Chapter 008: Return to the Surface
1915 Words
Lin Yuan wiped the half-dried blood off his face, gripping the Abyss Longs word tightly. He’d just defeated the High D-Rank Ruins Sentinel, his muscles throbbing faintly. His palm wound split open again, burning fiercely, but excitement blazed in his eyes—permanently boosted attributes felt addictive.
He turned and stepped back into the cave he’d come from, Abyss Sense fully activated, ready for any monsters lurking in the shadows. To his surprise, he didn’t encounter a single Elite monster, not even a lone Cyclops, on his way out.
It wasn’t until he stepped out of the cave, his boots touching the scorched black earth of Abyss Floor 1 again, that he froze, his pupils shrinking at the sight before him.
Insanity. That was the only word to describe it.
The once barren ground was now covered in monster corpses. Cyclops lay scattered—some split in half, others with crushed heads, a few burning with eerie blue flames. The acrid stench of blood and burnt flesh hit him, churning his stomach.
The ground was covered in spiderweb cracks and deep craters, proof of the brutal battle the Monster Tide had unleashed here.
“Holy s**t, did the Monster Tide gather every Cyclops on Floor 1 here?” Lin Yuan clicked his tongue, a chill down his spine. He silently thanked his luck—fighting head-on would’ve killed him.
A thought struck him, and he activated Abyss Sense immediately. Every detail within a hundred meters flooded his mind, crystal clear.
【Abyss Sense · Floor 1 Central Zone】
Current Zone Scan Results:
Monster Count: 34 (All E-Rank regular Cyclops, no packs)
Elite Monsters: 1 (High E-Rank, 120 meters away)
Hidden Resource Points: 2 (Low-Grade Abyss Crystals)
Other Human Explorers: 0
Only 34 trash mobs left?
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, relieved. Once, three Cyclops would’ve been a death fight. But now, with +5 all attributes, a Fine-grade Abyss Longs word, and four skills, these E-Rank mobs were just target practice.
But he had no interest in grinding. He could farm Abyss Points anytime—right now, the only thing that mattered was getting out alive and completing the system’s newbie mission.
“System, how much time is left on the newbie survival mission?” he asked in his head.
【Current Newbie Mission Progress: 18 Hours 42 Minutes Survived.】
【Time Remaining Until Mission Completion: 5 Hours 18 Minutes.】
Nearly six hours left. Lin Yuan let out a sigh of relief, his gaze turning to the east—800 meters away, the Abyss Rift, his ticket back to the real world, loomed in the distance.
“Let’s move.” He tightened his grip on the longs word and sprinted toward the rift, his feet never slowing.
Along the way, he encountered seven lone Cyclops. Lin Yuan didn’t slow—Wind Step activated, his body blurring. The Abyss Longs word pierced each Cyclops’ eye smoothly, taking less than a minute.
【Abyss Points +38】
“Hell yeah!” Lin Yuan cursed under his breath, a grin spreading across his face. This was the feeling of being strong—something he’d never dared to dream of before.
Two hours later, Lin Yuan stood at the edge of the Abyss Rift. The familiar, twisting dark spatial rift was in front of him, and he could even smell the faint scent of car exhaust and city smoke from the other side—the real world he’d lived in for eighteen years.
He was finally going home.
Lin Yuan’s heart hammered in his chest, his palms sweating. The nerves he’d held for nearly twenty hours finally began to ease. All he had to do was step through the rift, and he’d complete the newbie mission. He’d escape the Abyss alive, and never be the bottom-feeding scavenger everyone looked down on again.
He took a deep breath and lifted his foot, ready to step into the rift.
But the second his boot was about to touch the rift, a sharp system alarm blared in his head, so piercing it made every hair on his body stand on end!
【WARNING! High-Threat Entity Approaching Rapidly! Threat Level: FATAL!】
What?!
The smile froze on Lin Yuan’s face, cold sweat breaking out on his back. Every muscle in his body tensed up as he spun around, the Abyss Longs word raised in front of him, Abyss Sense pushed to its limit.
In the distance, a figure was walking toward him—slow, unhurried, as if strolling through a park. It was a man in a black trench coat, his face cold and stern, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
Lin Yuan’s heart clenched, breath catching. The man exuded unimaginable terror—over ten times stronger than the Ruins Sentinel! His gaze alone sent stabbing pain across Lin Yuan’s skin.
“System! Scan him now!” Lin Yuan ground his teeth, screaming in his head.
【Scan Results Generated!】
【Name: Shen Mu】
【Rank: A-Rank Awakened】
【Awakened Ability: Shadow Element】
【Identity Matched: Shadow Pavilion Executor】
Shadow Pavilion?!
Lin Yuan’s pupils narrowed to pinpricks, mind going blank. The Shadow Pavilion—the country’s most infamous, mysterious organization! Its members were top Awakened, cold-blooded killers, untouchable by authorities.
Shen Mu, an A-Rank Executor, could single handedly s*******r the Lord of Abyss Floor 10. Lin Yuan knew he stood no chance—an F-Rank against an A-Rank was like an ant vs a giant.
