Ethan should have expected this. After everything—the battle, the seal, the capital’s interference— The Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t about to let him walk away without answers. His class had evolved. His title had changed. His power was now beyond standard classification. And that meant one thing. A Class Examination. A mandatory test to determine what he had become. Ethan stood in the center of the Guild’s assessment chamber, surrounded by Guild officials, magic analysts, and combat instructors. Leah, Kara, and Gareth were watching from the side, tension clear in their expressions. The S-Rank adventurers had left the city earlier that morning. But their warning remained. This test wasn’t just about ranking Ethan. It was about control. And if the Guild didn’t like what they found? They might try to take control of him themselves.

  The Guildmaster, Elias Thurman, stood at the front of the room, arms crossed. "Alright, Ethan," he said. "Let’s begin." A System interface materialized in the air—a modified assessment tool used only for rare cases. Ethan took a deep breath. The moment he placed his hand on the crystal panel, the System reacted violently.

  [ERROR: UNKNOWN CLASS DETECTED.]

  [PROCESSING...]

  [CALIBRATING NEW CLASS PARAMETERS…]

  The entire chamber darkened. A pulse of void-like energy rippled outward—unlike any standard class assessment before. The observers tensed. Then, after several tense seconds… The results flashed.

  Assessing the Unknown

  The Guildmaster, Elias Thurman, stood at the front of the room, arms crossed.

  "Alright, Ethan," he said. "Let’s begin."

  A System interface materialized in the air—a modified assessment tool used only for rare cases.

  Ethan took a deep breath.

  The moment he placed his hand on the crystal panel, the System reacted violently.

  [ERROR: UNKNOWN CLASS DETECTED.]

  [PROCESSING...]

  [CALIBRATING NEW CLASS PARAMETERS…]

  The entire chamber darkened.

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  A pulse of void-like energy rippled outward—unlike any standard class assessment before.

  The observers tensed.

  Then, after several tense seconds…

  The results flashed.

  Ethan’s New Class: Abysswalker

  [NAME: Ethan Voss]

  [RANK: B-Rank Adventurer]

  [CLASS: Abysswalker (Unique)]

  [SUB-CLASS: Warden of the Forgotten]

  Abysswalker: A hybrid combat class specializing in dark magic, stealth, and binding techniques.

  Warden of the Forgotten: A sub-class tied to the sealed entity, granting access to unknown energies.

  [NEW CLASS ABILITIES UNLOCKED:]

  Abyssal Lock (Unique - Binding Magic) – Ethan can momentarily seal an enemy’s abilities, weakening them significantly.

  Void Step (Rare - Movement Ability) – Ethan can teleport through shadows, ignoring normal terrain.

  Predator’s Chain (Unique - Passive) – Allows Ethan to strengthen his abilities against entities connected to the Forgotten One.

  Mark of the Warden (??? - Passive) – Unidentified effect. Awaiting further growth.

  The room was silent. Ethan exhaled slowly This wasn’t just an evolution. It was a shift into something entirely new

  Elias studied the results. The other Guild officials murmured amongst themselves. Kara muttered, "That’s… not normal, right?" Gareth crossed his arms. "Not even close." Leah looked at Ethan. "How do you feel?" Ethan clenched his fists. Stronger. But also… different. Before he could answer, Elias finally spoke. "You’re officially classified as a Unique-Path Adventurer." A rare category outside traditional ranking structures. But then— Elias’s gaze darkened. "Which means from this point forward… the Guild will be keeping a close eye on you." The Celebration—And the Weight of It All Despite the tension of the examination, the Guild still insisted on a celebration. The successful mission. The survival of Ethan’s team. The defeat—or at least sealing—of the Forgotten One. The Guild Hall was lively that evening. Drinks were poured. Stories were told. Even Kara and Leah managed to laugh—despite their exhaustion. But Ethan? He felt the weight of everything. The title. The class. The thing still waiting in the dark. And worst of all— The inevitable approach of the capital. He knew this peace wouldn’t last. But for tonight? He let himself pretend. Just for a while.

  The streets of Portland were quiet as Ethan made his way home. His body was heavy with exhaustion. His mind swirled with everything that had happened. By the time he locked his door, he barely made it to his bed. As soon as he hit the mattress— His body gave in. Sleep took him instantly. And for the first time in days, there were no nightmares. Or so he thought.

  End of Book 1: The Abysswalker’s Awakening

  A look into Book 2: The Master’s Invitation Ethan awoke with a start. But something was wrong. The bed beneath him was gone. The warmth of his home—vanished. The familiar weight of Portland’s air—missing. Instead— Cold stone beneath him. A vast, endless darkness stretching in every direction. A presence—watching. Then—a voice. Smooth. Amused. Inevitable. "Finally awake, little predator?" Ethan’s blood ran cold. Because he knew who it was. The Master had taken him.