The air in the Abyssal Descent did not feel like air.
It felt like pressure.
Not wind, not draft, not breath, but a slow, steady force pressing against Diablo's skin, his eyes, the inside of his skull. The roots beneath his feet pulsed faintly, the moss glowing a faint, shifting violet, the distant trees silhouetted against a horizon that looked like it had been folded in half.
Somewhere ahead, something moved.
Not a predator.
Not a monster.
Something that belonged to the Abyssal Descent.
The System's frame flickered at the edge of his awareness, the familiar line of text reshaping itself.
For the first time, what had once been a floating notice felt like a screen.
A semi‑transparent rectangle hovered in his mind, crisp and structured, the System aligning its words into visible rows.
" System Upgraded RPG Mode. "
" System Interface: RPG Mode. "
" All NPCs, Monsters, and Environments will now display stats. "
Diablo exhaled slowly. He didn't question it. He didn't resist. He simply let the new form of the System sink into the logic of his body, like a law that had finally found its true shape.
He stepped forward, his bare feet sinking slightly into the soft soil, the roots beneath him shifting like a living thing. The System's frame flickered again, then settled into a full stat block.
" Diablo "
" Class: Abyssal Hybrid "
" Rank: 3.1 / 10 "
" Health: 52 / 100 "
" Stamina: 28 / 100 "
" Energy: 74 / 80 "
" Blood Essence: 42 / 40 "
" Trait: Abyssal Adaptation "
" Skill: Crimson Predation (Enhanced) "
" Crimson Predation (Enhanced) "
" Enhanced blood absorption and conversion."
" Blood Essence efficiency +20%."
He pushed the frame to the edge of his awareness and let his body move freely.
The ground sloped downward, the moss growing thicker, the roots rising higher, the violet glow of the Abyssal Descent pulsing stronger. The air thickened, the sound of the forest fading into a low, guttural hum.
The System's frame flickered again, this time with a secondary block.
" Abyssal Descent: Trial Phase 1 Active. "
" Objective: Slay Abyssal Predators. "
" Requirement: 5 Confirmed Kills. "
" Current Kill Count: 0 / 5 "
Diablo's eyes narrowed. Something moved ahead.
A low, guttural sound echoed through the darkness. Not a growl. Not a roar. A sound like the world folding in on itself.
Then it appeared.
Out of the darkness, the Abyssal Predator Alpha stepped forward, its body hunched low, its muscles thick under its skin, the dark fur clinging tightly to its frame. Its claws scraped against the soil, leaving faint, blackened marks behind. The faint glow of the Abyssal light reflected off its body, the System's frame flickering as it read the target.
Diablo locked onto it, and the System's frame shifted into a single enemy stat block.
" Abyssal Predator (Alpha) "
" Threat Level: High "
" Health: 80 / 80 "
" Stamina: 60 / 60 "
" Energy: 50 / 50 "
" Blood Essence: 30 / 30 "
The Abyssal Predator Alpha stared at him, its eyes glowing a dull, smoky gray, the air around its mouth warping as if the temperature had dropped. It didn't circle. It didn't growl. It simply observed.
Then it moved.
In a single, fluid motion, it lunged, its body blurring forward, the claws stretching out like blades. The air hissed as it tore through the space Diablo had just occupied.
Diablo had already shifted.
His body rolled to the side, the System's frame flickering briefly, but he didn't need it to read movement. His body moved on instinct, the System only confirming what his body already knew.
The Abyssal Predator Alpha twisted midair, its body turning faster than it should have been able to, its second claw slashing toward Diablo's chest. Diablo's hand shot out, the System's frame flicker stopping for a moment, then resuming with the effect rather than the trigger.
Bloody light flared along his forearm, the System's frame updating with the impact, not the intention.
The Abyssal Predator Alpha shrieked, the sound tearing through the Abyssal Descent, the System's numbers shifting in the background.
The Abyssal Predator Alpha's body twisted, its claws scraping against the soil, the System's frame flickering faster. Diablo's fingers tightened around the creature's claw, the crimson light flaring along his arm, the System's frame updating with the extraction.
The Abyssal Predator Alpha collapsed, the ground trembling slightly as its body hit the earth. The System's frame flickered, the numbers shifting into a single block.
