The rain had stopped, but Valoria's sky still wept darkness.
Thunder rumbled far in the distance as Lin Xuan walked through the empty streets, cloak trailing behind him like a fragment of shadow.
He could still feel it—the faint echo of that voice.
The Abyss wasn't silent anymore.
[ Passive: Soul Convergence (Active) ]
[ Synchronization Rate: 45% ]
[ Stability: Uncertain ]
The System's text shimmered faintly, its usual blue glow now tinged with red at the edges.
He clenched his fist.
"So this is the price for power."
But deep inside, he knew—he wasn't going to stop.
The Summons
By dawn, a message awaited him at the Guild.
[ Guild Directive: Report to Central Hall – Mandatory ]
The moment he entered, whispers filled the air.
Assassins looked away, their usual cold expressions replaced by quiet unease.
Selene stood near the entrance, her mask reflecting the torchlight.
Her voice was low. "They know about the Black Contract."
Lin Xuan's steps didn't falter. "Let them."
The Council of Blades
The Central Hall was built beneath the Guild's foundations—a circular chamber lined with statues of legendary assassins.
At the center stood three figures cloaked in black, each wearing a mask carved with a single symbol: Eye, Blade, and Crown.
The one with the Crown spoke first.
"Lin Xuan. D-class Assassin. SSS talent. You eliminated Dravien Halos."
His tone was neutral, but the air was sharp with restrained killing intent.
"Yes," Lin Xuan said.
The figure with the Eye tilted their head. "Do you know why that matters?"
"He was infected," Lin Xuan replied. "A demon parasite."
"And who told you that?"
He paused.
"…Selene."
The three figures exchanged glances.
The one with the Blade leaned forward. "And the fragment you absorbed?"
Lin Xuan said nothing.
The torches flickered.
Suddenly, a pulse of energy rippled through the room—subtle, but unmistakable.
[ Abyssal Detection Active ]
[ Unknown Resonance Detected – Three Signatures ]
He felt it—the faint demonic aura clinging to all three masked leaders.
"They're infected," he realized silently.
The one called Crown spoke again, breaking the silence.
"You've brought corruption into this Guild, Lin Xuan. That much is certain."
A cold smile touched his lips. "Then I'm not the only one."
The Trial
Without warning, shadows erupted around him.
Dozens of assassins stepped out from the walls, blades drawn.
"By order of the Council," said the Eye, "Lin Xuan is to be purged."
Selene's voice cut through the chaos from behind. "Stop—this isn't right!"
But it was too late. The assassins moved as one.
The Battle in the Hall
Lin Xuan didn't hesitate.
[ Phantom Stride II ] activated in an instant—his figure flickering between positions, leaving streaks of afterimages.
The first attacker fell before they even realized he'd moved.
A second swung low—blocked, countered, throat sliced.
[ Target Eliminated ]
[ Soul Convergence Activated ]
[ +2 Strength, +2 Agility ]
He weaved through the crowd like living smoke, every motion controlled, efficient.
But the numbers were too high—ten, twenty, thirty assassins.
Even for him, this was a storm.
Then, the torches dimmed.
A low hum filled the air—the sound of a power he hadn't used since Dravien's death.
[ Skill Activated: Shadow Convergence ]
The light vanished completely.
Every assassin froze, their vision swallowed by a sea of darkness.
Then came the whispers—his voice from every direction.
"You call yourselves assassins. But none of you understand silence."
When the lights returned, half the hall was down.
The rest stumbled back, weapons shaking.
The figure with the Crown stepped forward, voice trembling for the first time.
"What… are you?"
Lin Xuan met his gaze. "Something you should have never created."
He turned to leave—but the voice that answered wasn't from the room.
[ System Override: Abyssal Synchronization 50% ]
[ Passive Mutation Stabilized – Trait Gained: Shadow Dominion ]
His reflection in the broken marble shimmered—
and for a heartbeat, it wasn't his face staring back, but a figure made of darkness, smiling.
Aftermath
Selene found him outside, standing in the rain again.
"You killed Guild assassins," she whispered.
"They attacked first."
"That's not the point," she said, her voice breaking for the first time. "You don't understand what this means. The Guild will mark you as a traitor."
Lin Xuan's eyes glowed faintly beneath his hood.
"I stopped being one of them the moment they bowed to the Abyss."
Selene's hands clenched. "And what are you now?"
He looked toward the horizon—
where the faint glow of another Rift shimmered in the distance.
"Something worse."
Status Panel
Name: Lin Xuan
Level: 18
Profession: Assassin (C-Class)
Talent: SSS – Silent Killer
Passive: Soul Convergence (Stabilized – Abyssal Resonance 50%)
Trait: Shadow Dominion – Gain control over localized darkness within 20m radius.
Skills: [ Dagger Mastery IV ], [ Phantom Stride II ], [ Abyssal Sense I ], [ Shadow Convergence ]
Hidden Quest: 7 / 100 Perfect Assassinations
Next Evolution: Shadow Reaper (Locked)
Strength: 30
Agility: 34
Perception: 27