Hyun-Jae woke the next morning feeling more rested than he had in a long time. The stiffness of the bed still lingered in his back, but after so long in the Abyss, even discomfort felt almost nostalgic.
"Guess nothing beats the feeling of sleep"
He sat up slowly, glancing down at his clothes. "Yeah… I can't keep wearing this," he muttered. His other clothes had been in his previous room, and he doubted that place even existed anymore.
He crossed the cramped space to the small teleporter pad near the wall. The interface flickered to life at his touch, projecting a list of destinations. He scrolled through the options lazily until he found one labeled "Apparel & Armory District."
"Guess that'll do."
With a soft hum, the teleporter activated. The room vanished in a wash of blue light, and a second later, he was standing in front of a sprawling shop lined with armor stands and glowing mannequins. Rows of gear stretched as far as the eye could see, everything from sleek combat suits and energy-threaded cloaks to thick plating made for reptilian or insectoid species.
Hyun-Jae let out a quiet yawn. "So much for simplicity," he mumbled.
He wandered deeper into the shop, scanning the equipment. Most of it looked impressive, but heavy armor wasn't his style, especially after the agility he'd honed in the Abyss. He passed by the weapon racks and protective suits without much interest, his eyes drifting instead toward the lighter clothing sections.
But it wasn't long before he noticed the stares.
Competitors moved through the aisles in silence, their glances sharp and lingering as they passed him. Some whispered quietly to one another, others just sneered. At first, Hyun-Jae assumed it was because of his E-rank insignia, glowing faintly on his wrist. But then, catching his reflection in a glass display, he realized there was more to it, his hair was unkempt and his overall look that of someone who'd crawled out of a survival pit.
He exhaled softly, brushing a hand through his messy hair.
"Great… just what I needed," he thought.
He could already feel the attention tightening around him, curious, judgmental, maybe even mocking. The last thing he wanted was to become a target before he understood what this new version of the tournament had become.
"I need to blend in," he muttered, scanning the racks again.
Hyun-Jae browsed through the aisles for a while longer, his eyes moving over each outfit and set of armor. Everything looked sleek, reinforced, and distinctly expensive. Eventually, his gaze fell on the small glowing tags beside each display, lines of digital script scrolling prices in a currency he didn't recognize.
He tapped one of the tags experimentally, and it immediately brought up a purchase window. The balance next to his name read 0 Credits.
Hyun-Jae sighed. "Of course."
No credits. No equipment. Not even a spare shirt.
He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around. A few nearby competitors were still watching him, some snickering quietly when they saw the worn state of his clothes. Hyun-Jae decided he'd had enough of the attention.
He stepped back toward the teleporter hub beside the entrance and opened the directory again. After scrolling for a moment, one option caught his eye: Lost and Found.
"Not ideal," he muttered, "but better than nothing."
A flash of light surrounded him, and moments later he appeared in front of a small counter tucked away in a quieter section of the facility. The air here was cooler, and the space looked far less polished than the armory district. Behind the counter stood a woman in uniform, sorting through a pile of tagged belongings.
Hyun-Jae approached. "Excuse me," he said.
The attendant looked up, her expression immediately tightening as her gaze fell on him, his unkempt hair, his tattered clothes, the dull E-rank mark faintly glowing on his wrist.
"...Can I help you?" she asked, tone flat and clearly forced.
Hyun-Jae ignored the edge in her voice. "Yeah," he said calmly. "I was wondering if you had anything a human could wear. Clothes, armor, anything usable."
Her brows rose slightly, but instead of annoyance, there was a flicker of pity in her eyes. She crossed her arms. "Lost armor isn't given away," she said curtly. "Everything with combat data has to be reclaimed by verified owners or repurposed by the system."
Then, after a moment, her tone softened slightly. "But… I'll see if there's any spare clothing around. Something that hasn't been claimed."
Hyun-Jae nodded gratefully. "That would help a lot."
As she turned to search through the back shelves, he glanced around the room, rows of confiscated items, broken weapons, and forgotten relics. So many remnants of competitors who probably never made it past the first trials.
For the first time since his return, Hyun-Jae felt the quiet weight of how disposable people here had become.
Hyun-Jae watched silently as the attendant rifled through the stacks behind the counter. After a few moments, she returned holding a small bundle of clothes.
