Kieran gasped as he opened his eyes. But instead of the dungeon he remembered, he found himself in an endless void of darkness. The shadows around him writhed, whispering in an ancient, unintelligible language.

  [You have entered the Abyssal Domain.]

  A strange sensation coursed through his body. He felt no pain, no exhaustion—only an overwhelming power surging through his veins. When he looked at his hands, he saw them shrouded in thick black mist. The mist moved as if it had a will of its own.

  "What... is this place?" he murmured, his voice echoing.

  [You have made a pact with the Abyss. The power of shadows is now at your command.]

  Suddenly, the darkness before him shifted, forming a humanoid silhouette. Its crimson eyes glowed, and just its presence was enough to make Kieran’s skin crawl.

  "Who are you?" he asked, steadying himself as he stood up.

  [You are now bound to the Sovereignty of Shadows. I am merely a fragment of its will. And you… are its new heir.]

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  Kieran swallowed hard. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into. But one thing was certain—he was no longer the pathetic F-rank hunter everyone saw him as.

  The shadows around him pulsed and reshaped themselves. When Kieran raised his hands, blades of darkness materialized around him. He realized he could control them with mere thought. With a few minor movements, he began testing their responsiveness. At first, it was clumsy, but after several attempts, he was able to wield them freely.

  [Your ability: Shadow Weapons has been activated.]

  As he tried to grasp this newfound power, another strange sensation formed within him. The shadows around him seemed to obey his will. When he took a step forward, his body suddenly dissolved into the darkness and reappeared several meters away.

  His eyes widened in astonishment. This wasn’t just speed... he was literally moving through the shadows!

  [Your ability: Shadow Step has been activated.]

  He tested it again, teleporting to another spot. His body merged with the shadows and reemerged seamlessly. Now, he wasn’t just going to fight—he would dominate the battlefield with absolute mobility.

  But just then, another figure emerged from the shadows. This one was different from the previous entity—larger, more menacing. Its eyes were pure white, and its form was a constantly shifting mass of shadows.

  [Trial Commencing. Survive or be erased.]

  As the system’s cold notification rang out, Kieran took a battle stance. The Abyss had granted him power, but now, it was going to test him.

  His first real fight was about to begin.