Lysander stood up, dusting the dirt off his hands. He looked toward the mouth of the cave, where the sunlight was piercing through the vines.
"I've rested enough," he said, determination in his voice. "I have Level 12 stats. I have a Weapon. It's time to leave this hellhole and find a Human Kingdom. I need information about this world."
He took a step forward.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A harsh red light flooded his vision, halting him in his tracks.
[SYSTEM ALERT: TRAVEL RESTRICTED]
[Stop, Master. Leaving the cave now is suicide]
Lysander frowned. "Suicide? I just killed an E-Rank Boss. I can handle a few wolves."
["Negative. You misunderstand the geography."]
[ Master This world contains two types of monster habitats]
[The Stratified Domain](The Safe Lands)
[Logic: Orderly and predictable]
[Structure: The outer edges contain weak monsters (Rank F). As you travel deeper toward the center, the monsters gradually become stronger Rank E -> D -> C]
[The Abyssal Wilds] (The Chaos Zones)
[Logic: None. Total anarchy]
[Structure: Space and mana are unstable here. A Rank-F Rabbit might be grazing next to a sleeping Rank-S Dragon. There are no "safe zones."]
[You are currently located in the Deep Periphery. This implies that a monster capable of erasing a mountain could be sleeping just behind those trees]
[Walking out blindly without a map or higher detection skills is a gamble with 0% odds of success]
Lysander froze. The confidence he had felt a moment ago evaporated. He looked at the dense, twisted trees outside with new fear.
"An Ancient Beast..." he whispered. "So I could run into a Dragon while looking for a rabbit. That's... insane."
He stepped back into the safety of the cave. "Fine. We plan first."
[THE WARDROBE MALFUNCTION]
As he sat back down, Lysander happened to glance at his reflection in a small puddle of water near the cave wall. He grimaced.
"I look like a corpse that crawled out of a grave," he muttered.
His clothes were a testament to the brutality he had survived.
The wolf attack his linen shirt was shredded into ribbons by the Alpha Wolf's claws, leaving his chest exposed and the fabric stained with dried human blood.
The swamp battle his pants were ripped open at the knees from sliding through jagged debris while dodging the Python's tail.
The venom the entire outfit was riddled with small burn holes and discolored patches where the Mud-King Python's acidic breath had corroded the fabric.
The filth every inch was caked in a hardened layer of swamp mud and the foul-smelling, black slime from the dead Boss.
He didn't just look poor; he looked like he had crawled out of a predator's stomach.
"System, open the Shop. I need clothes. And not just fashion—I need something durable."
The blue interface appeared, filtering items under [Apparel / Light Armor].
Lysander scrolled past the expensive magical armors (costing 5000+ SP) and found the practical section.
"Searching for durable, travel-ready gear..."
[ITEM SELECTED]
[Name: Shadow-Weave Traveler's Set]
[Rank: E]
[Price: 50 SP]
[Description: Clothes woven with minor defensive magic. The fabric is self-cleaning, water-resistant, and tough enough to deflect weak scratches (Rank F attacks). It includes a hooded cloak to hide your face]
Lysander stared at the glowing description of the Shadow-Weave Traveler's Set, his hand hovering over the "Purchase" button. Then, he stopped.
He scoffed, a look of annoyance crossing his face.
"Deflects weak scratches? Rank F defense?" He shook his head. "System, cancel that."
He stepped back, crossing his arms.
"I am in the Abyssal Wilds. I just fought a giant snake, and you're offering me a raincoat? If I run into a Rank D monster, this cloth will shred like paper, and I'll be dead."
He tapped his chest, his eyes serious.
"I have 531 SP. Don't treat me like a beggar. Show me Battle Armor. Something that lets me move fast but won't break if I get hit by a truck. I need Rank D protection."
Ding!
The System window refreshed. The cheap cloth items vanished, replaced by sleek, metallic, and leather designs.
[SEARCHING: HIGH-MOBILITY DEFENSIVE GEAR]
[Acknowledged. Filtering for Light Armor suitable for Agility-based combatants.]
[ITEM FOUND]
[Name: Night-Viper Light Armor]
[Rank: D]
[Price: 250 SP]
[Type: Light Armor] (Chest, Legs, Boots, Gloves)
[Description]
[Material Crafted from treated monster leather reinforced with black steel plating on the chest and shins.]
[Defense: Can withstand direct impacts from Rank D physical attacks and reduces damage from Rank C glancing blows]
[Enchantment: [Silent Step] - The soles of the boots absorb sound, reducing noise while running by 50%]
[Bonus: Agility +3]
Lysander's eyes lit up as he inspected the hologram. The armor looked lethal—black leather, dark grey metal plates, and a design that looked like it belonged to an assassin, not a knight.
"Defense, stealth, and an Agility boost," Lysander smirked, satisfied. "Now this is equipment."
He checked the price. 250 SP. It was expensive—half his fortune.
