Chapter 3 - Into the Abyss
The air was thick with decay, the damp earth clinging to Jae-Hyun’s boots as he pressed forward. The Hollow Dreadlands had not let him go easily. Every step felt heavier, his body weary from the constant vigilance the cursed forest demanded. Yet, here he stood, one last trial in his path: a goblin tribe—ten in number, their guttural chatter echoing through the misty expanse.
Jae-Hyun crouched low, his sharp gaze cutting through the haze. The goblins were gathered around a makeshift altar, a crude, foreboding structure built from jagged bones and twisted wood. Symbols painted in glistening, dark ichor shimmered faintly, as if alive, pulsating with an unnatural energy that seemed to taint the very air around it. Two of them stood apart, their staves etched with runes that faintly pulsed with green light. Mages. He clenched his fists, feeling the hum of his system’s interface at the edge of his awareness.
He had no choice but to act swiftly. The two mages would complicate things, and he could not risk a prolonged battle. Focusing his mind, he activated Reaper’s Summon. Shadows coiled at his feet, twisting and forming into three goblin-like shapes. Their translucent, smoke-like forms wavered, their glowing crimson eyes fixed on him as if awaiting orders.
Summons: 3 active. Reaper Points used: 9.
Jae-Hyun’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t summon more without exhausting his mana, and maintaining the three was already draining his resources. His Reaper Points were dwindling, a clear reminder of his limits.
“Go,” he commanded, his voice a cold whisper. The shadowy goblins moved as one, their movements eerily synchronized as they rushed the enemy.
Chaos erupted. The shadow goblins clashed with their flesh-and-blood counterparts, tearing through their ranks with a savagery that mirrored the real creatures. Jae-Hyun followed closely, his blade gleaming as he struck with precision. The ordinary goblins fell quickly, their cries silenced in moments.
Then the mages retaliated. One unleashed a bolt of crackling green energy that slammed into a shadow summon, dissipating it instantly. The other began chanting, the ground beneath Jae-Hyun’s feet glowing ominously. He leapt back just as jagged spikes of earth erupted where he had stood.
“Annoying,” he muttered, dashing toward the nearest mage. His blade struck true, severing the creature’s staff before cutting it down. The second mage’s spell faltered as it tried to retreat, but Jae-Hyun’s summon closed the distance, tearing it apart with a shadowy claw.
The battlefield fell silent. Breathing heavily, Jae-Hyun deactivated his summons and activated Reaper’s Claim. Tendrils of dark energy flowed from the fallen goblins into his hand, a cold, tingling sensation surging up his arm and into his chest. It was as if the very essence of the creatures became part of him, feeding his strength but leaving a faint, unsettling residue in his mind. A faint notification flashed across his vision: +10 Reaper Points.
The corpses lay eerily still, their emptied forms a stark reminder of the cost of survival.
+10 Reaper Points acquired.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the faint hum of power within. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to sustain him. With a final glance at the clearing, he turned and walked away, the oppressive weight of the Hollow Dreadlands finally lifting as he crossed its boundary.
The Encounter
The landscape shifted as Jae-Hyun entered the Danger Zone. The air grew lighter, though the tension lingered. The terrain was uneven, dotted with jagged rocks and sparse, gnarled trees. He pressed forward, his senses sharp, until a distant commotion caught his attention.
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Voices. Angry and cruel.
Jae-Hyun crouched behind a cluster of rocks, peering out at the scene. A young woman, bloodied and defiant, stood with a blade in hand, facing three men. From their tone and jeers, it was clear what they intended. His jaw tightened, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
“Disgusting,” he muttered, disgust mingling with a cold fury. The scene reminded him too much of his brother and father’s cruelty—the way they used power to demean and destroy.
For now, he observed. The woman fought valiantly, her movements sharp despite her injuries. But it was clear she was at her limit. When one of the men lunged at her, she stumbled, barely deflecting his blade. The others laughed, closing in.
One of them grabbed her arm, pulling her close. Her cry of pain was sharp, desperate. That was enough.
Jae-Hyun moved.
The man’s head rolled before the others even registered his presence. For Jae-Hyun, the act was as instinctive as breathing—a precise, decisive strike born of anger he could no longer suppress. For a fleeting moment, an image flashed in his mind: himself, battered and helpless under his father’s cold gaze, unable to fight back. That helplessness had fueled him, sharpened into the cold edge of his blade. The cruelty in their jeers, the smugness in their laughter—it was too familiar, echoing the faces of his father and Tae-Jun. He gripped his blade tighter, his knuckles white, as the remaining two turned, their faces a mix of shock and rage. Jae-Hyun’s blade dripped with blood as he stepped forward, his gaze cold and unyielding.
“Disappear from this world, trash,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion but carrying an edge of disgust, as if even speaking to them sullied his resolve.
One of the men sneered, raising his sword. “You think you’re some hero? You only got him because of a sneak attack. Let’s see you try that again!”
Jae-Hyun didn’t reply. He closed the distance in an instant, his blade flashing. The man barely had time to scream before he fell, blood pooling around him.
The last one dropped his weapon, falling to his knees. “Wait! Please, I didn’t know they were going to—”
“But you didn’t stop them,” Jae-Hyun interrupted, his voice sharp. “You’re just as guilty.”
The man’s pleas ended with a gurgle as Jae-Hyun’s blade cut his throat. He turned to the woman, now unconscious on the ground. She was still breathing, her injuries severe but not fatal. Without a word, he sheathed his sword and lifted her carefully.
Recovery and Introductions
Nightfall found them in a sheltered grove, where the faint rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of nocturnal creatures softened the tension of the day. A small fire crackled between them, its flickering light casting shifting shadows on the moss-covered trees. The warm glow illuminated Jae-Hyun’s stern expression as he sat silently, meticulously tending to the woman’s wounds with makeshift bandages. The scent of damp earth mingled with the faint, metallic tang of blood, a stark contrast to the comfort the fire’s warmth provided. When she stirred, her eyes opened wide with fear. Her hazel eyes darted around, taking in the unfamiliar grove and the man tending her wounds. Pain throbbed in her body, but her mind screamed to assess the situation. “Where am I? Who—” she started, her voice weak but laced with wariness.
“No,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Stay away…”
“Do you think I’m like them?” Jae-Hyun’s voice was calm but carried an edge of irritation. He gestured to the distant bodies, their outlines barely visible in the firelight. “If I was, you wouldn’t be alive.”
Her gaze flicked to the corpses, then back to him. Shame replaced her fear, but her wariness lingered. She studied him closely, taking in his cold, detached demeanor. His efficiency in dispatching the attackers unnerved her—he seemed almost unaffected by the violence. Yet, as the silence stretched, a faint sense of reassurance crept in. He had saved her, after all, and there was no malice in his tone or actions. “I’m… sorry. Thank you,” she said finally, her voice hesitant but genuine.
Jae-Hyun nodded curtly. “What’s your name?”
“Ahri,” she said, sitting up slowly. “Ahri Kwon.”
“Jae-Hyun,” he replied, offering her a healing potion from his inventory. She stared at it, her eyes widening.
“That’s expensive. I can’t take it.”
“Take it,” he said flatly. “I don’t need you dying on me.”
Reluctantly, she drank, her injuries beginning to mend. “Why did you help me?” she asked after a moment.
Jae-Hyun didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was distant, fixed on the fire as his thoughts churned. He acted cold now, but he knew deep down he would never tolerate behavior like that—not after everything he had endured. No one should have to go through such cruelty. Besides, it had been the first human contact he’d had in days. As much as he tried to push it aside, the quiet connection stirred something buried within him. Finally, he said, “Because they deserved it.”