Jin Tae-woo stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, studying his reflection. Shirtless, he could see the changes in his body more clearly. His black hair was the same as always, slightly unkempt, but his physique had improved ever since he had become a B-Rank Hunter.
His muscles were more defined, and his frame was noticeably more muscular. He had always been lean-bodied, but now, there was an apparent athletic sharpness to his build. He had never been particularly weak-looking, but this was different. His body felt denser, his movements lighter, as if he had finally stepped into the form he was meant to have.
More than that, there were no scars.
His skin was smooth and unblemished, even though he knew what had happened during the battle with Jae-sik.
He remembered it well. The way his limbs and shoulders were covered in jagged purple crystals reinforced his attacks while blocking Jae-sik's bone-like appendages. He had relied on instinct, letting his body move on its own.
And after he defeated Jae-sik…
Tae-woo frowned slightly.
He had devoured him.
Even now, he wasn't sure what to make of that.
It should have felt wrong, but at the time, it hadn't.
It had been natural.
And what was even stranger, it had satisfied him. That gnawing hunger he had been dealing with ever since waking up from the Abyssal Gate? Gone.
It wasn't just eating.
It had been something else entirely.
But right now, there was something more immediate to focus on.
Tae-woo lifted his arm, looking at his forearm.
He took a slow breath and willed it.
Almost instantly, jagged crystal spikes sprouted from beneath his skin, covering his hands and forearms in a purple-hued exoskeleton. The same eerie glow flickered along the surface of the crystalline structure, just like before.
This time, though, there was no hesitation.
It wasn't an accident.
He could control it now.
Tae-woo flexed his fingers, watching how the crystal coating moved with him, molding itself to his hands like a second skin.
Before, he had only been able to produce them in small, scattered formations, mostly along his knuckles like natural knuckledusters. Now, after devouring Jae-sik, the growth spread further, encasing his entire arms.
He narrowed his eyes, concentrating.
The spikes began to sink back, retracting into his skin like they had never been there in the first place. His flesh sealed over them effortlessly, leaving behind no scars, no marks.
Nothing.
It was like they had never existed at all.
Tae-woo exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
This ability, whatever it was, had definitely come from his time beyond the Abyssal Gate.
And he wasn't just talking about the crystals.
There was something else.
Something new.
Tae-woo clenched his fist, summoning an image in his mind.
A moment later, a blade slid out from above his wrist.
A sleek, straight sword, made entirely out of the same purple crystal, jutted forward, extending out in front of him. It was sharp, solid, and strangely familiar.
He gave it a small swing.
It reminded him of Jae-sik's bone blades.
Tae-woo frowned slightly, then concentrated again.
From his other wrist, a second identical blade emerged.
He now wielded two weapons, both conjured directly from his own body.
It didn't take a genius to put it together.
Somehow, he had absorbed Jae-sik's power.
He didn't just kill him.
He had taken something from him.
Tae-woo stared at his reflection, watching the way the crystal blades glowed faintly in the dim light.
On impulse, he struck a pose, holding both blades up in a dramatic stance.
For a moment, he tried to look intimidating, like some kind of fearsome warrior preparing for battle.
Then he caught his own expression in the mirror and immediately felt ridiculous.
"…What the hell am I doing?" he muttered, shaking his head.
With a thought, the blades retracted, vanishing back beneath his skin as if they had never been there.
He needed to test himself more.
There was a lot he didn't understand about his new abilities, but one thing was clear…
They weren't just for show.
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"An Abyssal Corruption incident?"
Upon hearing the inquiry from her Guildmaster, Park Eun-ha gave a firm nod, her expression composed as always. She stood across from Cha Min-soo, who was seated behind his polished desk, flipping through reports while listening intently. She had come to deliver an update regarding Jin Tae-woo and his recent activities, and as expected, this particular incident had already piqued Min-soo's interest.
"Yes. During a D-Rank dungeon raid that Jin Tae-woo participated in, one of the team members, Kong Jae-sik, succumbed to Abyssal Corruption. His body twisted and mutated into something monstrous," Eun-ha reported in her usual calm, clipped tone. "In the incident, five other Hunters lost their lives."
Min-soo's brows furrowed slightly as he absorbed the information.
"And the survivors?"
"Only four. Go Min-kyung, Choi Ji-hoon, Yoo Sena, and Jin Tae-woo."
