The faint blue light from the system window lingered in front of him, illuminating the cold, abyssal ground. MC's stomach rumbled again. He quickly opened the [System Shop], eyes darting through the tabs — Weapons, Armor, Consumables, Misc.
The prices made his jaw drop.
"...Two hundred thousand for a Blade Fixer? Are they trying to rob me?"
He checked his coin balance — 2,500 Abyss Coins. Pathetic. Even the cheapest low-grade sword was out of reach.
Frustrated, he scrolled to the "Sell" tab out of curiosity. His eyes froze when he saw one of the listed items: Shadow Claw (Rare) — the black, serrated talon he had taken from the Great Shadow Wolf's corpse. The system valued it at 15,000 Coins.
A sly grin tugged at his lips.
"…Guess your paw will feed me and gear me up, buddy."
Without hesitation, he sold the Shadow Claw. A crisp +15,000 Coins notification flashed, and his total shot up to 17,500 Coins.
He immediately splurged on a set of Grade E Abyss Gear: a dark steel chestplate, reinforced gloves, and a horned helmet.
>[Name:Kang Do-hyun]
Level:21
Strength:24→29
Agility:23→33
Vitality:12→27
Luck:21
Weapon: Broken Sword?-Grade?
Balance:15200 coins
"Not bad… now I look like someone who might survive this hellhole," he muttered, tightening his gloves.
But as he browsed back to the weapons tab, his heart still ached. The Blade Fixer — sleek, black, and perfectly balanced — still gleamed in the display, taunting him with its 20,000 Coin price tag.
"Soon," he whispered, eyes burning with determination. "I'll come back for you… and when I do, nothing in this abyss will stand in my way."
He closed the shop, the faint hum of the system fading into the darkness. Ahead, more wolves howled — and his stomach growled in answer.
Alright," he muttered, gripping his worn blade. "Time to go hunting."
The abyss stretched endlessly before him, shadows twisting into shapes that snarled and growled. His footsteps echoed on the cold stone ground as he ventured deeper into the territory of the Demon Wolves.
The first pack spotted him before he spotted them—three Nightfang Wolves, their glowing eyes locked on him. They lunged.
But this time, he didn't retreat.
His armor absorbed the first hit. His gloves gave his grip more stability. His helmet dulled the ringing in his ears after a wolf slammed into him. He countered with quick slashes, using his agility to sidestep, letting them crash into each other before finishing them off.
[+30 Gold]
[+45 Gold]
[+40 Gold]
The kills came faster now, the coins stacking in his inventory like a waterfall.
And with each wolf that fell, he felt it—his strength growing, his movements sharper, his hunger for more gold and power rising.
Somewhere in the shadows, something bigger howled.
He grinned.
"Guess the night's just getting started."