Even the deepest reaches of the Abyss of the Dead began to crumble after we defeated the boss and the dark magic cult. Lavi unleashed her core energy, destabilizing the dimension’s connections to the black mana.

  “Wait… won’t we get buried along with it?” I asked, heart pounding.

  Lavi flashed a confident grin. “The main structure will collapse like any dungeon, but I can open a path. If you help, Master, it just might work!”

  Elena, leaning on my shoulder for support, breathed heavily. “You… sure about this? You said you’re a core, right? Don’t blow the whole place up.”

  “I’m not exploding it; I’m reversing the mana flow that’s tied to leftover dark magic. Some destruction is inevitable, but I’ll make us a path!” Lavi insisted. Elena just turned away, grimacing.

  Working together, Lavi and I combined her core mana with my Domination crest, attempting to warp the walls. Finally, part of the chamber split open, revealing a temporary passage. We sensed it stabilizing enough for a chance at escape.

  “It’s working! Let’s go!”

  I grabbed Elena’s hand, and, with Lavi in the lead, we dashed through collapsing corridors. Rocks rained from the ceiling, the floor sank in places, but every time Lavi scattered her mana, a new path opened.

  Still, cracks widened unpredictably, and we nearly fell or stumbled multiple times. Lesser specters and slime-like remnants of monsters popped up to hinder us. Elena cut them down with swift blade work, while Lavi helped with ranged bursts of core magic. I used the crest to disrupt the creatures’ movements just enough so we could break through.

  Despite our exhaustion and my lingering fear of losing control, I managed not to go berserk this time. Hours later, we finally spotted daylight. Part of the wall had collapsed, letting in fresh air from the surface.

  “That’s our exit!” Elena gasped, half-collapsing with relief.

  “Yes! We made it!” Lavi cried, her voice bright with triumph.

  We spilled onto solid ground outside, gulping in the crisp, open air—a stark contrast to the murky atmosphere inside the dungeon.

  “We’re alive…” I murmured, letting the tension drain away.

  Elena sank to the ground, utterly spent, while Lavi tugged on my arm. “Master, we really did it!”

  From inside, dull crashes signaled the final collapse. The so-called Abyss of the Dead was caving in. By now, news would spread among the Hunter community that the entire dungeon had collapsed.

  “So… that’s it,” I murmured, gazing at the empty sky. For better or worse, we’d shut down the core of the black magic. A new phase would begin.

  “Master, what do we do now?” Lavi asked, tugging at my sleeve.

  “The dark-magic remnants might still be out there,” she went on. “And your Domination… it’s still unstable.”

  Elena struggled to her feet. “We should lay low for a while. If word spreads about your ‘Domination’ power or her being a core, it’ll be chaos.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, let’s recover somewhere remote, figure out our next move.”

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  And so, the three of us agreed to find temporary shelter. Despite how “harem-like” our little group might appear, the truth was that I was still uneasy about everything—my near-berserk episodes, plus the friction between Elena and Lavi.

  But then, something unexpected happened. A few days into our rest, Elena came to me and Lavi with an anxious expression.

  “I… need to leave,” she announced.

  Lavi’s eyes went wide. “What? Big sis, what are you talking about?” I asked, “Why?”

  Elena forced a neutral tone. “I’ve been relying on you too much. And seeing all this… contact, this Domination, I’m losing my grip. My feelings are all over the place.”

  I was speechless.

  “But there was no choice,” I said. “We needed to stabilize your dark magic—”

  “I know. You saved my life, I get it. But… I’m afraid I can’t stand on my own anymore, like I’m broken without you. And every time I see Lavi clinging to you… strange emotions bubble up.”

  She hung her head.

  Lavi offered, “If that’s the issue, maybe I can keep my distance—” but Elena shook her head.

  “No… you do what you want. I need time alone. Time to figure myself out.”

  She looked wounded, and it twisted my heart.

  “But going off alone could be dangerous—”

  “I’m still a Hunter. My dark magic isn’t that severe now. If fate has us meet again, so be it.”

  That night, Elena left our makeshift camp. Her last gesture was to brush her fingertips across my Domination crest. I felt her trembling.

  “I didn’t hate relying on your power,” she whispered. “So… if we meet again, maybe we’ll both be in a better place.”

  A bittersweet goodbye.

  After that, Lavi and I were left dumbfounded.

  “She really left…” Lavi mumbled, crestfallen. I was too stunned to speak. Part of me understood Elena’s perspective, how the “harem vibe” and my potent Domination might clash with her pride.

  Maybe she’ll come back one day. Or maybe this is goodbye for good.

  I clenched my fist, conflicted.

  But life goes on. Lavi and I made preparations to move again, ducking prying eyes and avoiding suspicious stares. News of the Abyss’s collapse stirred up the Hunter world, with rumors of missing A-rank parties. No one suspected us as the culprits, though, and we had no reason to volunteer that information.

  “…Master, where are we headed now?” Lavi asked, gripping my hand tightly.

  “If we try for a bigger city, the guild watchers might cause trouble,” I replied. “We’ll hide in the outskirts for a bit, then maybe head to a mid-tier Hunter town like Blackhallow.”

  “Sure! I’ll follow you anywhere. I bet Elena will come back, too!”

  She forced a bright smile, though I saw the worry behind it. I returned a shaky grin. “Yeah… maybe.”

  We drifted around the outskirts, training ourselves—Lavi developing her core abilities, me learning to curb my Domination rampages. After a few days, we arrived near Blackhallow. I packed our belongings and turned to Lavi.

  “So this is one of those Hunter towns. Could be good for gathering intel.”

  She waved her hand, eyes gleaming. “A new place always sounds fun!”

  Elena’s absence weighed on us, but we had to keep moving forward.

  “Alright. Let’s go. We won’t know what’s there until we step inside.”

  “Right!” Lavi beamed.

  And so, we set off toward Blackhallow, uncertain of what awaited. We’d survived the Abyss, but a new chapter was just beginning. With Elena gone, it was just Lavi and me… and my Domination power, still evolving—and our harem fate, still unfolding.

  —End of Chapter 8