Abyss Sovereign: Lin Yuan's Awakening

Chapter 009：Breaking the Trap

The room was stifling and dim, lit only by a faulty yellow bulb that flickered and buzzed, stretching Lin Yuan's shadow into a twisted, eerie shape against the icy stone wall.

He huddled in the corner, his wrists clamped tight in pitch-black Anti-Magic Handcuffs. The cold metal had rubbed his skin raw and sore, and even the faintest movement sent a sharp, grating rattle of chains slicing through the dead silence.

"Damn it!" Lin Yuan ground his teeth, his mind blazing with rage as he cursed Shen Mu repeatedly. The handcuffs were ruthless—they'd sealed all his abilities the moment they clicked shut, silencing his Abyss Perception and nearly shutting down his Abyss Sovereign System entirely.

But it wasn't completely snuffed out.

【WARNING: Host's abilities are suppressed! Abyss Sovereign System activating emergency mode!】

【Permanent base attribute bonuses remain active!】

Permanent bonuses still worked? A spark of hope flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes. Even without his skills, his +5 all-attributes boost made him ten times stronger than an ordinary person. All he needed to do was find the handcuffs' fatal flaw.

He held his breath, running his fingertips gently over the cuffs. The suppression runes carved into the metal sent a frigid, power-draining chill up his arm, but when his touch glided to the inner side, he froze—there was a pinprick-sized groove hidden between the runes, invisible to the eye.

"System, scan this groove—Is this the weak spot?" he asked, his voice urgent but low.

【Analyzing...】

【Item: Intermediate Anti-Magic Handcuffs】

【Core Weakness: The inner groove is the energy core. Injecting Abyss energy will shatter the rune structure.】

【Host cannot actively channel Abyss energy. Solution unavailable temporarily.】

Lin Yuan frowned, but a sudden thought struck him like lightning. "System! Your core energy is fused into my blood—can I use my blood to break these cuffs?"

【Viable! Abyss energy in host's blood can destroy the runes!】

【Cost: 5% max health. No permanent side effects!】

Lin Yuan didn't hesitate. He bit his fingertip hard, wincing as warm blood welled up, then jammed the bleeding tip into the tiny groove, forcing drop after drop of his blood into the core.

SIZZLE—!!

The runes on the cuffs flared a searing red, letting out a shrill, ear-piercing whine. The metal vibrated violently in his hands, but Lin Yuan squeezed harder, refusing to let up until the cuffs broke.

CRACK!!

The handcuffs shattered into sharp shards, clattering loudly against the stone floor.

【Anti-Magic Handcuffs destroyed! All restrictions lifted!】

Power came crashing back into Lin Yuan's body like a tidal wave. His Abyss Perception spread outward instantly, and he gasped for air, his chest heaving with sweet relief.

Free! He cranked his Abyss Perception to its maximum, mapping every movement within 100 meters clearly in his mind—guards, hallways, and Shen Mu's location, all laid bare.

【Abyss Perception: Current Location】

Location: Shadow Pavilion underground stronghold

Structure: Sealed basement room (2nd floor)

Guard Distribution:

Entrance: 2 D-Rank Awakened (armed, alert)

Hallway: 3 E-Rank Awakened (patrolling, no blind spots)

Primary Target: Shen Mu (A-Rank), 1st floor meeting room (80m away)

Emergency Exit: Northwest ventilation duct → abandoned alley (120m away)

Lin Yuan's face darkened instantly. It was a death trap—two D-Rank Awakened at the door, three E-Ranks patrolling the hallway, and an A-Rank monster waiting upstairs. Charging head-on would be suicide. He had to outsmart them, not fight them.

His gaze locked on the small window in the corner—the ventilation duct, his only escape route. He sprinted over, grabbed a rusted wrench, and ripped off the metal bars in one swift move before ducking into the cramped, pitch-black duct.

Dust stung his nose and throat, but he crawled silently, his Abyss Perception tracking the guards' every step as he inched toward the exit making a single sound.

Minutes later, Lin Yuan ripped off the duct's iron grate and flipped out into an abandoned, garbage-strewn alley. He brushed the dust off his clothes, gasping for breath, his back soaked in cold sweat—he'd escaped, but only just.

But his relief vanished in an instant when a cold, amused voice echoed from the alley mouth: "I knew you'd try to run."

Lin Yuan's scalp went numb, and he spun around in a flash, his Abyss Longs word unsheathed in an instant. There, leaning against the alley wall in his black trench coat, was Shen Mu—smiling faintly, as if he'd been waiting for him all along.

"You think a pair of low-grade Anti-Magic Handcuffs could trap the Son of the Abyss?" Shen Mu chuckled, taking a slow step forward. "I never thought they would. I just wanted to see what trick you'd pull. And you didn't disappoint—you're far more interesting than I imagined."

It was a setup! Lin Yuan's teeth ground together so hard they ached, his knuckles white as he gripped the sword hilt. "What do you want from me?"