" Abyssal Predator (Alpha): Eliminated. "
" Rounds: 1 "
" Diablo "
" Health: 48 / 100 "
" Stamina: 25 / 100 "
" Energy: 78 / 80 "
" Blood Essence: 44 / 40 "
" Kill Count: 1 / 5 "
Diablo exhaled slowly. The forest around him shifted. The roots beneath his feet moved, the moss pulsing, the air thickening, the System's frame flickering once more, this time revealing multiple enemies.
" Hostile Signature Detected: Multiple. "
Then the System updated again, showing the approach of the next group.
" Abyssal Predator (Beta) "
" Threat Level: Moderate "
" Health: 60 / 60 "
" Stamina: 40 / 40 "
" Energy: 40 / 40 "
" Blood Essence: 20 / 20 "
" Abyssal Predator (Beta) "
" Threat Level: Moderate "
" Health: 60 / 60 "
" Stamina: 40 / 40 "
" Energy: 40 / 40 "
" Blood Essence: 20 / 20 "
" Abyssal Predator (Gamma) "
" Threat Level: Low "
" Health: 40 / 40 "
" Stamina: 30 / 30 "
" Energy: 30 / 30 "
" Blood Essence: 10 / 10 "
The Abyssal Predators lunged.
The Abyssal Descent became a storm of claws, fangs, and blood. Diablo moved like a blade through the storm, his body shifting, twisting, striking. Each time he locked onto a target, the System's frame flickered, the stats aligning, the numbers shifting.
The Abyssal Predator Beta on the left lunged first, its claws slashing toward his shoulder. Diablo grabbed the arm, the crimson light flaring along his fingers, the System's frame flickering with the extraction.
The Abyssal Predator Beta on the right bounded in for a second strike, its claws stretching toward his chest. Diablo twisted his body, the Abyssal Predator Beta's claws scraping against his ribs, the System updating with the wound.
The Abyssal Predator Gamma on the right moved in from the side, its claws slashing toward his leg. Diablo sidestepped, the Abyssal Predator Gamma's claws scraping against the ground. The Abyssal Predator Gamma lunged again, its claws stretching toward his chest. Diablo grabbed the arm, the crimson light flaring along his fingers, the System's frame flickering with the extraction.
The Abyssal Predator Gamma collapsed, the ground trembling slightly as its body hit the earth. The System's frame flickered, the numbers shifting into a single block.
" Abyssal Predator (Beta): Eliminated. "
" Abyssal Predator (Beta): Eliminated. "
" Abyssal Predator (Gamma): Eliminated. "
" Diablo "
" Health: 40 / 100 "
" Stamina: 18 / 100 "
" Energy: 82 / 80 "
" Blood Essence: 46 / 40 "
" Kill Count: 4 / 5 "
Diablo exhaled slowly. The forest around him shifted. The roots beneath his feet moved, the moss pulsing, the air thickening, the System's frame flickering once more, this time revealing another enemy.
" Hostile Signature Detected: Abyssal Predator (Alpha). "
The Abyssal Predator Alpha emerged from the darkness, its body larger, its claws sharper, the System's frame flickering as Diablo locked onto it.
" Abyssal Predator (Alpha) "
" Threat Level: High "
" Health: 80 / 80 "
" Stamina: 60 / 60 "
" Energy: 50 / 50 "
" Blood Essence: 30 / 30 "
The Abyssal Predator Alpha lunged.
Its body was a blur of dark fur and sharpened claws, the air splitting with a low hiss, the System's frame flickering with the impact. Diablo's body twisted, the crimson light flaring along his arm, the System's frame flickering with the extraction.
The Abyssal Predator Alpha shrieked, the sound tearing through the Abyssal Descent, the System's numbers shifting faster. The Abyssal Predator Alpha's body twisted, the claws scraping against the soil, the System's frame flickering faster. Diablo's fingers tightened around the creature's claw, the crimson light flaring along his arm, the System's frame flickering with the extraction.
The Abyssal Predator Alpha collapsed, the ground trembling slightly as its body hit the earth. The System's frame flickered, the numbers shifting into a single block.
" Abyssal Predator (Alpha): Eliminated. "
" Rounds: 5 "
" Diablo "
" Health: 38 / 100 "
" Stamina: 15 / 100 "
" Energy: 84 / 80 "
" Blood Essence: 48 / 40 "
" Kill Count: 5 / 5 "
" Abyssal Descent: Trial Phase 1 Complete. "
" Abyssal Bloodline: Fully Inherited. "