System Creator of Divine Objects

The silence in Max's apartment was thick with tension. Clara paced near the door, her expression a mix of fear and anger. Max sat at the table, his hands clenched around the Divine Blade's hilt.

"That thing wasn't human," Clara said, breaking the silence. "And it wasn't like any monster I've ever seen either."

Max nodded, his mind racing. "It called itself an envoy of the Abyss. Whatever that means, it knows about my power—and it's not going to stop coming after me."

Clara stopped pacing and faced him. "You need to tell someone. The Hunter Association, maybe even a higher-rank hunter. This isn't something you can handle alone."

Max shook his head. "I don't trust them. If the Association finds out about the Divine System, they might see me as a threat, just like the Abyss does."

Clara opened her mouth to argue but stopped, her eyes narrowing. "Fine. But if you won't tell anyone, you need a plan. We can't just sit here waiting for them to strike again."

Max stood and walked to the window, staring out at the city lights. The encounter with the envoy had rattled him, but it had also lit a fire inside him. He wasn't going to let fear dictate his life.

"System," he said aloud. "What do I need to do to fight back against the Abyss?"

The golden interface appeared, its glow illuminating the dark room.

Objective Update:

Quest: Enemies in the ShadowsSecondary Objective Unlocked: Strengthen your abilities.

Recommendations:

Locate additional hidden dungeons to gather rare materials.Improve current gear through Divine Crafting.Investigate the Abyss to uncover its weaknesses.

Clara stepped closer, reading the interface over his shoulder. "Hidden dungeons? How do we even find those?"

Max tapped the notification. The system responded by projecting a map of the city. Several red markers appeared, each indicating a potential location for hidden dungeon gates.

"They're scattered," Max said, studying the map. "Some are close, but others..."

Clara crossed her arms. "So, what's the plan? Hit them one by one?"

Max nodded. "If I'm going to stand a chance against the Abyss, I need to get stronger. And that means more materials, better gear, and unlocking every ability this system has to offer."

The following morning, Max and Clara stood outside an abandoned train station on the outskirts of the city. The system had pinpointed a hidden dungeon gate here, though the area seemed deserted.

"Are you sure about this?" Clara asked, her bow in hand.

Max glanced at her. "You don't have to come with me."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "If you think I'm letting you go in alone, you're crazier than I thought."

Max smirked despite himself. "Thanks."

They approached the crumbling station, its windows shattered and walls covered in graffiti. The system's interface appeared, marking the precise location of the gate.

"It's here," Max said, pointing to an overgrown stairwell leading to the underground platforms.

The air grew colder as they descended, the dim light of the surface fading behind them. At the base of the stairs, a swirling tear in reality came into view. The gate crackled with unstable energy, its edges pulsing like a heartbeat.

Clara shivered. "Every time we see one of these, I get the feeling we're walking into something we shouldn't."

Max tightened his grip on the Divine Blade. "Probably because we are."

With a deep breath, they stepped through the gate.

The hidden dungeon was unlike anything Max had seen before. They stood in a sprawling forest bathed in an eerie green glow. The trees were massive, their twisted branches reaching high into the sky, and the air was thick with the scent of decay.

"This place is... unsettling," Clara said, notching an arrow.

Max activated Divine Insight, scanning the area. The system highlighted several creatures lurking among the trees.

Hostiles Detected:

Abyssal Hounds (x3): Agile and highly aggressive. Weakness: Fire.Corrupted Treant (x1): Slow but durable. Weakness: Piercing attacks to the core.

"Get ready," Max warned. "We're not alone."

The first Abyssal Hound burst from the underbrush, its black fur bristling and glowing red eyes fixed on Max. He moved instinctively, activating Ethereal Step to dodge the creature's charge.

Clara loosed an arrow, the projectile striking the hound in the shoulder. It yelped but kept coming, its movements erratic and frenzied.

"Fire works best!" Max shouted, slashing at the second hound as it lunged at him.

Clara quickly swapped to fire-tipped arrows, her shots igniting as they hit their targets. The hounds howled as the flames consumed them, their bodies dissolving into ash.

The ground shook as the Corrupted Treant approached. Its massive form towered over them, glowing veins of red light running through its bark.

"How do we kill that thing?" Clara yelled, firing at its glowing core.

Max's system interface appeared again.

Recommendation:

Use Sunlit Slash to expose core.Target core with concentrated attacks.

Max dashed toward the Treant, avoiding its massive limbs as they swung down like hammers. He focused his energy, the Divine Blade glowing brighter as he prepared to unleash Sunlit Slash.

"Keep it distracted!" he called to Clara.

She nodded, firing arrow after arrow to draw its attention. The Treant roared, turning its focus toward her.

"Now!" Max shouted, slashing upward with the Divine Blade. A wave of golden energy cut through the Treant's bark, exposing the glowing core at its center.

Clara's arrows struck the core with precision, and Max followed up with another powerful strike. The Treant let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing into a heap of smoldering wood.

As the dungeon began to dissolve, a chest materialized in the center of the grove. Max opened it cautiously, revealing a cluster of glowing shards and a strange, pulsating gem.

Rewards Acquired:

Abyssal Essence (x3): Used for advanced crafting.Heart of the Grove: Unlocks environmental manipulation abilities.

"Environmental manipulation?" Clara asked, reading the interface.

Max grinned. "Guess we're about to find out."

The system chimed again.

Progress toward Divine Awakening: 35%.

Max felt a surge of determination. With each step, he was growing stronger—and closer to unlocking the full potential of the Divine System.

But as they exited the dungeon, a shadow moved in the distance, watching them silently.

The Abyss was not done with him yet.