The giant axe swung down like a final judgment toward Daniel's head. By a miracle, he activated the [Blink Distortion] skill. His body vanished into light, moving from one space to another in a fraction of a second. However, the price was heavy. A blood-red system window flashed:
[Warning: Physical Strength: 20 | Mana: 25.. You are on the verge of collapse.]
Daniel stumbled, looking at the beast with a mixture of anger and disappointment. He whispered through grit teeth, "Damn it... you stupid system, couldn't you find a worse time to fail me?"
Before he could finish, the monster appeared behind him in the blink of an eye. Despite its massive size, it moved like a predatory shadow. The beast delivered a kick so powerful it shook Daniel's very soul. He flew through the air, smashing through trees one after another before slamming into a stone wall. The impact left a crater, and Daniel coughed up dark blood that stained the ground. Had he not summoned an "Ice Wall" at the last moment, he would be nothing but scattered remains. But this defense drained the last of his spirit:
[Physical Strength: 15 (Danger) | Mana: 18]
Daniel let out a weak, bitter laugh. He watched the beast toss aside its armor and hurl its axe at him. "Haha... even fate decided to betray me? It seems everyone leaves at the final moment." He dodged the axe, but the sharp blade tore into his elbow, a deep wound exposing the white of the bone. A scream of agony tore through the silence.
Death Synchronization: When Hell Opens Its Gates
At that critical moment, a system screen appeared in a pitch-black color Daniel had never seen before:
[Alert: Death Gate Synchronization: 88%.. Do you accept the trade?]
[Warning: The consequences may exceed human imagination.]
Daniel looked away from the screen to see the beast closing in on him. He screamed in desperation, "I accept the synchronization... no matter the price!"
The area exploded with a cry that shook the foundations of existence: "Death Gate!"
Time froze. The earth cracked beneath them as if hell itself had woken up. The sky split open, revealing a massive black gate decorated with writhing skull patterns. A soul-chilling wail echoed from within, as if spirits were being tortured by the most brutal methods.
A freezing wind rushed out, followed by distorted black hands that reached out with a strange hunger. From among those hands, two massive, non-human skeletal arms emerged, followed by a head with entirely black eyes and a single red line of fire. Horns stretched toward the sky.
The skeleton let out a roar that made the air heavy. In an instant, the black hands lunged at the Ogre, skinning its flesh from its bones in a terrifyingly slow process. They dragged the monster toward the skeleton's mouth, which crushed it brutally while a deep voice muttered: "I want more... this sacrifice is not enough!"
Daniel's blood ran cold. "What have I done? What kind of monster did I summon?" When the skeleton's eyes met Daniel's, the entity smiled a chilling, demonic smile and said: "The substitute has arrived."
The Great Betrayal: Memories of the Stranger
The gate closed, but the nightmare was not over. Daniel fell, trying to pull himself together, but his eyes turned completely black. He began to scream—high, agonizing cries—as his body twisted at sharp, unnatural angles, as if an invisible hand were breaking and reshaping his bones. "Stay away from me! Don't touch me!" he wept as dark blue veins bulged across his skin.
The system window appeared:
[Synchronization Complete.. Opening "Memories of the Unknown": 20%]
Daniel drowned in a tragic vision. He saw a man with black hair and red eyes chained up, undergoing horrific experiments. His skin was being peeled and his body burned. Then the scene shifted to a dark cave where the young man was fighting his own family! He cried out in the vision, "Father! Mother! It's me... why are you doing this after all these years of loneliness?!"
The response was cold and cruel. His older brother shattered his sword and drove a blade into his shoulder. His younger brother threw poisoned needles, while his mother plunged a spear into his stomach. The boy cried out in pain, "Mother... why? I crossed time and space just to return to you!" But the father ended it all, driving a sword through his son's heart. "You are dead to us... there is no place for monsters in this family."
The boy laughed a final, soul-crushing laugh. "Do you hate me that much? I didn't ask for much... just a little love." He died at the hands of those he loved, after doing the impossible to reach them.
The Return: A Shadow Among the Living
Daniel woke up on the battlefield, but he was no longer the same person. His eyes were empty, devoid of any light. He asked in a hollow voice, "System... what is my rank now?"
The screen appeared with an eerie solemnity:
[Daniel: Shadow Manipulator | Rank: S]
Daniel brushed the dust off his clothes, and a return portal opened. He returned to his room to find that an entire week had passed in the real world, though it felt like only a day in the dungeon. The intense gravity and time dilation meant his body felt no need for food or water.
He bathed slowly, then walked out of a dark alley into the busy city streets. He looked at the people living their lives in total peace and muttered bitterly, "Some live in a world free of sadness, and some live in hell on earth... as for me, I will be the shadow they never feel."