Days passed.
Auron kept training under the Warden. The sessions grew harder. Every day was filled with sweat, bruises, and pain. But he didn't quit. He couldn't. He had a goal now, and nothing else mattered.
The other slaves had started to notice. Some avoided him. Others watched him with fear in their eyes. Even the guards spoke less when he was near.
Auron didn't care what they thought.
He was changing.
He was growing.
He was no longer the weak prince who begged for mercy.
He was becoming something else.
That night, the system returned.
\[Level Up: 3 → 4]
\[Stat Points: +5]
\[Skill Upgrade: Shadow Step – Level 2 Unlocked]
He closed his eyes and let the feeling sink in. His body felt stronger, his movements sharper. He could hear better in the dark. His steps barely made a sound now.
Then something strange happened.
\[Main Quest: The Forsaken Monarch – Stage One Complete]
\[Unlocking Stage Two...]
\[Title Gained: Shadowbound]
\[Hidden Trait Activated: The Abyss Remembers You]
\[Warning: The Abyss has taken notice]
Auron frowned.
The Abyss?
Before he could think more, the ground shook.
At first it was small, like a tremble. But then the walls groaned, and the crystals around the mine dimmed. Dust fell from the ceiling. Slaves screamed. Guards shouted.
Even the Warden looked tense.
"That wasn't a normal quake," he muttered.
Auron stood and listened.
There was something below them. He could feel it now.
Alive.
Moving.
Waiting.
The next morning, the Warden called for a meeting. Only a few trusted men were there — and Auron.
"There's a sealed gate beneath the lowest tunnel," the Warden said. "We were told by the high priests never to open it. Last night, it shifted."
Auron asked, "What's behind it?"
"No one knows. But it hasn't moved in over a hundred years."
He turned to Auron.
"You're going to check it."
"Alone?" Auron asked.
The Warden nodded.
"You're the only one who can see with the system. If it's a threat, you kill it. If it's something useful… you bring it back."
Auron didn't ask more questions.
He had already made up his mind.
---
An hour later, he stood at the gate.
It was made of stone and carved with old runes. Faint red lines pulsed across it like veins. The air around it felt cold, but not from the wind. It was something deeper.
Auron touched the stone.
\[System Sync Detected]
\[Abyssal Seal Weak – 13% Remaining]
\[Cursed Path Identified – Entry Allowed]
The gate began to move.
It groaned, then slowly slid open.
Cold air poured out from the dark hallway beyond.
Auron stepped in without fear.
The door closed behind him.
---
The stairway was narrow and silent. No lights. No sound. Just darkness and the feeling of being watched.
Auron kept moving.
He walked down hundreds of steps, maybe more. The air grew colder. The pressure on his chest grew heavier. He had to force himself to breathe.
Then he heard something.
A whisper.
Faint. Like someone speaking from deep inside his mind.
He stopped.
"Who's there?" he asked aloud.
No answer.
Only the whisper, growing louder.
He reached for his dagger.
A soft glow appeared in the dark ahead — pale blue. It pulsed like a heartbeat.
Auron stepped forward slowly.
What he saw made him stop in his tracks.
In the center of the next chamber, there was a massive crystal.
Cracked. Bleeding blue mist.
And inside it…
A figure.
A person, trapped in the crystal, eyes closed, floating.
Auron's heartbeat slowed.
\[System Warning: Abyssal Being Detected]
\[Name: ???]
\[Threat Level: Unknown]
\[Status: Sealed – Weakening]
Auron stepped closer.
Then the whisper returned — clear this time.
"So… you are the one... reborn in chains… cursed by betrayal…"
Auron clenched his fists.
"Who are you?"
The crystal pulsed again.
"We are the same," the voice said. "Forsaken. Forgotten. But not broken."
The air grew colder.
\[Hidden Quest Activated: The Voice Beneath]
\[Objective: Decide – Awaken the Abyssal One or Seal It Forever]
\[Reward: ???]
Auron stared at the crystal.
He could feel the power inside it. Dark. Wild. Alive.
This thing could give him strength.
Or destroy him.
He stepped forward.
And made his choice.