Kabir sat there for a while, breathing hard, staring at the corpse of the Beast Lord's cub until the heat around him slowly began to feel normal again.
He flexed his fingers.
They didn't shake as much now.
"Alright," he muttered. "I killed a Beast Lord's cub. I leveled up. I'm still alive. So what now?"
Mara answered without missing a beat.
"Now? You start working."
Kabir squinted. "That sounds suspiciously like… effort."
"You want to reach the village," Mara said. "You want to survive the journey. You want to get stronger. The System won't carry you. You have to grind."
Kabir sighed. "Of course. Hell comes with grinding."
He pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the cub's corpse. The massive body was still warm, heat radiating off its cracked armor. As he watched, parts of the worm's shell started crumbling into black ash, leaving behind chunks of hardened stone-like material glowing faintly from inside.
A soft chime blinked in the corner of his vision.
[Loot Available]
Sand Worm Carapace Fragment × 4
Molten Beastblood Residue × 1
Unknown Core (Sealed) × 1
Kabir crouched down and picked up a piece of carapace. It was heavy, dark, with glowing veins of red running through it.
"So this is… loot," he muttered. "Feels like I'm inside some game menu."
"Hell existed long before your games," Mara replied. "But if that comparison helps you move, use it."
He collected everything into his inventory, then glanced around the empty, burning plain.
No shade. No water. No food. Just hot wind and endless red.
"Alright, Mara. You said I need to get stronger and gather currency, right? How does Hell's money work, anyway? I don't see any ATMs around."
"Hell's currency is simple," Mara said. "Soul Shards."
Kabir frowned. "Soul Shards. Of course. Couldn't be rupees, right?"
"Devils drop them when they're killed. Some rare materials in Hell can also be converted into Soul Shards through the System. You'll need them to buy anything meaningful from the Shop."
"So kill devils, loot shiny rocks, collect Soul Shards." Kabir rubbed his forehead. "Feels like some MMO grind…"
"Welcome to survival," Mara replied dryly.
Kabir groaned, then started walking.
He traveled deeper into the Badlands. The ground was cracked and blackened, glowing faintly red from deep underneath. Strange formations jutted from the soil—twisted rock pillars, half-melted boulders, and ridges that looked like the spines of buried giants.
Every few minutes, the ground would shake, ever so slightly. Sometimes from far away. Sometimes closer.
Kabir tried not to think about what was moving beneath the surface.
After some time—he didn't know how long—something else caught his eye. A cluster of rocks up ahead, half-buried in the scorched soil. They weren't like the others. These ones glowed faintly, veins of red and orange pulsing slowly under a black, glass-like surface.
Kabir stopped. "Okay… those definitely look suspicious."
"In Hell," Mara said, "suspicious usually means useful. Go closer."
He approached carefully, watching the ground for anything that moved. When nothing jumped out to eat him, he knelt and touched the nearest rock.
Heat stung his fingertips, but it wasn't unbearable. Just like holding a hot metal cup.
"System?" Kabir said cautiously. "What is this?"
A panel popped up.
[New Material Detected]
Infernal Ore
Quality: Low–Mid
Description: Ore formed by condensed infernal energy in the Badlands. Can be used in forging, upgrades, or converted into Soul Shards.
Kabir's eyebrows rose. "So this stuff is basically money."
"Part of it," Mara replied. "Mine it."
Kabir glanced around. "Mine it… with what? You want me to chew it?"
"You have daggers. You have arms. Use them."
"Right. Manual labor. My favorite."
He summoned his Infernal Fang Daggers, gripped one like a pick, and swung at the rock.
CLANK.
Pain shot through his wrist.
Kabir hissed. "Ow—okay, that was stupid."
"Hit the cracks," Mara suggested. "Apply technique, not brute force."
Kabir grumbled under his breath but did as told. He focused on the thinner lines in the rock, drove the dagger there, and twisted.
Cracks spread across the surface. After a few strikes, a chunk finally broke free and rolled to the side, still glowing.
A notification appeared.
[Infernal Ore × 1 Acquired]
Trade Value: 10 Soul Shards
Kabir's eyes widened.
"Ten each? That's actually… good."
He went at it again, this time more focused, chipping away at the weak spots. After several more minutes of work, he managed to gather three solid chunks.
[Infernal Ore × 3 Acquired]
Total Trade Value: 30 Soul Shards
Then another prompt blinked in front of him.
