God Slayer: SSS-Rank Abyssal System

Samuel walked toward the house smiling. He touched the bronze tokens in his right pocket, closing his eyes for a brief second. After years of toiling, he'd finally gotten a stable job. Now he could take care of his sick mother and help his girlfriend with her education.

Life had always been tough on him, as he was an only child. In a world where abilities were worshiped, he was born ordinary. He was already twenty-four years old, yet he hadn't awakened his Qi. Because of this, no one would employ him.

Samuel stopped at the porch and knocked on the door. Vanessa would be thrilled about the news. There was no doubt about it. His smile widened expectantly. She was supposed to show up in a minute.

But she didn't.

‘Huh?’ he raised an eyebrow. Vanessa usually rushed toward the door whenever he knocked. She wasn't a busy person; she always stayed at home. Her two hobbies were studying and training. She'd finally awakened her Qi after four years of intense training.

He knocked on the door several times, but there was still no answer. His heart skipped a beat, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

‘Nothing’s wrong…’ he told himself. ‘She’s just busy…’

He opened the door and peeked inside. The sitting room was empty. Vanessa's parents were well-to-do people. Even though they weren't Evolved, they still had decent jobs. So, they weren't at home most of the time.

Samuel knew his way around the house, so he walked toward the bedroom. ‘Vanessa must be studying deeply…’ he thought to himself. ‘That’s why she didn't hear me knock…’

His thoughts froze when he heard the erratic thumps and ecstatic moaning. They were coming from the bedroom.

“...You’re better than my boyfriend…” Vanessa's voice came out muffled.

Samuel creased his brows in confusion. What was going on? He already knew the answer, but didn't want to believe it.

He opened the door slowly and froze in place instantly. The sight of Vanessa and a familiar man making love in the bed was gruesome. He gasped dizzily and staggered backward.

“Samuel?” Vanessa quickly draped herself with the bedsheet. “W-what are you doing here?”

She seemed surprised, instead of guilty.

Samuel’s eyes drifted toward the man on the bed. He was already sitting on its edge, buttoning his shirt indifferently.

“Peter?” Samuel stuttered. “W-what the hell are you doing with my girlfriend?”

He could feel his chest tighten as he stared at his best friend. Peter was his childhood best friend. They'd stuck together for years, while building a future.

He expected an answer from Peter—why he was sleeping with Vanessa. Perhaps he would have forgiven him…

“What does it seem like?” Peter asked, glaring at Samuel.

Something shattered inside Samuel.

He gripped his chest and bent forward, unable to breathe properly. He'd expected his best friend to feel remorseful—or even guilty. Instead, Peter was glaring at him. It was as if his best friend felt proud of what he'd done.

Vanessa cleared her throat. “Samuel… I've always wanted to tell you this.”

Samuel blinked, unable to understand what was happening. He'd known Vanessa for four years… They'd made promises to each other. Why did she suddenly cheat on him? It made no sense.

“I don't think our relationship is working,” she said.

Samuel's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears. “W-what are you talking about…?”

He edged forward and almost stumbled. His legs were already weak and wobbly.

“We can still make this work…” he begged. “You don't have to break up with me…”

He had no one else, except them. He'd pushed on because of his mother, Vanessa, and Peter. One could say that they were pillars of his life.

“Make this work?” Vanessa scoffed. “Everyone your age has awakened their Qi! Do you seriously expect me to be with someone as ordinary as you?!”

“Vanessa, I'll try…” Samuel’s voice broke.

“No, you won't!” Vanessa said. “I gave you four years… Four years and you remained the same!”

All those years he'd toiled to pay Vanessa's tuition. Since her parents were well-to-do, she could attend the Evolved Academy, a school that helped ordinary people awaken their Qi. The tuition f*e was very high—only a few could afford it.

Samuel would have attended Evolved Academy, but he loved Vanessa deeply. He paid for her tuition instead, and toiled for years.

“You don't mean what you're saying…” Samuel whispered. He wanted to grab Vanessa's hand, but Peter blocked his path.

“She means every word she's saying,” he said. "Be real for once, Samuel... Would you be friends with an ordinary person? I'm already a D-Rank Hunter, yet you're nothing!”

“I'm nothing…” Samuel repeated those words. “Nothing…”

“It's over between us, Samuel,” Vanessa said. “I have no reason to continue this relationship.”

Samuel's shoulders sagged in defeat. “Please—”

His words were stuck in his throat as Peter grabbed him. “Get out.”

Peter shoved him out of the bedroom, and the door slammed in his face.

“Vanessa…Peter…” Samuel clenched his jaw. There was nothing else he could do. His life had already become hopeless.

He went home with the money in his pocket. He'd made fifty bronze tokens today, so there was still hope. If he saved up for a year, he'd be able to afford a healer who would cure his mother permanently. Currently, he relied on cheap healers in the settlement.

“All those years…” he muttered. “...I should have paid for my mother's medical expenses.”

When he got home, he expected to hear his mother singing the familiar lullaby as usual. But the shack was eerily quiet.

“Mum?” He called as he walked toward the bed. His mother was lying there, covered in a piece of ragged cloth.

He reached out to tap his mother, a weak smile on his face. He always faked a smile whenever he was around his mother. She was already suffering… He didn't want to add to it.

His face fell when he touched her exposed arm. It was very cold, almost like ice. His heart thumped heavily as he shook his mother.

“Mum?” He called. “Mum!”

There was no response.

That was when reality hit him hard. The only person who truly loved him was dead.

“Mum…” he broke into tears, hugging her lifeless body.

His head hurt badly, but he didn't mind.

“Mum, please don't leave me…”

For the first time in his life, Samuel felt hopeless.