The Hub (1)
[SYSTEM REWARD CALCULATION: ERIS VALE]
HOLLOW TRIAL COMPLETED – SURVIVORS: 6/13 Assessing Contributions… Final Evaluation: Significant Contribution
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[STATUS UPDATE]
[NAME] - Eris Vale [MAGIC CLASSIFICATION]- Neutral Magic Creativity (Mid tier to High Tier Threshold) [MAGIC POWER]- 2,500 Units (+1,000 Units Increase from Trial Rewards) [ENERGY RECOVERY] -Enhanced by 10% in hub zones. [SYSTEM RECOGNITION] - Potential Growth Detected.
✔ [PHYSICAL CAPACITY] Rank: C - C+ (Increased endurance and agility, minor strength boost.) ✔ [MENTAL RESILIENCE] Rank: C+ - B- (Improved resistance against fear, mind-affecting effects, and system pressure.)
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[REWARDS GRANTED]
✔ Blood Coins Earned: 2,450 Blood Coins (For combat efficiency, puzzle-solving,tasks done and tactical awareness.) ✔ System Credits Earned: 10 System Credits (Can be exchanged for rare hub items.) ✔ New Title Unlocked: "Survivor of the Hollow" (Recognized in the Hub; grants slight favor from system NPCs.) ✔ New Skill Evolution: "Structured Manifestation → Woven Constructs" (Increased control over created structures.) ✔ Hidden Reward – System Authority Increase (Minimal access granted to hidden system inquiries.)
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[MAGIC POWER RECOGNITION SYSTEM]
Magic Power is classified based on two key elements: Core Strength (Magic Tier) and Energy Capacity (Magic Pool).
1. Core Strength (Magic Tier)
Represents the quality and potential of magic.
Divine Magic → Reality-Altering, Extremely Rare.
Neutral Magic → Balanced, Versatile.
Inferior Magic → Weak, Supportive, Often Overlooked.
Each tier is further divided:
High-Tier → Near the upper threshold, capable of significant feats.
Mid-Tier → Well-rounded, stable ability with steady growth.
Low-Tier → The weakest form, often restrictive but can evolve.
2. Energy Capacity (Magic Pool)
Measured in Units, determining how much magic one can use before exhaustion.
Divine Magic (High-Tier): 10,000+ Units (Extreme Power, Legendary)
Divine Magic (Mid-Tier): 5,000 - 10,000 Units
Divine Magic (Low-Tier): 3,000 - 5,000 Units (Balanced, Reliable)
Neutral Magic (High-Tier): 1,500 - 3,000 Units (Versatile, Effective)
Neutral Magic (Mid-Tier): 1,000 - 1,500 Units
Neutral Magic (Low-Tier): 500 - 1,000 Units
Inferior Magic (High-Tier): 100 - 500 Units
Inferior Magic (Mid-Tier): 50 - 100 Units
Inferior Magic (Low-Tier): 20 - 50 Units (Weak, Needs Optimization)
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[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Your power has been recognized.
Trial Influence Detected – Future Growth Paths in Creativity Unlocked.
System shop access expanded.
Prepare for the next stage.
Survive. Grow. Or Be Forgotten.
Would you like to return now?
Yes / No.
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Eris's vision swam as the glowing text faded from her sight. The weight of the notification settled over her like an unseen force—part validation, part warning.
Her hands clenched involuntarily. 2,500 Units. A title. A skill evolution. The rewards meant nothing if she couldn't live long enough to use them.
Her thoughts raced, but the cool air against her skin was a stark contrast to the suffocating dread of the Hollow Realm. Her body still felt off, as if she'd left something behind in that wretched place. Maybe she had.
"Eris."
She looked at Aven. Orlen had bid them goodbye and gone into the hub while she was still perusing her status update. Cinder and Nia had disappeared at some point. They must have clicked the option to return home immediately. She wanted to do that too but she preferred to be informed now than return here later for information. She still needed to know more of what was really going on. Wasn't the trial finished already?
Aven's voice pulled her back. She blinked, focusing on him and Ash. They were watching her closely, the way one might watch an unstable structure—waiting to see if it would hold or crumble.
"You saw your system report?" Ash asked. His tone was casual, but his eyes weren't.
Eris exhaled. "Yeah."
Ash shoved his hands into his pockets. "Good. That means you actually got something useful out of that nightmare." His lips twisted into something that might've been a smirk if not for the exhaustion lining his face. "Though, knowing the System, it's never as generous as it pretends to be."
Eris didn't need the warning. The System didn't reward out of kindness. Everything it gave had come with a price—whether immediate or one she'd discover too late.
"Where are we again?" she asked instead, eyes flicking around the vast cityscape.
