??? AM – The Weight of Power
The air was thick with the scent of blood.
Kyung-min's breath came slow and steady as he took in the sight before him—hundreds of corpses littering the cavern floor, the remains of the monsters that had once ruled Floor 0.
And in the center of it all—
A single being stood.
The Devourer Stalker, or at least, what it had once been.
Its form had shifted—its dark carapace had grown denser, more layered, almost like armor. The claws that had once been wickedly curved were now razor-edged, elongated into something even deadlier. Its eye sockets no longer burned with hollow undeath, but with something deeper.
Something aware.
Yet it remained silent, its head slightly lowered as if awaiting his reaction.
And for the first time—Kyung-min felt it.
A bond.
Not the fragile connection he had with his disposable summons.
No.
This was different.
Stronger.
Permanent.
And then—
🔹 [Your Summon Has Gained a Name.]
🔹 [Would You Like to Rename It?]
Kyung-min blinked.
"…Huh?"
The Devourer Stalker tilted its head slightly, its eerie gaze unblinking.
It was waiting.
Kyung-min rubbed his chin. "A name, huh…?"
He thought back to the names of legendary creatures in old stories. Something grand. Something terrifying.
"…Bonecrusher?"
The monster said nothing.
"…Abyss Reaper?"
Silence.
"…Shadow Murder King?"
Even the undead seemed to pause at that one.
Kyung-min sighed. "Fine. How about…"
He glanced at the monster. Its pitch-black form. Its silent movements. Its endless patience.
"…ShadeStalker."
🔹 [Your Summon Has Been Named: ShadeStalker]
Kyung-min waited for some kind of reaction. A twitch, a movement—something.
Instead—
The massive undead just stared at him.
Like it was judging him.
"…What?" Kyung-min muttered. "It fits."
ShadeStalker didn't respond.
And somehow—Kyung-min felt like he was being mocked.
??? AM – The Status Before the Storm
He exhaled and pulled up his status window.
🔹 [STATUS WINDOW – HAN KYUNG-MIN]
[General Info]
🔹 Level: 1 (0/100 XP) → (Calculating…)
🔹 Class: Abyss Walker (C-Rank, Growth)
🔹 Title: Harbinger of the Unresting (Undead grow stronger with each resurrection.)
🔹 Profession: None
[Attributes]
🔹 HP: 510/510
🔹 MP: 780/780
🔹 Fatigue: 10/100
🔹 Gold: 0G
🔹 Strength: 24
🔹 Agility: 24
🔹 Stamina: 24
🔹 Intelligence: 35
🔹 Perception: 32
🔹 Free Stat Points: 10
[Skills (New Updates)]
🔹 Death's Echo (B-Rank, Unique) – Records & Steals Last Moments of the Dead. Can now store two abilities per record.
🔹 Corpse Reclamation → Dread Marionette (B-Rank, Passive) – Raised undead now act as extensions of the caster's will. If a minion is killed, it can be instantly re-summoned at a cost.
🔹 Shadow Step → Phantom Abyss (C-Rank, Active) – Can now teleport between shadows and erase presence for five seconds.
🔹 Stalking Phantom (C-Rank, Active) – Creates two ghostly clones to mislead enemies.
🔹 Necrotic Surge (C-Rank, Active) – Temporarily increases an undead's strength by 50%, at the cost of rapid decay.
[Passive Skills]
🔹 Abyssal Resilience (C-Rank) – Regenerates HP by 1% every 30 seconds while in darkness.
🔹 Shadowborn Instincts (C-Rank) – Enemies struggle to detect user in low-light environments.
🔹 Death's Tether (C-Rank) – When an undead summon is destroyed, Kyung-min regains 5% of its remaining MP.
🔹 Unseen Executor (C-Rank) – Undead minions automatically aim for weak points, increasing critical hit chance by 15%.
🔹 Phantom Walk (C-Rank) – Footsteps make no sound, movement speed increased by +10% in darkness.
[Stored Death Records: 2]
🔹 Record 1: Han Kyung-min
🔹 Record 2: The Lich (Undying Resilience - Weakened)
🔹 [Awakening Progress: 99%]
??? AM – The Massacre Begins
Kyung-min clenched his fists.
He could feel it.
He was so close.
One more step. One more kill.
His eyes flickered toward ShadeStalker.
The summon remained motionless. But Kyung-min could see it. The unspoken command lingering between them.
"…Let's finish this."
He raised his hand.
🔹 [Corpse Reclamation Activated.]
One.
Two.
Three.
Dozens of new undead tore themselves from the ground, answering the call.
Kyung-min let out a slow breath.
"Kill everything."
The undead moved.
ShadeStalker led the charge.
The cavern shook with the force of a hundred monsters screaming in terror.
Because this time—
They were the prey.
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 2.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 3.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 4.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 5.]
And for the first time since he had woken up in this hell—
Kyung-min welcomed the abyss.
??? AM – The Evolution in Motion
Monsters screamed.
The scent of blood thickened.
Kyung-min stood still in the chaos, his breathing measured as his undead tore through the remaining creatures of Floor 0.
And at the head of the charge—
Quiet.
It didn't move like a mindless summon.
It didn't just follow commands.
It hunted.
It anticipated.
The massive, armored Stalker moved with fluid precision, claws ripping through Abyss Hounds with terrifying efficiency. When two Lurking Ghouls leaped for its exposed side, it twisted mid-air, grabbing one by the throat and using it to slam the other into the cavern wall.
Kyung-min watched, brows furrowed.
It was learning.
"...Not just strong." His grip tightened. "It's adapting."
His summons weren't just bodies anymore.
They were becoming something more.
And as the last monster fell—
A notification flickered.
🔹 [Massacre Completed – The Final Purge of Floor 0.]
🔹 [EXP Calculating…]
🔹 [Total EXP Gained: 37,800 XP.]
A wave of power rushed through his body.
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 6.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 7.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 8.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 9.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 10.]
🔹 [All Stats +10. HP & MP Restored by 50%.]
But it didn't stop.
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 11.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 12.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 13.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 14.]
🔹 [All Stats +10.]
Still not stopping.
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 15.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 16.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 17.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 18.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 19.]
🔹 [Level Up! You Are Now Level 20.]
🔹 [All Stats +10.]
His breath hitched.
🔹 [Your Awakening Progress Has Reached 99%.]
Then—
The cavern shook.
Kyung-min's vision blurred as a pulse of dark energy surged through his veins.
🔹 [You Have Reached a Point of No Return.]
🔹 [Evolution Cannot Be Delayed Any Further.]
His knees buckled.
The air turned heavy.
Then—
The system stopped.
Everything.
Even the status window.
Froze.
And then—
🔹 [FORCED EVOLUTION ACTIVATED.]
🔹 [THE ABYSS ACCEPTS YOU.]
Kyung-min collapsed.
And the abyss took him.