My Afterlife System!

The air was thick with tension, and an unnatural stillness settled over the dungeon. Jihwan stood over the remains of the Light Eater, his breath uneven, his body battered. Victory was his—but something felt wrong.

The silence wasn't relief. It was waiting.

[HP: 60/100]

[Stamina: 40/100]

In his grip, [Creator of Light] pulsed with a strange energy, its silvery glow unlike any weapon he had wielded before. The blade felt almost alive, as if it had chosen him. The weight of it should have been reassuring, yet an invisible pressure bore down on him—a foreboding presence lurking just beyond his senses.

Then, a shift.

[Cursed Watcher activated.]

A ripple passed through the air. Jihwan's instincts sharpened as his ability mapped the unseen. Faint outlines formed in his mind—monsters, motionless in the distance. But something else was there. Something deeper. Watching. Waiting.

[Skill Activated: Cursed Watcher]

[Remaining Duration: 24 Hours]

A shadow stirred ahead. Slow. Deliberate.

Then—red eyes.

A towering figure emerged from the darkness, its form shifting like mist yet radiating an undeniable presence. This was no ordinary foe. It wasn't just strong—it didn't belong to this world.

[Stage 3 Boss: The Abyssal Warden]

Its body, a swirling mass of black and gray, twisted between solidity and void. The crimson glow of its eyes locked onto Jihwan, and in that instant, the dungeon itself felt smaller. The air thickened, the walls seemed to close in.

[HP: 2000/2000]

[Attack: 150]

[Defense: 120]

Jihwan took a slow step back, gripping his weapon tighter. This battle would not be won through brute force alone.

Without warning, the Warden lashed out, tendrils of darkness slicing through the air like whips. Jihwan reacted on instinct—[Silent Throw] activated in an instant, sending a flurry of daggers at the shifting creature.

The blades passed through like smoke.

[Skill Activated: Shadow Immunity – All Shadow Attacks Negated.]

His heartbeat quickened. Normal attacks wouldn't work. He needed another approach.

Jihwan vanished into the shadows, his [Shadow Walk] propelling him behind the Warden. But the creature didn't hesitate—its red eyes flicked toward him, anticipating the move.

A trap.

The dungeon trembled as the Warden unleashed its power.

[Skill Activated: Abyssal Pull – All Targets within 10m are Pulled.]

A crushing force slammed into Jihwan. His body was yanked forward, dragged toward the vortex forming at the monster's core. The sheer pressure made movement near impossible.

[HP: 40/100]

He gritted his teeth. His body screamed in protest, but stopping now meant death. With a burst of effort, he flung a final set of energy-infused daggers toward the creature's glowing red eyes.

A direct hit. The Warden recoiled, its form flickering violently.

[HP: 1200/2000]

But it wasn't finished.

A pulse of dark energy exploded outward. Jihwan barely had time to brace before the force sent him hurtling backward, slamming into the dungeon wall. Pain flared through his body.

[HP: 10/100]

[Stamina: 20/100]

His vision blurred. His limbs felt like lead. Darkness crept at the edges of his mind. But something inside him stirred.

A whisper. A command.

[Cursed Watcher: Amplification Activated.]

Raw energy surged through his veins. The [Creator of Light] pulsed in response, its glow intensifying.

The Warden gathered its power for a final strike, its red eyes burning brighter.

Jihwan exhaled slowly. No more hesitation.

He hurled his weapon forward.

Time seemed to slow as the blade cut through the air, its silver glow intensifying with every passing second. The Warden's eyes widened as the weapon struck its core.

A piercing shriek echoed through the dungeon. The creature's form convulsed, its swirling shadows unraveling as blinding light consumed it from within.

Then—silence.

[Stage 3 Boss: The Abyssal Warden defeated!]

[EXP Gained: 1000]

[Level Up!]

Jihwan dropped to his knees, his body broken, his breaths ragged. But he had won.

[Skill Acquired: Abyssal Core – Dark Energy Amplification.]

