The Abyss went silent.
Even the swarm held back.
They weren't hunting anymore.
They were watching.
Jin Muyeon vs the Abyss Elite.
The creature stepped forward slowly.
Each step cracked the ground.
"…You… different…" it growled.
Muyeon smirked faintly.
"…Yeah."
Then—
They vanished.
BOOM—!!
Their clash tore through the ruins.
Muyeon blocked—
Barely.
The force drove him back.
Stone shattered under his feet.
"…Stronger than Rank 8," he muttered.
The creature didn't stop.
A second strike came instantly.
Muyeon twisted—
Countered—
CRACK!
His hit landed—
But—
The creature didn't flinch.
"…Tough too."
It grabbed his arm.
Muyeon's eyes sharpened.
Too late—
SLAM!
He was smashed into the ground.
Dust exploded.
[HP: 9% → 6%]
Muyeon coughed blood.
"…Heh…"
The creature leaned closer.
"…Weak…"
Muyeon laughed.
Low.
Breathless.
"…You're talking too much."
He grabbed the creature's wrist—
Twisted—
CRACK!
The arm snapped.
The creature didn't scream.
It smiled.
"…Good…"
It slammed its head forward—
BAM!
Muyeon's vision blurred.
[HP: 6% → 4%]
Everything spun.
"…This is bad…"
The creature raised its arm again.
Finishing blow.
Muyeon's body refused to move.
[System Response Delayed]
For the first time—
He was truly at the edge.
Then—
Something clicked.
Not the system.
Him.
His breathing slowed.
His thoughts cleared.
The chaos—
Faded.
"…So this is it," he whispered.
A different calm took over.
Cold.
Precise.
Predatory.
The creature's strike came down—
Muyeon moved.
Not fast.
Not strong.
Perfect.
He slipped past the strike—
Stepped inside—
And drove his hand forward.
SHK—!
His arm pierced straight through the creature's chest.
Silence.
The creature froze.
"…What…"
Muyeon's eyes were empty.
"…I see you now."
He twisted his hand—
CRACK—!!
Something inside the creature shattered.
The hollow in its face trembled.
"…No…"
Muyeon pulled his arm out.
The creature stumbled back.
Then—
Collapsed.
Dead.
Silence filled the Abyss.
The swarm didn't move.
They didn't attack.
They stepped back.
Slowly.
Instinctively.
Like prey.
Muyeon stood there.
Breathing slowly.
Blood dripping.
Body broken.
But his presence—
Changed.
Not chaos.
Not rage.
Control.
The system flickered back.
[New State Achieved]
[Abyss Predator — Partial Awakening]
Effects:
Killing intent becomes suppression field
Enemies below threshold hesitate or retreat
Damage efficiency increased against Abyss entities
Muyeon looked around.
The creatures lowered themselves.
Not attacking.
Not fleeing.
Submitting.
"…So that's how it works," he muttered.
He stepped forward.
They moved aside instantly.
A path opened.
Deeper into the Abyss.
Muyeon smiled faintly.
"…Good."
He walked forward.
Not as prey.
Not as survivor.
As a predator.