Abyssal Ascent

Jinhyeok leaned against the cold concrete pillar, his chest rising and falling in slow, measured breaths. His fight with the Abyssal Stalkers had pushed his body to its limit, but there was no time to rest.

> [New Quest Available.]

[Main Quest: Survive the Abyssal Surge]

[Difficulty: Unknown]

Abyssal Surge?

Jinhyeok furrowed his brow. The system didn't usually give vague difficulty ratings. That meant only one thing—

He wasn't ready for what was coming.

He pushed off the pillar, shaking off his exhaustion. His wounds were healing, but he still had to move. The city wasn't safe. Not by a long shot.

---

[Preparing for the Unknown]

Jinhyeok knew he had three major problems:

1. Lack of supplies – His ammo was running low, and he only had one functional melee weapon.

2. No safe location – The monsters were getting stronger, and nowhere in the city was truly secure.

3. The Abyssal Surge – He didn't know what it was, but if the system gave it a name, it was serious.

His only option? Find a stronghold.

Jinhyeok scanned the ruined cityscape through a broken window. His eyes locked onto a department store about a block away. It was tall, multi-leveled, and possibly stocked with supplies.

If he could fortify it, it could serve as a temporary safe zone.

Decision made, he moved out.

---

[A City of Death]

The streets were quieter than before, but that only made them more dangerous.

Jinhyeok kept to the shadows, his movements calculated. He avoided open spaces where he could be spotted easily.

His instincts screamed at him that something was off.

Then he saw it.

A man was running down the street—desperate, bloodied, panting. His clothes were torn, and his eyes were filled with pure terror.

Jinhyeok barely had time to react before he saw what was chasing him.

A massive, hulking creature with obsidian-black flesh and pulsing red veins bounded after the man.

> [Abyssal Juggernaut – B Rank]

[Unstoppable Force. Extreme Durability. Weakness: ???]

B Rank?!

Jinhyeok's heart pounded. He wasn't equipped to deal with something like that. Not yet.

But as much as he wanted to turn away, he knew—

If that thing was loose, the entire city was in danger.

---

[A Risky Decision]

The fleeing man tripped, his body slamming onto the cracked pavement.

The Abyssal Juggernaut didn't slow down.

Jinhyeok gritted his teeth.

He had two options:

Ignore it and continue toward the department store.

Intervene and risk everything.

He cursed under his breath.

His body moved before he could second-guess himself.

---

[Taking on the Abyssal Juggernaut]

Jinhyeok sprinted forward, raising his rifle. He aimed at the creature's legs and fired.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The bullets hit their mark—but barely did anything.

The Abyssal Juggernaut turned its head slowly, its glowing red eyes locking onto him.

Jinhyeok didn't hesitate.

"Get up and run!" he shouted at the fallen man.

The man scrambled to his feet, but the Juggernaut lunged.

Jinhyeok gripped a nearby metal pipe and, using his newfound strength, swung it with all his might.

CLANG!

The impact barely phased the creature, but it staggered for a moment. That was enough.

The man bolted away, disappearing into the ruins.

Jinhyeok, however, was now the Juggernaut's only target.

---

[Fighting Against the Odds]

The creature charged.

Jinhyeok barely dodged as the ground shook beneath him. The Juggernaut's sheer weight left cracks in the pavement.

"Great," he muttered. "So this thing's a walking tank."

His rifle was useless against its armor. His knife wouldn't even scratch it.

He needed a weak point.

> [Weakness Analysis Activated.]

Jinhyeok's eyes glowed faintly. His vision sharpened, locking onto a specific area.

Its joints.

The creature's knees and elbows had thinner layers of protection.

That was his opening.

---

[Exploiting the Weakness]

Jinhyeok switched to armor-piercing rounds—his last ones.

BANG!

The bullet slammed into the Juggernaut's knee joint.

It stumbled.

Jinhyeok fired again, this time at its elbow.

The monster roared, its balance momentarily thrown off.

Jinhyeok didn't waste the opportunity. He charged forward, combat knife in hand.

With precision, he jammed the blade into the damaged knee joint and twisted.

The Juggernaut let out an ear-splitting scream.

It fell to one knee.

Now.

Jinhyeok took a deep breath, grabbed a nearby steel rod, and with every ounce of his strength, he drove it through the Juggernaut's eye.

The monster convulsed.

Then—

It collapsed.

---

[Victory… For Now]

> [Abyssal Juggernaut Defeated!]

[Gaining experience…]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Level: 7 → 9]

[New Skill Acquired: Abyssal Endurance (C)]

Jinhyeok fell to his knees, his breaths ragged. His body ached, his arms felt like lead.

But he was alive.

And stronger than before.

He slowly pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the pain.

The Abyssal Surge was coming.

And this was just a preview of what was next.

He had to get stronger.

No matter what.

---

[To Be Continued…]