Unholy Player-Chapter 53: Niva’s Concern

After speaking with a swarm of lab-coated researchers and sharing only as much detail as he deemed necessary, Adyr returned to his room.

When he checked his wrist device and profile, the merit he was supposed to receive from the conversation hadn’t yet been processed. But something new had appeared in the system.

The merit and power rankings have been updated.

He quickly opened the merit list and saw J.T. Ripper at the top with 86 points. Selina White followed in second place, listed under her real name, with 41 points. Third was an unfamiliar name with 32 merits. The rest of the list continued with similarly small gaps.

In the power rankings, however, his own name was nowhere to be seen.

Victor, using the alias MasterBates, held the top position. He was followed by the same unknown name from the merit list, then Selina White, and—to Adyr’s surprise—Eren in fourth place.

Although Eren was naturally strong, he had entered the game as a pureblood, not a mutant. This meant his placement was entirely the result of his progress in the game and how much he had improved his corresponding stats.

Of course, the rankings were still new, and many players like Adyr likely hadn’t registered their powers yet—some perhaps hiding them deliberately. Still, it offered a clear glimpse of how the future rankings might take shape.

He then turned on the computer at the desk and gave the forum a quick glance. Players were still speaking casually, careful not to share real information.

Next, he opened the shop section, where items could be bought and sold using merit points. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Everything imaginable was listed—from basic daily care kits and necessities to brand-new cars and even houses in the city’s high-end districts.

It was clear the government had provided players with every possible incentive, just to motivate them to earn more merit.

After a brief search, Adyr found what he was looking for.

He clicked into a new section displaying weapons and tactical gear.

"Wow, isn’t this a bit much?" Adyr muttered, frowning at the 450-merit price tag on a full-body tactical suit. But the reason for the high cost was obvious—it was the same advanced uniform currently used by the STF, made with top-tier modern tech.

The fact that even this kind of equipment was being sold for merit points showed just how far the government was planning to give them.

He browsed through more affordable gear—tactical outfits made from durable fabrics and reinforced with Kevlar plating over vital areas. Eventually, he found a full set, including boots and gloves, that caught his interest for 18 merits and added it to his cart.

This purchase mattered. In the other world, he didn’t even have proper clothing or shoes. But now, thanks to the Sanctuary feature, he no longer had to walk around in rags.

He moved on to the weapons section.

Everything was there—from hand grenades to rocket launchers. There was even a tactical armored vehicle. He browsed with mild curiosity and let out a laugh when he realized there were no tanks or anything similar.

He picked up two titanium-based combat knives for 10 merits each. Then added a small oval shield for 8 merit, which could be strapped to the back to double as spine protection. He also bought a set of twenty small throwing knives for 12 merit, along with several meters of reinforced wire and a long climbing rope, all intended for traps or survival use.

After some thought, he also added a few grenades to his cart, spending another 10 merits, thinking about how much he enjoyed explosions and how they looked like art to him.

When he checked his remaining balance, he had 18 merits left. He sighed. "I thought I had a lot more."

Only now did he realize how quickly merit points could vanish.

Still, most of what he’d bought was far beyond the reach of an ordinary citizen.

He briefly considered buying a handgun for 20 merit, but ultimately decided against it. It was expensive, and after his encounter with the wolves—creatures fast enough to dodge bullets—he doubted a pistol would offer more distraction value than a throwing knife.

In terms of cost versus effectiveness, it wasn’t worth the investment.

There were other weapons that looked useful, even valuable, but they were well beyond his current merit range.

He briefly considered selling the crystals in his possession for merit, but he couldn’t accurately determine their current value, and he might need them soon. So he decided against it.

After confirming the items in his cart and seeing the merit points deducted, he shut down the computer, put on his new uniform, and set out for home.

The items he purchased would be delivered and placed in his room while he was gone, so there was no need to wait around and waste time.

—

When he got home, Niva was in the kitchen, and the smell of food had filled the house.

"I’m home," Adyr called out, slipping off his shoes and stepping inside.

"Welcome back! Go wash up and wait at the table, dinner’s almost ready," Niva called back from the kitchen.

"Got it," Adyr said, heading upstairs to change and take care of a few things before coming down.

When he returned, the table was already set. Compared to the plain meals they’d had recently, tonight’s dinner actually looked like it had some real meat in it. She must’ve done the monthly shopping.

I’ve got a thousand credits sitting in my account. I should probably give her some, he thought as he looked over the food.

Since his own expenses now ran on merit points, he hadn’t touched his government paycheck. Considering their monthly household income was usually just 700 credits, an extra 1,000 would be enough to upgrade their lifestyle—at the very least, they could start eating better.

Still, I need to tell her about the new job.

With Marielle gone, he didn’t want to stress Niva out even more—but hiding it wasn’t really an option. Especially not now. After his recent evolution, his appearance had changed just enough that Niva, of all people, would notice.

And she did.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" Niva blurted out, freezing mid-step with two steaming plates in her hands, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What?" Adyr raised a brow, genuinely caught off guard. He hadn’t expected that kind of reaction. He stepped forward, took the plates from her before she could drop them, and calmly set them on the table.

She squinted at him, studying his face with exaggerated suspicion. Then she crossed her arms.

"Seriously, what the hell? Since when does my brother have better skin than I? What are you using?"

Adyr blinked, unsure whether to laugh or lie. Apparently, her concern was less about mutation and more about skincare.