Max stood at the entrance of his home, his mind in disarray. The whole day had felt surreal—a Shadowrune tied to something called the Abyssal Dominion. It was a title that felt more like a burden than a gift. All those dreams of being an Archer, fast and graceful, were gone. What remained was this strange power lurking in the shadows of his future.
Why me? The thought echoed in his head, filling the silence as he walked inside.
Before Max could even take a breath, his younger brother, Sam, rushed toward him, eyes shining with excitement. "Max! Did you get Archer? Tell me it's Archer!"
Max forced a smile, masking his inner turmoil. "No, Sam, not Archer," he said quietly, trying to stay calm. "I got something else. Something strong."
Sam's face fell slightly, his excitement turning to confusion. "Oh... but it's good, right? I mean... it's still powerful?"
Max hesitated, the weight of the unknown sitting heavy on his chest. "Yeah, I think so."
Powerful. The word felt hollow in his mouth. What did it even mean anymore?
He quickly grabbed something to eat, but the food felt tasteless, each bite mechanical. His thoughts were swirling—his parents had been missing for months, deep into another research expedition, and the Shadowrune class seemed like a twisted echo of their work. They had spent years studying the systems, delving into myth and history..
After finishing his meal, Max excused himself and headed upstairs. "I need to do my system Awakening. Don't bother me, okay?"
Sam nodded, looking disappointed but too young to fully grasp the complexity of what was going on.
Max closed his bedroom door and leaned against it for a moment, feeling the pressure building. The Genesis Gateway had only scratched the surface. The real process was about to begin—where the system would integrate fully with his body, mind, and soul. Everyone knew it was painful, brutal even, but it was a rite of passage. No turning back now.
He lay down on his bed, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Status window."
Nothing.
Max frowned, confusion flickering across his face. He tried again, louder this time. "Status window!"
Still nothing.
Panic crept in. What the hell? Was something wrong with him? Was he so weak that even the system didn't recognize him?
Frustrated, Max grabbed his futuristic laptop, its sleek surface lighting up as his fingers brushed across the surface. He dove into his parents' archived research, looking for anything—anything—that could explain what was happening. Hours ticked by before his eyes caught a small note in one of his parents' old files:
"At the Day of Awakening, the first system users said the phrase 'System unlock' to activate their abilities."
Max blinked. That's it? Could it really be that simple? With nothing left to lose, he whispered the words, "System unlock."
Pain. It hit him like a tidal wave. His muscles seized, his bones felt like they were being shattered and reformed all at once. It was as if his entire body was being set on fire, then frozen, then burned again. He couldn't scream, couldn't move—just endure. Time slowed to a crawl, each second stretching into infinity. This was worse than anything he had imagined.
And then, just as suddenly, it was over. Max gasped, collapsing back onto the bed, his body drenched in sweat. Every fiber of his being felt raw, but the pain was gone.
A message blinked in front of his vision:
System successfully unlocked: Abyssal Dominion.
The next morning, Max woke up, his body sore but alive. He pushed himself up, feeling the stiffness in his muscles, and whispered, "Status window."
This time, the system responded. A deep, black screen with glowing gold letters materialized before him—the color scheme was ominous, as if the void itself had come to life.
Abyssal Dominion
Name: Max Miller
Race: Human
Class: Shadowrune
Level: 1
Stats:
HP: 10
Strength: 7
Agility: 5
Stamina: 4
Mana: 5
Vitality: 1
Sense: 5
Skills:
Bone Manipulation (Level 1): Allows the user to manipulate bones. The higher the level the shorter it takes, and more bones can be manipulated at the same time.
Bone Creation (Level 1): Allows the user to create objects with bones, they object quality will depend on the bone quality of the dead, as well as the users proficiency. Each item created has a minimum durability of 100,
Soul Flame (Level 1): Burns the target's soul, dealing 5HP per sec of damage. This doesn't use any mana.
Max's heart pounded as he took in the details. These skills... they were beyond anything he had imagined. But that wasn't the end of it. A new message appeared.
Choose Trait:
Legion: This trait allows you to raise the shadow of the dead and serve you. You need corpse to activate this.
Soul Usurpation: This trait allows you to suck the souls of the dead for nourishment of your own soul. When activated gives you part of the dead begins stats and has chance to give you its skill.
I choose Soul Usurpation...