"Kael... your body isn't ready. If you push further, it might destroy you."
The System's voice echoed like whispers in a storm, but Kael no longer listened. The pain had become familiar, almost welcoming. The dungeon's stone walls pulsed with energy, and Kael's blood steamed as black tendrils coiled along his veins, feeding him corrupted mana.
A week had passed since Kael first awakened the Shadowborn System. In that time, he hadn't left the underground ruin he'd stumbled into. No sunlight. No time. Just endless system quests, skill upgrades, and combat drills within the memory echoes of the ruin's previous owner a forgotten dark sovereign whose fury still lingered in the stones.
Kael had completed every trial the system threw at him. He bled, broke bones, even fainted once. But now, his stats had grown exponentially. His once-pale skin now had faint shadowmarks crawling from his shoulders to his collarbone. His eyes gleamed faint purple in the dark.
"Shadowborn Trait [Pain Conversion] leveled up. Incoming pain is now converted into 18% bonus attack power."
He gritted his teeth as his right arm cracked, flesh tearing slightly as the shadows shifted beneath his skin. He'd just completed the [Burden of the Forgotten] trial, which drained every ounce of mana and health to forge a new core inside him.
His chest pulsed with heat as a new message blinked.
"You have unlocked: Shadow Core (Unstable) Effect: Grants access to Tier 1 Shadow Spells Warning: Core not compatible with standard magical flow. Mutation risk: HIGH"
Kael laughed. Not because it was funny, but because he had no choice anymore. The world didn't offer him safety or fairness. If the magic inside him burned too hot, then so be it. He'd rather be consumed by shadows than return to being powerless.
He stood up, shoulders hunched, fingers trembling. But a fire now smoldered behind his weary gaze.
A crack echoed. The sealed door of the ruin trembled, shaking dust loose from the ancient walls. Kael narrowed his eyes.
"System," he murmured, still panting. "Wasn't this place hidden?"
"Affirmative. Disturbance detected. Three mana signatures approaching. All armed."
Kael's heart froze. His first visitors.
He dashed to a nearby alcove, crouching low behind a jagged pillar. The air tensed as footsteps neared, echoing in from the entry tunnel. Voices followed.
"Told you the spike came from here. Whatever relic this place holds, it's not dormant."
"I sense death magic. It reeks. Are we sure this is safe?"
"Doesn't matter. The Duke said to find whoever triggered it. Kill them if necessary."
Kael's jaw clenched. The Duke. His uncle.
They'd found him.
The three figures stepped into view cloaked in noble hunter armor, with glowing sigils on their chests. Shadowbreakers. Elite enforcers who hunted forbidden magic.
Kael slowly extended his hand. Dark mist swirled around his fingers.
"System," he whispered, voice sharp. "Battle mode. Give me everything."
"Confirmed. Activating Shadow Combat Protocol. Mana Surge initiated."
His vision sharpened. The room dimmed, except for silhouettes painted in glowing blue—highlighting his enemies.
He launched from his hiding spot like a viper.
First strike—he swept low, a blade of shadow extending from his wrist, slashing at the nearest soldier's knee. The man screamed, crumpling as Kael spun to face the second.
"[Shadow Grasp]," he hissed.
Tendrils erupted from the floor, wrapping around the second attacker, crushing his ribs with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered the wall.
The third one reacted faster, summoning a spear of golden light and thrusting it forward.
Kael dodged, but not fast enough. The light grazed his left shoulder, searing his skin.
Pain.
And with it, power.
"[Pain Conversion: Activated]," the system chimed.
Kael's counterattack was brutal. He grabbed the man by the neck and unleashed a torrent of black flame from his other hand. The soldier's scream didn't last long.
As silence returned to the ruin, Kael dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
His shoulder throbbed, but he didn't care. Not anymore.
"System," he croaked. "Loot them. Absorb everything."
"Processing… Three souls absorbed. You have gained: +200 EXP +Skill Fragment: Holy Resistance +Item: Mana Cloak (Damaged)"
Kael looked at the bodies. These men were stronger than the average soldier. If the Duke had already sent his Shadowbreakers, then this was no longer just a manhunt.
It was war.
"Let them come," he muttered. "I'll bury them all."
His shadow stretched unnaturally across the ground, as if the dungeon itself bowed before him.
The Sovereign wasn't coming.
He was being born.