Chapter 3: Shadowed Ravine

He blinked and found himself standing in an entirely new place. A sudden ding echoed in the air, followed by the familiar voice of the system.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!]

Welcome to the Abyss Realm, ruled by Abyssal Lord Grimzark, the Dread of Tyrant.

Seojun glanced around, expecting to find himself in a nightmarish landscape, a reflection of the fearsome title of the realm's ruler. But to his surprise, the place seemed… peaceful. He stood on a vast, rocky plateau, surrounded by formations of jagged stones that jutted out like teeth from the ground. The sky—or what he assumed was the sky—looked like a deep, starry void, almost as if he was standing on a floating island in the middle of space.

Seojun took a hesitant step forward, the ground beneath him crunching slightly as small pebbles shifted underfoot. As he continued to walk, the silence was broken by a low, rumbling sound that made him pause. He turned his head, trying to pinpoint the source, and found it coming from the distance. It wasn't just a sound—it was the sound of something massive, something powerful.

Seojun followed the sound, his footsteps echoing softly in the stillness. The path he walked wound through the rocky terrain, leading him higher and higher until he reached the edge of a cliff. There, he froze, eyes wide as he looked down.

Below him, two enormous creatures were engaged in a fierce battle. One was a colossal red slime, its body pulsating with a fiery glow that seemed to burn from within. The other was a dark, shadowy slime, its form shifting and flickering like living smoke. They clashed with earth-shattering force, sending shockwaves through the ground as they slammed into each other again and again.

Instinctively, Seojun activated his appraisal skill, a feature of his inherited Infinite System.

[Appraisal Activated]

RED SLIME

Level: 450

Type: Fire Elemental Slime

Abilities: Incendiary Burst, Flame Aura, Regeneration, Corrupting Miasma etc.

Threat Level: Extreme

Current Hp: 35,000

Position: Lord Candidate

DARK SLIME

Level: 335

Type: Shadow Elemental Slime

Abilities: Shadow Meld, Dark Pulse, Absorption etc.

Threat Level: High

Current Hp: 11,050 (low)

Position: Lord Candidate

Seojun's heart sank as he read the stats. These were monsters far beyond his current abilities. He had never seen anything like them before—creatures of such immense power that they could probably destroy him with a single attack. And here they were, battling it out as if the world itself depended on the outcome.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, then reluctantly checked his own status.

[Status]

Name: Han Seojun

Age: 18

Class: Animal Whisperer

Profession: None

Level: 99

HP: 9,500

MP: 7,000

Strength: 750

Agility: 680

Skills: Healing Touch, Basic Combat, Appraisal, Emergency Treatment, Animal Examination etc.

Looking at his stats, Seojun felt a pang of anxiety. He was strong by Earth's standards, sure, but here? Against these monsters? He was a small fish in a vast ocean, completely out of his depth. The gap between his level and the slimes' was staggering, and it only served to highlight the danger he was now in.

How am I supposed to survive here? Seojun thought, his eyes glued to the titanic battle below. The slimes clashed again, sending a shockwave that rippled through the air and up the cliff, making Seojun instinctively back away from the edge.

Later on, Seojun watched from the edge of the cliff as the Red Slime and the Dark Slime fought fiercely. The Red Slime's fiery attacks and the Dark Slime's shadowy strikes shook the ground. When the battle ended, the Red Slime devoured the Dark Slime. The victorious Red Slime then slithered away, leaving the battlefield in silence.

Seeing his chance, Seojun carefully climbed down the cliff. At the base, he found a glowing object: a core from the Dark Slime, which the Red Slime had spat out as it was not suited to its type.

[Appraisal Activated]

DARK SLIME CORE

Type: Monster Core

Level: 235

Abilities: Shadow Manipulation, Dark Pulse Absorption

Benefits: Enhances Shadow Elemental Abilities, Improves Mana Regeneration, Grants Access to Shadow-based Skills

Potential Use: Can be used to craft items, improve gear, or upgrade shadow-related skills and Edible.

Oh So in short ,It increased Mana?! I definitely need this! Seojun thought and picked up the core and examined , noting its dark, pulsating energy.

"So, Do I have to eat this? It''s Edible though" he muttered lifting the core to his mouth. Just as he was about to bite into it, an error message flashed on a screen in front of him.

[ERROR]

Cannot consume Monster Core. Level too low. Skill not compatible.

Seojun sighed in frustration. "How can I use this if I can't even consume it?" he grumbled.

System responded,

[While you cannot consume the core now, you can store it in your inventory. It will prove useful in the future. Consider using it to craft items, improve your gear, or enhance shadow-related skills when you are more experienced.]

Seojun reluctantly placed the core into his inventory, Suddenly, he heard a soft, sad sound: "Kyuuh, kyuuh." Turning around, Seojun saw a small Dark Slime circling the spot where the large Dark Slime had been killed.

Is this little Dark Slime the baby of the big one? he wondered.

The baby Dark Slime was crying softly, making pitiful "kyuuuh, kyuhh" noises. Seojun felt a pang of sympathy.

[Appraisal Activated]

BABY DARK SLIME

Type: Shadow Elemental Slime

Level: 28

Abilities: Basic Shadow Manipulation

Threat Level: Low

Status: Sad, Missing Parent

Seojun knew he needed to do something to help. Just then, a new notification appeared:

[Side Quest Activated]

Quest: Avenge the Baby Dark Slime

Objective: Stop the Red Slime from becoming the new lord of the Shadowed Ravine.

Description: The Red Slime's victory has left a power vacuum in the Shadowed Ravine. If it becomes the new ruler, it will bring further chaos to the realm. Help the baby Dark Slime by preventing the Red Slime from claiming dominance.

Reward: Experience, Gold Coins, Improved Reputation with Shadow Creatures

Penalty for Failure: Increased Difficulty of Future Encounters

Wait what? Side quest? Shadowed ravine? Just What is this place? he wondered, looking around at the dark, rocky landscape.

Just then, a ding sound rang out. A new system notification appeared.

[SYSYEM NOTIFICATION]

[Shadowed Ravine : It's part of the Abyss Realm. It's where shadow creatures fight for power. ]

[Objective: By stopping the Red Slime from claiming dominion, you help maintain balance in this area. If the Red Slime succeeds, it will become the new lord of the Shadowed Ravine, leading to increased chaos and darkness.]

[Consequence of Failure: If you fail to prevent the Red Slime from taking over, you will be trapped in the Shadowed Ravine and You will not be able to leave this area.]