A strange, heavy silence descended the moment the girl's body hit the ground.
The wind stopped. The warmth of the spilled blood began to fade into the cold earth.
Suddenly, a Golden-Black particle drifted up from her lifeless form. It floated toward me and absorbed directly into my chest.
A sharp jolt surged through me—as if someone had just breathed new life into my lungs.
A sound echoed in my ears—'Ding'.
But this wasn't the cheap chime of a smartphone notification. It was deep and resonant, like the tolling of a massive temple bell.
Before my eyes, the floating screen shifted colors—from Crimson to Deep Blue
and finally to Gold.
================================
MISSION COMPLETE
================================
[DETAILS]
-----------------------------------------
MISSION : The First Blood
STATUS : SUCCESS
RATING : S (Perfect Mercy)
[ASSESSMENT]
-----------------------------------------
You didn't just kill. You erased the suffering.
The System acknowledges the purity of your intent.
Entropy Generated: High.
[REWARDS]
-----------------------------------------
[+] EXPERIENCE : 500 EXP
[+] ATTRIBUTE POINTS: +5 (Free to distribute)
[+] KARMA POINTS : 1000 KP
[+] NEW FEATURE : [SHOP] Unlocked 🛒
-----------------------------------------
[SYSTEM ALERT]
LEVEL UP! ⬆
You are now Level 2!
-----------------------------------------
Immediately after, a smaller window popped up, hovering over the corpses of the thugs:
[LOOT ACQUIRED]
-----------------------------------------
- 3x Tainted Souls (Tradeable in Shop)
- 1x Rusty Knife (Common Weapon)
- Wallet (Contains ₹5,200)
> Auto-stored in [INVENTORY]
I glanced at the screen, then down at the girl.
"S-Rank... Perfect Mercy?"
A faint, cynical smile touched my lips.
"The world will call this murder. The System calls it 'Mercy'."
The Attributes panel was blinking, reminding me of the 5 points I now had to increase my strength.
"It seems the game has only just begun."
---
In the distance, the wail of police sirens began to grow louder.
Wee-woo-wee-woo...
My attention snapped back to my own condition.
My clothes, my face, my hands—everything was red. The blood had cooled and was now sticky, clinging to my skin.
If I walked out onto the street looking like this, I'd be in handcuffs within five minutes.
"Shit..." I muttered. "How do I clean this?"
As if reading my mind, the System screen blinked again. This time, it pulsed Yellow.
================================
⚠ SYSTEM ALERT ⚠
================================
[WARNING]
Abnormal amount of external Biomatter (Blood) detected on user.
Risk of detection by authorities: 99%
[SOLUTION PROPOSED]
Active Class Skill: [Entropy Aura] (Passive variation)
> Do you want to disintegrate external foreign matter?
[COST]
10 MP (Mana Points)
[YES] [NO]
================================
"Disintegrate?"
I immediately focused on `[YES]`.
Instantly, a strange sensation washed over my skin—a static tingling, like thousands of ants crawling over me.
The blood on my clothes... began to turn into steam.
The red stains dried up, turned into black ash, and then dissolved into dust, carried away by the wind.
Even the sharp, metallic stench of iron vanished.
In less than a second, my shirt, my jeans, my hands—they were immaculate.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
The System confirmed:
[CLEANSING COMPLETE]
[MP REMAINING: 40/50]
I looked at my hands.
The same hands that were drenched in warm blood a moment ago were now dry and clean.
Only a faint, lingering coldness remained at my fingertips.
I looked down at the three thugs and the girl.
The System popped up again:
[OPTIONAL ACTION]
Target Corpses detected.
Do you want to use [DECAY TOUCH] to erase evidence?
Cost: 20 MP per body.
I only had 40 MP left. There were 4 bodies.
I couldn't erase everyone.
The sirens were getting close.
---
It was 3:00 AM. The alley, which should have been silent, was now screaming with the lights and sounds of police vehicles.
An officer lit a cigarette and stared down at the bodies. Three corpses. Brutally crushed.
But the strangest part? The blood was gone.
The bodies were dry, desiccated husks, as if someone—or something—had drained every drop of liquid from them.
