The cavern was quiet now. Too quiet.
The silence was broken only by the sound of Jin's breathing—ragged, heavy, but controlled. Around him lay piles of mangled corpses, the remnants of beasts that had tried and failed to devour him. Their blood steamed against the damp rock, filling the underground air with a metallic stench thick enough to choke.
Jin wiped his blade clean on one of the corpses, though no matter how much he tried, the black ichor clung to the steel like tar. His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, sharp and relentless.
[Monsters slain: 4,216 / 100,000]
The number was crawling upward. Slow. Painfully slow. But steady.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his damp hair.
"Four thousand already… and still nothing compared to what's left."
The system never gave him easy paths. It always pushed him into extremes, as if it wanted to see how far he could go before he broke. And yet, no matter how insane the challenges were, Jin could never refuse them. Not when he had vengeance burning in his veins.
A new chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
A new option is available.
Would you like to unlock an additional skill?
Jin's brow furrowed. His hand froze in mid-motion.
"A new skill…?"
Another line appeared, cold and merciless.
[Warning: Unlocking this skill will consume part of your sanity.]
His expression hardened.
"…What?"
The cavern seemed to grow darker around him as he read the next message.
[The deeper you delve into the Shadow Path, the more unstable your mind will become.]
[Each shadow ability you accept erodes a fragment of your humanity.]
The words cut through him like a blade. For a brief moment, his heart pounded faster—not out of fear, but out of something else. Curiosity. Excitement.
He whispered the words to himself.
"Losing sanity… in exchange for power."
It was a dangerous trade. He knew it. Sanity was the last barrier that separated him from the abyss clawing at his soul. But at the same time… wasn't that exactly what he wanted?
The faces of his family flickered in his memory again. His wife's final smile, his daughter's innocent laugh—both ripped away, leaving only the hollow shell he was now. The rage that had carried him this far burned hotter, and his lips curled into a bitter smile.
"Tch… sanity? What good is sanity to a man who's already lost everything?"
His grip tightened around his blade. His voice grew sharper, more resolute.
"If losing my mind means I can slaughter them all—if it means vengeance—then so be it. I'll give up anything. My soul, my humanity, my sanity… everything."
The system responded instantly.
[Confirmation received.]
[Skill unlocked: The Call of the Master.]
A surge of energy slammed into him. His body stiffened, eyes widening as a torrent of shadows coiled up his legs, wrapping around his torso, then shooting into his chest. The pain was indescribable—like knives stabbing directly into his brain, carving away fragments of his thoughts.
Jin bit down on his teeth, a growl rumbling from his throat. His vision flickered, and for an instant, he saw madness staring back at him from the abyss. Whispers filled his head—unintelligible voices calling from the darkness, urging him to surrender, to become one with them.
But Jin didn't falter. He embraced it.
The pain turned into power.
The shadows pulsed, then melted into his skin, disappearing entirely. The cavern fell silent again, but the air around him was different now—heavier, darker, filled with an ominous pressure that hadn't been there before.
Another notification flashed.
[Skill: The Call of the Master]
Description: You may summon from the shadows any monster you have slain. Their essence, their vitality, their power has been absorbed into you. Now, they are yours to command.]
Jin's eyes widened slightly, his breath hitching.
"Summon… monsters I've already killed?"
The realization hit him like thunder. He looked at the corpses surrounding him—the countless beasts that had fallen under his blade. Each one of them, every ounce of power they carried, now belonged to him.
Slowly, a twisted grin formed across his lips.
"So this is it… the abyss gives, and it takes."
He extended a hand toward one of the fallen monsters, a hulking beast with shattered horns and a torso split wide open. His shadow rippled beneath his feet, stretching like a pool of living darkness.
The air grew cold. The cavern trembled.
From the black pool, a hand emerged—clawed, twisted, dripping with shadow. Then another. The beast's entire body began to rise, its form reconstructed by darkness, until it stood once again. But its eyes weren't filled with wild hunger anymore. They glowed with the same abyss that flowed through Jin.
It bowed its head slightly, awaiting command.
Jin's grin widened, his eyes burning with manic satisfaction.
"Perfect."
Another whisper crawled into his ear, though this one didn't come from the system. It came from within. A voice, his own and yet not his own, soaked in shadows:
More… summon more… let them all rise for you… let the dead march under your will.
His chest tightened, but not from fear. From exhilaration.
He clenched his fist, feeling the pulse of darkness running through his veins. The cost was real—he could already feel his thoughts fraying at the edges, a faint static gnawing at his mind. But the power was undeniable. Absolute.
He looked at the reconstructed beast, then at the countless other corpses waiting at his feet. His grin twisted further.
"Rise."
Shadows rippled again, swallowing the bodies. One by one, the monsters clawed their way back from the darkness, their twisted forms kneeling before him like soldiers before a king.
For the first time, Jin felt something close to command. Not just strength. Not just vengeance. But an army.
An army born of death, bound only to him.
He whispered under his breath, his voice low, almost reverent.
"…The Call of the Master."
The cavern shook under the weight of his power.
And somewhere in the abyss, the system whispered back, almost like a curse:
[Warning: Your sanity is now at risk.]
[Current Stability: 92% → 84%]
But Jin only laughed, the sound echoing cold and hollow.
"Sanity? I'll trade every last piece of it… if it means my enemies drown in shadows."
The army of the dead roared in unison, their cries shaking the dungeon.
And for the first time, Jin no longer felt alone.
He was becoming something else.
Something far beyond human.
The hunt had changed.
Now, the battlefield itself was his.