The air in the S-Rank Dungeon, The Serpent's Maw, tasted like ozone and rotting meat.
Leo coughed, wiping a mixture of soot and blood from his eyes. His "Cleaner" jumpsuit, once bright yellow, was now a tattered rag of filth. Around him, the elite members of the Silver Dawn guild were celebrating. They had just downed the Mid-Boss, a three-headed Chimera, with surgical precision.
"Good job, everyone!" called out Marcus, the Guild Leader. His golden armor shone even in the dim light of the dungeon. He looked every bit the hero the news portrayed him to be.
Leo dragged a heavy disposal bag toward the Chimera's carcass. His job was simple: harvest the mana crystals and stay out of the way. As a Tier-0 Awakened, his only power was 'Enhanced Stamina'—basically, he was a human mule.
"Hey, Trash-can," one of the mages sneered, kicking a pile of guts toward Leo. "Make sure you get every shard. We're not leaving a single cent behind for a loser like you."
Leo didn't look up. He was used to it. He just needed the paycheck to keep his sister's hospital bills paid.
"Everyone, gather around the altar," Marcus commanded, his voice echoing. "The gate to the Inner Sanctum is opening."
Leo followed at a distance, lugging the heavy bags. But as they reached the massive obsidian doors of the Sanctum, Marcus stopped and turned. The hero's smile was gone. In its place was a cold, predatory look that Leo had never seen before.
"You know, Leo," Marcus said softly. "The requirements for the final boss are... specific. It requires a sacrifice. A soul of someone 'Awakened,' but insignificant enough that no one will come looking."
Leo froze. A cold shiver ran down his spine. "Marcus? What are you talking about?"
"The guild is expensive, Leo. The city needs more high-rank gear. And the Altar only accepts fresh blood."
Before Leo could move, the guild's top assassin, a woman named Raven, appeared behind him. A jagged obsidian dagger flashed in the darkness.
Squelch.
The blade sank deep into Leo's lower back, twisting upward toward his lungs.
"Guh—" Leo's knees hit the stone floor. The world began to spin. He looked up and saw the rest of the guild—people he had worked with for three years—simply watching. Some looked bored. Some were smiling.
"Don't take it personally," Raven whispered in his ear, her voice like silk. "You were always just a parasite, Leo. At least now, you're finally useful."
Marcus walked over and kicked Leo's bleeding body into the center of the ritual circle. The obsidian floor began to glow with a sickly, purple light.
"Close the doors," Marcus ordered. "Let the trash burn."
The massive stone doors slammed shut, plunging Leo into absolute darkness. He lay there, gasping for air, feeling his life force being sucked into the floor. His vision blurred. His heart slowed.
Is this it? he thought, a sudden, white-hot rage flaring in his chest. I worked for them. I bled for them. And they threw me away like a broken tool?
[System Initialization...]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed inside his skull.
[Detecting Extreme Malice...] [Detecting Dying Host... Soul Compatibility: 99.9%] [Host 'Leo' has been offered as a Sacrifice.] [Sacrifice Rejected.]
Leo's eyes snapped open. The purple light of the altar turned a violent, abyssal black.
[The Obsidian System has found its Monarch.] [First Quest: Survive the Betrayal.] [Reward: The Forbidden Bloodline.]
[Do you accept?]
Leo felt the wound in his back begin to knit together, not with flesh, but with something cold and hard. He gritted his teeth, his fingers clawing into the stone.
"Accept," he hissed through the blood in his mouth. "I accept everything."