My Afterlife System!

Jihwan gritted his teeth as he stared at the Rusted Guard blocking his path. The figure stood tall, clad in corroded armor, its hollow eyes burning with a dim red glow. There was no breath, no life—just an oppressive aura of death.

A cold sweat ran down Jihwan's back. Why is it always something related to death? First the mansion, now this…

He tightened his grip on the Cursed Dagger, feeling its dark energy pulse faintly in his hand. His gaze flickered to the floating health bar above the guard's head.

[Enemy: Rusted Guard]

HP: 280/280

Tch. Sturdier than I thought.

He quickly checked his own status.

[Player: Yoo Jihwan]

HP: 100/100

Still full, but if that thing landed even one clean hit, he wasn't sure how much damage he'd take.

As soon as he shifted his stance, the guard lunged forward.

CLANG!

Jihwan barely dodged, rolling to the side as the massive blade smashed into the floor, cracking the stone beneath.

Too fast for its size!

He countered instantly, driving his dagger toward the armor—only for it to scrape off uselessly.

[Attack Failed – No Damage Dealt]

The guard didn't even flinch.

Jihwan leapt back, breathing heavily. A frontal attack won't work. That armor's too thick.

The sword came down again. This time, the edge grazed his shoulder.

[You have taken 25 damage.]

HP: 75/100

He hissed in pain. That was just a graze? A direct hit might kill me.

Then an idea struck him.

Death's Touch.

Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward, activating the skill upon contact. The moment his dagger met the armor, the guard jerked violently, its red eyes flickering.

[Death's Touch Activated – Target inflicted with Fear (3s).]

The undead warrior froze, as if seeing something terrifying.

Jihwan didn't hesitate. He twisted his dagger and activated Cursed Edge. A dark pulse ran through the blade.

This time, the dagger sank deep, piercing through the armor. The guard trembled, its HP plummeting.

[Enemy: Rusted Guard]

HP: 280 → 120/280

Jihwan's eyes widened. That worked!

But before he could press his advantage, the guard roared. Its fear faded, and it swung wildly. Jihwan ducked just in time, feeling the air shift as the blade whooshed past his head.

One more hit.

Clenching his dagger, he activated Cursed Edge again and dashed forward, sidestepping the sluggish counterattack.

With a final, precise stab to the exposed gap between the armor plates, he drove the blade deep.

The guard staggered, red eyes flickering wildly—then dimming.

[Critical Hit! – 120 Damage Dealt]

[Enemy Defeated – Rusted Guard HP: 0/280]

The Rusted Guard collapsed, its body disintegrating into black mist.

Jihwan exhaled, his heart hammering.

[System Notification]

[You have defeated a Rusted Guard.]

[+150 XP]

[+1 Death Point]

[You have obtained: Cursed Rusted Shield.]

A shield?

He stepped forward, inspecting the item.

[Cursed Rusted Shield]

Durability +20%

Agility -10%

A trade-off. More defense, but I'll be slower.

Before he could weigh the pros and cons, another notification popped up.

[System Notification]

[Congratulations! You have leveled up.]

[All stats slightly increased.]

A warm energy surged through him, strengthening his body.

Jihwan took a steadying breath, gripping his shield. I survived… but this place won't let me rest.

With his new weapon in hand, he stepped deeper into Death's Mansion.

The real challenge was just beginning.

Jihwan exhaled sharply, gripping his dagger tightly. The fight was over, but his body still ached from the desperate struggle against the undead guard. His HP had dropped dangerously low, and though he had survived, the mansion wouldn't let him rest so easily.

Just as he steadied his breath, a familiar flicker of light appeared in his vision.

[System Notification]

Congratulations! You have leveled up!

You have reached Level 4!

A surge of warmth spread through his body. The lingering fatigue lightened, and his wounds stopped bleeding. However, his HP remained low—just enough to keep moving, but not enough to survive another direct hit.

"Damn… one more fight like that, and I'm dead."

He pulled up his status window.

[Status]

[Name]: Yoo Jihwan

[Rank]: E ~ ???

[Class]: Hunter ~ ???

[Level]: 4 (0/300 XP)

[HP]: 45/100

[Death Points]: 17

[Dark Energy]: Low

[Strength]: 7 → 8

[Agility]: 10 → 11

[Endurance]: 6 → 7

[Perception]: 6 → 7

His stats had improved slightly, but if he collapsed before he could use them, it wouldn't matter.

Then, another notification popped up.

[System Notification]

[Afterlife Exchange has been unlocked!]

You may now exchange Death Points (DP) for items.

Jihwan's eyes widened. A shop?

A semi-transparent window materialized before him, its surface rippling like ink in water. Faint whispers echoed from the screen, as if the dead themselves were murmuring in the background.

[Afterlife Exchange]

☠ Minor Death Elixir (Restores 50 HP) – 4 DP

☠ Cursed Rusted Shield (Quest Reward Claimed)

☠ Shadow Dagger (Locked – 10 DP)

☠ Unknown Item (??? DP – Unavailable)

His gaze locked onto the first option. A healing item. Perfect.

Without hesitation, he selected the Minor Death Elixir, and his Death Points dropped by four. A small, black-glass vial materialized in his hand. The surface was ice-cold, and as he uncorked it, a faint, bitter scent drifted out—like dried blood and rust.

[You have purchased Minor Death Elixir.]

Jihwan grimaced but drank it in one go. A sharp chill ran down his throat before a warm sensation followed, spreading through his limbs.

[HP Restored: +50]

[HP: 95/100]

"Not bad."

With his HP replenished, he turned to his quest reward.

[You have received: Cursed Rusted Shield]

A rusted, dented shield appeared in his inventory. As he pulled it out, the corroded metal felt heavier than expected, almost as if something unseen clung to it.

[Cursed Rusted Shield]

[Durability]: 40/40

[Effect]: Increases durability by 20%, but decreases agility by 10%.

Jihwan frowned. So, it's a trade-off. More defense, but I get slower.

Strapping the shield to his arm, he adjusted to its weight. He had never used a shield before, but in a place like this, any extra protection was worth the disadvantage.

Then, the silence of the corridor thickened.

The air felt heavier, colder. The flickering candlelight cast twisting shadows along the cracked walls. A faint, distant scrape echoed through the mansion—like rusted metal dragging across stone.

Jihwan's grip on his dagger tightened.

Something was watching him.

He exhaled, steadying himself. The Death's Mansion wasn't done with him yet.

And whatever was waiting ahead… it had noticed him.