At the mention of one particular name, Min-soo quirked an eyebrow, a glimmer of recognition flashing behind his glasses.
"Go Min-kyung, huh?" He murmured as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His fingers tapped lightly against the report before him. "Isn't she the illegitimate daughter of Go Haneul, the CEO of Gojin Group?" He flipped through the document briefly before giving a slight nod of approval. "And a B-Rank Hunter, no less. Interesting."
Eun-ha, ever efficient, had already anticipated the follow-up and continued with her report.
"Yes. As of late, Gojin Group has been aggressively attempting to poach high-ranking Hunters, even targeting S-Rank Hunters from various guilds, in an effort to establish their own major guild." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "Go Haneul has been quite vocal about his desire to break the monopoly held by the Six Great Guilds, stating that the dungeon industry is too centralized and that independent guilds should have more influence."
Min-soo let out a tired sigh, rubbing his temple.
"Businessmen…" he muttered, his voice laced with mild irritation. "Always chasing after profits. None of them truly understand what it means to be a Hunter, nor do they care about the bigger picture." He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "We, as Guilds, cannot afford to be divided, not when the Abyssal Gate remains unconquered." His voice grew heavier with conviction. "Even if we disagree on countless things, all the Great Guilds are united under one goal."
His dark eyes hardened, reflecting the weight of his words.
"The subjugation of the Abyssal Gate. Only then will we be free from the fear and terror it has brought upon this world."
Eun-ha silently absorbed his words before glancing down at her notes once more.
"From what I've gathered, Go Min-kyung became a Hunter against her father's wishes. Their relationship is… strained, to say the least. It appears that Go Haneul does not acknowledge her as his heir, nor does she hold any particular loyalty toward him."
Min-soo tilted his head slightly, considering the implications.
"That makes sense. Given that she was born from an affair with his mistress, it's only natural that their father-daughter dynamic is anything but warm."
At those words, Eun-ha's expression shifted, her gaze growing colder.
Min-soo immediately caught himself.
"Ah." He cleared his throat. "That was uncalled for. My apologies. It wasn't my intention to bring up a bitter topic."
Eun-ha said nothing, though the sharpness in her eyes did not immediately fade.
"Anyway," Min-soo continued, eager to move past the moment. "What happened to the survivors after the raid?"
Eun-ha returned to the matter at hand, flipping through the rest of the document.
"As per standard protocol, all survivors were required to attend mandatory therapy sessions. Trauma from an event like this could be detrimental to their future performance, and the Association wants to ensure that they remain stable enough to continue working as Hunters."
Min-soo nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Abyssal Corruption is an exceedingly rare phenomenon, but when it does happen, the results are catastrophic. A Hunter must be in a state of extreme emotional instability for it to take hold, allowing the dungeon's corruptive mana to twist them into something inhuman." He exhaled briefly before leaning back in his chair, his fingers tapping against his armrest. "We can all thank Seong-ho-nim for emphasizing the importance of mental health among Hunters. If not for him, dungeon clearing would be a far greater risk than it already is."
Abyssal Corruption was something feared among Hunters, not just because of its effects but because of what it represented. A Hunter who succumbed to it was lost, consumed by the very forces they fought against.
Had it not been for Im Seong-ho, the Guildmaster of White Lotus Guild, the issue of mental resilience among Hunters might have been overlooked. But thanks to his influence, global organizations began emphasizing psychological support, ensuring that those who ventured into dungeons did not fall prey to the whispers of the Abyss.
Min-soo clicked his tongue. "Considering that Jin Tae-woo just went through such an ordeal, perhaps we should reconsider our recruitment strategy. There's no telling how this event may have affected him psychologically." He adjusted his glasses before glancing back at Eun-ha. "From the looks of it, White Lotus Guild hasn't made their move yet, either. Even [The Saintess] has remained silent on the matter."
Eun-ha remained impassive, offering no reaction to the statement.
Her stance on the issue was clear.
She didn't care whether Jin Tae-woo joined Azure Sky or not.
As long as he could pull his own weight, she had no complaints.
----------------------------------------
Having just returned from the mandatory therapy session, Jin Tae-woo found himself in an unfamiliar predicament. For the first time in a long while, he was forced into idleness.
The failed dungeon raid, which had ended in catastrophe, had left him with no choice but to take a break from dungeon delving for at least a week, a period of forced rest mandated by the Hunter Association for all survivors of traumatic incidents.
