The flickering neon sign outside Seun's apartment window cast pulsating red light across the bare concrete floor, illuminating the aftermath of yesterday's dungeon raid. Blood-stained bandages littered the small kitchen table alongside empty potion vials that still emitted faint medicinal fumes. Seun sat shirtless in the dim light, watching as the System's holographic display materialized before him, its blue glow reflecting in his now permanently violet-tinged irises.
---
### **[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE]**
**Host:** Seun Kim
**Current Rank:** C-Class (Pending B-Class Evaluation)
**Shadowmancer Integration:** 43.7%
**Shadow Army Capacity:** 3/5 Active Soldiers
**DP (Dungeon Points):** 34,875
**Unallocated SP (Stat Points):** 22
**Physical Attributes:**
- **Strength:** 83/120 (▲▲▲◯◯) [+2 from Crimson Catacombs]
- **Agility:** 91/120 (▲▲▲▲◯) [+2 from Crimson Catacombs]
- **Vitality:** 79/120 (▲▲◯◯◯) [+3 from Crimson Catacombs]
**Mental Attributes:**
- **Perception:** 94/120 (▲▲▲▲▲) [+2 from Crimson Catacombs]
- **Combat Instinct:** 89/120 (▲▲▲◯◯) [+2 from Crimson Catacombs]
**Shadow Attributes:**
- **Shadow Affinity:** 103/200 (▲▲▲▲◯) [+2 natural growth]
- **Dark Energy Reserves:** 58% Capacity
**System Modifiers:**
- **Pain Tolerance:** 72% (+15% from last battle)
- **Mana Sensitivity:** Reduced (47hr remaining from potion)
- **Combat Analytics:** v2.1 Active
The numbers hovered in the air, each digit pulsing slightly as Seun's enhanced perception analyzed them. He flexed his left hand, watching the newly formed shadow veins pulse beneath his skin - another visible marker of the System's gradual takeover of his physiology.
The growth indicators showed his potential for further development through combat. Seun's fingers traced the holographic display, pausing at the Shadow Affinity stat. The higher this number climbed, the more his body changed in ways even the System couldn't fully explain.
---
### **[MANDATORY SYSTEM MISSION: FINAL WARNING]**
A crimson alert suddenly dominated his vision:
**[Trial of the Awakened - FINAL 12 HOUR NOTICE]**
**Objective:** Clear 'Crimson Catacombs' (B-Rank Dungeon)
**Failure Penalty:**
- Random Stat Reduction (10-15%)
- DP Confiscation (5,000)
- System Backlash (72hr Cooldown)
Seun's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. The System wasn't making requests anymore - it was issuing demands. He'd learned through painful experience that mandatory missions couldn't be ignored. Last month, Hunter Park from District 7 had tried skipping his trial. They'd found his desiccated corpse three days later, every stat reduced to single digits.
---
### **[SYSTEM MARKETPLACE - LIMITED ACCESS]**
With a mental command, the display shifted to the cold blue interface of the System's exclusive shop. Seun had learned to navigate its treacherous economy carefully - DP could buy material goods, but SP was the true currency of power, earned only through blood and suffering.
**Essentials (DP Only):**
- **Basic Healing Potion (500 DP)** - Restores 25% HP, causes mild system backlash
- **Stamina Booster (750 DP)** - Delays fatigue 2 hours, followed by severe crash
- **Shadowweave Armor Set (12,000 DP)** - Lightweight protection, weak to holy damage
**System Upgrades (SP Only):**
- **Combat Prediction v2.3 (15 SP)** - Extends enemy pattern recognition by 0.8 seconds
- **Shadow Storage Expansion (20 SP)** - +2 Soldier Capacity, increases integration risk
- **Pain Threshold Boost (12 SP)** - Temporary 30% resistance (not actual stat growth)
Seun's fingers hovered over the options. These weren't true stat increases - just system-assisted enhancements. Real power had to be earned the hard way.
---
### **[BATTLE ANALYSIS: CRIMSON CATACOMBS]**
The holographic display replayed key moments from his recent dungeon dive, showing stat increases in real-time:
**First Chamber - Blood Oracles:**
- **Perception +0.3** (Detected hidden attack patterns)
- **Agility +0.4** (Dodged 17/19 hemomancy projectiles)
**Second Chamber - Iron Confessor:**
- **Strength +0.5** (Withstood 3-ton hammer blows)
- **Vitality +0.7** (Survived ribcage fracture)
**Final Chamber - Crimson Patriarch:**
- **Shadow Affinity +1.2** (Assimilated necrotic energy)
- **Combat Instinct +0.8** (Predicted boss phase shift)
The numbers didn't lie. This was true progression - each decimal point earned through pain and near-death experience.
---
### **[HUNTER LICENSE UPGRADE]**
The final notification pulsed gold - a rare color in the System's usual palette of warnings and threats:
**[B-Class Evaluation Available]**
**Requirements Met:**
- Minimum 80 in 3 Core Stats (Strength, Agility, Vitality)
- Successful B-Rank Dungeon Clear
- System Integration >40%
**Benefits:**
- Access to A-Rank Dungeon Briefings
- Increased DP Rewards (+25%)
- Shadow Soldier Limit Increase (5 → 7)
Seun exhaled slowly. The path forward was clear. Tomorrow he'd claim his B-rank certification. Tonight, he'd prepare for the true battles ahead - against the dungeons, against the System, and against whatever lurked in the shadows even it feared.