They call it the Abyss of the Dead—a dungeon so feared that most Hunters avoid it altogether. Even with clear skies, a chill clung to the entrance.
Unlike typical dungeons, this one mixed above- and below-ground ruins. Its upper levels were like scattered remnants of a fortress, but deeper in, the place turned into a maze of corridors and ancient structures.
“Not many Hunters around,” I noted, scanning the surroundings. A small makeshift camp squatted nearby, the faces inside grim. Rumor had it an A-rank team vanished here recently.
Elena glared at the gaping entrance.
“No surprise. Anyone who comes here might never come out.”
She still bore a faint dark mark on her arm. It wasn’t fully cured, but thanks to our repeated use of my crest, she seemed stable for now.
“Only one way in, right?” she said. “No point waiting around.”
She led the way. I gripped my dagger, heart pounding, the crest on my palm simmering with warmth.
This won’t be easy…
We took a few steps in and immediately spotted a tunnel sloping underground. The floor was stained with old blood, the walls gouged with deep claw marks.
How many Hunters have died here?
Elena took a shaky breath.
“You feel that? The air… it’s thick.”
“Yeah. Feels… heavy.”
It was a different sort of mana density, almost like a “corruption” hung in the atmosphere. Maybe the dark magic source we sought really was here.
Carefully, we slipped past crumbling stone pillars, checking every nook. That’s when we found fragments of red crystals embedded in the ground—brighter and more ominous than standard monster cores.
Elena crouched, examining them. “These crystals usually appear near a dungeon core or its heart.”
“A dungeon core, huh… So the real trouble might be deeper in.”
I touched one piece. It felt warm, a static-like tingle coursing through my fingertips. Elena pocketed it, grimacing.
“Planning to sell it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “It’s… unsettling. Might carry some nasty curse.”
We decided not to keep it. If more shards lay ahead, it likely meant a powerful core lurked somewhere below.
As the corridor widened, hinting at a bigger chamber, we sensed something off. We exchanged glances and ducked low.
Hunched silhouettes staggered in the darkness, coughing out eerie, choked growls.
“Are those monsters?” I whispered. Elena nodded grimly.
“They don’t look normal. Could be experimental failures twisted by dark magic.”
We inched closer, counting four or five approaching shapes. Human-wolf hybrids, twisted beyond recognition. Black fumes seeped through cracks in their peeling skin.
“Do we avoid them… or fight?” Elena’s voice was barely audible.
We didn’t have a guaranteed safe route. I tightened my grip on my dagger and chose.
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“Let’s break through. They’ve probably already sensed us.”
They screeched and lunged. I slashed at the first creature, but its elongated claws knocked my blade aside. Not especially strong, but fast as hell.
“Gah—!”
It wasn’t easy to pin a rank on them. Either way, they were no pushovers. Elena conjured a mana blade—a bit unstable due to her residual dark magic, but her combat instincts were razor-sharp.
“Take this!”
Her strike hit home, the beast howling and spewing blackened blood. But two more rushed in. I felt my crest burn in my palm.
My Domination… maybe I can disrupt them.
I thrust out my hand on reflex. Crimson energy rippled forth, binding one monster. It froze, confused. I seized the opening, slitting its throat.
Elena nearly took down another but staggered with exhaustion.
“Damn… one more left!”
The final creature, half-feral, scuttled up the wall at breakneck speed, aiming right for Elena. I sprinted after it, but it was already raising a claw to strike—
“Elena!”
She spun at the last second, trying to drive her blade into it, but our footing tangled. We tumbled, nearly crashing to the floor. My crest flared again, sending a red surge into the monster’s skull.
“Ghhrrrr—!”
It collapsed, drained of energy, and Elena struck the finishing blow. The beast slumped into a lifeless heap.
We panted, bruised and trembling. It might’ve seemed like a small skirmish, but in this Abyss, we could run into tougher hordes at any moment.
As we checked for safety, a faint voice drifted through the corridor—soft, almost childlike.
“…help… me…”
“You heard that?” Elena muttered, jabbing my side. We strained our ears.
Sure enough, someone or something was calling out. Who else could possibly be alive down here?
We followed the voice to a rusted iron door, bound by heavy chains. A faint red glow seeped through the cracks, suggesting something significant lay within.
Elena tugged with all her might, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Without a hammer or something to smash it, we’re stuck.”
Peering through a narrow gap, I saw a flicker of crimson light inside. I tried focusing my Domination crest, but it couldn’t simply break physical chains.
“Damn it… how do we get in?”
That voice echoed again, barely audible.
“…in here… help…”
Whoever it was seemed too weak to speak louder. Elena bit her lip.
“Maybe we go back, get explosives or some special tool.”
“Breaking in now doesn’t look possible.”
The voice faded into silence. Elena exhaled softly.
“If someone’s in there, we should save them. But we don’t have a way right now. Let’s mark this place and look for another path.”
We scratched a small mark on the door frame. Searching nearby passages yielded nothing but deeper routes and a dangerous drop into lower levels. No alternative entrance to that sealed room.
Eventually, we came upon an old tower-like chamber. In its center stood a massive door covered in ominous symbols, all reminiscent of dark magic rituals.
Elena stared at it, face grim.
“This looks like the same seal as that locked door. Probably the way into the deeper layers.”
“A seal, huh… So we have to get through here if we want to go on.”
I ran my hand over the door’s carvings, sensing a sinister mana pulse behind it.
“We should prepare. If we force it open now, it could be disastrous.”
She nodded. Breaking the seal likely required a specific key or incantation.
“Seems like the real adventure starts here,” Elena murmured, glancing at my palm.
“Maybe your domination can break this seal, but we need to be stronger first.”
We took a moment to catch our breath, the door looming over us like a warning. A cursed wind seemed to seep from the cracks, as if something inside was calling.
That small, pleading voice felt closer to the heart of this Abyss. Standing before the great door, I muttered under my breath, almost like a vow:
Who’s calling for help… and what are they hiding in there?
What are we about to face?
—End of Chapter 5