He understood the necessity of it. They had lost half their team in that dungeon. Kong Jae-sik, one of their own, had undergone Abyssal Corruption, turning into a monstrous entity that slaughtered their comrades before meeting his own end. The entire event had been a disaster, and if things had gone differently, Tae-woo himself might not have made it out alive.
And yet, despite knowing the logic behind it, he couldn't shake off his restlessness.
With his income temporarily cut off, he would have normally been concerned about his financial situation, but fortunately, the Hunter Association had compensated him due to the failure of the dungeon raid. The payout wasn't anything extravagant, but it was enough to cover expenses for the time being.
Still, it didn't change the fact that he had nothing to do.
No dungeon raids. No way to test his new ability.
Even if he did enter a dungeon after his mandatory break, he knew he'd have to be careful. If other Hunters saw him conjuring weapons from his own body, they would start asking questions.
Questions he wasn't sure how to answer.
And sneaking into a dungeon without permission?
That was out of the question. Illegal dungeon runs were punishable by heavy fines and permanent suspension from official Hunter activities. Some cases had even resulted in arrests.
As much as Tae-woo wanted to understand the changes within him, there was little he could do about it for now.
So, he stayed home, mindlessly scrolling through his phone, looking through news articles to pass the time.
"Exclusive Interview with [The Deadeye], Jang Tae-gon, the Guildmaster of Thunder Beast Guild!"
"Iron Fang Guild Unveils a New Team Lineup! The Future of Hunter Entertainment!"
"Boddhisattva Im Seong-ho to Make an Address at the UN Assembly: A Call for a United Front."
As expected, most of the headlines were about Hunters, guilds, international affairs, rising stars, and the ever-looming Abyssal Gate. Ever since portals began appearing worldwide, the Hunter industry had become the center of global attention, and news about high-profile Hunters was as common as entertainment gossip had once been.
Then, a breaking news alert caught his attention.
"BREAKING NEWS! Abyssal Gate Appears in Brazil! South America in Crisis!"
The familiar, eldritch-hued portal filled his screen, its swirling violet mass as ominous as ever.
Tae-woo stared at the image, his mind unwillingly dragging him back to his own time inside the Abyss, that brief, nightmarish moment when he had been swallowed by the unknown.
That place…
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
That world was nothing like the dungeons he had encountered before.
It wasn't just hostile. It was wrong.
There was a presence in that place, something far beyond human comprehension.
His hand clenched into a fist, the faintest tremor running through his fingers.
The Abyss had left its mark on him.
His body was no longer the same. He could sprout crystal spikes from his flesh, reinforcing his attacks and defending himself with armor-like protrusions. But more than that, there was something far more disturbing that had changed within him.
He had developed a hunger.
A hunger so overwhelming that it had consumed his thoughts ever since he returned.
And it had only been sated once when he had devoured Kong Jae-sik.
Tae-woo exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching as he recalled the taste.
He should have felt disgusted.
He should have been horrified.
No matter how he tried to rationalize it, it was still cannibalism.
And yet…
It had been a feast.
Not just of flesh but of something more.
And after he consumed Jae-sik, he had gained a new ability.
He could sprout crystal blades from his arms, similar to how Jae-sik had conjured bone blades when he transformed. Though his were crystalline, they functioned the same way: a weapon born from his own body.
Tae-woo's eyes narrowed.
What if…
What if he could absorb the abilities of anything he devoured?
What if this was the true nature of his evolved Class?
The thought both intrigued and unsettled him.
But there was no way to test it right now.
Even if he entered another dungeon, it wasn't as if he could start eating monsters in front of his teammates. The very idea was revolting, and he knew it would horrify anyone who witnessed it.
If he wanted to explore his abilities, he would have to be careful. Very, very careful.
His apartment suddenly felt too small, the walls pressing in, his thoughts swirling too chaotically.
Staying cooped up wasn't going to help.
He needed air.
Tae-woo grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, deciding to take a walk and clear his mind.
----------------------------------------
The streets were bustling with life, filled with the endless noise of cars, chatter, and flashing advertisements of new Hunter equipment or Hunter Idols, yet Jin Tae-woo barely registered any of it. His mind was elsewhere, weighed down by the thoughts he had tried so hard to push aside.
No matter how much he tried to distract himself, no matter how often he forced himself to focus on the mundane sights and sounds around him, his thoughts always looped back to the same issue.
The dungeons.
The hunger.
The power that came with it.
