Nico let out a sigh before carefully looking at the names and deciding to buy the only thing that actually looked worth the price.
"...Fine. Hollow Pup it is."
His Beast Soul count plummeted from ten to two in an instant. "Great. I'm broke already."
The dungeon core flashed a weak green light once and when the light faded the Hollow Pup emerged with a body shaped like a dog but wrong in every detail. Its fur was more like drifting smoke, its paws left faint green prints on the stone, and its eyes were hollow pits glowing faintly from within. It moved with a jittery, unnatural lightness, as if gravity barely applied to it, and it was approaching Nico.
Nico felt a cold shiver run up his back as the Hollow Pup padded up to him, its hollow eyes blinking slowly. "Uhm… hi?" The Pup barked once in response eerie, but somehow it seemed like it was trying its best to be friendly.
"Okayy…" Nico sighed, gently patting the pup's smoky head. The creature leaned into the touch, its hollow eyes flickering softly. "Let me give you a name…" The Hollow Pup stared up at him, its tail giving the faintest twitch.
"…Echo," Nico decided. At the sound of its new name, the pup's head tilted, and it let out another one of those strange, echoing barks, softer this time, almost approving. Just then the system gave a ding and a message popped up.
¨Gongratulations on succesfully doing the mission¨
¨You have received 1 SF¨
´Wait a second what even is a SF?¨ Nico quicly opened multible panels before finding it in the shop one.
Shop
- Soul fragments: 1
- Sort
- Items
Nico scrolled through a list of items that seemed to be in completely random order before focusing on the Sort button and looking at the filters eventually Nico tapped the Purchasable filter, and three items slid to the top of the list. He stared at them for a moment.
-Super weak Barrier Rune Cost: 1 SF
Use: Creates a tiny, temporary shield around the core for a minute. Might stop a very confused rat.
- F- Beast Treat Cost: 1 SF (Select a beast and a specific treat wil appear in your hand)
Use: Boosts beasts affection or gives a super tiny stat buff.
- Dungeon Light Orb (Dim) Cost: 1 SF
Use: Slightly lights up a small area of the dungeon. Flickers constantly like a dying lamp.
"…Seriously? This is all I can afford?" Echo let out a soft, hollow bark beside him, as if encouraging him to pick something anyway.
Nico looked at the pup beside him. "Well… I'll buy a treat. Gotta make sure it doesn't eat me or anything." He bought the F‑ Beast Treat, selected Echo, and a black bone the size of his finger appeared in his palm.
Nico placed the bone on the ground in front of Echo. The pup's hollow eyes flickered, and its smoky tail gave an eager wag before it snatched the treat up. Without hesitation, Echo spun around and bolted toward the cave's opening, paws leaving faint green prints that faded after a second.
Nico blinked. "Hey! wait, where are you going with that?"
Echo didn't answer, of course. Just a jittery little shadow‑dog sprinting off with its prize.
Nico ran after the pup worrying that his first summon ran away, as Nico reached the cave's opening, he came to a stop. The world outside wasn't at all what he expected.
Below the cliff stretched a wide valley, wrapped in morning mist. A waterfall spilled down a rock wall opposite to his cave, its stream cutting through the greenery before pooling into a clear lake. The sound of rushing water echoed softly through the air, blending with the distant calls of unseen creatures.
Tall trees where on the valley's rim, their branches forming a thick layer that filtered the sunlight into shifting beams of gold. Moss‑covered stones dotted the landscape, and patches of wildflowers swayed in the breeze like tiny splashes of colour against the deep green.
A narrow path went down from the cave's mouth, half‑overgrown and barely visible, as if no one had walked it in years. Echo stood at the edge of the cliff, tail of smoke wagging as it gnawed happily on the black bone, completely unbothered by the breathtaking drop below.
"Wow…" Nico breathed, eyes wide as he took in the view. "Did not expect it to be this beautiful outside the cave." He walked over to Echo and sat beside it, gently petting the smoky fur. The pup leaned into his hand, wagging its tail softly, the motion leaving faint wisps of mist curling through the air.
Nico enjoyed the scenery for a few hours before finally heading back into the cave. He sat down against the cool stone wall, wondering what to do next, when he suddenly remembered the items in his inventory. With a thought, he opened the panel.
Inventory
1 weapon ticket for F gear
1 armor ticket for F gear
He focused on the weapon ticket first, and a spinning wheel appeared in front of him, filled with tiny icons of weapons, most of them looking either broken, pathetic, or outright dangerous. The wheel spun faster, then slower and slower until it finally clicked into place.
Small Rusty Dagger (F‑)
Nico stared at the result. "Well… at least it isn't a stick or a rock…" The dagger materialised in his hand with a faint shimmer. It was exactly as advertised small, rusty, and very, very F‑rank.
¨It will do for now¨ He focused on the armor ticket and a wheel appeared which spun just like before, icons flashing past, some decent, some awful, most questionable. It slowed… clicked… and finally stopped on
Tattered Leather Chestguard (F‑)
Nico stared at it. "Oh great. Armor that looks like it lost a fight before I even put it on." The chestguard materialised in his lap, smelling faintly of old boots and disappointment. He held it up in front of him and noticed multiple bite marks scattered across the leather. "Well…" he muttered, turning it over, "at least whatever chewed on it didn't finish the job." ´I'll wear it after the protection period… if I don't find anything better,´ Nico sighed, lowering the chestguard and placing it next to him.
Nico let out a long yawn, sleep finally catching up to him. With nothing else to do and the cave pleasantly quiet, he let himself slide down onto the cool stone floor. Within moments, his eyes drifted shut, and he fell asleep right there in the dim glow of the cave.