Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kaden reached the top of the staircase. "That really took it out of me. Huff. Huff. You were not wrong." He shouted at the emptiness. "This was hands down the most difficult thing I had ever done in my life." He looked down at the gaping cavern, and from where he was, it might as well be the abyss itself. As he stared into it, he could feel countless beings staring back at him.

"Fuck." Kaden shook it off and left the damned stairs, not wanting to look at the dreadful thing anymore. In front of him, the darkness receded, replaced by a dim, flickering light that revealed a vast chamber bathed in an eerie glow. From the bottom, it had looked a lot brighter, not so much from where he was standing at the moment. Shadows danced along the walls, casting grotesque silhouettes that seemed to whisper secrets of their own.

And there, at the center of it all, stood a massive obsidian altar radiating a sinister aura. Upon it rested something floating. Kaden walked closer to take a look, and when he did, his eyes became wide like saucers. On the altar was a parchment floating mid-air. Perhaps a skill book or a recipe? Whatever it was, it did not look ordinary. A faint red glow emanated from its surface, pulsating with otherworldly energy.

Kaden cautiously reached out his hand, hesitating for a moment before gripping the parchment. As his fingers made contact, a surge of power coursed through him, causing his entire body to tingle with anticipation. At the same time, the whispers in the chamber grew louder, echoing in his ears. The voices seemed to merge into a cacophony of desperate pleas and haunting melodies, but they lasted only for a second.

Kaden snapped out of the trance, and with a deep breath, he unfolded the parchment, revealing ancient symbols and cryptic writings etched in an unknown language. As his eyes scanned the intricate script, a surge of understanding washed over him as if the knowledge was being imprinted directly into his mind. He was correct in guessing. This was a special version of a skill book.

"Damn!" Kaden whistled. As a second-time player of the game, he was very much aware of how amazing rare contracted beasts were. When leveled up, these creatures can form formidable combat partners. "I wonder what creature will come out!" Kaden wanted to test out the skill immediately, but then he decided first to find a way out of this creepy place. However, suddenly it struck him. How was he supposed to get out of here?

"Fuck! Is this the real test of this place?" Surely, climbing a long array of stairs was nothing challenging, and the game probably was not handing over this skill to him without any test. So this had to be the test? Perhaps he had to defeat some beast to get out of here? Kaden clutched his dagger and looked around, once again waiting for something to pop out. But, the next second, only the familiar lofty voice echoed.

"Fret not, human. There are no more tests. I can teleport you out of the realm." The woman remarked, with no sarcasm this time. To Kaden's surprise, this time, there was even a hint of respect. He scanned the chamber, his eyes darting from one shadowy corner to another, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious entity that addressed him. Yet, the source of the voice remained concealed, hidden within the depths of darkness.

There also did not seem to be any other treasures or strange skill books. "Is there-" Kaden opened his mouth when the voice interrupted him. "Tell me, human. How did you do it? How did you increase your mental strength to such a frightening level that you were able to run up these stairs casually?" Huh? "The rest of you is pathetic and weak. Your body is just a meat puppet, and your soul is torn and tattered, but how… How do you possess such a strong mind? A human's mind shouldn't be this strong?"

Kaden was confused. What was this voice talking about? How is mental strength related to climbing up a bunch of stairs? Seeing his confused face, the entity became even more angered. The very fact that he had absolutely no idea about what this trial entailed showed just how strong his mind was! It also showed that the guy had no clue about mental strength. If she had to guess, this human probably had the good luck to run into something fortuitous just like he had run into this realm.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"You would do well not to underestimate what is in store for you, human." The woman scoffed in annoyance, and before Kaden could ask anything else, he once again felt the overwhelming force assault him as he was teleported back near the same watering hole. And as soon as he did, another notification chimed loudly.

Mark of the Abyss: The mark of the abyss brands you as a bearer of chaos, forever entwined with the sinister forces that lurk in the shadows and darkness.

Disoriented by the sudden teleportation, Kaden stumbled and caught his balance. He looked around, finding himself back in the familiar surroundings of the game world near the watering hole. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the landscape, the beautiful hues dancing on the surface of the water. "Seriously, what the heck just happened?" Kaden plopped down on the ground, trying to wrap his head around the whirlwind of events.