Tae-woo exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple as he walked, frustrated at how he kept circling back to the same dilemma.
He needed to enter a dungeon.
More than anything, he needed a way to test this ability to confirm whether or not his theory was correct. He needed to see if, by devouring, he could inherit the traits or abilities of his prey. But even beyond that, he had an unsettling, undeniable urge that gnawed at him. A part of him didn't just want to enter a dungeon.
But there was a problem.
Dungeon regulations were strict. Hunters couldn't just walk into a dungeon alone. Every expedition required a minimum party of seven, each fulfilling a designated role. Even among the world's strongest S-Rank Hunters, solo dungeon delving was strongly discouraged. It wasn't just because of the difficulty but also because dungeons were inherently unpredictable.
A single wrong step inside a dungeon, no matter how powerful a Hunter was, could lead to death.
Which meant sneaking in alone was out of the question.
"Haa…" Tae-woo let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair as he muttered to himself. "If only this ability didn't involve eating people."
That was the most troubling part.
He wanted to grow stronger, but not like this. If his evolved Class truly required him to consume others to gain power, then what did that make him?
Sure, in theory, he could accept the idea of taking an enemy's strength. It wasn't much different from how some Hunters absorbed mana cores or ingested monster materials for temporary power boosts. But eating another living being, even if it was a monster, was something else entirely.
His stomach twisted slightly at the thought.
He sighed again, pulling out his phone and scrolling mindlessly, debating whether he should call Seo-yeon.
Han Seo-yeon.
His childhood friend, now known as [The Saintess], one of the most powerful Hunters in Korea.
Maybe he should ask her to hang out, just to get his mind off things.
But then again, Seo-yeon was always busy. Being an S-Rank Hunter meant her schedule was beyond packed, and ever since she rose to prominence, they had far fewer chances to meet casually. Even when they did, he had noticed something off about her lately. Something troubling.
She hadn't told him what it was.
But Tae-woo had a feeling she was keeping something from him.
Maybe next time, when they met again, he'd finally ask her about it.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket.
And then, something caught his eye.
A glow.
Faint but unnatural, coming from a nearby alleyway.
Almost instinctively, he froze in place, his breath hitching in his throat.
His body reacted before his mind did.
A familiar pang shot through his stomach.
Hunger.
His hands clenched into fists as his breath quickened.
The feeling came out of nowhere, abrupt and overwhelming, and yet, it was undeniably familiar.
His feet moved on their own.
Tae-woo turned into the alley, his steps slow and deliberate, his gaze locked onto the source of the glow. The further he walked, the more isolated the area became, the usual city noise dulling, swallowed by the eerie quiet of the alleyway.
The glow became stronger.
At the very end of the alley, standing in a narrow space between crumbling brick walls, was something that should not be there.
A small dungeon portal.
Tae-woo's eyes widened.
It wasn't just any dungeon portal.
It was Abyssal.
The portal wasn't the usual blue, the color found in standard dungeon gates across the world. Instead, it was the same eerie, eldritch violet hue that he had seen once before, the same color as the Abyssal Gate that had swallowed him whole.
His heartbeat quickened.
"What… the hell is it doing here?"
The portal swirled and crackled, its violet energy pulsing like a living thing, its presence unnatural against the mundane backdrop of the alley.
For a moment, Tae-woo just stood there, his breath shallow, his instincts screaming at him to turn around and leave.
And yet, the hunger inside him intensified.
It called to him.
As if drawn by an unseen force, Tae-woo instinctively took a step forward, only to stop himself at the last second. His breath hitched, and he forced his feet to remain firmly planted on the cracked pavement.
No.
He wasn't going to make the same mistake.
Last time, he had been pushed into the Abyssal Gate, dragged against his will into that nightmare realm beyond comprehension. And now, here he was again, staring at another Abyssal Gate, but this time, there was no one forcing him in.
This time, the only thing urging him forward was something deep inside himself.
Something primal.
Something hungry.
Tae-woo clenched his fists, forcibly suppressing the strange pull he felt. He needed to think, not act on impulse.
Taking a slow, steady breath, he turned his focus back to the swirling violet portal. It was small, barely the size of a doorway, yet it radiated the same terrifying presence as the colossal Abyssal Gate that had swallowed him whole before.
Why was it here?
By all logic, it shouldn't be.
