“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.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.
[ Quest Complete. ]
[ Reward acquired. ]
[ Erasing traces of battle. ]
"Here it comes," Rohan thought, smirking at the notification window floating in front of him.
The space before him shimmered, delivering the promised quest rewards: the Murder Manual skill book and a Random Point Pouch. However, something 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 time 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 mend 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 shimmering 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.
Something 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 exclaimed.
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 >
"...The price for the skill book is 10 times 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 something 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 meeting spot was considered canon.
However—
Having rummaged through the smartphones of the gang, Rohan now knew the exact time and place they were supposed to meet the elf.
For this quest, he had more information than he ever did in the game.
Though omitted in the game, one clear instruction had been given: never attempt to converse with the elf woman who would arrive at the meeting, 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 seemed that the princess herself would show up to guide them.
Considering the treatment the princess might have received, the possibility was not only plausible but overwhelming.
“Hmmm.”
Rohan deliberated carefully. Meeting 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 meeting point. He made up his mind.
"Should I buy her some 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 became playable.
Seeing her suffering through in-game 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 meeting was to take place.
However, by the time he arrived, a significant amount of time 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 demeanor 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 me."
The princess turned her head indifferently.
Rohan pointed to the lower part of her vest, then tugged at his hoodie to illustrate what he meant.
"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 some?"
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 something.
Dragging him along by force wasn’t an option, either; the elders had insisted he was an important guest.
"Just check what I mentioned earlier. It’s probably around here."
“...”
When Rohan indicated the approximate location again, the princess finally moved her hands.
“?”
She paused, feeling something 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 immediately recognized it.
"A... tracker?"
It was the same 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 time. 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 transformed 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.
Meeting her gaze, Rohan scratched his chin, feeling a strange sensation.
"Weirdly seductive."
Seeing it in real life, it was less menacing and more... provocative.