Chapter 2: Rise of the Abyss
The dungeon stank of blood and dust. Wolfgang Mozart stood over the corpse of the Dungeon Guardian, his dagger slick with obsidian-black blood. The beast's body twitched once, its glowing crimson eyes fading into nothingness. Silence returned, broken only by Wolfgang's ragged breaths.
Then, the system's voice echoed cold and mechanical in his mind.
[Dungeon Guardian Defeated.]
[Quest Complete.]
[Reward Unlocked: Abyssal Skill - Soul Rend.]
Wolfgang collapsed to one knee, gripping his throbbing arm. The fight had drained him far more than he cared to admit, but he grinned nonetheless—a sharp, predatory smile. He had done it.
"I won."
The dungeon's air seemed to hum around him, as though recognizing its new master. Wolfgang looked at the glowing system window that burned in the darkness.
[Skill Unlocked: Soul Rend]
- Ability: Steal a portion of a defeated enemy's power.
- Effect: Consumes energy. Duration and potency scale with target's strength.
Wolfgang's eyes narrowed as he re-read the words. "Steal power…" he murmured. The sheer weight of those two words sank into his mind. It wasn't just growth—it was domination.
He chuckled softly. "This is only the beginning."
The system chimed again:
[New Quest Initiated.]
Quest: Explore the Dungeon's Depths
• Objective: Reach the second floor.
• Reward: Unknown.
• Penalty: None.
Wolfgang rose to his feet, brushing dust off his torn cloak. The Guardian's blood left smudges across his fingers, but he didn't care. This dungeon was ancient—older than the kingdoms that ruled the surface. Whatever secrets it held, he would claim them.
Whispers of the Past
The deeper Wolfgang went, the more he felt it—a presence watching him. The dungeon walls were carved with cryptic symbols, some glowing faintly with a light that pulsed like dying stars.
He ran his fingers across the stone. "This wasn't made by humans."
The symbols told fragments of a story: wars of fire and shadow, titans that shattered continents, a world buried in darkness. Wolfgang's lips curled. "Legends, maybe. Or warnings."
His thoughts were interrupted as a low growl rumbled through the air.
A corridor stretched before him, illuminated by flickering blue flames. Standing in the center was a creature—a skeletal warrior clad in tattered armor. Its eye sockets burned with blue fire, and it gripped a rusted greatsword.
[Enemy Identified: Fallen Sentinel]
- Level: 5
- Danger: Moderate
Wolfgang's grip tightened on his dagger.
"Level 5? Let's see what I can do."
The Sentinel lunged, sword slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Wolfgang dodged, narrowly avoiding the strike as it crashed into the stone, splintering the floor.
He circled, analyzing the creature's movements.
"Slow. Predictable."
Wolfgang dashed forward, blade flashing as he slashed at the Sentinel's exposed side. Sparks flew as the dagger glanced off the armor.
"Too thick. I'll need more power."
A cold voice echoed in his mind.
"Use Soul Rend."
Wolfgang hesitated. The ability was untested—he didn't even know its cost. But hesitation was weakness.
"Fine," he growled.
He lunged again, this time aiming for the Sentinel's leg. As his dagger struck, Wolfgang whispered, "Soul Rend."
The blade pulsed with dark light. The Sentinel staggered as blue energy tore free from its body, flowing into Wolfgang's hand like liquid fire.
[Soul Rend Successful: Strength +2, Agility +1]
Wolfgang's body shuddered as the energy sank into him. His muscles tightened, his movements sharper. He grinned as the Sentinel stumbled, weakened.
"Your power is mine now."
Before the creature could recover, Wolfgang drove his blade into its skull. The blue fire died, and the Sentinel collapsed into dust.
[Fallen Sentinel Defeated.]
[Experience Gained: Level Up!]
A surge of energy filled him, and Wolfgang's status window flashed:
[Status Window]
Level: 2
Strength: 12
Agility: 13
Wolfgang looked at his hands, flexing his fingers. The power he'd taken still thrummed beneath his skin.
"I can steal their strength… grow stronger with every kill."
He laughed softly—a low, dangerous sound that echoed through the dungeon. "Who could possibly stop me now?"
The World Beyond
As Wolfgang continued through the dungeon, hints of the outside world crept into his thoughts.
He remembered the kingdoms that ruled the surface:
• The Seraphis Empire, with its golden palaces and blood-soaked politics.
• The Order of Magi, a corrupt council hoarding magic while others starved.
• The Free Cities, broken lands ruled by warlords who sold their swords to the highest bidder.
Power ruled this world, and Wolfgang had been cast out of it.
"They thought I was weak."
