Chapter 5: The Path Beyond the Chains

  The rusted doors loomed before them, their ancient weight pressing against the silence of the chamber. The chains that had bound them were gone, dissolved into nothingness the moment Lior absorbed the Forsaken Acolyte’s essence. The pulsing runes had dimmed, and now only the eerie quiet remained.

  Lior tightened his grip on the Abyssal Dredge Summoning stone, feeling its dark energy thrumming against his palm. A summoning skill… it was unlike anything he had ever possessed.

  Sylwen eyed the door warily. “Whatever’s behind there, it’s been locked away for a reason.”

  Lior nodded, exhaling slowly. “We came here looking for answers. No turning back now.”

  He placed his hand against the cold iron, pushing. The doors groaned in protest before slowly, painfully, parting. A rush of stale air poured out from the darkness beyond, carrying the scent of decay and something deeper—something wrong.

  Beyond the threshold, a spiral staircase carved from obsidian stone twisted downward into the abyss. Pale, ghostly torches flickered to life along the walls, casting eerie blue light onto the smooth, polished steps.

  Sylwen stepped in beside him. “We move carefully. If this place was sealed, then whatever lies at the bottom…” She trailed off, her bow already drawn.

  Lior didn’t need her to finish. He could feel it—something was waiting for them.

  Descent into the Abyss

  The air grew heavier with every step downward. A deep hum resonated through the stone, like a distant heartbeat. It made Lior’s skin prickle, his instincts on edge.

  Halfway down, the walls changed. The smooth obsidian gave way to carvings—ancient depictions of figures cloaked in shadow, their hands raised in worship toward a towering, monstrous form. Runes lined the images, written in a script Lior had never seen before.

  Sylwen ran her fingers over the inscriptions. “This isn’t elven. It’s older.”

  Lior studied the carvings, an unsettling familiarity creeping through him. The monstrous figure depicted—it wasn’t just some ancient god.

  It was something infernal.

  The realization sent a shiver down his spine. His infernal blood had always been a mystery, a thing the elves had sheltered him from. But what if it was tied to this place?

  Before he could dwell on the thought, a sound echoed from below—a deep, guttural growl.

  Both he and Sylwen froze.

  Then, the shadows ahead shifted.

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  From the darkness of the stairwell emerged a hulking figure, its body composed of writhing tendrils and jagged bone. Hollow eyes glowed with pale green light, and as it exhaled, a thick fog rolled out from its gaping maw.

  [Abyssal Warden – Level 14]

  Lior barely had time to react before it lunged.

  He twisted out of the way as razor-sharp claws scraped against the stone where he had stood moments before. Sylwen fired an arrow, striking the warden’s shoulder, but the creature barely flinched.

  Lior countered, his daggers flashing.

  [Twin Fang Strike] Activated.

  His blades found flesh—or whatever passed for it—but the moment they sank in, the creature’s body contorted unnaturally, tendrils wrapping around his arms like living chains.

  A pulse of energy shot through him. His vision swam. His body went rigid.

  Paralysis Resistance Failed. Movement Restricted.

  “Lior!” Sylwen’s voice cut through the haze, but he couldn’t respond. His limbs wouldn’t obey. The warden’s hollow eyes bore into him, and he knew—if he didn’t break free, it would be over.

  A dark instinct flared within him.

  Devour. Take. Consume.

  Lior didn’t hesitate.

  [Abyssal Dredge Summoning] Activated.

  The skill stone in his palm shattered, and from the fragments, darkness erupted. A churning mass of abyssal tendrils clawed its way into existence beside him, taking the shape of a monstrous, eel-like wraith with gleaming, black fangs.

  The Abyssal Dredge screeched, lunging at the warden.

  The tendrils holding Lior loosened as the warden recoiled, its hollow gaze flicking to the new threat. That moment of distraction was all Lior needed.

  [Shadowstep] Activated.

  In an instant, he vanished from the creature’s grasp and reappeared behind it, his daggers already mid-swing.

  His blades tore through the warden’s exposed back. This time, there was no resistance.

  A shriek echoed through the stairwell as the creature collapsed, its form unraveling into mist.

  Lior staggered back, panting. The Abyssal Dredge hovered beside him, its shifting, amorphous form still pulsing with energy. It let out a low, gurgling growl before slowly dissolving, its time in this realm spent.

  Sylwen lowered her bow, exhaling. “That was new.”

  Lior wiped his brow, steadying himself. “Yeah. It was.”

  And it had felt… natural. The summon hadn’t resisted him. It had obeyed his call without hesitation.

  But there was something else.

  The moment the Abyssal Warden fell, Lior had felt a pull—an instinctual hunger. He knelt beside the dissipating mist of the slain creature and pressed his palm to the fading essence.

  Essence Absorbed.

  Progress to Evolution: 68%

  Stronger. Every battle, every kill—it brought him closer.

  Sylwen watched, her expression unreadable. “It’s happening faster now.”

  Lior clenched his fists. “I know.”

  And for the first time, he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

  The Door to the Unknown

  They resumed their descent, the weight of the dungeon pressing heavier upon them. The carvings along the walls grew more erratic, more frenzied. Whatever this place was, it had been built by those who worshipped something—something locked away for a reason.

  Finally, the staircase ended, opening into a massive underground chamber.

  At the center stood a second door—twice as large as the one above, its surface covered in pulsating black veins. Unlike the previous door, this one was alive.

  Lior could feel it breathing.

  Sylwen exhaled slowly. “This… doesn’t feel like the end.”

  “No,” Lior agreed, eyes locked onto the ominous structure. “It feels like the beginning.”

  The weight of his evolution pressed upon him, the hunger still whispering in the back of his mind.

  Whatever lay beyond this door—it would change everything.