The Dark Ascendant

The Aftermath of Power

The underground chamber was deathly silent.

Smoke curled from the scorched body of the Alpha Rat. Its massive form twitched, the dark energy that had once fueled its unnatural strength ebbing away, leaving only the stench of burnt fur and blood.

Raj stood over it, his dagger buried deep in its chest.

His breath was ragged. His limbs trembled. The golden glow of the Sunforged Path flickered before vanishing.

For a moment, it seemed like the fight was over.

But Raj felt it.

A pull. A presence.

Something deeper. Something unseen.

His Duskbound Soul stirred.

And before Raj could react—

It absorbed the Alpha Rat's soul.

The Silent Devourer

It was unlike anything Raj had ever experienced.

A cold shiver ran down his spine as the energy flowed into him.

It wasn't just raw power—it was knowledge.

Memories. Instincts. Fragments of what the Rat Alpha had once been.

A glimpse of the dark energy that had corrupted it.

And then—

Raj felt a shift within himself.

A notification appeared in his mind.

> [Duskbound Soul has absorbed an Unstable Mutant Soul.]

[Your level has increased: Duskbound Scholar (Lv. 1 → Lv. 2)]

[New Passive Ability Awakened: Sensory Veil – Your soul interactions are now harder to detect.]

Raj's eyes widened slightly.

His level increased?

That confirmed it—the Duskbound Soul had properties beyond just knowledge and rituals.

It could consume and evolve.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Because Dorean was watching.

Raj quickly adjusted his expression, masking his emotions.

The Alpha Rat's body was still, its unnatural glow fading. There were no visible signs of the soul absorption—only the damage from Raj's attacks.

Good.

If Dorean had noticed anything unusual, he didn't show it.

The Dorean walked forward, hands still in his pockets. His eyes studied the scene with an unreadable gaze.

Then, he looked at Raj.

And for the first time since they met—Dorean's curiosity was visible.

"That golden light," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Where did it come from?"

Raj kept his face neutral.

This was a dangerous moment.

If Dorean suspected too much, things could turn ugly.

Raj exhaled, wiping the blood from his dagger.

"It's a trick I learned from my previous world." He shrugged. "A technique to enhance my attacks."

Dorean raised an eyebrow. "Your previous world?"

Raj nodded. "The place I came from before I arrived here."

It wasn't a complete lie—but it wasn't the full truth either.

Dorean stared at him for a long moment, his piercing gaze seeming to strip Raj down layer by layer.

Raj held his ground.

Then, to his relief—Dorean smirked.

"Hah. You really are an interesting one, Scholar."

Raj only gave a small smile in response.

But inside, he knew.

Dorean wasn't convinced.

Not fully.

Inspecting the Body

Dorean knelt beside the Alpha Rat's corpse, his fingers brushing against the charred fur.

He frowned. "This thing… it wasn't normal."

Raj folded his arms. "You noticed too?"

Dorean nodded. "The corruption in its veins wasn't natural. Something altered it."

Raj stayed silent, but his mind was already making connections.

The Duskbound Soul had shown him flashes of memory when it absorbed the Alpha's soul.

A hidden force was involved.

But what?

Raj crouched beside the corpse, inspecting it closely. The dark veins were still visible, even after death. They looked like thin, black roots, embedded deep within the creature's body.

Raj reached out, touching one of them.

A faint pulse of energy met his fingertips.

Residual corruption.

Whatever had changed this creature… was still lingering.

Dorean noticed. "Something wrong?"

Raj withdrew his hand and shook his head. "Nothing."

Again—not a lie.

But not the full truth either.

As Raj stood, he felt the subtle shift in his body from leveling up.

The increase in strength wasn't dramatic, but it was noticeable.

His mind felt sharper. His reflexes slightly quicker.

And most importantly—his Duskbound Soul's presence was now hidden better than before.

> [Sensory Veil – Your soul interactions are now harder to detect.]

That meant even if Dorean was secretly scanning him with some ability, he wouldn't sense what had just happened.

Raj suppressed a smile.

This was useful.

Extremely useful.

Returning to the Guild

After dragging the Alpha Rat's corpse out of the underground tunnels, Raj and Dorean returned to the guild.

The moment they entered, the receptionist's eyes widened upon seeing the carcass.

Other adventurers turned to look, their faces mixed with shock and curiosity.

One of them muttered, "Wait… isn't that an F Rank mission? That thing looks way stronger…"

The guild staff quickly examined the body, and soon, the guild master himself stepped forward.

A tall man with a scarred face and piercing eyes, he studied the Alpha Rat with a serious expression.

Then, he turned to Raj.

"This mission was classified as F Rank… but judging from the state of this beast, it should've been at least F+ Rank.

Murmurs spread through the guild.

Raj kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was annoyed.

So the guild misjudged the mission level?

The guild master continued, "You took on a much greater risk than expected. As such, we will issue an extra reward for your efforts."

- Base Reward: 5 Silver Coins

- Bonus Reward for Underestimated Danger: Additional 10 Silver Coins

Raj remained calm, but inwardly, he nodded.

At least they were compensating him properly.

Dorean chuckled. "Looks like you got lucky, Scholar."

Raj shrugged. "Or maybe they were just careless."

The guild master gave him a long, considering look, before finally nodding. "Good work."

With that, the matter was settled.

But Raj knew one thing.

This world was far more dangerous than it appeared.

And he had only just scratched the surface.

Duskbound Soul absorbing the Alpha Rat's soul.

New ability unlocked (Sensory Veil).

Dorean growing more suspicious.

The guild recognizing the mission's underestimated danger.

Raj receiving extra rewards and reputation.

This sets up Raj's progression, Dorean's suspicion, and a deeper mystery regarding the corrupted beasts.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! Thank you for reading Chapter 30 of The Dark Ascendant!

If you're enjoying the story, please add it to your collection on Webnovel! Your support helps a lot and keeps me motivated to bring more chapters.

Also, feel free to drop a comment—I'd love to hear your thoughts!

See you in the next chapter!

— KaelenDusk