The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor blended into the silence of the room, almost like a metronome ticking away the seconds. Moonlight streamed through the window now, silver and cold, casting long shadows across the floor.
Arjun Verma lay in his hospital bed, eyes wide open. He wasn't asleep—he couldn't be. Not with the translucent blue screen hovering silently in front of him.
The Abyssal System.
The very name sounded like something out of a fantasy novel, and yet… here it was. Real. Alive. Responding to his thoughts.
He swiped through the menus with focused curiosity. "Inventory," "Shop," "Profile," "Quests,"
When he opened "Profile," he noticed something odd. His stats had updated slightly after his hospital incident, probably during his unconscious state.
> [ Profile ]
Name: Arjun Verma
Level: 9
HP: 150
MP: 12
Strength: 7
Stamina: 5
Agility: 4
Perception: 8
Intelligence: 43
He stared at the screen, a deep frown creasing his brow.
"Is someone… controlling me?" he murmured. "Or is this really mine?"
That's when it appeared.
Ding!
A new notification bloomed across his vision in radiant gold.
> [ Reward Unlocked: Gate Creation ]
Description: You have been granted the rare ability to create gates ranging from F to C rank. These gates generate real monsters and usable loot. Usable up to three times.
Time Limit: 4 Days
Note: The created gate will only be accessible to you unless otherwise permitted.
Arjun's eyes widened, heart hammering in his chest.
"Create… gates?" he whispered.
The idea sent a chill down his spine. He could summon a gate—just like the natural ones that appeared randomly across the world—and step into a dungeon? Whenever he wanted?
Suddenly, everything connected. The power, the statue, the whispers, the deal. The Abyssal System is tied to the gates. Not just in theory, but in reality. It was connected to the very origin of monsters.
The implications were terrifying.
Still, he had to test it.
Arjun slowly slid off the hospital bed, wincing as his feet touched the cold tiles. He grabbed the small combat knife still in his bag—left over from the raid. Quietly, he limped toward the attached bathroom.
He looked into the mirror. His eyes, though tired, burned with curiosity and resolve.
"Let's see if you're real," he whispered.
He held his hand out.
"Create F-rank Gate."
A ripple tore through the air like fabric ripping apart. In an instant, a black, swirling vortex opened near the tiled wall—dark and pulsing with energy.
Arjun couldn't believe it. He'd actually done it.
Heart pounding, he stepped through.
---
Inside the F-rank gate, the world was quiet—but not peaceful. A strange, crimson mist curled around his feet. He was standing in a twisted forest, its trees gnarled and bent like hands reaching skyward.
Then he saw them.
Red Bunnies.
A dozen of them. Creatures the size of small dogs, but their glowing red eyes and needle-like teeth betrayed their cuteness.
One of them lunged at him.
Arjun barely raised his knife in time, deflecting the strike and stumbling backward. The second came in low, slashing at his legs.
He winced, gasping. His movements were slow—clumsy.
You're too used to thinking like a human. The thought echoed in his head. Think like a predator.
He gritted his teeth, ducked under a swipe, and jabbed forward.
One bunny screeched and collapsed. The others hesitated.
That was his chance.
Arjun dashed forward. His body felt like it was finally listening. He weaved through their attacks, slicing them down one by one.
Ding!
> You have leveled up!
Level: 10
Strength +1
Agility +1
A surge of warmth flowed through his veins.
So that's what leveling up feels like…
Excitement rose in his chest as he pushed deeper into the dungeon. More Red Bunnies appeared—but this time, he didn't struggle.
With every enemy he felled, the Abyssal System fed him tiny upgrades. His movement sharpened, his attacks hit harder.
By the time he cleared the dungeon and stepped back into the hospital bathroom, bloodstained and panting, he was Level 11.
And he wasn't done yet.
---
The next evening, when the hospital was quiet and visiting hours had ended, Arjun stood by the window.
"I'm ready," he muttered. "Create C-rank Gate."
The vortex this time was more violent—pulsing with thick, chaotic energy.
He stepped through.
Cold wind slammed into his face.
He stood at the edge of a vast clearing under a night sky, lit by twin moons. Forest stretched out on all sides. The air was still.
And then—they came.
Twelve Night Wolves.
Slender, muscular beasts cloaked in living mist. Their eyes glowed like molten gold, and every step they took was nearly silent.
The lead wolf let out a howl, and they attacked.
Arjun barely dodged the first strike. Another wolf rammed into his side, sending him flying into a tree.
Pain shot through his spine.
Too fast. Too coordinated…
He breathed hard, his back against the bark. The mist around them began to swirl, clouding his vision. It wasn't just fog—it was a hunting field.
But Arjun didn't run.
Instead, he closed his eyes. I've fought these before… 400 credits per corpse. Three knights minimum to take down a pack.
He opened his eyes, and they gleamed in the darkness.
Time to hunt the hunters.
He used their own mist against them—slipping through it, striking from unexpected angles. He lured two away from the pack and took them down with sharp, precise movements.
One by one, he picked them off.
His instincts sharpened with each kill. Pain screamed through his body, but he welcomed it.
By the end of the hour, twelve Night Wolves lay dead in the grass.
Ding!
> Level Up!
Level: 13
Strength +1
Agility +1
Stamina +1
His legs trembled, but he didn't stop.
Not now.
He walked deeper into the forest, toward a looming gate of stone.
The boss room.
---
The chamber was wide—circular, with claw marks gouged into the walls. Lightning crackled across the stones, and a low growl echoed from the shadows.
Then it stepped forward.
Raiden Black Wolf.
Twice the size of the Night Wolves. Black fur streaked with arcs of crackling lightning. Red eyes that glowed with primal rage.
> [ Warning: Boss Fight Initiated. ]
Recommended: 4 C-rank or 2 B-rank warriors.
Arjun stood alone.
The wolf roared—and lunged.
He barely dodged the first strike, the shockwave hurling him across the room. His skin stung where lightning had grazed him.
He coughed blood.
But he smiled.
I'm not dead yet.
He circled wide, analyzing the Raiden Wolf's movement. The lightning built in its paws before each charge—two seconds of delay.
That was his opening.
The next time the wolf lunged, Arjun rolled beneath its body and slashed upward, cutting its leg.
It howled in fury, electricity pulsing stronger.
Arjun gritted his teeth and set the trap.
He threw his knife into the air to distract it, then kicked a loose stone toward the wall.
The wolf turned.
Arjun used the momentum to leap from the wall, wrapping a broken chain from the chamber floor around the beast's front leg.
The lightning surged into the chain—redirected into the stone floor.
The wolf convulsed.
Arjun didn't wait.
He grabbed his fallen knife and drove it into the beast's exposed throat.
With a final howl, the Raiden Wolf collapsed.
Silence.
Then—
Ding!
> Level Up!
Level: 15
Strength +1
Agility +2
Intelligence +1
Title Gained: Night Wolf
Description: One who has hunted predators in the dark and emerged victorious.
Bonus: Night Vision (Passive), +3% movement speed in darkness.
Class Awakening Available.
Arjun fell to his knees, gasping for breath, chest heaving.
But he was smiling.
---
Back in the hospital bathroom, Arjun emerged—bloodied, worn, but changed.
His eyes burned with power. His body, once weak and slow, felt sharper. Faster. Stronger.
He looked at the mirror again, and this time… he didn't see a tired gate runner.
He saw a warrior.
No, more than that.
He saw the beginning of something terrifying.
And beautiful.
The shadows no longer whispered.
They howled with him.
And Arjun Verma—was finally ready to answer.