But before he could gather his thoughts, a noise interrupted him, and he turned to see a group of players staring at him in utter confusion. They were like a bunch of meerkats, heads swiveling in unison to examine the unexpected intruder. "What the heck are you all doing here?" Kaden muttered, scratching his head in bewilderment. "Dude! We should be asking you that question! What the hell are you doing here? Don't you know that the Dark Gods are raiding in this spot?" barked a stout guy who looked like a high schooler.

This guy was decked out in dire wolf hide gear, complete with a bow slung over his shoulder. It was obvious he was into long-range combat, probably sniping his enemies from afar while munching on potato chips. "Wait. Raid? What nonsense are you talking about? What raid could you possibly do at level-"

And then Kaden realized… Hold on a second. If this dude was wearing that sweet gear, he must be at least level 5. This was because only level 5 and above could wear the normal dire wolf hide items. Kaden was familiar with these items as they were a commonly sought-after set that was relatively easy to complete and get the completion bonus. So this meant that he had some serious fighting skills. But how did he get his hands on that gear so fast? Was he an expert player, or just really lucky? And what was with all the other players rocking the same gear? One guy even had the complete set!

'Shit! These guys must be from some big-shot guild!' Kaden thought. He stood up, looked around, and started to walk away in contemplation, but the stout teenager couldn't resist another round of verbal jabs. "Yo, motherfucker! What did you just say? I'm a level 12 retard! What level are you, huh? Running your mouth at the Dark Gods guild? You better scram before we turn you into a rotting corpse!"

Kaden froze, stopping in his tracks, his expression caught between surprise and amusement. A small smile crept onto his face and vanished just as quickly. He turned around, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Hold up, hold up! I must have misunderstood the situation. I'll just be on my merry way. Sorry for barging in." The teenager huffed with an air of arrogance while his buddies snickered at Kaden's retreat. They turned their attention back to whatever they were doing, assuming the issue was resolved.

Kaden, on the other hand, sauntered off, circled around, and quietly returned to the same spot. He couldn't resist the urge to have a little fun with this group. After all, thanks to his coma, he hadn't interacted with real people for a long time. How could he let this chance slip by? Besides, he had just unlocked a new skill from that weird treasure chest event. What better way to test it out than on this group of plump scapegoats?

As for getting the PVP red mark, there was a special quest that required this red mark. Kaden was not planning on doing this quest at the moment, but since an opportunity had presented itself, he might as well get on with it. With a shit-eating grin on his face, Kaden found a hiding spot in a convenient bush. He crouched down, his eyes glinting with madness. This was going to be interesting.

As he observed his surroundings, Kaden noticed that the huge green snake was nowhere to be seen at the watering hole. The glint from the treasure chest had also vanished. 'Ah, so those two were one-time encounters. Good to know.' His grin widened. And as for the raid the teenager had blabbered about, Kaden narrowed his eyes, nodding to himself. "It's gotta be the white wolf!" That infamous field boss that popped up in this area.

Sure, Kaden might lack knowledge about higher-level areas, but he was no stranger to these beginner details. Unfortunately, in his previous gaming life, he couldn't even get into a group to raid this field boss. The big guilds hogged all the respawns. Now that he thought about this, Kaden suddenly remembered the weird thing that the kid had mentioned. 'Dark Gods guild? Wait, isn't that one of the top guilds? Wait, there are already guilds in the game? What the heck?'

For a guild to be formed, a player needed to reach Level 10 and enter the city. This meant that someone had actually gone to the city before him? Kaden couldn't believe it. He was blowing through levels with his overpowered gear like it was nothing, and still, he was not the first? "Oh, no freaking way! Just how long have I been stuck in that cursed cave, climbing those blasted stairs?"

Kaden let out a slow exhale, excitement bubbling up inside him. So what if a few measly hours had slipped away? It only added to the badassery of the skill he had just unlocked. And now, it was time to put that bad boy to the test. "I guess this will tell me if this was all worth it or not. Here goes nothing," Kaden muttered to himself, licking his lips. With a decisive nod, he mentally activated his newly acquired skill, [Obsidian Oath].