MonarchOfInk

--WSA 2025 ENTRY-- Cale was the Hero. The savior of nations, the one destined to triumph over evil. With a party of trusted allies, he defeated the Demon King, he stood at the pinnacle of fame and glory. But when the time came to share the spoils of victory, he learned a cruel truth: His so-called allies, Aelira the gentle healer, Rhogar the steadfast tank, Jorin the playful rogue, and Velena the wise mage, were anything but. "You’re a relic of the past, Cale," they sneered. "We don’t need a Hero in this new world." Betrayed, seen as a dispensable tool. He found himself being pulled into a swirling void, and plummeted into darkness. But fate had other plans. Cale awakened to an ancient power deep within the Abyss: the Dungeon Master System. It whispered promises of revenge, survival, and power unlike anything he’d known before. "Become the hunter, not the hunted. Build a dungeon. Grow stronger. Conquer those who betrayed you." And so began Cale's transformation. From the ashes of betrayal, he emerged no longer just a Hero, but a Dungeon Master, a being capable of building monstrous lairs, commanding terrifying creatures, and a potential to create even worlds, he had the power to devour anyone foolish enough to challenge him. But this new change is unforgiving, and Cale is now a player in a larger, deadlier game, one with ancient factions, and secrets powerful enough to shake the foundations of reality itself. When the hunters become the hunted, when mortals seek to challenge monsters, who will prevail? The Hero is dead. The Dungeon Master rises.

In a world overrun by dungeons and monsters, humanity's last defense lies in the hands of Awakeners, individuals gifted with extraordinary abilities. But not all abilities are created equal. Axel awakened Contract Bind, a unique E-rank ability so useless it seemed like a cruel joke. Unlike others who could form pacts with monsters and beasts, his ability could only bind a willing human. The catch? No one in their right mind would willingly surrender their freedom for a meager stat boost, especially to an E rank awakened like Axel. For years, Axel begged, bribed, and pleaded for someone, anyone, to accept his contract. But in a world driven by power and pride, no one was willing to kneel to an ability deemed useless. Even his girlfriend, the last shred of support in his life, abandoned him for a stronger Awakener. Broken, desperate, and with nothing left to lose, Axel made a choice that defied the system itself. "If no one else will, I'll do it myself.” Axel attempted the unthinkable: to contract himself. He knew it was impossible. The system’s rules forbade it. [Warning: Cannot contract self. Target must be a separate entity.] Unrelenting, he pressed on, defying the very foundations of the Awakener System. Then, something extraordinary happened. [Condition Met: Willing Subject Detected. Contracting Self...] [Contract Successful.] [An Anomaly Has Occurred. System Integrity at Risk. Reevaluating…] Pain unlike anything Axel had ever experienced tore through his body. The world blurred. And then, a cascade of notifications appeared, jagged and alien, unlike the polished menus of the Awakener System. [You have become your own summon.] [Status Changed: Human → Monster.] [Ability Rank Reevaluation in Progress...] [Unable to Determine Rank. Assigning Maximum Possible Rank…] [Ability: Contract Bind (SSS+)] Now, with the identity of both a human and a monster, with a power that transcends the known limits, Axel must navigate a world that fears and hunts what he has become. He must rise from the ashes of despair to challenge the very system that sought to suppress him.