I exhaled, watching the shredded mangrove smoke and writhe. But then… a chilling voice echoed from the subway's depths. "You shouldn't have survived that, Kim Yujeo…" My blood ran cold. Something far deadlier than this tree was waiting, and it was already moving toward me.
I dashed forward, channeling my mana into
[Item Skill: {Scarlet Edge} has been activated]
The slash burned through the mangrove, rendering it unconscious. I knew it was trying to recover from the injuries, and if it healed too quickly… it could go berserk.
I leapt onto the top of the branch column, where the keyhole waited. It was unmistakable—[The Keyhole of Freedom]. A slow, confident smile spread across my face as I extended my hand toward it, feeling the surge of possibility radiate from the mysterious lock.
Soon, a faint light began to gather on my hand,coalesing into a tangible shape.
[Item:
---
[Item Details]
Name: Eternal Key
Rank:???
Grade:???
Type: Relic
Status: Unique.
Description:A key forged from star-forged alloy and bound with conceptual authority, the Eternal Key transcends physical limitations. It doesn't "unlock" locks in the traditional sense.Instead, it rewrites the concept of boundaries, allowing access to anything sealed, hidden, or forbidden.
Item Skills:
1.Universal Access: Can open any door, lock, chest, or magical seal.(Passive)
2.Codex Rewrite: Bypasses even conceptual locks and barriers by rewriting "permission" at the information level.(Active)
3.Lock Nullification: Removes the existence of locks entirely within a 3-meter radius when activated.(Passive)
---
Without hesitation, I inserted the key into the Keyhole. The moment it clicked into place, a blinding light erupted, searing through the subway. The mangrove's hard bark shattered piece by piece, while its cut branches and twisted roots disintegrated into nothingness.
[Item Skill:{Codex Rewrite}has been activated]
The
She lifted her gaze, and I froze. Her eyes were a deep, piercing crimson, and her hair cascaded like black silk. Her face and figure were flawless, almost like a model's, yet there was an unsettling aura about her that made my instincts scream caution.
She blinked slowly, her crimson eyes trembling with confusion. "…Where… am I?"
My blackish-red eyes glowed brighter as a panel formed before me.
[Skill: {Gamer's Eye} has been activated]
[Sub-skill: {Appraisal} has been activated]
---
[Entity Details]
Name: ???
Alias: ???
Rank: ???
Level: 1 (Restarted)
Title: ???, ???, ???
Race: Former Human, Druid
Status: Free, Corrupted & Weakened
Constellation: None (Discontinued Contract)
---
Was she weakened because of me or the mangrove?
...No. I shouldn't pry too deep .Curiosity is what drove players mad in Infinite Abyss.
"Well, I don't know… about your name," I said, watching her closely.
"Then," she spoke slowly, her voice calm but sharp, "give me one a name that proves yourself. Prove that you deserve my strength."
"What do you mean by 'prove my strength' and 'give you a name'?" I asked, frowning slightly.
"Aren't you the one who summoned and awakened me the one who freed me from the hands of the Great Mother?"
"The mangrove… You helped me escape from its clutches, didn't you?" she said, her crimson eyes briefly flicking to the mark where the roots had impaled my chest.
I hesitated. "So that's what this was all about."
She stared at me quietly, her expression unreadable. He really doesn't know yet, she thought. To resurrect like that… only a Constellation could have interfered. The world is still young, still awakening. Soon, everyone will rise… for 'his' arrival.
In Infinite Abyss, naming an existence isn't just an act. It's a declaration to the Cosmos itself.A name defines one's origin, shapes one's path, and anchors one's fate.It is both identity and prophecy, a whisper of what you were… and what you are destined to become.
So the question lingered in my mind—
What should I name her?
"So," she said, tilting her head, "are you giving me a name or not?"
I sighed. "I guess I have no choice."
"Did you ever?" she murmured. "Aren't all beings bound by fate? Why pretend otherwise?"
"Yes," I replied, meeting her gaze. "We're all just small cogwheels in fate's grand design. We call it choice but that's just an illusion, crafted to make us believe we're free."
Her lips curled faintly. "Then, give me my illusion."
