Abyss Summoner

Honey Badger.

A prisoner fallen into darkness.

He once had a stable job; though not wealthy, he was part of a comfortable middle-class family in the county. Following the normal path, he would have married and had children, living a simple yet monotonous life.

But devastated by the apocalypse, for power and survival, he abandoned the emotions inherent to humanity and sacrificed his sister to a Giant Dragon for the sake of gaining power.

Honey Badger watched his sister, who had called him brother for nineteen years, get bitten in half by the White Dragon. She did not die immediately; she screamed in agony, staring at the family member who pushed her into the abyss. Gone was her former reliance, replaced only by curses and hatred from the depths of her soul.

She died.

The second bite of the White Dragon swallowed her body, and the sound of chewing echoed among the crowd around.

Honey Badger thought he would be enraged, that he would consider all his current actions as silent endurance, and would spend his entire life killing his enemy, that violent and beautiful Giant Dragon.

But...

The story wasn’t like that.

Who said that when a family member dies, one must take revenge?

Honey Badger quietly watched the entire slaughter without shedding tears. Perhaps his soul had undergone a qualitative transformation since the moment of killing.

He originally thought it was the world that changed him, but it wasn’t until this moment he realized, perhaps, he had already died the moment the apocalypse arrived.

A massive fire destroyed the enemy’s base, enveloping more than thirty thousand people in a sea of flames, and the screams were endless. At this moment, witnessing all this, his previously shouting comrades showed horrified expressions.

It was all too terrifying.

Tens of thousands of people were engulfed by flames, leaving ordinary people with no chance to escape except for the professionals. This indicated that those people would all die.

Even the most extreme thugs, having caused such a massacre with their own hands, now showed confusion and panic because the death toll far exceeded their expectations.

While everyone else was bewildered, Honey Badger alone revealed an intrigued momentum, as if this slaughter was a ritual, causing his body to slowly change.

With the transformation, Honey Badger was no longer quite human.

Now, he possessed a twisted humanoid form with beastly traits. Covered in mottled and rough skin, his fingertips and toes ended in terrifyingly long claws. His teeth were as frightening as his claws, and a foot-long tongue undulated in his mouth, its tip searching for scents.

Rather than a human, he was more like a beast.

When the apocalypse struck and the Dimensional Rift opened, aside from some known monsters, there were other strange lifeforms. Originally deceased, they carried a trace of hatred and resentment towards life.

These Dimensional Creatures first found a host to inhabit, residing within their bodies. The process resembled an infant growing, channeling power back to the host while retaining a sliver of the monster’s will.

This will was like a vine’s seed, initially unchanged, but over time, it grew and unwittingly climbed over an entire tall building.

Without the vines, although night would fall, the residents would feel somewhat cheerful, knowing the sun would rise again the next day.

But these vines blocked everyone’s view, sealing windows so that those inside only knew the world was dark, never considering that with hope, sunlight would still reflect within.

Honey Badger guessed correctly; once the monster inside chose him as a host, his true self had already died.

Thus, he showed no emotion; thus, when witnessing his sister’s death, he remained expressionless. It wasn’t due to feeling no pain, but because his emotions had long been devoured.

Honey Badger’s body gradually swelled. In almost an instant, blood and flesh churned; the previously vaguely human figure completely transformed into a creature about four meters tall.

With a human body and a jackal’s head, covered in sharp fur.

No one knew which dimension it came from, but once enough negative energy was absorbed, this creature finally found a means of resurrection through Honey Badger’s body.

It possessed the ability to think, even capable of recalling all past emotions from childhood, though its soul had been corrupted.

Using a human body as a vessel.

This was one of the most utilized arrival methods by Dimensional Creatures, though successful cases were incredibly rare; out of a hundred broken souls, only three or four achieved this.

At this moment, Honey Badger, due to the slaughter before him, totally released himself. Although he had lost past memories, his body found rebirth through Honey Badger.

More and more people died.

More and more screams rang out.

Yet Honey Badger delighted in these deathly chimes—at this moment, he roared skyward, unleashing a vast visible force that resonated across the celestial heights, rumbling Lenna’s thunderclouds which churned restlessly, seemingly ready to split open, not daring to confront it.

An utter eruption.

Honey Badger’s transformation surpassed the imaginations of those around him.

With no reason, he turned into such an inhuman, ghostly figure, applying immense pressure on those around him.

He was like a menacing giant, ten fingers like reinforced steel, a fusion of iron and flesh, entirely lacking any human resemblance.

He’s a butcher of life, equally ruthless to humans and beasts, pursuing fresh flesh and blood to the core of his bones. Even if crushed into pieces, he feared nothing.

He is the most relentless slayer!

"Damn it! Do you know what you’ve done?"

The gathering place of thirty thousand had survivors. One professional stood aside, glaring furiously at Honey Badger.

Compared to Honey Badger, he had basic human emotions; his family, friends, and subordinates were all in those flames. Even with past frictions, it never caused real harm.

The man never imagined Honey Badger could be so ruthless, employing such an exterminating tactic. Those engulfed in flames weren’t worms, nor beasts, but living people—killing tens of thousands, just like that?

At this moment, seeing Honey Badger only made the man’s blood boil; his fists became mighty beams, striking toward Honey Badger’s head.

Yet at that moment.

Honey Badger sneered without a glance, clenching his teeth. His already wide hands instantly darkened, all veins bulging and intertwining, each finger swelling to more than double in size!

The next second, he viciously spread his five claws, slicing towards the opponent’s chest in a beastly swipe!

"Squelch!"

The man’s body was sliced in half, guts and blood splattering the ground. So brutal—was this the end of a master, considered a giant in these lands?

The man’s will gradually faded; forget resistance, he could not even curse. This was the reality—he once thought, if faced with life and death, he would bring his opponent down with him...

But...

Reality proved crueler than he imagined.

In front of Honey Badger, his proud defense was utterly useless. He died without harming a hair on the opponent.

Slaying akin to slaughtering chickens.

Honey Badger, having killed a person, showed little excitement, turning to refocus on the flames.

Perhaps only the wails within could truly pique his interest.

It’s conceivable, once this city is ruled by him, the plight it will face. Even Honey Badger’s confidants presently appeared somewhat panicked.

True, they’re villains, but at least have human vessels. Yet before them, Honey Badger, based solely on appearance, was purely a monster.

Everyone eyed each other, unmasking their doubts and terror.

But as Honey Badger indulged in slaughter, a fierce explosion erupted in the distance.

This blast served as both a call and warning, clearly informing everyone that just as Honey Badger believed his success assured, a new enemy had arrived.