“This is insane...”

Blood was everywhere—on the ground, on my hands, soaking my clothes. I could barely stand, my legs shaking like they were about to give out.

 Cold, damp air pressed down on me from every direction, making it hard to breathe, let alone think.

I collapsed next to the lifeless body of a teammate, my legs trembling too much to stand any longer.

 Sure, I was an E-rank hunter, but even calling myself that felt like a stretch. To someone like me, this dungeon was too deep, too dark, and way out of my league.

The Abyss of the Dead.

Even seasoned hunters avoided it like the plague—a twisted dimension where space warped, time slipped away, and finding an exit was a mere gamble.

I had no business being here.

But my greed had lured me into following B-rank and C-rank hunters, hoping to scavenge a share of the spoils from their leftovers.

My selfish ambition was the problem.

And now I was the only one left alive.

“Damn it...”

I braced myself on a puddle of blood to stand, the sticky liquid clinging to me like a second skin.

The severed arm of a C-rank hunter caught my eye as I moved, and I couldn’t help but click my tongue in frustration, quickly averting my gaze. But even then, I could still see the other bodies at the edge of my vision.

This wasn’t just a dangerous area. It was a whole other dimension. A true abyss.

And yet...

“I can’t die here...”

Gripping the bloodstained dagger in my hand, I forced myself to stay upright. I didn’t know what I could do with this knife, but letting go of it would mean the end.

Then it came.

A deep rumble echoed through the ground.

Thud... Thud...

I froze.

“Damn it... Are there still monsters left?”

Fear clawed its way up my spine as I ducked behind a corpse, suppressing my trembling breaths.

That’s when I saw it—dark shadows creeping from the cracks in the ground.

It wasn’t just any darkness. It writhed like living tendrils, slithering toward me with sinister intent.

One of them coiled around my ankle.

“Ahhh!”

I kicked at it instinctively, but it didn’t budge.

The shadow climbed higher, crawling up my leg and wrapping around my waist.

Cold. So cold it burned.

It slithered over my back, sending shivers up my spine and stealing the breath from my lungs.

I thought I was done for.

But then, just before I screamed, a strange message appeared before my eyes.

[Special Awakening has begun.]

A searing pain shot up my spine and into my skull like lightning.

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Every nerve in my body felt like it was on fire, frozen in agony.

And yet... deep within the chaos, I felt something stir.

Something dark.

Something powerful.

Words began to flood my mind: Corruption. Domination.

[The Power of Corruption has chosen you.]

[Special Skill – Hand of Domination awakened.]

[Condition: The more you corrupt, the stronger you become.]

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“A system message? Seriously? Now?”

But my body wasn’t laughing. It moved on its own.

The shadows that had once threatened to devour me recoiled, as if bowing to my presence.

And then, something surged from deep within me—a raw, overwhelming power that filled every fiber of my being.

For the first time, I felt alive.

“Is this... an awakening?”

That’s when I saw her.

Long, flowing black hair, skin pale as the moon, and crimson eyes that glowed with an unnatural light.

Her black dress swirled around her like the shadows themselves welcomed her.

She looked like a queen of this abyss.

“You...” Her voice was low, almost melodic. “You woke me up.”

I couldn’t breathe.

She didn’t just belong to this darkness. She commanded it.

And yet, behind her regal aura, I caught glimpses of something else. A faint loneliness. An insatiable hunger.

My hand reached out instinctively, but a warning blared in my head.

“What’s happening to me? This isn’t normal...”

Domination. Corruption.

The words echoed again.

Something within me was changing.

Something I couldn’t control.

She smiled faintly, a smile as empty as it was beautiful.

“You...” She tilted her head, her crimson eyes narrowing. “How did an E-rank like you survive here?”

I wanted to crumble at her question.

But instead, anger bubbled within me.

This power surging through me—it wouldn’t let me cower.

Clenching my dagger, I forced a smirk.

“Name’s Hyunwoo. E-rank or not, I’ve made it this far.”

She studied me, her gaze sharp and calculating.

“Do you want to survive?”

Her words sent my heart racing.

Of course, I wanted to survive.

But the way she said it—it sounded like a test.

Or a challenge.

[Urgent Quest: Survive. Escape the Abyss, or embrace the power entirely.]

Escape or... embrace?

As the footsteps of something massive echoed closer, the choice loomed over me.

I clenched my jaw.

“Fine... I’ll embrace it.”

Power surged through my veins, dark and fiery, as if my very blood had turned to shadow.

She approached me, smiling, her voice smooth yet razor-sharp.

“Remember my name. I’m Elena Blackmoon.”

Her glowing red eyes pierced into mine.

And in that moment, I knew.

I wasn’t the same anymore.

The worst day of my life?

Maybe.

Or perhaps...

It was the day I truly began to live.