Now, with the Abyssal System at his side, Wolfgang would return—not as a beggar, but as a force of destruction. He would carve his name into history, and the world would kneel.
The Sentinel's corpse crumbled to dust, but Wolfgang didn't linger. He scanned the room with sharp eyes, wary of any other threats lurking in the shadows. The thrill of his first victory still hummed in his veins, the power he had stolen thrumming beneath his skin.
The system chimed softly in his mind:
[Status Window Updated]
Level: 2
Strength: 12
Agility: 13
The words were clean, efficient, and intoxicating. Wolfgang clenched his fists, feeling the strength coursing through him. He grinned, a sharp, dangerous edge to the expression.
"This is how it starts," he whispered to himself. "One kill, one step closer."
A Growing Hunger
The dungeon stretched deeper than Wolfgang expected. Corridors wound like serpents, twisting into pathways that defied logic. The air hung heavy with an unnatural pressure, making every breath feel like a defiance of the void itself.
As he moved cautiously, he caught glimpses of ancient murals etched into the walls. Time had weathered their images, but they told stories nonetheless:
• Armored figures, faces hidden beneath helmets, wielding weapons wreathed in flame and shadow.
• Great beasts, titanic in scale, towering over ruined cities.
• A cloaked figure, surrounded by black flames, standing alone atop mountains of corpses.
Wolfgang paused before one mural. The cloaked figure's face was obscured, but its posture radiated an overwhelming sense of power and solitude. Something about it struck Wolfgang deeply—like staring into a mirror of his future.
"Did they conquer this world… or destroy it?" he muttered, his voice low.
The system, ever silent and cold, did not answer.
The First Temptation
Deeper into the dungeon, Wolfgang entered a chamber larger than any before. Torches flared to life as he stepped inside, revealing a room bathed in crimson light. At its center stood an altar, carved from black stone and stained with something Wolfgang hoped wasn't blood.
A faint hum filled the air—a vibration in his bones. Wolfgang approached cautiously, every instinct telling him to stay on guard. On the altar lay a dagger—unlike any he had ever seen. Its blade shimmered with an ethereal darkness, like shadows frozen into metal.
As he reached for it, the system chimed:
[Abyssal Relic Detected: Shadowfang Dagger]
• Effect: Increases Soul Rend potency by 20%.
• Warning: Bound to the wielder's soul. Cannot be removed.
Wolfgang's lips curved into a grin. "A weapon forged for me."
He reached out and seized the dagger.
The instant his fingers curled around the hilt, pain lanced up his arm. He snarled, biting back a scream as dark tendrils snaked from the blade, branding themselves into his skin.
When the pain subsided, Wolfgang looked at his hand. A faint, black mark—a rune—now glowed on his palm.
[Shadowfang Bound.]
- Soul Rend: Enhanced.
He tested the dagger, spinning it in his palm. It was weightless yet solid, and the shadows seemed to ripple along the blade as though alive.
"Perfect."
Enemies in the Dark
The moment Wolfgang stepped away from the altar, the torches extinguished. The room plunged into darkness. A low, guttural sound echoed from every corner—a sound that made Wolfgang's blood turn cold.
Eyes—dozens of them—blinked open in the shadows.
[Enemies Identified: Abyssal Stalkers]
- Level: 3
- Danger: Pack Combat
Wolfgang exhaled slowly, crouching low as the creatures emerged. They were canine-like, their skeletal frames covered in black sinew, jaws filled with needle-sharp teeth.
"Ambush predators," Wolfgang observed coolly. "Intelligent enough to wait."
One of the Stalkers lunged. Wolfgang twisted, his body moving with the enhanced speed his stolen power had granted him. The Shadowfang dagger flashed, cleaving through the beast's throat.
Another followed, then another. Wolfgang weaved between them like a phantom, his movements precise and ruthless.
"Soul Rend."
The blade pulsed as Wolfgang plunged it into a Stalker's chest, drawing its energy into himself.
[Soul Rend Successful: Strength +1, Agility +1]
The power coursed through him again, sharper this time—more intoxicating. The beasts were fast, but Wolfgang was faster. The last Stalker lunged desperately, but Wolfgang spun and drove Shadowfang through its skull.
Silence returned. The beasts lay dead at his feet.
[Enemies Defeated: Experience Gained.]
[Level Up: Level 3.]
Wolfgang straightened, breathing hard, his eyes gleaming in the dark. The dungeon had thrown its worst at him so far, and still he stood. Stronger. Faster. Smarter.
He stepped over the corpses, his voice a cold whisper: "This is only the start. I will devour everything you send at me."
The dungeon's walls seemed to rumble in response, as if amused—or challenged.