"The Hub," Aven said, gesturing toward the streets unfolding around them. "This is where all players gather between trials. It's controlled entirely by the System. No Hollows, no rogue anomalies—just players, NPCs, and the game."
Aven snorted. "Not that it's any safer."
Eris took another glance around. Towering structures stretched into the sky, narrow pathways winding through the streets. The air was cool, neither day nor night. Above them, the sky swirled in endless twilight.
It looked like a city—felt like one, even. But something was missing. Something subtle but wrong.
Then she realized.
There was no true life here.
The streets weren't empty, but even with players moving through them, speaking in hushed tones, dealing with glowing stone terminals or vanishing into side paths, the city itself felt untouched. No wear, no dirt, no signs of age. Every building stood pristine, as if they had just been placed there moments before.
Her gaze drifted to the NPCs—shopkeepers, messengers, even what looked like maintenance workers. Perfectly composed, their faces too smooth, their movements too precise. The eerie stillness in their expressions sent a chill down her spine.
She tore her gaze away. "What's the point of this place?"
Aven tilted his head toward the massive black tower in the distance, golden text shifting along its surface.
"That's the System Monolith," he said. "It tracks everything—who's alive, who's dead, and who's worth watching. It's also how we know when the next trial starts."
Eris frowned. "So it's just a waiting room?"
Ash huffed a quiet laugh. "Waiting room? No. More like an auction house."
She stiffened.
Aven's smile was grim. "The Hub isn't about resting. It's about preparing. Blood Coins, System Credits, favors, connections—everything here has a price. And the System wants to see how desperate we are to pay it."
Eris stared at the city again, the pristine streets, the glowing terminals, the silent NPCs.
A cage.
A different kind of trial.
One where the rules weren't as obvious—but just as deadly.
"Come on, let's show you around", Aven said. Eris followed them with brimming curiosity.
The streets, though wide and immaculate, felt too controlled—as if the entire city had been designed to ensure players never felt at ease. The roads stretched endlessly in geometric precision, but no dust gathered, no cracks formed. The longer she walked, the more unnatural it seemed.
She passed what looked like an open market, but instead of stalls and merchants, glowing panels hovered in midair. Players gathered around them, swiping their hands through translucent menus, murmuring under their breaths. Some bartered with Blood Coins, others with System Credits.
Aven nodded toward one of the interfaces. "That's a trade station. If you need weapons, potions, or artifacts, this is where you get them. Prices change constantly depending on what's in demand."
Eris caught a glimpse of some items listed:
[Hollow-Touched Dagger] – 1,200 Blood Coins
[Minor Restoration Elixir] – 450 Blood Coins
[???] – 5 System Credits
Her fingers twitched. The dagger alone cost nearly half her earnings. If simple weapons were this expensive, then how bad was the next trial going to be?
"System Credits," she murmured, her gaze lingering on the unknown item.
"Rare as hell," Ash said. "Even if you get them, spending them is another gamble. Some players hoard them for later. Others burn through them immediately, hoping for something good." He gave her a knowing look. "Whatever you do, don't waste them on junk."
Eris nodded, though her attention drifted to the people around them. Players weren't just shopping—they were watching. Some had the wary expressions of survivors, eyes flicking from person to person, measuring potential threats. Others were more relaxed, like veterans who had seen this cycle repeat too many times to care.
Then there were the dealmakers.
A group stood near the edge of the market, talking in hushed voices. One of them—a young woman draped in a deep blue cloak—was flipping a small, glowing token between her fingers. The moment their eyes met, Eris felt something crawl up her spine.
She looked away.
Aven must have noticed. "Yeah, watch yourself here. Some people in the Hub don't wait for trials to start making moves."
"They can't attack, right?" Eris asked.
Ash smirked. "Not directly. But there are other ways to ruin someone."
She didn't like that answer.
They moved on, passing by more strange locations—a towering, circular arena where players sparred in sanctioned duels, a side alley where whispers and exchanges took place out of sight of the main roads, and a glowing pillar where some kind of contract system was in place.
"What's that?" Eris asked, pausing in front of the pillar.
"The System Wager Board," Aven replied. "If you're confident in your skills, you can take on side challenges for Blood Coins. Sometimes they're fights. Other times… stranger things."
"Stranger things?"
Ash gave her a sideways glance. "Let's just say not all wagers are about combat. Some people bet on information. Others on favors. The System doesn't care, as long as it's entertaining."
Eris frowned. This place… it really wasn't just a waiting area. It was a game of its own. A silent battlefield where survival wasn't just about strength, but about knowing when to take a risk—and when to walk away.
She took a slow breath, clenching her fists.
She would remember this.