"These should be fine for everyday use," she said, setting them on the counter. The fabrics were soft, lightweight, and in surprisingly good condition, something even an E-rank could wear without drawing too much negative attention.
Hyun-Jae nodded, eyeing the clothes. "Thanks… I appreciate it."
The attendant hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you even have armor because I don't see how you could have survived this well unless your faction really took care of you?"
Hyun-Jae's lips curved into a faint smile. "Yes. It's… in my room," he said smoothly. Technically, the armor was safely stored in his system's inventory, so it wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either.
She gave a small nod and then, almost reluctantly, Hyun-Jae added, "And… maybe is there backpack that is related to the name of Hyun-Jae?"
The attendant shook her head, her expression tight. "No. Nothing like that turned in here."
Hyun-Jae shrugged, hiding his slight disappointment. "Alright. Thanks for looking."
With a polite nod, he gathered the clothes and stepped back toward the teleporter pad. The attendant watched him but he was glad to have something comfortable to wear.
The teleporter hummed to life as Hyun-Jae stepped on, the familiar blue light washing over him. Moments later, he materialized back in his room, carrying the small bundle of clothing carefully. For the first time since his return, he felt a faint sense of control returning, small, but significant in a place that seemed determined to throw him off balance.
Hyun-Jae closed the door to his small room and stepped into the cramped shower stall. The warm spray hit him, washing away the dust and grime that had clung to him since his return. For a moment, he let himself just breathe, letting the water soothe the tension in his shoulders.
Then, with a practiced calm, he accessed his system inventory, the familiar interface appearing before him in ethereal blue light. Carefully, he extracted his most precise daggers, tools that had never failed him in the Abyss. His eyes narrowed as he examined his reflection in the steamy glass.
"Guess it's time," he murmured.
With meticulous focus, he began trimming his hair. Each cut was measured, deliberate—his movements precise enough to rival even the finest barbers in the tournament. He muttered a silent prayer under his breath, hoping it would turn out well. Please don't look ridiculous… if this fails, it'll have to be a buzz cut.
Minutes passed as strands of hair fell into the water below. Finally, he stepped back, rinsing off the remaining hair from his scalp and running his hands through it. He turned to the mirror and blinked.
It wasn't bad. Some might even say good. The precise cuts had left him with a clean, sharp style that framed his face well and gave him a more refined look than he'd had in years.
He stepped out of the shower, dried himself off, and pulled the bundle of clothes over his head. The outfit fit snugly, hugging his frame perfectly without being restrictive. The fabric was soft yet durable, designed for comfort and mobility, and it emphasized the lean muscle that had developed in the Abyss.
Hyun-Jae stepped back to the mirror and paused, taking himself in fully. The reflection that stared back was almost unrecognizable. His hair was trimmed and tidy, his posture straighter, his height and build noticeably more imposing than before. Even his eyes, bright and alert, seemed sharper, reflecting someone who had survived and grown far beyond the person who had first arrived in the tournament.
For the first time in a long while, he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
"Phew."
Hyun-Jae stepped back from the mirror, running a hand through his newly trimmed hair and letting his eyes linger on his reflection a moment longer. The small sense of accomplishment buoyed him, but he knew there wasn't much time to savor it.
He turned toward the small display screen mounted on the wall of his room and tapped it, bringing up the latest tournament updates. Lines of information scrolled across the panel, showing rankings, system notifications, and schedules for upcoming trials.
His eyes caught a single, sharp note that made him pause.
"Next and final culling trial: Tomorrow."
A flicker of tension ran through him. This was it, the last stage before the tournament proper began. The system would decide which of the weakest competitors would be eliminated, and which would move on to face the main competition.
Hyun-Jae's mind raced for a moment. The Abyss had changed him; his body, his reflexes, his command of Etherea, they were all far beyond the standard E-rank. Yet most of the competitors would still see him as weak, an easy target to be eliminated in the culling.
He clenched his fists, the hum of latent energy thrumming beneath his skin.
"Tomorrow…" he muttered, his tone low but firm. "Let's see who really deserves to survive."
A spark of excitement lit his eyes. This wasn't just about survival, it was about making a statement. And Hyun-Jae knew he had the power, and the precision, to ensure he wouldn't be underestimated again.