The man had been wandering aimlessly since waking up, his expression showing a mix of confusion and curiosity. The rectangular hologram floating beside him fueled his wonder, while the mysterious force that restored his health left him bewildered.

System: □□□□□□

Title: None

Authority: None

Being: Body (Z), Mind (Z), Spirit (Z)

Growth: Talent (Z), Potential (Z), Karma (Z)

Faculties: None

Abilities: None

Inventory: 1 m3

Trade: Shop (Z), Market (N/A)

Community: Earth (Z), Sol (N/A)

Abyss: 0

Tower: 0

Points: 100

The neatly arranged floating information conveyed one thing to him: the world had transformed into something unrecognizable. He was far from any city, being in the heart of Antarctica. If the apocalypse had begun, there was no way anyone would attempt to rescue a lone man in such a deserted place. Although he was aware of the presence of observatories in Antarctica, he had no clue of their locations—or even his own, for that matter. The man had two burning questions: how he was still alive and what was unfolding in the world.

After a while, he sat down on the snow, using a handful of it to quench his thirst, and then turned his attention to the hologram. While he could grasp the meaning of each line, he remained uncertain about their full significance. Attempting to interact, he clicked on the Shop option, and a new window promptly appeared.

Growth:

Talent (FFF) - 500 Points

Potential (FFF) - 1000 Points

Karma (FFF) - 3000 Points

Faculties:

Mana Node (Z) - 50 Points

Mana Generation (Z) - 70 Points, Mana Node

Mana Circuit (Z) - 10 Points, 2 Mana Nodes

Mana Flow (Z) - 20 Points, 2 Mana Nodes, Mana Circuit

Mana Network (Z) - 100 Points, 2 Mana Nodes, Mana Generation, Mana Circuit, Mana Flow

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Solid (Z) - 50 Points, Mana Network

Liquid (Z) - 100 Points, Mana Network

Gas (Z) - 300 Points, Mana Network

Plasma (Z) - 1000 Points, Mana Network

Abilities:

Ice (Z) - 100 Points, Solid (Z)

Water (Z) - 200 Points, Liquid (Z)

…

The Shop had an array of items, prompting him to spend quite a while familiarizing himself with its offerings.

"Feels like a game..." he sighed, disappointed to find nothing he could currently utilize. Clicking on Abyss once more, he pondered for a few minutes.

[ Open portal to Abyss? Yes No ]

With hesitation, he selected [ Yes ], and a dark violet portal materialized before him, causing him to instinctively take a step back in shock. However, his reaction was futile as the portal swiftly sucked him in.

[ Purify 0th Floor of Abyss ]

Upon entry, he was greeted by a dimly lit room, featuring a single wooden door on one wall and a tiny orb of light floating in the middle. The room appeared entirely empty, save for the pervasive mold that had spread almost everywhere.

"I'm certain there are no cute girls beyond that door and if I follow the logic of games, there should be monsters outside. Monsters? Haha, even saying that sounds ridiculous."

He spent a considerable amount of time in the room, pacing back and forth, contemplating the potential realities that awaited him beyond the door and how he might confront them. Each idea spawned further questions, and the more he thought, the more his confidence and courage waned. With a shaky hand, he slowly opened the door.

In a dark tunnel, two hunchbacked, small, and ugly humanoid creatures battled fiercely, seeking to kill and consume each other with their jagged claws and teeth. One bled heavily from the right hand, while the other wore a wicked grin, confident of its triumph. Suddenly, an irresistibly delicious smell reached their noses, causing them to cease their fight and simultaneously turn their heads to the left.

With a creaky sound, the door opened and the light barely illuminated the dark tunnel. The man saw two creatures, both around one meters high having their heads turned towards him. There were no eyes on their faces, only huge mouths with broken teeth.

[ Barrier removed ]

The creatures lunged at him, prompting the man to quickly shut the door and take a few steps back. Because the door couldn't be locked, it swung open when the creatures collided with it. One of them managed to bite his leg, barely breaking the skin, while he seized the other by the throat and hurled it aside.

Rushing with adrenaline, the man had no time to think, only to react. Seizing the creature biting his leg by its limb, he effortlessly hoisted it up, causing his skin to tear further as the creature was wrenched away, leaving a tooth embedded in his leg. He yelled out in pain and struck it in the face with his left hand, while the other creature had already positioned itself beside him, clawing at his stomach that it barely reached. Using the creature in his hand as a makeshift weapon, he struck the other one with his full strength and it fell on the ground, disoriented.

He kept relentlessly pummeling it until the screeching sounds they made turned into muffled gasps and then silence.

[ Rat Killed: 10 Points ]

The one on the ground had died, but the other still jerked its limbs around. He moved to the wall and began hitting it with the creature.

[ Rat Killed: 10 Points ]

He threw the creature away and sat on the ground. Panting heavily he looked down on his bloodied hands and then glanced at the wrecked creatures that looked more like ugly humans than rats.

"Killing creatures gives me Points. I need 400 Points to build my Mana Network and then get an ability. 28 more rats to kill... Seems unrealistic and if I get unlucky to meet something stronger I'll most likely die."

Opening the Shop he first bought Mana Node (Z) and then Mana Generation (Z), getting his Points to 0. A fleeting warmth filled his heart, lasting only a few seconds.

"That's it? I expected something more."

Casting a troubled glance at the disfigured rat, he grabbed it by its leg like a weapon and ventured into the tunnel.