NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Mystery Box
The world tilted.
Purple moonlight bled across his vision, smearing into rivers of black.
Riven's knees buckled as though the ground itself had yanked them out from under him.
He crashed onto the dirt, cheek grinding against cold stone, his breath ragged.
"Ah...ahhh...shit!" he coughed, spittle laced with blood. His fists throbbed, bones screaming like they'd been cracked a hundred times over.
The System's warning still blazed in his vision.
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[Emergency Deactivation Complete]
[Body Condition Critical: Fracture Risk / Muscle Tearing / Neural Strain]
[User Advised: Cease Combat Immediately]
----
Cease combat.
Yeah, not like he had a choice in the first place....he couldn't move an inch...his face was caked up in dirt.
Riven groaned, rolling onto his back, the stars beyond the purple haze were swimming.
Every muscle trembled, spasms running through his arms like aftershocks. His heart still hammered with the echo of goblin rage...hot, wild, intoxicating....but his body had tapped out.
"Damn it…that strength multiplier is too much. Way too much," he rasped, clutching his chest. Now he could think with no rage clouding his judgements.
His knuckles were split, nails cracked, skin torn raw. He could still feel the goblin leader's skull giving way under his fist, the wet crunch looping in his ears.
"I need to get my level up before I can even try that again....shiiit, but my greedy system doesn't want to hand exp to me...ahh, dammit.
But beneath the pain was… something else.
A cold awareness.
The System hadn't just given him power. It had used his body as collateral.
If he pushed past his limits again, it wasn't just going to warn him....it was going to let him break.
Even now, the stolen emotions hummed faintly in his blood, threads of strength he hadn't earned but taken.
It was terrifying. Addictive.
He tilted his head toward the corpses. Four broken goblins lay scattered around him, twisted in grotesque shapes under the purple sky.
Their lifeless faces still seemed frozen in terror, as if even death hadn't freed them from what he'd stolen.
His stomach lurched. "I… did that."
The guilt rose, but so did something else...a dark thrill he didn't want to admit.
And the System flickered:
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[Emotion Detected: Satisfaction (Self)]
[Do you wish to Loot?]
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He jolted upright. "Loot my own emotions?!"
The panel pulsed, waiting. He clenched his jaw.
The thought of hollowing himself out—stealing from himself...was too much. He dismissed the window with a shaky laugh.
"Yeah, no thanks. I'm screwed up enough already." even though he had used it to Loot his fear multiple times already.
"Ugh!!" He tried getting up his feet...every part over his body was screaming at him.
he forced himself to sit up, every tendon screaming.
"ahh...ahh....I-I did it, in your face system" He said out in a Hoarse voice...celebrating his minor victory.
The ground trembled beneath his body, It was deeper. Rhythmic.
He froze.
The corpses of the goblins twitched.
At first, he thought it was his eyes playing tricks...but then their shadows stretched unnaturally long, melting into the dirt.
Slowly, The earth drank them, the black stains of their blood sinked in until nothing remained but torn rags and scattered bones.
Riven's chest tightened. "The Veil… recycles its dead?"
Before he could process, the System flared.
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[Congratulations, The shop is now accessible]
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"Shop??, so the system also comes along with a shop??...how convenient" before he finished his thought process the system displayed more panel.
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Name: Riven Duke
Race: Human
Vitality: 2/100
Titles: None equipped
Ability: Emotion Looting
Sub ability: Emotion manipulation
Accessories: None
Survival Points: 45
Task: [Click Here]
Shop: [Click Here]
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"God damnnn, I got 45 points from the goblins?!, Oof" he was so excited he forgot his condition.
"M-my chest hurt" he fell on his back.
"My Vitality is so low, let's see what the shop have" he clicked on the shop icon.
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[System Shop – F Tier Access]
*Welcome, Riven Duke.
Your Survival Points: 45.
Vitality critically low.
Recommended: Emergency Recovery & Vitality elixir.
#
Minor Vitality Elixir | Restores 20 Vitality. Bitter taste, but life-saving. | 30 Points |
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"What!?, this is highway rubbery!!, all my points will be swallowed up for just a "minor" Vitality elixir!!" He groaned in pain....he didn't have a choice.
He Clicked on it. With a poof, a vial no more than a small pen, appeared on his chest as he was lying down.
He sat up while inspecting the vial in his hands. It was a brown small glass bottle with a cork on it's head...there was also a suspicious silver fluid.
"The description says it's bitter....it can't be as bitter as a soju though right?" He said while inspecting every nook and crany of the bottle.
"Well here goes nothing " he opened the cork...but he was met with a foul, unpleasant smell.
"Ughh, this is what you want me to put in my body?!" This smells bad, like shit...sniff....even shit doesn't smell this horrible!!!." He quickly covered the cork on the vial.
