The night of the Abyssal Market arrived shrouded in thick fog.
Ethan moved through the undercity like a silent shadow. The Ring of Silent Steps completely muted his footsteps, while the Morningstar's Spark kept his aura suppressed to a faint silver-blue glow. He wore the Cloak of Faded Shadows over his ragged clothes, blending into the darkness.
Following the coordinates revealed by Lucifer's gift, he descended through a hidden sewer grate into the true underbelly of the capital.
A massive stone archway loomed ahead, guarded by two hooded figures whose eyes glowed with detection magic. Ethan activated the enhanced Anomaly Resonance and stepped forward.
The guards didn't even glance at him.
System Notification: [You have entered the Abyssal Market – Hidden Multi-Floor Black Market] [ floors Detected: 5] [Only those with sufficient anomaly or chaotic resonance may access deeper floors.] [Warning: Higher floors attract stronger buyers, guards, and "world enforcers."]
Ethan's lips curved into a cold smile. Five floors. Each one deeper, riskier, and richer in opportunities.
Floor 1: The Outer Bazaar
The first floor was chaotic but relatively safe — a sprawling underground marketplace lit by glowing crystals. Vendors sold low-grade potions, stolen weapons, and information. Crowds of shady merchants and low-level adventurers milled about.
Ethan kept moving, testing his new gifts.
He chained Shadow Step with Flowing Footwork while staying completely silent. No one noticed him slipping between stalls. He quickly bought a few basic supplies with his copper coins and scanned for the Cure-All fragment.
Nothing on this floor. As expected.
He found the staircase leading down — a narrow spiral carved into black stone.
Floor 2: The Shadow Exchange
The air grew heavier. This floor was darker, with private booths and hushed negotiations. Deals involving illegal skills and cursed items happened in the corners.
Ethan felt the Morningstar Spark stir. His Agility felt sharper, but a faint crimson edge crept into his aura when he moved too aggressively.
He tested the limit.
While dodging a patrolling guard's gaze, he pushed Shadow Step (Lv.6) to its maximum. The burst was flawless — silent, fast, with faint afterimages confusing a nearby observer.
But the infernal influence flared. For a split second, a surge of arrogant confidence made him want to confront the guard instead of hiding.
Ethan forced it down.
System Notification: [Infernal Influence: 12%] [Morningstar's Spark boost active, but emotional control slightly affected.]
Limit confirmed, he thought. Pride and recklessness grow with overuse.
No fragment here either, but he picked up a useful map of the lower floors for a few coins.
Floor 3: The Veiled Auction
This floor was more dangerous. Elite guards patrolled, and powerful buyers — mid-level adventurers and minor nobles — bid on rare items behind veils of illusion magic.
Ethan's heart rate increased. The pressure from the world script was stronger here. Twice, faint red warnings flashed:
Fate Correction Attempt… Resistance: 68% (Morningstar's Spark helped)
He used the Ring of Silent Steps to its full potential, moving like a ghost through the crowd. His enhanced aura allowed him to farm small amounts of movement efficiency even while navigating the dense floor.
In one tense moment, a Level 12 guard nearly spotted him. Ethan chained three Shadow Steps in rapid succession, leaving afterimages that distracted the guard long enough to slip away.
The crimson tint in his aura rose to 18%. He felt a flash of disdain toward the "weak" guards.
He had to stop and meditate for a minute in a dark corner to suppress it.
Still no Cure-All fragment. But he did acquire a low-grade Stealth Potion that synergized with his ring.
Floor 4: The Forbidden Vaults
The staircase grew colder and narrower. The fourth floor felt oppressive — heavy mana suppression fields and elite enforcers everywhere.
Only high-resonance individuals seemed to move freely here.
Ethan's Anomaly Resonance (boosted by Lucifer) allowed him entry, but he felt the world pushing back harder. His movements had to be perfect.
He pushed his limits deliberately.
He activated full Aura Resonance and began farming movement aura aggressively — dodging patrols, chaining silent Shadow Steps through tight corridors, and repositioning constantly.
The Morningstar Spark responded eagerly.
System Notification: [Shadow Step (Lv.6) → Shadow Step (Lv.7)] [Agility +5 (Permanent from boosted aura farming)] [Infernal Influence: 29%]
His speed and control skyrocketed, but so did the side effects. Arrogant thoughts crept in: These fools don't deserve to see me. I am beyond their script.
Ethan gritted his teeth and forced the influence down again. The limit was clear — the gifts gave explosive growth, but they fed on his defiance and could corrupt his mindset if he relied on them too heavily.
On this floor, he finally sensed it.
A faint silver glow coming from a private vault auction. The second Fragment of the Cure-All Elixir.
But it was heavily guarded, and the bidding was about to start. Powerful people were present — some with levels in the 20s.
Ethan's eyes hardened.
He needed to reach Floor 5 for better positioning or a hidden path. The deepest floor was said to hold the most chaotic and valuable items… and the strongest risks.
As he approached the final staircase, a system message appeared with a glitch:
[Floor 5: The Heart of Chaos – Restricted] [Only true anomalies or those marked by external powers may enter without consequence.] [High risk of direct Fate Correction intervention.]
Ethan took a deep breath, the silver thread on his wrist and the black ring on his finger pulsing in unison.
The gifts had power.
But every floor pushed their limits further.
He stepped onto the staircase leading to the final floor, blue-silver aura mixed with faint crimson flames flickering at the edges.
The side character who refused to vanish was about to descend into the deepest part of the abyss.
And the Devil's gifts would either elevate him… or begin to consume him.