Ethan was running all over the damp forest, exercising his body in the cold morning dew. His feet pounded against dirt, mud, and roots. His muscles screamed. The forest breathed around him, alive with unseen eyes. By the time he finished, his body was soaked in sweat, his arms trembling.
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETED]
[+5 EXP EARNED]
[+2 ATTRIBUTE POINT]
He didn't pause. He went through every exercise like a madman possessed. Every push-up felt like a strike against the world that wronged him. Every squat was a vow to never fall beneath another. Every minute spent in pain was another step forward.
When he finally finished, he collapsed to the ground, panting.
[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 155/200]
[STAGE: DEEP ECHOING(1)]
[LEVEL: LVL 2]
A branch cracked somewhere to the east. Ethan froze. He unsheathed his blade and turned.
Emerging from the bushes was a Class I Tartarus Hound, its limbs thin like bone but covered in thick fur. Blackened fangs lined its jaw. Ethan narrowed his eyes.
[WRATH SURGE DETECTED]
[ENEMY DETECTED - CLASS I TARTARUS HOUND]
[SKILL: ABYSSAL LUNGE–READY]
Ethan lowered into a stance. The beast charged, snarling.
He dashed forward.
"ABYSSAL LUNGE!"
His form blurred. He shot low, the blade dragging across the beast's belly. Blood exploded behind him. The hound collapsed mid-run, its momentum flipping it over itself. Ethan skidded to a halt.
[WRATH EXPENDED: 8]
[WRATH REMAINING: 22/30
[TARTARUS HOUND DEFEATED]
[+10EXP GAINED]
[+4WRATH EARNED]
[CURRENT EXP: 165/200]
[WRATH: 26/30]
Not enough. Just short.
He wiped blood from his face, sheathed his blade again, and kept moving.
---
By noon, the forest gave way to a marsh. Again.
Ethan cursed under his breath as his boots sank into the wet, sticky mud. Gnats buzzed everywhere. The air smelled foul. But there was a faint path here. Maybe others had crossed.
For hours, he struggled through the mire.
Then he felt it.
A shift in the air. Like the hush before a predator strikes.
[WRATH CHARGE DETECTED]
[WARNING: MULTIPLE TARTARUS BEAST SIGNATURES DETECTED]
[COUNT: 3 – CLASS I]
He stopped. Drew his blade. Focused.
Three beasts erupted from the water—they looked like deformed frogs with needle-sharp teeth and glowing blue eyes. They bounded toward him, mouths open wide.
Ethan didn't retreat. He let them come.
He sidestepped the first, slashing across its neck. It screeched and splashed into the water. The second pounced. He ducked, rolled, and sliced upward through its gut. The third bit his shoulder.
"Argh!"
Pain shot through his body.
He swung wildly, drove the blade deep into the beast's head. All three fell.
[TARTARUS BEASTS DEFEATED]
[+45 EXP GAINED]
[+4WRATH EARNED]
[LEVEL UP!: LVL2 > LVL3(DEEP ECHOING)]
Ethan smiled at his progress. He opened his skill menu. Focusing that one skill that he hadn't used yet. Curious of how it would feel.
[ABYSSAL CLAWS]
>DESCRIPTION: A melee ability that transforms the user's hands into clawed abyssal weapons for 10 seconds. Each slash deals bonus Wrath damage and applies prolonged bleeding.]
[WRATH COST: 20]
[DURATION: 90s]
[COOLDOWN: 180s]
Ethan dropped to his knees, panting. His shoulder was bleeding, but his eyes were bright.
He opened his hand, and black deep crimson flames surged around his fingers, forming jagged claws. He didn't activate the skill, it was more like a preview the system enabled
A grin crept across his face.
"Come at me now... I'll tear you apart."
---
That night, he made camp on higher ground beside an old tree, his wounds bandaged, his blade cleaned. He sat by the fire, staring at his open palm.