[Side Quest Updated]
Resource Path – Step 1
Gather 20 Soul Shards to unlock Shop Level 2.
Progress: 30 / 20
Kabir stared for a second.
"Wait… I already passed it?"
"Yes," Mara replied. "The requirement was only 20. You have thirty's worth."
Kabir smirked. "So I'm already overqualified. I like that."
"Don't get arrogant. This is still the lowest tier of resources." Mara paused. "But yes. This is progress."
Kabir stared at the ore chunks in his inventory and exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he murmured to himself. "I can do this. Kill devils. Get materials. Survive. Reach the village. Then the forest."
His goal felt clearer now—not just "escape Hell," but move forward step by step.
He started walking again.
The next three days blurred into one long, hot nightmare.
Everywhere he went, the heat clung to him like a second skin. The sky never changed, always that red, burning dome overhead with black smoke clouds drifting lazily across it.
He walked, he hunted, he trained, and he cursed a lot.
At first, he only ran into weak devils—small twisted creatures that crawled from the cracks and hunted in packs. Hell Imps with jagged teeth and tiny horns. Ember Rats with tails that smoked. Scorch Howlers that looked like half-rotten wolves, their bones exposed and glowing.
They weren't as terrifying as the Beast Lord's cub, but they were fast, vicious, and didn't hesitate.
The first group of Hell Imps rushed him screaming, claws raised.
Kabir didn't panic this time.
His body moved faster than before, boosted by his new stats. He stepped forward into their charge, daggers flashing, cutting one across the throat, pivoting, driving the other into a second imp's chest.
Blood—black and steaming—splashed onto the ground.
[Hell Imp Defeated]
XP: +40
Another imp jumped at his back. Kabir ducked and rammed his elbow into its jaw, then finished it with a stab to the eye.
[Hell Imp Defeated]
XP: +40
"Not bad," Mara said. "You're less pathetic each day."
"Thanks," Kabir panted. "That almost sounded like a compliment."
"It wasn't."
He hunted Scorch Howlers next, learning to read their movements, to dodge their flaming claws and attack when they overextended. Each fight got a little easier. Each kill felt less like blind panic and more like controlled violence.
More windows kept appearing.
[Scorch Howler Defeated] – XP +60
[Ember Rat Defeated] – XP +20
[Stat Increased]
[Passive Skills Progressing]
By the end of the second day, a chime rang louder than usual.
[Level Up!]
Level 5 Reached
All Stats +1
Free Stat Points +5
Kabir slumped against a half-melted rock, chest heaving.
"Level 5," he muttered. "Not bad for someone who almost got eaten by his own fridge entrance."
"You're improving," Mara admitted. "Your body is getting tougher. Your instincts are sharper. Your reaction speed has increased by 12%."
Kabir grinned a little. "So I'm officially 12% less pathetic."
"But…" Mara added.
Kabir groaned. "Here we go."
"You've noticed it too, haven't you?"
He had. He couldn't deny it.
Even though he was stronger, more durable, there was something wrong.
Whenever he spent too long walking without rest, too long fighting, a strange heaviness would creep into his limbs. His breathing became harder. The air, which had felt harsh but manageable at first, started feeling thick again, like he was trying to inhale boiling water.
On the third day, after finishing off another pack of weak devils, Kabir doubled over, hands on his knees.
His vision wavered. The edges darkened for a moment.
"Damn it…" he wheezed. "I'm supposed to be stronger. So why do I feel like I'm about to drop dead every four hours?"
A soft warning blinked in the top corner of his vision.
[Status Warning]
Prolonged exposure to Infernal Pressure detected.
Efficiency reduced. Stamina drain increased.
Mara's voice came, steady as always.
"Hell is not just heat and monsters, Kabir. The entire realm has weight. Gravity, pressure, density, corrupted energy—it wears you down. Every second you spend here, Hell is pushing against your body."
Kabir slowly straightened, breathing through his nose.
"So you're saying… the stronger I become, the more this place wants to crush me?"
"In a way," Mara said. "The stronger you become, the more your body tries to pull in energy from the environment. And this environment is toxic. Without protection, you'll reach a point where your physical stats won't matter. You'll collapse long before anything kills you."
Kabir wiped the sweat from his forehead. It felt thicker, heavier than normal sweat.
"Great," he muttered. "So even the air wants me dead."
"It does," Mara said. "You need gear. The System can only adapt your biology so far. You are still human. You need protection."
