The crack in the wall emitted just enough light to allow Xarion to see clearly for the first time in what felt like hours. As the pale glow filtered into the chamber, he slowed his approach, letting his fingers graze the jagged surface of the cave wall. Every step forward was accompanied by thoughts that churned in his mind, a cascade of recent events that now felt surreal. His revival, the strange void-like cube, the perilous plunge into the Abyss, and the near-death battle with a horde of savage beasts, it had all happened in a few hours. And yet, it had felt like several chaotic days.
Finally, he reached the glowing crack. As his hand made contact with the light-soaked surface, a new prompt appeared before him, illuminating his vision with ethereal clarity.
[Congratulations on clearing Floor 1 of the Abyss.
Please select a destination:
- Home
- Floor 2]
"You're telling me that was just the first floor?" Xarion murmured under his breath, a mix of exhaustion and disbelief clouding his expression. He paused, considering his options. Heading deeper might lead to more experience and strength, but he wasn't in top form. While his undead body dulled pain and exhaustion, it didn't erase the wear and tear of battle. Moreover, his primary goal wasn't to conquer the Abyss but to find answers, about his return, his current state, and the world around him.
He chose "Home."
In an instant, the same seamless, disorienting sensation that had brought him to the Abyss returned. Without any clear transition, Xarion stood once again inside the stone cube that had served as his prison, now a chamber of strange significance.
"That's always going to be annoying," he muttered, trying to suppress the creeping nausea from the sudden shift in space.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts and review his gains. First and foremost, he'd reached Level 8, a significant milestone given the short time frame. He'd also acquired 15 Energy Cores and 15 Death Essences. The former had an obvious use in awakening the labyrinth. The latter remained a mystery, yet instinctively, he sensed they held deeper purpose.
Most important of all, however, was the clarity he'd gained. Battle had always served as a mirror for Xarion's emotions, and now, having survived his first true trial, he felt more in control of his new self.
Turning his attention to the room, his gaze settled on the familiar statue at the center. It was unassuming, shrouded in stone, but held a presence that tugged at his very soul. He knelt and reached out, placing his hand upon it. As before, a translucent interface unfolded.
[Name: —
Faction: Undead
Race: Labyrinth
Rank: Inactive
Requirements for Aspirant Rank: (10 Aspirant Energy Cores)]
[Labyrinth Features:
- Abyss]
Confirming that nothing else had changed, he pressed on the requirement field. Instantly, ten of his energy cores vanished from his inventory. The reaction was immediate. The room began to rumble violently as a glowing pulse emanated from the statue's core.
The stone chamber quaked, and Xarion braced himself. The space around him began to transform, walls expanded outward, reshaping the square cell into a grand hexagon. The ceiling lifted dramatically, rising from a claustrophobic three meters to a towering ten. Each of the six walls now stood twenty meters apart, forming a large symmetrical chamber.
When the shaking ceased, the statue itself had changed. It was larger now, and for the first time, Xarion could make out partial features of the stone-blanketed figure, a baby's face, half-hidden, sleeping with eerie serenity.
He reopened the interface.
[Name: —
Faction: Undead
Race: Labyrinth
Rank: Aspirant
Time until Opening: 259,000 seconds
Requirements for Acolyte Rank: (20 Acolyte Energy Cores)]
[Labyrinth Features:
- Abyss
- Shop]
Xarion stared at the new entries. Relief and frustration warred within him. The labyrinth was opening, yes,.but slowly. A ticking countdown reminded him that it would take just under three days for full activation. Until then, he was stuck here. The next rank-up required twenty Acolyte cores, and he suspected they could only be obtained from stronger foes.
Annoyed but curious, he tapped the new "Shop" tab.
A menu opened with five tabs: Spawners, Common, Defenses, Utility, and Special. Only Spawners and Common were unlocked. He clicked on Common first.
His jaw slackened as the contents appeared. Buildings, artifacts, potions, decorations, an entire infrastructure ready for instant deployment. Each item listed a price in energy cores. A modest hut cost five. A weapon imbued with flame-magic cost a thousand. The possibilities seemed endless.
"This… this is cheating," he muttered. With enough energy cores, one could bypass the need for construction, crafting, or even labor. The Labyrinth wasn't just powerful, it was a machine built for war, growth, and dominion. No wonder the whole world feared this thing.
For several minutes, Xarion scrolled through the options, trying to digest the scale of the store. Eventually, he discovered a search function and filtered for potions. He had five cores left and decided to test a purchase.
He selected a simple item. One core vanished from his inventory.
In his palm appeared a small glass bottle filled with viscous purple liquid.
[Aspirant Restoring Potion:
Capable of restoring the user's body to optimal health, slowly over 10 minutes. Any attack or movement will interrupt this effect. The taste is horrible, be cautious when consuming.]
He used his Hero's Eyes skill to verify the potion's authenticity. Satisfied, he downed it. The texture was sludge-like, the taste revolting.
