me… inside you."
The System chimed.
[ Soul Contract – Stage II ]
Requirement: Shared essence
Proceed? [Y/N]
Daichi's chest heaved. "W-what does that mean…?"
Lilith's smile was wicked. Her hand slid across his chest, pressing against his frantic heartbeat.
"It means this will feel… intimate. Do you want my power, Daichi? Truly?"
The goblins shrieked, closing in.
His fist clenched. His voice roared.
"YES!"
---
The bond snapped.
Shadows exploded from the ground, wrapping Daichi and Lilith together. Her wings enveloped him, their breaths syncing, their hearts pounding in unison.
Her lips crashed against his. Energy surged, burning violet through his veins. The kiss was fire, ice, lightning—an invasion and a gift all at once.
The System roared in his mind.
[ Soulbinder + Succubus Queen – Fusion Active ]
Temporary Form: Shadow Incubus
Skill Unlocked: Shadow Execution
Daichi gasped, his vision blazing violet. His body felt lighter, faster—his senses sharp as blades.
Lilith's voice purred in his head, teasing. "Mmm… so this is what it feels like to be inside you. Delicious."
--
The goblins charged.
Daichi vanished into shadow. He reappeared behind them, his claws slashing. One fell, its spine severed. Another screeched as his blade of pure darkness sliced its throat.
"[Shadow Execution]!"
He blurred, a storm of violet and black. Goblins fell one after another, their bodies split, torn, devoured by skeletal arms that erupted from the ground at his command.
Blood sprayed, hot and thick, coating his uniform, dripping from his jaw.
He roared, wings of shadow bursting from his back, his voice echoing like a demon's.
"DIE!"
The last goblin shrieked as Daichi's claws plunged into its chest. He ripped it apart, gore splattering the stones.
The dungeon fell silent.
Only Daichi's ragged breaths remained.
---
The fusion ebbed. His wings faded, his claws dissolved. He collapsed to his knees, panting, his body trembling from exhaustion.
Lilith materialized beside him, graceful, untouched by the carnage. She crouched, brushing blood from his cheek with a single finger. Slowly, deliberately, she licked it clean, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"Mmm. Intoxicating. You tasted your first real kill, Daichi. How does it feel?"
His chest rose and fell, his lips curling into a broken smile.
"…Good. Strong. Alive."
Her smile widened, sensual and wicked. "And aroused?"
His face flushed scarlet. "Shut up."
She chuckled, fangs glinting.
---
Daichi staggered to his feet, swaying, but his eyes burned with violet fire.
Images flashed in his mind: Hiroshi's smug grin, Takeshi's sneer, Rina's cold stare. And above all, Seraphiel's radiant, merciless smile.
His fist clenched, dripping with goblin blood.
"…Hiroshi. Rina. Seraphiel…"
His voice trembled with venom.
"You'll regret calling me trash."
The shadows around him writhed, coiling into the faint outline of a crown above his head.
Lilith stepped closer, her hand on his shoulder, her voice like silk. "That's better. Now, my king… let's begin your reign."