Outside, he had been the hunted.
But here, in this rusting metal graveyard, he had the advantage.
The Abyssal Revenant (Rank B) stood at the entrance, its form wreathed in shifting shadows.
It hadn't rushed after him.
It had walked.
Because it didn’t need to hurry.
To it, Axel was already dead.
Axel’s grip tightened around his Hunting Knife.
“Let’s see if I can prove you wrong.”
The trap was set.
All he had to do was make it walk into its own grave.
The Revenant took a step forward.
Then another.
Each step sent a faint echo through the warehouse, a slow, measured rhythm.
Axel didn’t move.
He barely breathed.
Hunter’s Domain pulsed.
He could feel the monster’s presence— a massive, oppressive force that warped the space around it.
His instincts screamed: RUN.
But Axel ignored them.
This wasn’t a fight he could win head-on.
This was a game of patience.
And he was willing to wait.
The Revenant tilted its head slightly.
Then it spoke.
“Hiding will not save you.”
Its voice was empty, devoid of anything resembling emotion.
But Axel heard the certainty in it.
It truly believed he had no chance.
And that?
That pissed him off.
Axel exhaled slowly. “Yeah? Then come get me.”
The moment he spoke, he moved.
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Axel darted left, sliding behind a towering stack of metal crates.
The Revenant reacted immediately.
BOOM.
A wave of force slammed into the crates, sending them crashing down where Axel had been standing a second ago.
He rolled, barely avoiding being crushed to death.
Fast.
And it wasn’t just physical strength.
The Revenant had some kind of unseen force, something that let it crush objects with a gesture.
Axel’s mind raced.
How many abilities did this thing have?
The Revenant moved again, stepping deeper into the warehouse.
Exactly what Axel wanted.
He activated [Shadow Veil], vanishing from sight for five seconds.
The Revenant froze.
Its head tilted slightly, as if scanning the air itself.
Axel used the moment to reposition, slipping behind one of the weakened support beams.
This was it.
He only had one shot.
Axel waited.
The Revenant took another step forward.
Right into position.
Axel exhaled.
Then he moved.
In a single motion, he kicked the support beam—HARD.
CRACK.
The metal groaned.
A second later—the ceiling collapsed.
BOOM.
Tons of steel and concrete rained down, crashing onto the Revenant.
Axel didn’t stop to check.
He was already moving, sprinting toward the exposed gas pipes.
He grabbed the flare gun from his belt.
Aimed.
And fired.
FWOOSH.
The flare hit the gas.
A second later—
EXPLOSION.
A shockwave ripped through the warehouse, flames consuming everything in sight.
The force slammed into Axel, sending him flying backward into a metal beam.
His vision blurred.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
But when the smoke began to clear…
The Revenant was gone.
A faint ringing echoed in Axel’s ears.
His vision swam as the system flickered.
[Enemy Eliminated: Abyssal Revenant (Rank B)]
- XP Gained: 1,000
- Level Up! (Lv. 8 → Lv. 10)
- Void Resonance Activated: Choose a trait to absorb.
Axel exhaled shakily.
He had won.
Barely.
He pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing pain in his ribs.
Now for the real prize.
His eyes locked onto the Revenant’s remains—a swirling mass of dark energy.
And the system offered him a choice.
- [Abyssal Step (Rank B)] – Short-range teleportation through shadows.
- [Force Crush (Rank B)] – Apply telekinetic pressure to objects and enemies.
- [Abyssal Endurance (Rank B)] – Reduces incoming damage and increases regeneration.
Axel stared at the choices.
Each one was insane.
But one, in particular, stood out.
His fight with Kael had proven one thing.
Speed was everything.
And if Axel wanted to keep up?
He needed to move faster than anyone else.
He selected [Abyssal Step].
[Void Resonance Activated: Abyssal Step Acquired.]
- Short-range teleportation through shadows. Range: 10 meters.
- Cooldown: 10 seconds.
A cold pulse ran through his body.
For a moment, the world shifted.
Then—
He moved.
Not ran.
Jumped.
One moment he was standing still.
The next—he was ten meters away.
Axel’s breath hitched.
It worked.
And just like that…
He had taken his first step toward something greater.
Axel stepped out of the wreckage, his body still aching but his mind sharper than ever.
The sun had risen further, though the sky was still warped.
The world was changing.
And he was changing with it.
His first Rank B kill.
His first true evolution.
And something told him…
It wouldn’t be his last.