The moon over Valoria burned red that night.
Not from fire or fog—but from something pulsing within the heavens themselves.
Lin Xuan stood atop a ruined watchtower on the outskirts of the city, watching the sky twist as if breathing.
Even the stars looked wrong—stretching, shifting, forming patterns that shouldn't exist.
[ System Warning: External Distortion Detected ]
[ Source: Abyssal Rift Signature – Type Unknown ]
[ Estimated Power: Exceeds Regional Threshold ]
His hands trembled slightly. Not from fear, but from resonance.
The same energy that leaked from the Rift now hummed inside him.
He exhaled slowly.
"It's calling me."
The Rift Returns
The world had known peace from demonic invasions for almost fifty years.
Since the War of Collapse, no major Rift had opened near Valoria.
Until now.
A massive crack in reality shimmered above the southern district—an oval of shifting red and black light.
From within it, faint whispers echoed, pulling at the edges of every assassin's senses.
[ Emergency Guild Broadcast ]
[ Warning: Rift-Class Unknown Detected – All Units Mobilize ]
Even the Guild, still fractured from the recent betrayal, couldn't ignore this.
Every assassin, hunter, and mage in the city turned their gaze toward the Rift.
And Lin Xuan—
felt it staring back.
The Voice in the Rift
He moved across the rooftops, shadows coiling at his feet as he neared the epicenter.
The Rift's light flickered, reflecting off shattered glass and wet cobblestone.
The closer he got, the louder the whisper became—until it wasn't just sound, but language.
"So… you've come home."
Lin Xuan froze mid-step.
The voice didn't echo from the Rift.
It spoke inside his head.
"I know your scent. I remember the one who carried my shard."
A surge of realization hit him.
"The fragment I absorbed…"
"Yes. You carry a piece of me, shadow-born. My will sleeps inside your flesh."
The air vibrated. A humanoid form began to emerge from the Rift—
tall, thin, draped in armor that seemed woven from darkness itself. Its face was a blank mask, its voice a chorus.
"I am Aldir, the Bound One—the Abyss that was sealed beneath your world."
The Contact
The pressure was overwhelming. Even breathing became effort.
His System flickered violently, struggling to process the energy around him.
[ System Instability Detected ]
[ Abyssal Connection: Forced Sync Attempt ]
[ Synchronization Rate: 64% → 70% → 76% ]
Pain shot through Lin Xuan's body, sharp and electric.
His vision warped—the city fading, the Rift expanding—until all he could see was a vast ocean of black, filled with countless glowing eyes.
"You've tasted power, assassin," Aldir whispered.
"But you wield my hunger without understanding. Let me show you what you could become."
The shadow extended its hand.
Lin Xuan gritted his teeth. "You want to use me."
"Use? No. I want you to evolve."
The Rift pulsed, and darkness spilled across the street like a living flood.
[ Forced Integration Initiated ]
[ Warning: Abyssal Overload Risk – 87% ]
Resistance
Lin Xuan's knees buckled, every muscle screaming.
The shadows under him writhed, trying to consume him entirely.
He dug his daggers into the ground, anchoring himself.
The System flickered again.
[ Override Detected – User Resistance: Active ]
[ Countermeasure Engaged: Shadow Dominion Full Release ]
Dark energy exploded outward.
The flood of abyssal essence met his own and clashed violently, the shockwave flattening the ruins around him.
The Rift trembled.
"You resist?" Aldir's tone shifted—amusement, then interest.
"Then show me, little assassin. Show me your dominion."
The Clash of Abyss and Shadow
The night sky tore open in a storm of black light.
Lin Xuan's Shadow Dominion expanded to its limit, covering half the southern district in pure darkness.
Every shadow, every reflection, every speck of night bent toward him like loyal soldiers.
And through it all, the abyssal figure laughed.
"Good. Very good."
He moved—
and for a moment, Lin Xuan moved with him. Their powers collided, mirror against mirror, abyss against assassin.
The air screamed. The ground melted. The city lights flickered out entirely.
Then—
Silence.
The Rift shrank. The presence withdrew.
Aldir's fading voice echoed through Lin Xuan's mind.
"You cannot escape what you are, shadow-born. When the seal breaks, you will stand at my side—or beneath my feet."
Aftermath
Lin Xuan dropped to one knee, panting.
The streets were empty, the Rift gone—but the air still smelled of burning mana.
[ System Update: Partial Synchronization Achieved ]
[ Passive Evolution 76% → 81% ]
[ Trait Mutation: Shadow Dominion → Abyssal Dominion (Partial) ]
He stared at his hand.
The veins beneath his skin glowed faintly red before fading.
"Aldir…" he whispered. "So that's what's behind all of this."
The first demon god had spoken.
And now, Lin Xuan's name was carved into the Abyss itself.
Status Panel
Name: Lin Xuan
Level: 25
Profession: Assassin (C-Class)
Talent: SSS – Silent Killer
Passive: Soul Convergence (Stable – Abyssal Resonance 81%)
Trait: Abyssal Dominion (Partial)
Skills: [ Dagger Mastery IV ], [ Phantom Stride II ], [ Shadow Manifestation ], [ Abyssal Sense II ]
Hidden Quest: 10 / 100 Perfect Assassinations
Next Evolution: Shadow Reaper (Locked)
Strength: 36
Agility: 40
Perception: 33