"It costs half my points," he whispered, "but my life is worth more than points."
"System, Buy it."
[TRANSACTION COMPLETE]
[-250 SP deducted]
[Current Balance: 281 SP]
A flash of black light enveloped him. The ruined rags disintegrated and were instantly replaced by the new gear
Lysander looked down at himself. The armor fit like a second skin. The steel plate over his heart felt cool and solid. He clenched the leather gloves, feeling the grip
He pulled up the hood of the armor.
"Good," he said, his voice muffled slightly by the mask. "Now, I am ready to hunt."
Lysander adjusted the straps of his new Night-Viper Armor, feeling the cold steel protect his chest. He looked out at the twisted, chaotic jungle of the Abyssal Wilds.
Suddenly, he froze. A logical inconsistency struck him.
"System," he asked, his voice low. "There is something I don't understand. You said this is the Chaos Zone, where S-Rank monsters live. It is hell on earth."
He pointed at his own chest.
"The previous owner... he was garbage. He had zero stats. He had no magic. He couldn't even kill a rabbit."
Lysander's eyes narrowed.
"So how did he get here? He couldn't have walked this deep into the danger zone alive. He would have been eaten ten miles ago. Someone brought him here. Someone dropped him in the deepest pit of hell on purpose.Did he fly? Did he teleport?"
Zzzzt.
The System window flickered. Static noise filled Lysander's head, blocking him from recalling a specific face.
[MEMORY ACCESS: INITIATED]
[LOADING...]
[ERROR: ACCESS DENIED]
The blue screen turned grey, static filling the air.
[QUERY ANSWERED: PARTIAL REVELATION]
[I cannot show you the visual memory of your arrival. That data has been... suppressed]
[However, I can tell you the motive]
[However, I can reveal the Intent]
"You were not merely abandoned. You were disposed of."
[To your clan, you were not a son. You were a Stain on their perfect lineage. A child with no talent is a humiliation to a noble house]
[They did not want you to survive as a beggar in a city where people might recognize you. That would bring shame]
[They didn't just want you dead, Master. They wanted you erased. They brought you to the deepest, darkest part of the world to ensure that even your bones would never be found. They wanted to make sure you could never, ever return]
Lysander listened to the cold, mechanical voice. He didn't scream. He didn't cry.
He just stood there, staring into the dark trees, his grip on his sword tightening until the leather of his gloves creaked.
"A stain..." Lysander repeated the word, tasting the bitterness of it.
Who?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper "Entering the Abyssal Wilds is suicide even for strong warriors. Someone risked their own life just to dump me here."
He laughed softly. It was a dry, humorless sound.
"They threw me in here to ensure I never came back."
Lysander clenched his fist, a dark fire burning in his eyes.
"Fine. Keep your secrets for now. But one day, I will find out who carried me here. And when I do..."
He gripped the hilt of Erebos.
"...I will return the favor."
He took a deep breath, forcing the burning anger in his chest to cool down into cold, hard calculation. Rage was useful in a fight, but right now, he needed clarity.
He stepped out of the cave fully, his new Night-Viper Armor adjusting silently to his movements. The jungle outside was overwhelmingly dense. The trees here were ancient monoliths, their canopies so thick they blocked out the sky, creating an eternal twilight near the ground.
"Walking blindly into the Abyssal Wilds is suicide," he muttered, repeating the System's warning. "I need a map. Since I don't have one, I need to make one."
He tilted his head back, looking up at the colossal trees that pierced the gloom. The lowest branches were a hundred feet up.
"I need the high ground."
Before he moved, he pulled up his Status Window one more time. He frowned as he looked at his stats.
[Strength: 47]
[Agility: 44]
[Vitality: 40]
[Intelligence: 27]
"My body is becoming a weapon, but my mind is lagging behind," Lysander analyzed critically. "If this jungle is as chaotic as the System says, being strong isn't enough. I need to process information faster. I need to see traps before I step in them."
He looked at his point balance: [281 SP].
"System. Increase my Intelligence to 46. Balance me out."
Ding!
[TRANSACTION CONFIRMED]
[Cost: 10 SP per Attribute Point]
[Purchasing: 19 Intelligence Points]
[Total Cost: 190 SP]
[Remaining Balance: 91 SP]
[UPGRADE INITIATED]
Unlike physical upgrades, which felt like fire in his muscles, this felt like an ice-cold injection directly into his brain.
Lysander gasped, clutching his head as a sharp, blinding migraine hit him. It lasted for five agonizing seconds, then vanished instantly.
He opened his eyes.
The world looked... sharper.
The chaotic wall of green leaves suddenly resolved into patterns. He didn't just see "a jungle." He saw faint game trails hidden beneath the undergrowth. He noticed which plants were avoiding the poisonous purple moss. He heard the distinct calls of three different bird species that had just sounded like noise a moment ago.
"Intelligence 46," he breathed, blinking as his brain processed the influx of data. "It's not just about magic. It's perception. Calculation."