Kabir exhaled slowly.
"System," he said. "Open Shop."
A screen appeared, lines of items scrolling—weapon upgrades, strange talismans, potions, armor, glowing artifacts with high prices.
Kabir's eyes flicked to the top right corner.
Soul Shards: 38
"Wow," he muttered. "I'm broke, even in Hell."
He scrolled through the weapons section first, eyes lingering on a few particularly juicy ones—flaming swords, cursed spears, upgraded daggers. But the prices made him want to cry.
150 Soul Shards. 300. 500.
"Yeah, no," he muttered. "Next year, maybe."
He switched to armor.
Most of it was locked.
[Requires Shop Level 2]
[Requires Higher Affinity]
He gritted his teeth.
"Of course…"
Then one item caught his eye.
It wasn't flashy. No flames, no spikes, no glowing skulls. Just a long black coat, simple and sharp, with faint crimson lines stitched into the lining.
[Infernal Traveler's Coat]
Tier: Basic–Rare
Effects:
Heat Resistance +30%
Gravity Resistance +20%
Minor Defense Boost
Environmental Pressure Fatigue -25%
Cost: 15 Soul Shards
Kabir stared.
"A coat?" he said flatly. "That's the big survival item? A coat?"
"Clothes are armor," Mara said. "That will keep Hell from eating you faster than necessary."
Kabir raised an eyebrow. "It better be the best coat I've ever worn."
"You have thirty-eight Soul Shards," Mara reminded him. "You can afford it."
He hesitated for a moment. Weapons were tempting. But he remembered almost collapsing mid-walk. The way his lungs had burned. The way his legs had felt like lead.
"Alright," he sighed. "Buy one Infernal Traveler's Coat."
The item flashed.
[Purchase Confirmed]
-15 Soul Shards
Infernal Traveler's Coat added to Inventory.
A moment later, something heavy materialized in front of him, floating in the air before dropping gently into his hands.
It was cooler to the touch than the air around him, the fabric dark and smooth, surprisingly light. The inside was lined with strange symbols stitched in glowing red thread.
Kabir held it up.
"Okay," he admitted. "It actually looks cool."
"Equipment that doesn't embarrass you is easier to wear," Mara said.
Kabir slipped the coat on.
The moment the fabric settled across his shoulders, he felt it.
The crushing weight of the air eased. The heat, while still there, felt less like burning metal and more like a normal hot day. His breathing smoothed out. The constant, low-level pressure pushing down on his bones lessened.
A new notification appeared.
[Status Updated]
Infernal Traveler's Coat Equipped.
Environmental Resistance Increased.
Stamina Drain Reduced.
Kabir rolled his shoulders, then took a few steps.
His body felt lighter. Not in a stat-screen way, but physically. His feet didn't sink as deep into the dusty, cracked soil. His chest didn't ache with every breath.
"Okay…" he said slowly. "This is… actually amazing."
"I told you," Mara replied. "Fashion saves lives."
Kabir snorted. "Yeah, yeah. I'll trust your drip next time."
He checked his Soul Shards count again.
Soul Shards: 23
"Still not rich," he muttered, "but at least I'm poor and comfortable now."
He adjusted the coat, making sure the hood fell low over his face, horns hidden. Then he started walking again, more confident now, his steps steady and smooth across the Badlands.
Hours later—maybe half a day, maybe more—he crested a rise in the cracked terrain and stopped dead.
Up ahead, the land dipped slightly. Beyond the shallow valley, faint shapes appeared in the distance—low, uneven structures clustered together. Smoke rose in thin trails into the red sky. A few flickering lights glowed like fireflies pushed into the sand.
A settlement.
A village.
Kabir felt something tighten in his chest.
"Finally…" he exhaled softly. "Civilization."
Mara didn't speak for a moment.
When it did, its tone was different. Less mocking. More serious.
"Remember this, Kabir," Mara said quietly. "Not all devils will welcome you. Not all natives of Hell serve the Kings… but not all of them are your allies either."
Kabir's hand drifted to the hilts of his daggers beneath his coat.
"And demons," Mara added, "are not the only things hunting here."
Kabir's eyes stayed fixed on the distant cluster of lights as the heat haze danced around them.
He took a deep breath, feeling the coat settle around him, the weight of his new strength and new dangers pressing in from all sides.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what Hell's village looks like."
And with that, Kabir started walking toward Bullera—
the first village in Hell.