Chapter 3:Deal with the dark

Azrael's fingers burned as he clung to the rusted chain, his body trembling with exhaustion. Every movement sent jolts of pain through his limbs, but the alternative—falling—was far worse.

Below him, the Abyssal Stalker let out a guttural snarl, its grotesque limbs scraping against the jagged rocks. Its countless black eyes gleamed hungrily, locking onto him like a predator savoring its meal.

> [SYSTEM NOTICE]

Survival Challenge: Escape the Abyss (Penalty: Disintegration)

Time Remaining: 07:21

His breathing was ragged. His mind screamed for him to stop, but he forced his body to keep moving. Hand over hand, he pulled himself upward, every muscle screaming in protest. The ledge was still far above.

> [SYSTEM WARNING]

Stamina Depleting: 79% → 62% → 45%...

"Shit."

His vision blurred for a split second, and his grip slipped. His right hand lost hold.

Azrael's stomach lurched as he dropped a few inches, his fingers scraping against rusted metal before he barely caught himself with his left hand. The impact sent a sharp, numbing pain up his arm.

Below, the Stalker leaped.

A blur of twisted limbs and gnashing teeth surged toward him.

Azrael had no time to react.

A single instinct drove him—move or die.

Twisting midair, he reached out with everything he had. His fingers clamped onto the chain just as the creature's claws sliced through the empty space where his legs had been a second ago.

Too close.

His breath came in ragged gasps as he swung wildly, dangling like a broken marionette. The Stalker landed below him, seething, its body coiling for another jump.

"I won't survive another one."

His arms felt like lead. His body was at its absolute limit. The system kept warning him that his stamina was running out, but there was nowhere to rest, nowhere to hide.

Then—

A voice.

Soft. Cold. Amused.

"Well now… You're an interesting one, aren't you?"

Azrael's eyes widened.

The voice didn't come from the Stalker. It came from inside his own mind.

A new notification appeared, but something was wrong. The text flickered, letters twisting and rearranging in unnatural patterns.

> [SYSTEM ALERT: ??? ENTITY DETECTED]

Unknown Presence Seeking Connection…

Accept? [Y/N]

"What the hell is this?" Azrael's mind reeled. He had no idea what accepting meant—or what this 'unknown entity' even was.

But his fingers were slipping. His body was breaking. The Stalker was preparing for another leap.

He had no choice.

With a deep breath, he whispered, "Yes."

The moment he accepted, everything changed.

The world around him warped. The shadows stretched unnaturally, twisting like living things. The air grew heavy, suffocating, as if something vast and unseen had just stepped inside him.

A chilling laugh echoed in his skull.

"Now, now… Let's make things more interesting, shall we?"

The system glitched. The interface shattered and reformed, new words bleeding into the notifications like dripping ink.

> [SYSTEM UPDATE: CONTRACT INITIATED]

New Ability Acquired: ???

Effect: Survive at Any Cost.

Azrael gasped as raw power surged through his veins. His muscles tightened. His exhaustion faded. His grip steadied.

And then his body moved on its own.

Before he could even think, his arms lunged upward with unnatural speed. His fingers latched onto the chain, his movements smooth, precise, inhuman.

He was climbing.

Higher. Faster. Stronger.

The Stalker roared below, its chance slipping away. It leaped again—one final desperate attack.

Azrael didn't even look down.

At the last second, he twisted his body, dodging effortlessly, as if he had seen the attack before it even happened. The creature's claws missed by mere inches, and it crashed against the stone, screeching in frustration.

The ledge was just a few feet away. One more pull.

With a final, explosive effort, Azrael swung his body over the edge and collapsed onto solid ground.

His breath was ragged. His hands were raw, blood dripping onto the cold stone. But he was alive.

Silence settled around him. The Stalker, unable to climb, let out a furious screech before retreating into the abyss below.

Azrael lay there for a moment, chest rising and falling, his heartbeat hammering in his ears.

Then—

The voice inside him chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry, little one… You'll find out soon enough."

Azrael's fingers dug into the stone. He didn't know what he had just agreed to.

But one thing was certain—he wasn't the same anymore.