After mustering the willpower to swallow, Xarion gagged violently, forcing himself to stay upright. "That might be worse than the slop," he muttered aloud, recalling a rancid gruel he used to eat regularly as a child. The memory alone almost made him spit the potion out. Finally, after about a minute, he felt his body slowly begin to mend. The wounds he had accumulated during the brutal battle started to close, sealing shut as if rewinding time itself. Though Xarion despised the taste, he admitted to himself that buying more of those potions in the future might be a wise decision.
As the potion did its work, he remembered that there was still another shop category he hadn't yet explored. He navigated to the Spawner tab, curious about what it might offer. Unlike the near-limitless selections of the Common tab, only a single option appeared.
[Skeletal Spawner:
This building allows the recruitment of Skeletal-class Undead. Death Essence can be used to purchase forces. Only one of each Spawner can exist.
Size: 4m × 4m × 2m
Cost: 3 Aspirant Energy Cores]
Xarion stared silently at the entry, deep in thought. The implications were staggering. Here he was, inside the Labyrinth, and now it was giving him the option to create an army of undead monsters. The question now was, should he?
If he accepted this path, would he still be any different from the monsters he once fought? The undead were not people. They were killers, husks animated by foul magic. Was he truly prepared to become the master of such beings?
He sighed heavily. The truth was, he *was* a monster now, at least in appearance. That much was undeniable. And once the Labyrinth officially opened, it would be discovered eventually. When that time came, people wouldn't hesitate to strike him down on sight. They wouldn't see a man or a hero, they'd see a threat. If he left the Labyrinth and hoped to be accepted as he once was, he'd likely be hunted and killed.
But even if his body had changed, his heart hadn't. He was still human on the inside. Using monsters as a means to protect himself and accomplish his goals was no different than what military commanders had done for centuries, only now, his troops were skeletons instead of soldiers.
Then, an idea sparked in his mind. What if he used the undead to conquer dungeons? He could clear areas at breakneck speed. So what if they died? They were monsters fighting monsters. If all he needed to summon them was Death Essence, then he could theoretically build an army of monsters to save the world *from* monsters. It was fighting fire with fire at its finest.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. The plan was reckless, brilliant, and morally grey, just his style.
Without further hesitation, Xarion selected the Skeletal Spawner and confirmed the purchase. He was left with only one core, but it didn't matter. In front of him, a structure began forming, materializing from the ground in an eerie and unnatural fashion. Bones snapped together into place like clockwork, forming the frame of a crypt. The structure radiated a cold, grim aura that made even Xarion uneasy. When it was complete, he stepped toward it cautiously and was met with a new status screen.
[Skeletal Spawner
Rank: Aspirant
Units Capable of Spawning:
Aspirant:
- Skeleton
Upgrade the building to unlock more unit types.
Upgrade Requirements: 3 Acolyte Energy Cores]
Xarion frowned. He'd expected more than just one unit. Still, one was enough to test the system. He selected the Skeleton option, prompting more information.
[Skeleton
Aspirant Rank
Level: 1
Cost: 1 Death Essence
Summon?]
He hovered over the summon command, hesitating for just a moment. Would this creature obey him? Could he control it? Even if not, a Level 1 unit wouldn't pose much of a threat to someone like him. Still, to be safe, he used only 1 Death Essence to summon a single skeleton.
A soft glow enveloped the crypt as the heavy stone door creaked open. From the darkness emerged a humanoid figure. The skeleton stood upright, frail and unarmed, its empty sockets scanning the area without expression. It had a hunched posture and dragged its feet slightly as it walked. It wore nothing, its bony frame entirely exposed, and its movements were jerky and slow.
Xarion braced himself, ready for the creature to lash out. But it didn't. Instead, the skeleton calmly approached and kneeled before him, remaining completely still.
A new window popped into Xarion's vision:
[Name: -
Faction: Undead
Race: Skeleton
Rank: Aspirant
Level: 1
Exp: 0%]
[Attributes
Strength: 1
Vitality: 1
Defense: 1
Agility: 1
Dexterity: 1
Intelligence: 0
Will: 0
Charisma: 0
Perception: 0
Magic: 0
Total: 5]
[Skills
Passive – Ashes to Ashes
Upon death, the skeleton releases a cloud of thick, choking smoke that obscures vision and irritates the lungs. The effect can stack if multiple of the same passive triggers in the same area.
Active – Bone Crusher
Delivers a powerful punch with enhanced force, dealing bonus damage and increasing the chance of breaking bones. Damage and effect scale with Strength.
Cooldown: 5 minutes
Cost: 10% Stamina.]
Xarion raised an eyebrow. Despite its simplicity, the skeleton had clear utility. Then, something changed in his own status screen. A previously unreadable ability finally activated.
Curious, Xarion accessed it. As he read through the text, he nearly burst into laughter.
[Active – Master of the Undead
Grants the ability to copy one skill from each unique undead troop born within the same Labyrinth. Hero units are considered separate from regular troops. Each unit can only be copied from once.
Cooldown: 1 minute
Cost: 1% Stamina]