Lin Yuan knew he stood no chance. He was just an F-Rank Awakened; against an A-Rank, he was nothing but an ant waiting to be crushed.
Why was an A-Rank Shadow Pavilion Executor here? And why was he coming for him?
“Lin Yuan?” Shen Mu stopped ten meters away, a lazy, amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. His gaze was piercing, like it could see straight through Lin Yuan, locking him in place.
“You know me?” Lin Yuan tightened his grip on the longs word until his knuckles turned white, his voice thick with wariness. He could feel it—every escape route was locked down by the man’s aura.
“Of course.” Shen Mu chuckled, his tone casual but filled with overwhelming pressure, “After all, you’re the protagonist of the ‘Child of the Abyss’ prophecy.”
Child of the Abyss?!
Lin Yuan was completely stunned, his mind buzzing. He’d lived eighteen years, and he’d never heard those four words before—let alone a prophecy!
“It seems you have no idea how valuable you are.” Shen Mu took a step forward, and the distance between them closed instantly. The terrifying pressure grew heavier, making Lin Yuan’s knees weak.
“Come with me, and you’ll learn everything.”
“What if I say no?” Lin Yuan ground his teeth, his body coiled and ready to strike. Even if he was outmatched, he’d never go down without a fight!
Shen Mu’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in his eyes: “Then you don’t have a choice.”
The second the words left his mouth, Shen Mu vanished—no afterimage, no sound. It was like he’d never been there.
“BEHIND!” Lin Yuan roared, spinning around and swinging his sword to block. But it was too late.
A soft but irresistible force chopped down on the back of his neck. A searing pain shot through him, and his vision went black. All the strength in his body drained away, and the Abyss Longs word clattered to the ground with a loud clang.
The last thought in his fading consciousness was: s**t. I’m screwed.
An unknown amount of time passed, and Lin Yuan’s eyes flew open. All he saw was dim darkness, with a single faint yellow light bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting a weak glow over the small room.
He tried to sit up instinctively, but a sharp yank came from his wrists. The cold clink of chains rang out, and he looked down—his wrists were locked in pitch-black metal handcuffs, carved with strange runes. A special force flooded his body through the chains, crushing his awakened power completely. He couldn’t summon even a wisp of Abyss energy.
Mana-Sealing Handcuffs! Made specifically to suppress Awakened abilities!
“You’re awake?” A familiar cold voice came from across the room.
Lin Yuan’s head snapped up, and he saw Shen Mu sitting in a chair opposite him, twirling a sharp folding knife. The blade glinted coldly in the dim light.
“What the hell do you want?” Lin Yuan ground his teeth, his voice cold as ice. Panic flickered in his eyes, but he forced it down. He was trapped—no powers, no weapons, surrounded by enemies. He had to stay calm.
“It’s simple.” Shen Mu stood up and walked over, looking down at him from above, “I want you to open the entrance to Abyss Floor 30.”
Floor 30?!
Lin Yuan paled, shouting in shock: “Are you insane?! Floor 30 is a death zone! Even S-Rank Awakened dare not go there casually—you want an F-Rank like me to open it?!”
Shen Mu smiled, dismissive: “Because you’re the Child of the Abyss. The ancient prophecy says only you can control every Abyss entrance—even the ones sealed by Abyss Lords.”
“I need something on Floor 30.” He twirled the folding knife, his tone turning cold, “Two choices: help me, or die. Or spend the rest of your life locked in this cage.”
Lin Yuan’s mind raced. Fighting head-on was impossible—he was powerless. Running was impossible—he was chained, and the building was full of Shen Mu’s men. The only way out was to buy time.
He fell silent for a long moment, then lifted his eyes to Shen Mu, his voice calm: “I need time to think. Give me three days.”
Shen Mu stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: “Fine. But don’t even think about running. This building is surrounded by my men—even if you grow wings, you won’t escape.”
He turned and walked to the door, glancing back coldly: “Three days. Don’t make me regret it.”
The heavy iron door slammed shut, followed by the sound of a lock clicking into place. Lin Yuan was alone in the room.
“Child of the Abyss…” He leaned back against the cold stone wall, muttering to himself, confusion filling his eyes, “What the hell does that mean?”
【System Prompt: This information involves deep Abyss lore. Unlock requirements: Abyss Sovereign System Evolution to Stage 2.】
System Evolution…
Lin Yuan’s head shot up, and he pulled up the system panel instantly.
【System Evolution Progress: 65/100】
Only 35 points left! Just 35 more points, and the system would evolve to Stage 2—unlocking the lore and, maybe, a way to break free!
A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Yuan’s eyes, panic replaced by cold resolve.
Three days.
He had three days to get 35 evolution points, complete the system evolution, and escape this place.
He wouldn’t let Shen Mu win, wouldn’t stay caged. With his system and resolve, he’d settle scores with everyone who’d looked down on him. This was just the beginning.
This was just the beginning.
- Writer
