The deeper we ventured into the Abyss of the Dead, the more bizarre and powerful foes we faced. The floors were tilted, and every wall was etched with black sigils. Who—or what—ruled this place remained a mystery.

  “Something’s off,” I muttered, glancing between Elena and Lavi.

  From the distance came an eerie noise, deeper and more unsettling than a typical monster cry, like it had been artificially amplified.

  Elena pressed a hand to her ear, narrowing her eyes.

  “The dark magic is thicker here. My mark is throbbing. Something big is nearby.”

  Lavi looked uneasy. “Master, I’m… my heart’s pounding. Maybe it’s because I’m a core, but I feel a huge wave of doom coming.”

  I exhaled, fingers brushing my Domination crest. If what lurks here is stronger than a normal dungeon core… then we’re in real danger.

  My power had grown with each fight, but the risk of it running wild also loomed. Would we really make it out?

  We turned another corner in this maze and entered a vast hall, and our worst fears became reality.

  Bound figures crouched at the center, moaning in agony. Their skin warped, limbs twisted, half-undead—maybe once test subjects or Hunters.

  “Those monsters who practice dark magic…” Elena hissed through clenched teeth. My stomach lurched at the sight. The victims were still faintly alive, their cries filled with torment.

  Just then, figures in black robes emerged from both sides of the hall—clearly dark sorcerers. One of them spoke in a raspy voice, half human:

  “So you’ve finally come… the one who wields Domination.”

  My blood ran cold. “You… know me?”

  He bared yellowed teeth in a grin. “The Abyss craves your power. Corruption and Domination… you might be the final piece of our black magic ritual.”

  No more words needed. I drew my dagger. Elena and Lavi readied themselves.

  “Whatever you’re planning, it ends here!” Elena shouted.

  They answered with dark flames, launching a fierce attack. Summoned beasts of black mana swarmed us. We fought back, but the cost was high.

  I pushed my Domination to disrupt their mana, causing the summoned beasts to freeze up. Elena and Lavi swiftly finished them off. But then something in the center of the hall stirred—a boss experiment.

  A towering figure, easily twice a man’s height. Its torso fused together like a grotesque puppet, arms bristling with bone-blade protrusions. Scarlets sigils glowed in its eyes, absorbing core energy to swell its body.

  “Lavi, get back!” I yelled. The creature lunged at her with terrifying speed. Lavi tried to dodge, choking on fear. Elena dashed in, attempting a killing blow, only to be slammed aside by its massive arm.

  “Ugh!” She crashed into the wall, slumping down. My blood boiled.

  I can’t let this happen!

  I poured all my focus into my palm, forcing the monster to turn its attention to me. Crimson power roared forth in a potent wave of Domination. The beast resisted, thrashing in savage rage. Mana crackled in the air—our energies locked in a deadly clash.

  For a moment, my mind teetered.

  No… if I push too far, I’ll lose myself.

  But if I stopped, Elena or Lavi might die.

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  “Haaah—!!”

  I drove my power deeper into the monster’s core. It screeched, black magic boiling over as it fought back. A flash of white seared my vision.

  A surge of madness. Inside my head, two voices warred:

  “Dominate them. Drown them in Corruption.”

  “Stop! You’ll destroy everything!”

  Their clashing shrieks rattled my skull. My body quaked, crest flaring uncontrollably. Suddenly, I was draining all the black mana around me—thralls, leftover energy, everything. I even sensed it tugging at Elena and Lavi’s mana.

  “Dammit, Hyunwoo!” Elena shouted, staggering to her feet. Lavi rushed in, eyes wide, but the fierce crimson vortex around me threatened to swallow them.

  “Master, no! This will ruin us all!” Lavi cried, but I couldn’t hear her. A frenzied euphoria pulsed in my veins.

  Is… is this the greater power I wanted? No, it’ll destroy everything…

  I tried to fight it, but my vision blurred red. My consciousness slipped.

  As I nearly turned on my allies, Elena grabbed my shoulder, shaking me.

  “Snap out of it, you idiot!”

  Her desperate yell pierced the chaos. Lavi poured her core energy around me, trying to absorb or soften the crimson storm. Dimly, I sensed the huge abomination collapsing behind me, letting out a final shriek as it fell.

  But my rampage still wasn’t over. Violent surges of mana rocked the chamber, crackling in every direction.

  “Hah… hah…”

  Elena pressed in close, practically hugging me to steady my quaking form. Lavi used her own power to quell the Domination meltdown, bridging it with her red pulses. Bit by bit, they subdued my frenzy.

  At last, the heat in my palm began to cool, the wild energy subsiding like an engine grinding to a halt. My consciousness slowly returned.

  I sank to my knees, gasping for air. Elena dropped beside me, drenched in sweat, while Lavi’s face was pale with exhaustion.

  “Damn… I nearly lost it,” I muttered, hating how close I’d come.

  Elena scoffed in a half-furious, half-relieved way: “Idiot.”

  Lavi pouted, tears in her eyes. “Master, don’t ever do that again! You nearly killed us!”

  Still, the dark sorcerers were either dead or fled, and the monstrous boss lay in pieces. The chamber shook—probably linked to the dungeon’s heart. A collapse was imminent.

  “We can’t stay here,” Elena urged. “It’s coming down.”

  I clenched my teeth, forcing the lingering mania away. We sprinted for an exit, the ground crumbling beneath us. Lavi used her core senses to dodge falling rubble; Elena fought off stray monsters despite her injuries, and I struggled to keep my Domination from going berserk again.

  Finally, we burst into a corridor that led out of the dungeon’s heart. Dim light filtered through, enough to reveal a safe space. We collapsed onto the floor, barely alive.

  “Hah… hah…”

  Catching her breath, Elena cast me a glare.

  “Now you see… if you use that power selfishly, you’ll drag us all down.”

  I bowed my head, recalling how unstoppable that red mania felt.

  “Yeah… sorry. I really lost control.”

  Lavi tried to defend me. “But if not for Master’s strength, that thing might have killed us.” Elena’s expression stayed complicated.

  We took a moment to rest, hearts pounding. Without these two… I’d be dead. A “harem party,” sure, but right now we were just three people struggling to survive together.

  As we stood to leave, we saw the boss monster’s corpse half-buried in the rubble behind us. All that remained was to gather any intel we could and get out of this cursed Abyss, at least for now. We needed rest—and to plan for the dark magic threat ahead.

  Elena murmured under her breath, “I ended up relying on your power again, huh? I… don’t hate it, but…” Her expression mixed shame and frustration.

  Lavi shot a jealous glance.

  So this is what a harem-style rivalry looks like?

  But guilt gnawed at me, overshadowing whatever small thrill I felt.

  “Don’t push yourself like that again,” Elena warned, voice strained. “Next time, it might be too late.”

  Lavi chimed in, “Master, I’ll help you more, so this doesn’t happen again!”

  I was caught between them—exhausted from the fight, weighed down by regret. My Domination power had almost destroyed us… and we’d need it again soon.

  —End of Chapter 7