The clawed flames danced in the reflection of his irises. He was changing. Faster than he could imagine. His power, his instincts, his resolve. Pain, rage and blood had fueled him, the system had fueled him too and death was part of his life now.
[YOU HAVE WALKED FURTHER INTO THE ABYSS.]
[BE WARNED: THE PATH AHEAD ONLY GETS DARKER.]
Ethan clenched his fist.
"Good. Then let darkness be my guide. I still have a long way to"
"It's been a while I haven't seen my stats... STATUS.
The glowing pane opened, pulsating with primal energy
[NOW DISPLAYING SYSTEM INTERFACE...]
[ABYSSAL SYSTEM INTERFACE(UPGRADED)...]
[NAME: ETHAN VALDROS]
[RACE: LEVIATHAN-HYBRID]
[STAGE: DEEP ECHOING(1)]
[LEVEL: LVL 3]
[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 10/300]
[SOUL STATE: BOUND TO TYPHON]
[SOUL STABILITY: 90%]
[BOND: ENTITY - TYPHON | SEALED WITHIN HOST SOUL]
[SYNC STATE|STATUS: 12%]
[SUBCLASS: REVENGEFUL RAGE]
[CURRENT TITLES: SOULBOUND SURVIVOR|CHILD OF VENGEANCE]
[HP: 20/20]
[WRATH: 30/30]
[OBLIVION: 50/100]
[ATTRIBUTES]
[STRENGTH: 10] (Raw and Physical Power)
[STAMINA: 10] (Sustains physical and mental effort)
[SPEED: 10] (Frequency of motion of body over time)
[AGILITY: 10] (Refelxes, reaction speed, evasion speed)
[ENDURANCE: 10] (Physical and Mental Resilience, Pain tolerance)
[PERCEPTION: 10] (Awareness, sensory...)
[4 ATTRIBUTE POINTS STILL TO ALLOCATE]
[TITLES UNLOCKED: SOULBOUND SURVIVOR|CHILD OF VENGEANCE]
[SKILLS AWAKENED: Abyssal Lunge(Basic Tier), Abyssal Claws(Basic Tier), Abyssal Inventory
[SYSTEM FUNCTIONS UNLOCKED:]
▸ Quests (Unlocked)
▸ Abyssal Archive (LOCKED)
▸ Leviathan Core Fusion (LOCKED)
▸ Skill Tree (Sword, Gauntlets, Daggers, Armor, etc– LOCKED)
▸ Abyssal Gear Slot (LOCKED)
▸ Daily/Weekly Quests (UNLOCKED)
▸ Title System (ACTIVE)
▸ Bond Sync (ACTIVE)
[MAJOR QUESTS] [SIDE QUESTS] [DAILY/WEEKLY QUESTS]
"I have gone so far. I have leveled up to level three of Deep Echoing...not bad. I guess it was a great idea to take this journey, am literally farming EXP." He looked the interface in awe.
"Now what is this skill, Abyssal Inventory... Is it what I think it is... anyways let read the description"
The system flickered, the skill menu opened
[ABYSSAL INVENTORY]
>DESCRIPTION: A personal inventory where host can keep his loots, gears, potions. Practical when transporting a whole lot of stuffs.
>Host just has to touch the item, visualize it in the inventory and puff, it would appear there right away. Only non-living things can be kept in the inventory.
"Wow this is cool... No need to have a bagpack anymore. Let me try with the crystals I had"
Ethan held the crystal in his hand. He concentrated for a while, fixing the crystal in his hand. He then closed his eyes, visualizing it in the inventory and then the magic operated. It disappeared from his hand.
"Damn... This is dope" He exclaimed in awe. Again, he closed his eyes and visulised it in his hand and so did it appear back.
"Not that difficult... This skill is so practical as heck."
He proceeded in keeping the rest of the loot from his satchel inside his inventory.
The night was still long. Beasts were still lurking in the dark but Ethan was ready for any encounter. He would slay any beast that stands in his path.
[DAYS COMPLETED–3/5]
[+2EXP]
[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 12/300]