"I told you before—open the entrance to the 30th Floor of the Abyss for me." Shen Mu's aura exploded, the crushing pressure of an A-Rank Awakened slamming into Lin Yuan like a wall. "Since you won't cooperate nicely, I'll have to use force."

Shen Mu vanished in a blur—teleportation! But Lin Yuan was ready. His Abyss Perception screamed warnings, and he roared, diving to the right as his Wind Step activated, moving faster than ever.

But Shen Mu was far faster. A cold hand clamped down on his shoulder, its grip like iron, and Shen Mu's voice whispered menacingly in his ear: "Got you."

"Wrath of the Guardian! Activate!" Lin Yuan roared.

BOOM—!!

Power erupted from deep within his body—all his attributes surged by 50%, and his super armor activated instantly. He wrenched his shoulder with all his strength, breaking free of Shen Mu's grip, then spun around, slashing his sword backward with every ounce of force he could muster.

CLANG—!!

Shen Mu blocked the strike with a black dagger, the clang of metal ringing out as sparks flew. His lazy smile was gone, replaced by a sharp, surprised glint in his eyes. "Wrath of the Guardian? Your origins are far more complicated than I thought."

He vanished again. Lin Yuan didn't run—he knew running was useless against an A-Rank. "System! Any trump cards? I don't care the cost, just help me beat him!" he shouted in his mind, desperate.

【Emergency solution detected: Activate "Abyss Descent" mode!】

【Effect: Grants 200% boost to all attributes and partial Abyss Lord authority for a short time!】

【Cost: All current system evolution progress will be reset to zero! Activate immediately?】

Reset to zero? Lin Yuan's heart clenched—those 65 points of progress were hard-won, earned through blood, sweat, and near-death fights. But it was either reset, or die here today.

"Activate! Now!" he roared, his eyes turning bloodshot with desperation.

【Abyss Descent activating...】

【Progress reset to zero!】

【WARNING: Host rank insufficient (Abyss Sovereign lv.1)! Cannot withstand Abyss power!】

【Activation failed!】

What?! Lin Yuan's face turned deathly pale, a mouthful of blood choking him as despair crashed over him like a wave. His last trump card was useless—he was trapped.

But just as all hope seemed lost, a pillar of ice-blue light slammed down from the sky, splitting the alley in two. It solidified into a thick ice wall, forcing Lin Yuan and Shen Mu apart with brute force.

"Who?" Shen Mu snapped, materializing from the void, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

The ice wall melted away, revealing a young woman in a white trench coat—her long black hair cascaded down her back, her face cold as ice, and an ice-blue longs word gripped in her hand. Frost coated the air around her, sending a chill down Lin Yuan's spine.

"Su Qing," Shen Mu's face darkened. "You're faster than expected."

"Shen Mu," Su Qing's voice was as cold as her sword. "When did the Shadow Pavilion stoop to bullying a newly Awakened rookie?"

"A rookie?" Shen Mu scoffed, flicking a dismissive glance at Lin Yuan. "You think this kid is ordinary?"

"Who he is doesn't matter." Su Qing lifted her sword, pointing the tip straight at Shen Mu. "You won't touch him today."

"You want to fight me over this?" Shen Mu's aura turned icy, the full pressure of an A-Rank Awakened bursting forth, clashing with Su Qing's frigid presence. The air in the alley seemed to freeze solid.

Su Qing remained calm, her expression unchanged. "I know your strength—Mid A-Rank, Shadow abilities, and that Shadow Kill dagger of yours. You can fight me, but is it worth starting a war with the Abyss Guild over a stranger?"

"He's not a stranger." Su Qing's voice held unshakable resolve. "The Abyss Guild ordered me to protect him. Touch him, and you answer to the entire Guild."

The Abyss Guild! Lin Yuan's heart jolted—one of the top three Abyss exploration organizations, filled with elite Awakened that even the government dared not provoke. Su Qing was with them?

Shen Mu stared at Su Qing for a full ten seconds, his face darkening with anger, before he scoffed and dropped his aura. "The Abyss Guild... such a nuisance. Lucky you, kid. We'll meet again—and next time, don't disappoint me."

With that, he vanished.

Silence fell over the alley. Su Qing sheathed her sword, the cold aura around her fading, as she turned to Lin Yuan. "Are you alright?"

Lin Yuan let out a shaky breath, his taut body going limp as the adrenaline faded. "I'm fine. Thank you—you saved my life."

"Don't thank me. The Guild sent me to pick you up."

"Why? We've never met before."

Su Qing's eyes softened slightly, a hint of complexity in her gaze. "Because you've been identified as the Son of the Abyss. The Guild wants to train you."

Son of the Abyss again. Lin Yuan fell silent—Shen Mu had said it, and now Su Qing was confirming it. There had to be a massive, hidden secret behind that title.

"What exactly is the Son of the Abyss?" he asked, his voice steady and firm, determined to get answers.

Su Qing shook her head. "I don't have the authority to tell you that. But the Guild Master wants to see you—he can answer all your questions."

Lin Yuan took a deep breath, forcing down the storm of emotions in his chest. He had to go—he needed to know the truth. "Alright. Take me to him."