[New Weapon: Abyssal Blade.]

The dungeon was still, but something had changed. The air no longer carried the same ominous weight, yet a chill remained—a warning.

The true darkness had yet to reveal itself.

And Jihwan was ready.

Jihwan took slow, labored breaths as he staggered to his feet, exhaustion clinging to him like a heavy shroud. The Abyssal Warden had been an enormous challenge, but somehow, he had prevailed. His body ached, and every movement felt like it cost him a piece of himself, but the rewards were undeniable.

[HP: 60/100]

[Stamina: 15/100]

He glanced down at the Abyssal Blade, now resting in his hands. It thrummed with a deep, ominous energy, as though whispering to him. The weight of the weapon felt heavier than anything he had wielded before—yet strangely natural, as if it had always been his.

[Abyssal Blade: Dark Energy Infused Weapon]

[Attack Power: +200]

[Special Effect: Absorbs Dark Energy to Empower the User]

A chill ran down his spine. The energy within the blade was intoxicating, but dangerous. It was a power that demanded control. He tightened his grip, resisting the pull of the abyss lurking in its depths.

Then—he felt it.

A presence beyond the walls, lurking, watching.

[Cursed Watcher: Sense of Danger Intensified]

The very air grew colder. Shadows writhed at the edges of his vision. The walls trembled.

A deep fissure cracked open beneath him, and from its depths, something emerged.

[Stage 4 Boss: The Shadow King]

It was massive—its body a void of pure darkness, shifting and churning like a living abyss. Two burning red eyes pierced through the void, their malevolence weighing down on him like a physical force.

[HP: 5000/5000]

[Attack: 300]

[Defense: 250]

[Special Ability: Shadow Vortex – Summons a Vortex of Dark Energy to Attack All Targets in Range]

The entire chamber quaked as the Shadow King lunged. The sheer pressure of its movement sent cracks racing through the stone floor.

Jihwan rolled away, launching a Silent Throw in the same motion. Blades of energy streaked toward the creature—but the shadows swallowed them whole.

[Skill Activated: Shadow Vortex]

A violent surge of dark energy exploded outward, sucking the air from Jihwan's lungs. The force dragged him closer to the abyss, his feet slipping against the trembling ground.

[HP: 30/100]

[Stamina: 5/100]

His vision blurred. His body was screaming for rest. But there was no room for hesitation.

[Abyssal Blade: Empowered by Dark Energy]

The weapon pulsed. It was feeding off the surrounding darkness, growing stronger.

Jihwan steadied his breath. Then—he moved.

With a burst of Shadow Walk, he phased through the vortex and closed the distance in an instant. The Shadow King barely had time to react before the Abyssal Blade cleaved through its chest.

A deafening shriek tore through the dungeon as the creature recoiled, shadows writhing violently around the wound. But then—its body pulsed. The darkness began to mend itself.

[Skill Activated: Shadow Regeneration – Restores 50% HP over Time]

Jihwan's thoughts crystallized. He could see it now—the flow of dark energy shifting through the creature's body. If he struck at the core before it fully regenerated, he could shatter its defenses completely.

With a grunt, he hurled a barrage of dark-infused blades at its heart, forcing the creature to recoil. Then, using the opening, he leaped—driving the Abyssal Blade deep into the Shadow King's core.

The creature convulsed. The darkness around it twisted and fractured—before shattering into nothingness.

[Stage 4 Boss: The Shadow King defeated!]

[EXP Gained: 1500]

Jihwan dropped to his knees, the Abyssal Blade still clenched in his trembling grip. His body was spent, but his heart pounded with exhilaration.

[New Skill Acquired: Shadow Regeneration – Regenerate HP by absorbing nearby Dark Energy]

[New Weapon: Abyssal Core – Amplifies Dark Energy Attacks]

The chamber fell silent. But Jihwan knew better than to think it was over.

The abyss had yet to show its true face.

And he would be ready.