Chapter 5: The Path to Power

Raon's steps echoed through the dungeon, each one sending a ripple through the lingering shadows at his feet. The air felt different now—charged with something ancient and malevolent. He could sense it, the darkness that had been awakened within him, beckoning him deeper into the unknown.

Jae-Hyun was still behind him, but his voice was barely a whisper. "Raon, are you sure you're okay? You've... changed. That power, it's like nothing I've ever seen."

Raon didn't respond immediately. He couldn't. The words stuck in his throat as the reality of what had just happened continued to settle over him. His body felt stronger, his mind clearer, sharper. But more than that, there was something else—something far darker.

He glanced back at his teammate, his face unreadable. "It's not about whether I'm okay. It's about surviving."

Jae-Hyun faltered for a moment, but then nodded, his face filled with a mixture of awe and fear. Raon didn't care. They were both still alive, and that was enough—for now.

The rest of the dungeon stretched before them, its narrow corridors twisting into an endless labyrinth. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the air became. Raon could feel it, too—the danger was intensifying. Every step forward felt like stepping into the mouth of a beast ready to swallow them whole.

[System Alert: New Dungeon Tier Detected.]

The notification flickered in front of Raon's eyes. It was a strange thing, seeing these messages—like he was part of some game he didn't sign up for. But it was real. It was his reality now.

"Raon…" Jae-Hyun's voice was laced with panic now. "There's something up ahead. I can feel it."

Raon nodded, his eyes narrowing as he focused. He could feel it, too—an invisible presence that seemed to loom just beyond their sight. And it was growing stronger by the second.

The darkness within him thrummed.

[You have entered the Abyssal Depths.]

Before Raon could process the warning, a screech echoed through the hall.

A wave of monsters flooded from the shadows—creatures Raon had never seen before. Their bodies were cloaked in darkness, their eyes glowing with an eerie green light. They resembled twisted versions of normal beasts, but each one seemed more alien, more unpredictable.

Raon reacted instantly. The shadows around him seemed to pulse, responding to his will.

[Shadow Step Activated.]

He vanished, the world around him becoming a blur of dark mist as he traveled from one shadow to another. He reappeared behind the nearest beast, its head already cocked to face him. With a smooth motion, Raon drove his dagger into its skull.

[Critical Hit!]

The creature crumpled to the ground, dead before it even had a chance to scream. But Raon didn't stop. He couldn't.

The Abyss Walker was just getting started