“Whew, this is exhausting.”
Rohan let out a sigh, tossing his weapon to the ground. He wiped the blood splattered across his face with his sleeve.
The crowbar was utterly ruined, likely from how hard he had smashed Shadley with it.
Having lost all his weapons, he found himself in an inconvenient position. Still, Rohan took a pair of knuckles from Shadley’s corpse as spoils of victory.
"Knuckles... not really my style."
Even so, they were obviously better than bare fists. For now, they’d have to do. He’d also managed to gather a decent amount of coins from this group. Once he got back, he figured he’d invest in a cheap sword.
[ Quest Complete. ]
[ Reward acquired. ]
[ Erasing traces of battle. ]
"Here it cos," Rohan thought, smirking at the notification window floating in front of him.
The space before him shimred, delivering the promised quest rewards: the Murder Manual skill book and a Random Point Pouch. However, sothing else caught his attention first.
"Oh, my wounds?"
The cuts that had been steadily bleeding and draining his health were now completely healed. Not even scars remained, as if ti itself had reversed. It was almost miraculous, surpassing the abilities of the most famous healers he had seen during his hunter days.
In the previous quest, he hadn’t noticed since he hadn’t been injured.
Zzzzzzzzz—
The erasure didn’t stop there. The bloodstains on Rohan’s clothes and body vanished, and even the torn part of his hood began to nd itself.
"So ‘traces of battle’ include injuries, huh."
It wasn’t wrong when interpreted this way. He decided to accept it happily—it was definitely a big win for him.
After confirming that all traces had been cleaned up, Rohan extended his hand into the shimring void. As before, the skill book and the pouch were absorbed into his body through a familiar process.
[ Murder Manual – Grade: C ]
◇ Increases damage against humanoid enemies.
Simple and effective. As a passive skill rather than an active one, it earned even higher praise in Rohan’s book.
Sothing with a tangible form brushed against Rohan’s fingertips. Recalling the feeling of buying jerky, he grabbed the object and pulled it out.
[ Random Point Pouch ]
◇ Grants a random number of points upon opening.
The item turned out to be a thick leather pouch. Despite having no actual weight, it felt full and retained its round shape. A bold letter “P” was inscribed on the surface.
Rohan tossed it lightly in his palm before grasping the drawstring.
Why wouldn’t he use a consumable like this? It was pointless to save it.
"Even if it’s random, it shouldn’t give less than what the tutorial offered."
Feeling more nervous than during battle, Rohan opened the pouch.
[ Random Point Pouch opened. ]
[ 3,999P acquired. ]
"Ha!" he exclaid.
Whether it was luck or a high minimum threshold, the result exceeded his expectations. This wasn’t just enough to scrape by for essential purchases—it left him with a surplus.
[ Unique Skill Upgrade Purchased. ]
[ Weakness Infliction – Lv.2 ]
◇ Grants a single weakness to a touched target.
◇ Low chance to inflict a minor debuff on attacks against the weakened target.
"Yeah, this is how a unique skill should evolve."
While the condition of physical contact remained, the range of attributes he could assign as weaknesses had expanded. Moreover, the addition of a debuff—even if weak and infrequent—promised greater growth potential.
[ Shop – Lv.2 ]
◇ Allows the purchase of items using points.
[ Updating shop inventory. ]
< Shop – Lv.2 >
Random Skill Book – 5,000P (one-ti purchase)
Lowest-grade Health/Mana Potion – 100P
Restaurant Voucher – 50P
Concentration-enhancing Incense – 50P
…
Tri-Hana Sweets Set – 10P
Rainbow Macaron Set – 8P
Chicken/Pizza – 8P
Large Combat Rations – 5P
…
[ Remaining Points: 2,272P ]
"...The price for the skill book is 10 tis higher?"
The shop’s limited-edition items were becoming increasingly absurd in price. However, Rohan now had a grasp of the shop system’s pattern.
"Still, buying it will probably unlock sothing new."
The list of purchasable items had grown significantly. Even simple supplies like high-protein jerky and water had to be scrolled down to find. What intrigued him most was the addition of various non-food items.
“...”
After briefly collecting his thoughts, Rohan raised his head.
Although fatigue lingered, the healing of his wounds left his body feeling noticeably lighter.
"This is a turning point."
He recalled paths he had only imagined while playing Abyss City.
"What should I do?"