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[Vitality increased by one]
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"So just smelling it increased my Vitality huh....you left me no choice system.
I will take it." He removed the cork....
"Ugh"...he pinched his nose while preparing to take the elixir..I hope I don't puke.. ahh not like I have a choice....have been saying that a lot lately.
He tilted his head back and poured the vile liquid down his throat.
It hit his tongue like acid-soaked ash.
His body convulsed.
"AAARGH---" he gagged, clutching his throat as the bitterness clawed its way down. His eyes watered instantly, and his knees buckled.
It felt like swallowing regret.
The elixir burned, not with heat, but with a cold, metallic sting that made his spine shiver. His stomach churned violently, threatening rebellion.
He collapsed to his side, coughing, spitting, gasping.
Then...a pulse.
A faint warmth bloomed in his chest, like a dying ember reigniting. His fingers twitched. His vision sharpened. The pain dulled.
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[Vitality increased by 20]
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He lay there panting, sweat beading on his forehead.
"...That tasted like shit and sewer water had a baby," he croaked.
"But damn... I feel alive."
He sat up slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The System chimed again.
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[Emotion Looting efficiency increased temporarily due to heightened emotional state]
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Riven blinked. "So pain counts as loot fuel now? Great. Just great."
He stood, shaky but stronger. The shop panel still hovered, waiting.
"...Alright, System. What else you got?"
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Emotion Sensor Lens | Reveals emotional states of targets. Synergizes with Emotion Looting. | 40 points
*
Echo of Rage (Passive) | Boosts attack power when looting anger. | 75 points | Insufficient Points |
*
| Whispering Veil Cloak | Grants stealth when looting fear. | 120 points | Locked (Level 3+) |
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"Bah, I can't do anything about this ones." He scrolled beyond the lock stats until he saw something that piqued his interest.
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Gear & Accessories
*****
Rusted Goblin Dagger | Weak weapon, but better than bare fists. | 15 points|
*
|Emotion Amplifier Ring | Doubles emotional loot yield. | 80 SP |Locked, also (Requires Title: "Soul Harvester") for usage |.
*
|Bone Charm of the Fallen | Increases loot chance from dead enemies. |50 points|Insufficient Points |
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The only one among them all that piqued his interest was the Emotion Amplifier Ring....it needed a title requirement.
Speaking of his title, it tab popped up. Among the many notification flooding his interface.
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[Congratulations....you've achieved a title]
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Title Acquired: "The Rageful Butcher [Novice]"
*
You've taken your first steps into blood-soaked vengeance. The goblins whisper your name with unease.
Title Effects:
| Strength +5 | Anger fuels your blows, giving you a slight edge in combat.
| Intimidation +10% | Goblins are slightly more likely to flee or hesitate.
| Blood Memory (Passive) | Each goblin kill grants +1% damage against goblins for 10 minutes. Max: 5%. |
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Title Progression:
Slay 50 goblins to evolve this title into "The Rageful Butcher [Apprentice]"
Slay 200 goblins and defeat a Goblin Chief to unlock "The Rageful Butcher [Veteran]"
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"Damn...I became a goblin slayer....I know I killed the goblins, but damn...you didn't have to rub it in my face like"....
"I can't even use it against other monsters!!"...
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[Click to equip title]
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"Ahh, well something is better than nothing...and it's seems this might be a goblin's dimension...I still need to survive the night here anyways" he grumbled while Clicking the equip button.
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[Title Successfully equipped, all buffs can be received when battling goblins only]
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"Ugh, like you didn't make it clear enough before" He sighed while looking at the other panels while sitting in the middle of the forest like no one's business....if he to be asked right now...he would say " it's not like I have a choice anyway"
While browsing through his shop he saw another thing...pertaining his task.
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[System Shop – Tier F Access]
Welcome, Riven Duke.
Your Survival Points: 15.
Vitality low.
Recommended: Emergency Recovery Items.
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Mystery Box (Tier : F)
| Veil Crate [Basic] | Contains 1 random item ( F Tier). May include rare drops. |45 points |
*
| Veil Crate [Advanced] | Contains 2–3 items, of higher rarity. | 100 points| Locked (Level 4+) |
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Note: Higher-tier items require leveling up, unlocking titles, or completing specific tasks. Survival Points can be earned through combat, exploration, and emotional looting.
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Riven's fingers hover over the Minor Vitality Elixir and the Emotion Sensor Lens, in excitement.
But that Veil Crate… it's tempting. What if it holds something game-changing?...he didn't even have enough for a basic anymore.
A notification flashed above the shop interface.
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[Finish "task" to get a "Basic Veil crate"].
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So I have hope to get a crate after all.