The landscape was a wasteland of torn earth and shattered rock, painted crimson with the blood of countless monsters. I moved through the gate like a storm of death, my Eclipse Blade carving through flesh and bone with brutal efficiency. The monsters screamed as I slaughtered them, their bodies exploding into pools of blackened blood, their limbs torn apart like paper under the force of my strikes.
Sovereign's Harvest pulsed through me, greedily drinking in their power. Every kill sent a rush of strength through my veins, my senses sharpening, my muscles hardening, my abilities expanding. Their stats became mine, their skills absorbed into the swirling vortex of chaos that fueled me. My health regenerated almost instantly from even the smallest wound, and with each monster I killed, I felt myself growing—faster, stronger, deadlier.
Strength increased. Agility increased. Health increased.
The system notifications flooded my mind as I tore through the horde, but I barely registered them. My focus was singular—become stronger. Become unstoppable.
I relished the power coursing through me. The thrill of battle, the ecstasy of dominance. My blade danced through the air, slicing through the neck of a hulking beast that had dared to stand in my way. Its head flew off its shoulders in a spray of blood, and I absorbed its essence without hesitation.
Ability Absorbed: Shatter strike.
The ground trembled beneath me as I slammed my foot down, the force of the newly gained skill ripping the earth apart in a shock wave of destruction. Several monsters around me collapsed, their bodies torn asunder by the impact. I laughed—a dark, triumphant sound that echoed through the twisted forest around me. This was what I had been craving. This was what power felt like.
With each swing of my blade, more blood painted the ground. Each step I took left a trail of bodies in my wake. The monsters threw themselves at me, their claws slashing, their fangs gnashing—but none could stop me. Their stats and skills were mine to take, and I would claim them all.
Level Up. Level: 33. Level Up. Level: 34.
It was endless. The more I killed, the more powerful I became, and the more powerful I became, the more I craved the slaughter. My vision was tinged red with bloodlust, my mind focused only on the next kill, the next boost to my ever-growing power. I wanted more—needed more.
But as I hacked my way through the latest wave of monsters, something caught my eye—a flash of red in the distance, barely visible through the swirling chaos of the battlefield.
A gate.
Not just any gate. A Red Gate.
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at it. Red Gates were rare, dangerous—only the most elite hunters dared to enter them. And this one was pulsing with a dark, malevolent energy, the runes etched into its surface glowing faintly as if beckoning me forward.
Without hesitation, I moved toward it, cutting down any monster foolish enough to stand in my path. The closer I got, the more ominous the air around me became. The gate loomed before me, its dark surface radiating with power.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever awaited on the other side, and stepped through.
The moment I crossed the threshold, the atmosphere changed.
The air was thick, oppressive, filled with an ancient energy that made my skin crawl. The forest that had been a chaotic battleground was gone, replaced by a desolate, overgrown ruin. Thick vines, dark and twisted, crawled up the walls of ancient stone structures, their surfaces covered in unfamiliar runes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
I moved cautiously, my senses on high alert. This place was old—older than anything I had ever encountered. The runes on the walls seemed to pulse with life, the energy radiating from them like a heartbeat. The eerie silence was broken only by the soft rustle of the wind through the vines.
As I made my way deeper into the ruins, I saw it—a massive door, towering above me like the entrance to some forgotten temple. The door was covered in the same glowing runes, its surface blackened with age, thick vines wrapping around it like serpents. The air around it crackled with energy, and I could feel the power seeping from it.
I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering over the door. The Abyssal Chaos System was silent, but every instinct in my body screamed at me to be cautious. Whatever was behind this door wasn't just a monster—it was something far more dangerous.
But caution was for the weak.
I pushed open the door.
The massive stone slabs groaned in protest as they swung open, revealing a dark chamber beyond. The air inside was colder, the energy thicker, almost suffocating. And there, standing in the center of the room, was the most elegant figure I had ever seen.
A woman—no, a witch.
Her dress was the color of the night sky, shimmering with an ethereal glow as it flowed around her like liquid darkness. In her right hand, she held a black staff, its surface smooth and polished, topped with a jagged crystal that seemed to pulse with dark energy. Floating in her left hand was a blue orb, glowing faintly as it hovered above her palm.
Her eyes were the most striking—bluish-gray, like storm clouds on the horizon, cold and unreadable. Her gaze locked onto me the moment I stepped into the chamber, and a slow, knowing smile spread across her lips.
"Ah… another hunter, drawn to the power of the Abyss," she said, her voice soft but laced with a dangerous edge. "How predictable."
She raised her staff, and the runes on the walls flared to life, bathing the chamber in a cold, blue light.
"I am Vanessa," she whispered, her voice echoing through the chamber like a haunting melody. "Welcome to your end."
And as the door slammed shut behind me, I knew I was facing something far beyond any monster I had ever encountered.