---
I took a deep breath on the rooftop, ignoring the chaos unfolding below.
"Shop..." I thought. "Let's see what you have for me."
I mentally commanded: [OPEN SHOP]
The blue interface dissolved, replaced by a sleek, ominous interface in Deep Purple and Black. Smoke seemed to curl around the edges of the window.
================================
🛒 THE VOID MARKET 🛒
================================
"Welcome, Entropy Lord.
We don't sell hope here. We sell tools for the end."
[YOUR WEALTH]
-----------------------------------------
⬡ KARMA POINTS (KP) : 1,000
👻 TAINTED SOULS : 3
================================
[SELL OPTION]
> Do you want to sell [3x Tainted Souls]?
Value: 150 KP each.
Total: 450 KP.
[YES] [NO]
================================
I clicked [YES] without hesitation.
The souls of trash were of no use to me.
[TRANSACTION COMPLETE]
[CURRENT BALANCE: 1,450 KP]
Three categories unlocked on the screen:
1. [CONSUMABLES]
Void Water (50 KP):
• Restores 50 MP immediately.
• Side Effect: Causes temporary numbness in the body.
Blood Pill (100 KP):
• Heals minor injuries instantly.
• Taste: Like fresh, metallic blood.
2. [EQUIPMENT]
Shadow Hood (Price: 1,200 KP)
• Rank: E-Grade
• Effect: Shrouds the wearer's face in darkness. CCTV cameras and normal humans cannot perceive or remember your facial features.
• Passive: Stealth +10%.
Gloves of Rot (Price: 5,000 KP)
• Effect: Increases range of [Decay Touch]. Skill works through clothing without direct skin contact.
3. [SPECIAL]
Sinner's Compass (Price: 500 KP)
• Effect: Locates the person with the highest Sin Value in the vicinity.
Mystery Box (Price: 1,000 KP)
• Description: Could be Fortune. Could be Death.
---
I analyzed the list.
My eyes lingered on the 'Gloves of Rot', but they were far beyond my budget.
What did I need most right now?
MP (Mana): Because [Decay Touch] and cleaning required fuel.
Anonymity: Police and CCTV were everywhere. If I got ID'd now, it was Game Over.
I looked at the Shadow Hood (1,200 KP).
It was perfect. If I wore this, I would be a ghost in the crowd. No one would be able to record my face.
"Confirm Purchase: Shadow Hood," I commanded.
[TRANSACTION SUCCESSFUL]
[REMAINING BALANCE: 250 KP]
Black smoke coalesced in my hands, weaving itself into a Hoodie.
It didn't feel like fabric... it felt like I was holding woven shadows. It was impossibly light.
I pulled it on.
The moment the hood covered my head, the sounds of the world muffled slightly.
I checked my reflection in my phone's camera.
My face... was gone.
There was only abyssal darkness.
No matter how the light hit it, inside the hood was nothing but the Void.
"Perfect," I smiled (though no one could see it).
I still had 250 KP left.
I decided to stock up on essentials.
I bought 5x Void Water (50 KP each).
Total Balance: 0 KP.
Five small black vials materialized in my hand.
---
I looked at the five glass vials.
"Keeping these in my jeans pocket is stupid. One bad parkour landing and they'll shatter."
I issued the command: [OPEN INVENTORY]
A Grid System appeared in the air, just like in an RPG. There were 10 Slots total; the rest were grayed out and locked.
================================
DIMENSIONAL STORAGE
================================
[SLOT 1] : Rusty Knife (Atk +2)
[SLOT 2] : Wallet (₹5,200)
[SLOT 3] : [EMPTY]
[SLOT 4] : [EMPTY]
...
================================
I held up the vials of Void Water and thought, "Store."
The vials vanished from my physical grip and instantly appeared as an icon in the grid.
[SLOT 3] : Void Water x5 (Restores 50 MP)
"Convenient," I smirked. "No more carrying heavy bags."
The shop interface faded away.
I was ready.
Face hidden.
Resources secured.
And a heart as cold as the death I dealt.
I walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the street.
A police jeep was still parked there.