The darkness swallowed everything—like a void that didn’t just eat up the world around me, but the very air itself.

Wooosh!

It felt like falling into an endless abyss, yet somehow... I was more aware than ever. Like every inch of me was on high alert, feeling everything all at once.

Thump. Thump.

I could hear Obrak’s heartbeat pounding, like I was holding his heart in my hands.

His confident sneer faded as he realized something was off.

“Where the hell am I?” His voice cracked, no longer full of cocky bravado. “What the hell is this? I can’t see—!”

He froze, unable to move, the air around him thick with something he couldn’t control.

He was panicking.

And I'm feeling good.

The moment his panic set in, the darkness responded. It wasn’t just an absence anymore—it was a presence.

And that presence had a single, chilling purpose.

Hissss... Creeeak... Ffffshhh...

Five shadow swords began to form from the darkness, circling him. Obrak struggled, tried to fight back, but the energy was suffocating. The force holding him in place was beyond anything he'd ever known.

"Wh-what is this?!" Obrak gasped, his eyes wide with terror. For the first time, true fear flickered in his expression.

I didn’t need to lift a finger.

One by one, the shadow swords pierced his body.

Shhrrriiiinnnk... Thud, thud, thud...

Each slice was clean, precise, like cutting through butter. His flesh had no chance against the power behind each strike. The swords ripped through him, leaving dark, gaping holes.

He let out a silent, soundless scream of pain.

Hhhhnnngg...

I felt it.

Satisfaction. It felt like I was losing my mind.

The swords kept moving, cutting through him until the last one impaled him straight through the chest.

Shhhrriip!

[Blackout now devouring Obrak]

And just like that, it was over.

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The darkness faded, replaced by a blinding light. For a brief moment, everything stood still. Quiet.

But I wasn’t unconscious anymore. I was aware. Completely aware.

Obrak’s body slumped to the ground, lifeless. Holes in his body, he is lifeless.

[Congratulations! You eliminated the traitor]

[Reward: +13 stats]

[You devoured Obrak’s stats using Blackout]

Alistair Quinlan

Level: 60

Age: 15

Role: Swordsman [beginner]

Title: Undead Slayer

Strength (STR): 320

Agility (AGI): 335

Stamina (STA): 336

Intelligence (INT): 313

Aura (AURA): 58

Perception (PER): 339

Endurance (END): 350

My stats had skyrocketed.

The power of Blackout had devoured Obrak’s stats.

It was... overwhelming.

But it didn’t feel like victory. Not exactly.

I still had a lot to process. A lot to figure out. But one thing was clear—Obrak was dead.

But then I heared the same voice that was speaking to me earlier. It laughed, its tone sharp and mocking.

[Hahaha! I really did it. Too powerful for him to handle, huh? Honestly, I wanted to chop his body into neat little slices, but it seems you’re still too weak to unleash the full power of Blackout.]

Its words hit me like a slap.

[Hey, Alistair. Let’s be real—you’re a joke. You can’t even wield this power properly.]

I clenched my fists, blood still trickling from the gash on my abdomen but it slowly began healing.

What the? I can self-heal now?

The voice continued, undeterred by my silence.

[You’re nowhere near strong enough to take on the true evils in this world. Not even close. So here’s the deal: Give up being an adventurer. You’re wasting your time. Come with me. I’ll train you. Years of brutal, back-breaking training. Enough to make you a skull-crushing monster on the battlefield.]

Its laughter echoed in my mind, cold and condescending.

What am I supposed to say?

[What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or maybe you’re too dumbfounded by my generosity. Either way, I’ll give you a minute. But first, take care of your friend.]

[Walk over to him. That guy—with that spiky hair. He’s still breathing, right?]

I glanced toward Bram, his body slumped against a tree. His face was pale, and blood seeped from a wound in his stomach.

“Yeah.”

[Good. Now, place your hand on his stomach. That wound needs fixing before we move on.]

I hesitated but did as it instructed, pressing my palm gently against Bram’s bloodied torso. A strange warmth radiated from my hand, and a soft glow enveloped him.

To my disbelief, the wound began to close. His broken ribs shifted back into place. Within moments, he looked like he hadn’t been in a life-or-death battle at all.

[There we go. Good as new. Now, drop him off somewhere nearby. He’ll regain consciousness in about a minute.]

The voice sounded almost... smug. I carefully laid Bram down under a thick oak, wiping the sweat from my brow. My body still ached, and my head throbbed with a dull pain.

[Now, back to my earlier proposition. What’s it gonna be, kid? Train with me for a few years, or die like a fool?]

The question hung in the air like a noose around my neck.

I gritted my teeth, thinking about everything I’d been through. The dungeon. My past life as Elian. The countless times I’d barely scraped by. Every moment felt like it was leading to this.

“I...” My voice faltered. “What do you mean by training?”

[Oh you are a total idiot. But to be exact, training with me means pushing your body and mind beyond their limits. You’ll face death a hundred times over—but if you survive, you’ll come out stronger. Faster. Smarter. Isolated training it is]

[Or you can keep bumbling around as you are now and get yourself killed. Your call.]

I swallowed hard. The voice wasn’t wrong. As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t strong enough. Not yet. Obrak’s death was a fluke, a result of borrowing power I barely understood. Without Blackout, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“What about my family, my friends?” I asked. “What happens to them if I leave?”

[Don’t worry about them. You’re the one who needs fixing.]

[Sure, they will worry but tn you can just drop off with letters can’t you?]

Yeah, he is right after all. This training will be like an investment for the future.

[Tick-tock, Alistair. I’m not gonna wait forever. What’s it gonna be?]

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. The weight of the decision pressed down on me like a boulder. But deep down, I already knew my answer.

“Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “I’ll train with you.”

The voice let out a triumphant laugh.

[Yeah, that’s exactly what I expected from you. You’re an idiot now, but don’t worry—you’ll get stronger. I promise. Hehehe.]