"It would be a lie if I said no," I said. "From now on… I bestow the name Seolhwa Heurim upon you."
Suddenly, her crimson eyes flared with light. Her body began to dissolve not vanish, but melt turning into black liquid that flowed toward my hand.
It wrapped around my finger and solidified into a ring black steel with a blood-red stone faintly pulsing at its core.
[A Contract has been Formed]
[Druid:
[To respect the Contract, a Medium has been granted]
I stared at the ring as my eyes glowed once more.
[Skill: {Gamer's Eye} has been activated]
[Sub-skill: {Appraisal} has been activated]
---
[Item Details]
Item: Druid's Promise
Rank:C.
Type: Contract Medium.
Grade: Epic+
Status: Contracted.
Description:This item is a promise that cannot be revoked unless the summoner and his summoned Druid accepts it.If the summoner removes the ring and tries to revoke the contract,he will lose his mana.
Item Skills:
1.Shadow Bind (Active):Restrains a target using unbreakable shadow tentacles.
2.Shadow Puppet (Active):Creates a puppet from nearby shadows, controllable by the user.
3.Shadow's Grace (Passive):Increases affinity with the shadow attribute by 30%.
4.Materialize (Passive):The Druid can choose to manifest into reality to assist the summoner.
---
Seolhwa blinked, confusion fading from her gaze. She slowly looked at her hands.No longer bounded, no longer trembling.
"…I… I'm free," she whispered.
The System chimed again.
[Rootbearer's Seal has been lifted]
[Race Change has been Initiated]
[New Race: Druid]
[Status: Summoning Spirit]
She looked up at me, trembling. "You… freed me."
I nodded slightly. "Guess so."
Her expression softened. It was fragile, human. Then she knelt, lowering her head.
"From now on," she said, voice steady, "my power is yours."
[Summoning Spirit has been Acquired]
I leaned back against the shattered bark of the mangrove as the
Because I realized something unsettling.
The mangrove hadn't been an enemy.
It had been a prison.
And if the System had imprisoned her…
...what else was it hiding?
I looked down at Seolhwa, who stood silently amidst the wreckage, her crimson eyes gleaming faintly in the pale light.
"Seolhwa," I said quietly.
She looked up. "Yes… Master?"
I smiled faintly, tightening my grip on
"Let's go."
I walked out of the station and pulled out my phone to order a cab. Seolhwa rested quietly in my ring, her breathing slow and even.She was exhausted from everything that she had gone through.
Soon, the cab arrived. I climbed in and told the driver, "Ahjussi, Nonhyeon-ro 155-gil 27, please."
The ride was short, and before long, the cab pulled up outside my house.
I entered the house and called out, "I'm home."
My grandmother's warm voice replied, "Little Yujeo, welcome home."
Her eyes shone with affection, but to Yujeo, it was as if she didn't exist but, just another memory flickering in the corner of his mind.
[Skill: {Mind Hub} (Lvl-1) is active]
Author… I can't handle this for much longer. Please… just take over.
Yujeo couldn't bear the weight of responsibility and trauma any longer, so his {Mind Hub} (Lvl-3) activated to help him compress it.
Yujeo stepped into the living room just as his sister, Hearyn, appeared. She was still dressed in the same clothes from the morning.
Seeing her, Yujeo asked, his voice calm yet distant, laced with an undercurrent of cold curiosity, "Why did you follow me?"
Hearyn stuttered, her voice rising, "W-what? Following you? Why would I—why the hell would I follow you?"
Yujeo's gaze sharpened, calm but unyielding. "So… who was there when my body fell after
[Skill:{Puppetry}(Lvl-12)has been activated]
[Sub-skill:{Gaze}has been activated]
Haeryn averted her eyes, trying to shrink away from his piercing gaze. But Yujeo's stare was sharp and cold, unyielding, as if it could cut through any lie.
Yujeo closed his eyes and said, "Well… I checked your PC earlier... and saw that you had Infinite Abyss installed."
From his system inventory, he pulled out a
"Consider this… a gift," Yujeo said, his tone calm but carrying a quiet authority.
[To be Continued...]
[End of Chapter 10]