The moment my command left my lips, the battlefield shifted.
The Abyssal Warchief—once the apex predator of this dungeon—was now the hunted.
Its amber eyes flickered between the abyssal entities surrounding it, muscles tensed, instincts screaming at it to fight or flee.
But there was nowhere to run.
Shadow Fang growled, its massive form tensed like a coiled spring, ready to lunge at the first sign of weakness.
The Abyssal Shadow Wolf, a familiar that stood eerily still.
And then there was Dusk Reaver.
My personal knight.
Clad in abyssal-forged armor, twin greatswords burning with voidfire, the Abyssal Knight radiated an oppressive presence that even the Warchief couldn't ignore.
[ Leon's Perspective ]
I had seen a lot of insane things in my time as an S-Rank Hunter. I had fought creatures that could shatter mountains, monsters that could erase entire squads in seconds.
But this...
This was different.
I wasn't watching a normal summoner. Summoners had limits.
Even high-rank ones could only control a handful of summons at once before their mana reserves were drained. And yet, Ryzen Kael stood there, his arms crossed, as if this battle had nothing to do with him. As if he were merely observing.
And his summons?
Each one moved with intent.
The Elite Orcs—hulking warriors that regenerated faster than they could be killed—kept the Warchief occupied.
The Abyssal Shadow Wolf circled, waiting for an opening.
And Dusk Reaver?
That thing was on another level. It moved like a reaper of the battlefield, its twin blades carving through the Warchief's defenses with terrifying precision.
And Ryzen...
He hadn't lifted a finger.
I swallowed, my fists clenched as I turned to him.
"What… are you?"
He finally looked at me, and in that moment, I realized—
The friend I had once known was long gone.
What stood before me now... was a monster in human form.
[ Back to Ryzen Kael ]
I ignored Leon's words, my gaze fixed on the Warchief.
A creature that had once been an A-Rank boss, something that would have wiped out most adventurer squads, was now cornered.
Its breathing had turned ragged, its once-majestic form now battered and torn. It was running out of options.
I wanted to see it break—to see it realize what it meant to stand against the Abyss.
The Warchief suddenly threw its head back and let out a chilling, bone-rattling howl.
A final, desperate act. A last attempt to assert dominance.
But in the face of absolute power…
Dominance meant nothing.
I raised my hand. The Abyss responded.
Shadowy tendrils slithered out from the darkness, curling around the Warchief's limbs, sinking into its flesh like vipers tasting their prey.
The beast let out a strangled snarl, struggling against the abyssal chains tightening around its body.
I spoke, my voice quiet—yet absolute.
"Kneel."
A violent shudder ran through the Warchief's massive frame as the Abyss responded to my will.
With a final, agonized growl, the great beast collapsed onto its knees.
A once-mighty ruler of its domain, now reduced to nothing more than another piece of my ever-growing army.
***
[ System Notification ]
[ The Abyssal Warchief has been subdued. ]
[ Abyssal Integration is possible. ]
[ Would you like to claim it as your Abyssal Familiar? ]
[ Yes ] / [ No ]
***
I smirked.
"Yes."
The moment my confirmation echoed within the system, a surge of abyssal energy erupted from beneath the fallen Warchief.
Its body convulsed violently as shadowy tendrils burrowed deeper into its flesh, consuming what little remained of its former self. The beast let out one final, guttural growl—its resistance fading into nothingness.
A heavy, suffocating stillness filled the air.
Even my summons stood still, as if witnessing something beyond comprehension.
***
[ System Notification ]
[ The Abyssal Warchief has been successfully assimilated. ]
[ Initiating Abyssal Merge with Familiar: Shadow Fang. ]
[ New Evolution Path Discovered. ]
[ Proceeding with Abyssal Fusion… ]
***
My eyes widened slightly.
"A fusion?"
Before I could process what was happening, the system's authority took over.
Shadow Fang, my original summon, let out a deep, guttural growl as its body was suddenly engulfed in abyssal flames. The dark energy coiled around it like a living entity, merging it with the subdued Warchief.
Leon took a step back, his instincts screaming at him that something unnatural was taking place.
But I remained still, watching the process unfold.
The two beings—one my loyal companion, the other a fallen tyrant—began to intertwine. Their flesh, their souls, their very existence melted into one another, reforging into something greater.
Then, the system's voice rang in my mind.
***
[ System Notification ]
[ Abyssal Warchief + Shadow Fang → Abyssal Familiar Evolution Successful. ]
[ New Entity Created: Abyssal Warhound – Fenrir. ]
[ A-Rank Abyssal Familiar Acquired. ]
***
Before me stood a creature unlike any I had seen before.
Its massive, lupine frame was wreathed in abyssal mist, its black fur glistening with an eerie, shifting glow. Jagged obsidian armor protruded from its shoulders and limbs, resembling natural plate armor forged in the depths of the void itself.
Its eyes—once feral—now burned with something far more intelligent.
A beast not just driven by instinct, but by calculated malice.
Leon inhaled sharply.
"What the hell… is that?"
I didn't answer because I could feel the absolute connection between me and this being—Fenrir.
I took a step forward, and Fenrir's gaze snapped toward me.
Then, without hesitation, it knelt.
A familiar smile tugged at my lips.
"Good," I murmured. "You understand your place."
Fenrir let out a low, rumbling growl—not of defiance, but of acknowledgment.
A bond had been forged.
One that could never be broken.
***
[ System Notification ]
[ Abyssal Warhound – Fenrir has sworn loyalty to the Abyss Monarch. ]
[ The Abyss stirs. ]
[ Your dominion expands. ]
-
[ System Notice – Summoning Analysis ]
Current Active Summons:
[ Abyssal Knight – Dusk Reaver ] (Elite A-Rank)
[ Shadow Wolf – Abyssal Hunter ] (B-Rank Evolvable Familiar)
[ Abyssal Pact – Fenrir ] (Newly Fused – A-Rank)
[ Elite Abyssal Orcs ] (C-Rank – Evolvable)
***
I turned my gaze toward Leon, who was still staring at me like I had just rewritten the laws of reality.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
For the first time since we reunited, Leon didn't know what to say.