Initially, Rohan had planned to finish up here and head back to the dormitory.
In Abyss City 1.0, not showing up at the designated eting spot was considered canon.
However—
Having rummaged through the smartphones of the gang, Rohan now knew the exact ti and place they were supposed to et the elf.
For this quest, he had more information than he ever did in the ga.
Though omitted in the ga, one clear instruction had been given: never attempt to converse with the elf woman who would arrive at the eting, nor exchange any information. That alone painted a clear picture of the situation.
"Those old geezers..."
Based on the communications through the anonymous app, it seed that the princess herself would show up to guide them.
Considering the treatnt the princess might have received, the possibility was not only plausible but overwhelming.
“Hmmm.”
Rohan deliberated carefully. eting the princess in this situation was undoubtedly risky.
If she were provoked and decided to fire her gun, his frail body would stand no chance.
Even so—
Rohan resolved to head to the eting point. He made up his mind.
"Should I buy her so macarons?"
The princess had never been a playable character in Abyss City.
However, Rohan had always admired her character so much that he had promised himself to fully develop her if she ever beca playable.
Seeing her suffering through in-ga text and recognizing her pain now in reality were two completely different experiences for Rohan.
He wanted to see her condition, even just her complexion.
If possible, he could also subtly help her with a small piece of information.
***
"I’m late."
Rohan moved as quickly as possible toward the ruins where the eting was to take place.
However, by the ti he arrived, a significant amount of ti had passed.
Looking around, there was nothing but the sound of wind passing through empty buildings.
It was quiet and desolate.
"Looks like she left."
Disappointed, Rohan wandered the area. That’s when he heard it—
Tap, tap.
A woman with pointed ears stepped out from behind a wall.
“!”
Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, with a faint green hue at the tips.
She wore goggles above her sharp, indifferent eyes, and a piece of cloth covered her mouth.
Dressed in sleek tactical gear, she carried enough ammunition and supplies to handle any situation.
"Those crazy old fools... they really sent the princess."
Seeing her, Rohan felt a pang of pity.
The princess gestured with her chin, motioning for him to follow her.
Her deanor made it clear she didn’t intend to say a word, not even a basic greeting.
Instead of following, Rohan stood his ground and called out to her.
"Excuse ."
The princess turned her head indifferently.
Rohan pointed to the lower part of her vest, then tugged at his hoodie to illustrate what he ant.
"Check here."
“...”
She didn’t mimic his actions, but wariness flashed in her eyes.
"Let’s take care of that before we move. I’ll wait."
Anticipating her hesitation, Rohan casually sat down.
From his bag, he pulled out the macaron set he had purchased at the shop earlier.
Inside the ornate, palm-sized box were vibrantly colored macarons.
"Want so?"
This was an unfamiliar sight to the princess. Startled, she shook her head.
Rohan shrugged, popped a macaron into his mouth, and grinned.
"Wow, these are good."
“...”
The princess stared at Rohan silently.
Her basic principle was to avoid speaking, yet her hidden mouth itched with the urge to say sothing.
Dragging him along by force wasn’t an option, either; the elders had insisted he was an important guest.
"Just check what I ntioned earlier. It’s probably around here."
“...”
When Rohan indicated the approximate location again, the princess finally moved her hands.
“?”
She paused, feeling sothing odd beneath her fingertips.
Without hesitation, she drew a dagger and cut the bottom edge of her vest.
There, she found a small device tucked inside.
She imdiately recognized it.
"A... tracker?"
It was the sa model as the one the elders had instructed the Yard-Pound brothers to plant.
Rohan watched her, resting his chin on his hand. Even from her eyes, he could sense her turmoil.
Now she would understand why the elders had always been able to find her in the city.
"Found it already? Well, I’m off, then."
“...”
Leaving the frozen princess behind, Rohan stood up and dusted himself off.
"See you next ti. Take care of yourself."
As Rohan turned to leave without a hint of regret, the princess snapped back to her senses.
The explanation he had given was far too lacking, and her frustration boiled over.
"Stop."
Click!
The princess drew her pistol, and one of her eyes transford into the shape of a heart.
Rohan knew exactly what that ability was.
"Heart Sniping."
A skill designed to target the heart with pinpoint accuracy.
eting her gaze, Rohan scratched his chin, feeling a strange sensation.
"Weirdly seductive."
Seeing it in real life, it was less nacing and more... provocative.
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