"Points are something you exchange with money or with service. Although the former is quite expensive but hey they're more secure than regular money and they could be used to buy items. It isn't that bad "

  The auction didn't go exactly well for Julo. The prices were unimaginable with some items costing more money than he had ever seen and some that he would never make in his life.

  An item that could protect any physical damage, a notebook that was only visible to the owner, a sword that could leave wounds with no blood cogging.

  These items were only the surface of what was presented.

  And the worst part? Today's auction wasn't even at its peak yet. They didn't bother giving invitations. The people that got in were just doing an annual check and almost all of the bigshot was busy outside.

  Due to that the items weren't surprising to anyone.

  Other than Julo.

  Briefly explaining what points are, they left the room.

  After the auction Julo asked someone what the points were and they quickly led him to the so-called service room.

  From what they explained, the service rooms are for people to give services and ask for services.

  People's whispers echoed across the room, muffled to the point of sounding like every language he had heard.

  Questions rapidly echoed among each other, and the available services were all taken by one another.

  "Hello?" A low voice rang beside him.

  "Could you do something for me?" A desperate tone noticeable by anyone

  Even though the silver mask concealed his identity, it was quite obvious that he was a boy. The height and voice was a screaming giveaway to his identity.

  With his face was full of expectation to be ignored as Julo replied.

  "What is it?"

  His face lit up as if he hadn't had anything to eat, not expecting to get a reply back.

  "Could yo-you retrieve something?" With no nerve control, his brain panicked eventually affecting his voice into stuttering.

  Despite this, he didn't seem to mind it that much. And Julo was already prepared to accept. After all, he would get points which he can exchange for.

  Although he hadn't seen anything that could help him to advance to Overlapped, his mind trusted her judgement.

  It would be silly for her to mislead him.

  "What's the item?"

  "Just a notebook. No one bothered to take my task be-because they felt a dangerous feel at the place." Not trying to hide the danger, he revealed everything fully aware that the chance of rejection was high.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Julo's mind ran rapid, trying to weigh the pros and cons.

  While he could try to retrieve it the feeling wasn't anything small to ignore, despite this he felt a premonition that he would need to go there regardless.

  Pondering on the premonition, he decided that he could just ask her for help if danger came to be.

  He had a cheat code so why not use it.

  "Where's the location?"

  ***

  Step Step Step

  Julo's steps reflected off the building as he darted around the place searching for a small entrance.

  His rapid steps consistently rang out, from inside each room.

  'There it is.'

  A yucky wooden frame from inside the floor, revealed itself from the corner of the room.

  The room screamed out a feeling as if souls were weeping with immeasurable sorrow.

  Souls of people whose wish was never fulfilled, whose will were never recorded, whose existence were forgotten.

  In mere seconds, the feeling engraved itself into his mind as he instantly realized why nobody took this seemingly simple and easy task.

  Now it was quite obvious.

  His arms extended as the coldness traveled through his bone, before pulling it.

  The hidden basement opened, a set of stairs made certain that going down would make him regret it.

  Yet even though he knew going down there would make him as stupid as a horror movie protagonist, he still had a backup plan.

  'You there?'

  [Yeah go.]

  Receiving confirmation from the unusual static-like voice from her, he slowly stepped down.

  Each step felt like a dumbbell was being attached to his legs and soul.

  And doing this while trying to keep his mind calm due to her was seriously intolerable.

  At the last steps, the lights from the outside world were almost completely cut off, the only light source was the screen from his trusty gun.

  And he wasn't sure how long that would last.

  —You can see right?

  —This gun doesn't have a night vision built in, dummy.

  Sighing at the unnecessary remark, his Ai gave him, he continued walking down.

  At last, he reached the bottom.

  The dim light source from bottom was more than enough for him to see again.

  However,

  Whoosp

  The air cracked as an abyss in the dark, smashed its leg at Julo.

  The air rushed as his head was barely any distance away from the abyss's leg. The gun was dangling out with the sudden movement.

  Stunned at the sudden attack, his eyes bolted to the figure.

  It was a person. Unidentifiable with every part of its body being pitch black.

  It was surprising for Julo to think that was the abyss.

  However, his thoughts were enough for it to wind up its leg once again.

  Of course, he wouldn't just let it hit.

  The usual cold temperature and the metal texture of the gun was briefly felt as the rope coiled before releasing all of its energy.

  Snap Bang Bang Bang

  Only intending to use two bullets, his sweating palms applied pressure on the freezing trigger.

  The bullet shot off with multiple loud bangs as the gun shot up with the recoil being released. Julo's sweaty finger slipped, releasing another bullet with the barrel pointing near his head.

  His reflexes closed his eyes, as the bullet barely missed his head.

  Still feeling anything from the dim surrounding, his sight returned to black liquids spreading without a sign of stopping. It seems like it would eventually return back to normal if left unchecked.

  Of course, Julo wouldn't allow that.

  The blob froze, the liquid-like texture was completely replaced by a solid one.

  It had solidified.

  Julo did not know if the abyss would liquefy again before causing him some troubles.

  He had to be sure.

  His barrel rose, perfectly aligning a part that used to be its head. The solid abyss, bursted on impact, shattering into dozens of pieces.

  Liquefying it again, the blob was in the same state as before. It was only then Julo could sigh a breath of relief as he walked deeper into the place.

  ***

  "This is the place?" The man with a sword asked.

  "Yes. This place was an old testing place for the Minds."

  Realizing the meaning of the last word of the old man, he stared at the dusty house in plain view.

  Half of it looked like it was abandoned while the other half looked like a family had left on a vacation.

  However, it was quite obvious that it was the former.

  And thus the coincidences began.