Even if it was small, something like this should have already been detected by the Hunter Association. Abyssal Gate was a worldwide emergency, and their appearances were monitored constantly. The moment one appeared, a state of emergency should have been declared within the area where it was detected. Hunters, government forces, and researchers should have been swarming the area.
And yet, there was nothing.
Tae-woo's gaze flickered around the alley. No Hunters. No emergency response teams. No media coverage. The city beyond remained as noisy and oblivious as ever, the people outside this narrow space continuing with their lives as if nothing was wrong.
As if they couldn't see it.
A chilling thought wormed its way into his mind.
Could they even see it?
His breath slowed as he scanned his surroundings again, more carefully this time. And that was when he noticed him.
A man sat against the brick wall not far from the portal, legs stretched out, a bottle of cheap beer dangling from his fingers. He was dressed in worn-out, tattered layers, his graying hair matted beneath a stained beanie. The unmistakable air of a homeless vagrant clung to him, yet he seemed completely unbothered by the portal's presence.
He took a slow swig from his bottle, eyes glazed, not from terror but from intoxication.
Tae-woo frowned.
Even a drunken hobo should have noticed a glowing, swirling dungeon portal right in front of him. Even if he were too inebriated to fully grasp the danger, any rational person would have reacted to something so blatantly unnatural.
And yet, there was nothing.
Not even a glance.
Tae-woo hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, clearing his throat.
"Excuse me," he said, keeping his voice neutral. "Do you see a dungeon portal over there?"
The man grunted, lowering his bottle slightly before turning his head in the direction Tae-woo was pointing.
He squinted.
Frowned.
Then, after a moment, he looked back at Tae-woo with an unimpressed expression.
"Are you drunker than me?" the man scoffed, shaking his head. "I know what a dungeon portal looks like. There's nothing there."
Tae-woo's breath caught.
He turned his head sharply, eyes locking onto the Abyssal Gate again.
Still there.
Still swirling.
Still real.
Yet, to this man, it didn't exist as if it wasn't even there in the first place.
A heavy realization settled in his gut like a weight.
Was it just him?
Was he the only one who could see it?
Before he could process this further, the homeless man sniffed, rubbing his nose on his sleeve, before giving Tae-woo a side-eye.
"Anyway, got some cash?" the man muttered, holding out a grimy, half-shaking hand. "Need a little extra. Y'know, for somethin' to warm the belly."
Tae-woo remained frozen for a few seconds before letting out a breath, his fingers reflexively reaching into his pocket. Without a word, he pulled out some bills and handed them over.
The man grinned, stuffing the cash into his coat before stumbling to his feet, muttering something about finding a proper drink as he shambled out of the alley.
And just like that, Tae-woo was alone again.
He turned back toward the portal, his heart pounding in his chest.
This was insane.
The logical choice was to walk away.
If even the Hunter Association couldn't detect this thing, then something was definitely off. Abyssal Gates weren't exactly subtle. The moment one appeared, it was supposed to trigger every detection system in place, alerting the Association and sending Hunters scrambling to contain the threat. And yet, this one was just sitting here, unnoticed, unguarded, as if it didn't even exist to anyone but him.
That didn't make sense.
Maybe it was some kind of anomaly, a smaller version of an Abyssal Gate that didn't register the same way as the others. Or maybe there was something unique about him, something that made him able to see it when no one else could. Either way, it wasn't exactly reassuring.
Tae-woo rubbed his temple, feeling the familiar dull ache that had been creeping in since earlier. He was overthinking again. At the end of the day, this was just another dungeon portal, or at least, that was what he wanted to believe.
And yet…
That same gnawing hunger from before twisted uncomfortably in his gut. It wasn't the normal kind of hunger that came from skipping a meal. It was deeper, almost like an instinct kicking in, something urging him forward, telling him there was something inside that he needed.
Tae-woo exhaled sharply, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.
He had no reason to step inside. He knew better than to mess around with things like this, especially something as unpredictable as an Abyssal Gate. But the more he tried to ignore it, the stronger that nagging sensation became.
It was like a low, persistent itch at the back of his mind, a whisper just beneath his thoughts, nudging him toward the portal.
He didn't have to go in.
But he already knew he would.
Tae-woo clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath.
He didn't know if he would ever get another opportunity like this. If he walked away now, would he be leaving behind the key to understanding what had happened to him?
His hands tightened into fists.
His feet moved.
And before he could stop himself…
He stepped forward.
Straight into the Abyss.