Chapter 3 - Abyssal Horde

Key's eyes subtly widened at Nythra's rank. 'Damn she's been double S class this entire time?! I mean it makes sense since she's a Former Goddess, but still…'

The others were either B-ranked or C-ranked, impressive considering they've been alive in The Abyss.

Well time to break the ice. 

"Nice to meet you all. My name's Key." He said, introducing himself. 

Gamble stepped up first and narrowed his eyes as he sized Key up.

Key gazed back into his eyes, unafraid.

He slowly smiled, even in a world like this, the instinct was natural. 

Key and Gamble dapped each other up as if they'd known each other for forever.

"My Nigga." Key said with a nod of respect.

"..I like this one." Gamble said with a slight smirk as he nodded back. 

Speedy, Spam, Sketch, and even Nythra looked confused at the unexpected spectacle.

"Gamble's never been this receptive to, well… anyone he just met." Spam remarked, her brows raised in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's unreal!" Speedy added, her jaw dropping in shock.

Sketch crossed his arms, shaking his head as if trying to wrap his mind around it. "Knowing Gamble as long as I have… this is something."

Nythra nodded slowly, her expression a mix of surprise and amusement. "Indeed.." she agreed before her face turned serious. She shifted her gaze back to Sketch. "You mentioned an Abyssal Horde approaching?"

Sketch nodded, his posture straightening as the reality of the situation settled in. "Yeah, they'll be here in about 20 minutes. If I had to guess, they must've sensed Key's Abyssal Energy. It's… overwhelming."

Nythra's eyes narrowed in thought. 'I'll have to teach Key how to suppress his Abyssal Energy later.' she mused silently, mentally filing it away for future lessons.

"How many are we talking?" she asked, turning her attention to Speedy.

Speedy flickered to Nythra's side, speaking with rapid precision. "I counted about ten thousand. They definitely want Key dead dead."

Key blinked, processing the information. "Wait… did I just hear ten thousand?"

"You heard right, dear Key!" Spam chimed in with a teasing grin. "Thanks to your overwhelming energy, we're about to face a whole army of Abyssal Beasts. Hope you're ready." Her voice was playful, but the underlying tension was undeniable.

Key exhaled sharply. "Give me a minute, I'll be right back." he said, turning and disappearing into the hideout.

Inside, Key sank into the sofa, his expression shifting from casual to deadly serious. "I don't have time to waste."

Pulling up his stats and skills, he studied the numbers flashing in front of him.

Name: Key

Level: 5

Title: The Abyss's Chosen

Rank: F

HP: 12,500/12,500

MP: 7,500/7,500

AE: 102,500/102,500

EXP: 0/3000

Stats:

STR: 20

AGI: 15

INT: 30

WILL: 35

CON: 25

Luck: 50

Stat Points Available: 50

Key tapped his chin, deep in thought. "Alright… I'll put 20 into Agility, 10 into Strength, and 20 into Constitution. That should balance things out." His fingers moved swiftly, allocating the points with precision.

A notification flashed in front of him:

[Perks are accessible.]

"Good to know. Preciate it, Game." He muttered before pulling up the list of perks.

[Perk Points: 2]

[Abyssal Pain]: +3% damage boost against Abyssal creatures or entities.

[Abyssal Awareness]: +15% perception and detection of hidden enemies.

[Void's Embrace]: Temporarily phase out of existence for 5 seconds.

[Overwhelming Aura]: Intimidate enemies within a 20-meter radius, reducing their stats by 10%.

Key smirked. "Abyssal Pain and Overwhelming Aura seem like the best choices here." With a quick mental command, he selected both perks.

Perks acquired:

[Abyssal Pain LV.1] +5% damage boost against Abyssal creatures or entities.

[Overwhelming Aura LV.1] Intimidate enemies, reducing their stats by 10%.

The door creaked open, and Nythra stepped inside, her eyes scanning him briefly. "Key, are you alright? It's almost time.." she asked, her tone holding a hint of concern.

Key looked up, his seriousness giving way to a confident grin. "Yeah, I'm good. Just getting ready. I'm all set now."

Nythra smiled, but there was a teasing glint in her eyes. "Good… for a second there, I thought you were wimping out on us." Her smile widened mischievously.

"Shii, I'm too real to back down from a challenge like this." Key replied, rising from his seat. "But I appreciate the concern."

She shook her head with a light laugh, her eyes twinkling.

As they stepped outside, Speedy's voice rang out. "Yo, Key! You ready to kick some ass?" She was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Hell yeah!" Key called back, his grin mirroring hers. "What about the rest of y'all?"

Spam gave him a playful salute. "Ready as I'll ever be, dear Key!"

Gamble nodded, his usual stoic demeanor intact. "Likewise."

Sketch glanced at Key with interest gleaming in his eyes. "Not like we have a choice. But… I'm curious to see what you can do."

"Guess that makes two of us." Key replied, smirking.

Nythra chuckled. "Let's just make sure we have some fun and, you know, exterminate the Abyssal Beasts while we're at it."

Everyone shared a knowing nod as the distant rumble of the Abyssal Horde grew louder. Sketch raised a hand, pointing towards the horizon where dark, monstrous shapes began to emerge from the shadows.

"They're almost here. Get ready." Sketch warned, his voice calm but urgent.

Key felt a surge of power within him as Abyssal Pain and Overwhelming Aura activated, sharpening his senses. He clenched his fists, a determined look in his eyes. "Alright, let's do this."

Then, with a playful shout, Speedy yelled, "Last one to the horde sucks mean balls!" She shot off like a rocket, disappearing in a blur of motion.

Key exchanged glances with the rest of the group. "I ain't gay." he deadpanned before breaking into a sprint after Speedy.

"Ditto." Gamble muttered, following close behind.

"Wait up, you three!" Sketch shouted, sprinting after them, clearly not wanting to be left behind.

Spam tapped her chin with a sultry grin. "Hmm… I might like a good—"

"Spam.." Nythra interrupted, her voice flat.

Spam giggled mischievously. "I'm just playing, Nyth."

"Sure you are. Let's go." Nythra said with a sigh, leading the way as they chased after the others toward the impending battle.