Abyss Sovereign: Lin Yuan's Awakening

Chapter 006: Underground Ruins

This underground cave was far longer and stranger than Lin Yuan had anticipated. He walked slowly along the winding passage, Abyss Sense fully activated to stay alert to every sound and movement around him. The space was eerily quiet; after ten minutes of walking, he only encountered two lone Cyclops—far fewer than he’d expected.

In the past, he would have struggled to take down even one, but now, with the Abyss Dagger in hand and Weak point Insight active, he dodged the monsters’ clumsy swings, stabbed precisely into their eyes, and finished each fight in less than ten seconds—easy as chopping vegetables. “Awesome! Having skills is a total game-changer!” Lin Yuan shook the black blood off his dagger and grinned, but his smile froze instantly as he stepped out of the cave and into a fully man-made space.

His vision suddenly opened up, and his heart pounded wildly. Before him was a huge underground plaza, as large as a football field, with the ground paved with neat blue stone slabs. A dozen stone pillars over ten meters tall stood around the plaza, covered with complex, weird patterns that remained clear even after years of erosion. On the high platform at the far end, a fist-sized blue light sphere floated quietly, emitting a soft yet powerful glow that drew his gaze irresistibly.

“This… this is an Abyss Ruin?!” Lin Yuan’s voice trembled, his eyes wide with excitement. The system’s prompt popped up immediately:

【Special Area Detected: Abyss Ruin · Floor 1 Hidden Area】

【Description: Abyss Ruins are special spaces preserved when the Abyss devoured the real world, containing precious resources, rare equipment, or core Abyss information—top exploration targets.】

【Current Ruin Status: Completely unexplored.】

Lin Yuan had heard of these treasures—every Abyss exploration team would kill for them, as they held high-level gear, rare skills, and even fragments of the Abyss Heart. But most ruins were guarded by powerful bosses, and ordinary Awakened teams couldn’t even reach the entrance. Yet this ruin was silent, not a single monster in sight.

“Something’s wrong—there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Lin Yuan put away his excitement, tensing up and maxing out Abyss Sense to scan every corner. The results flooded his mind, and his breath hitched:

【Abyss Sense · Inside the Ruin】

【Monster Distribution: None】

【Mechanisms & Traps: 3 hidden mechanisms (marked, non-fatal)】

【Treasure Distribution: Abyss Heart Shard (Incomplete) ×1, Ruin Treasure Chest ×1, Unknown Stone Stele ×1】

Abyss Heart Shard! The words made Lin Yuan’s heart race—he knew what it was: a treasure that could make ordinary people awaken superpowers and reach the top. A complete Abyss Heart could buy half a city on the black market, and even an incomplete shard was priceless. He swallowed hard, staying alert as he walked steadily toward the high platform, fearing a sudden ambush, but he reached the light sphere without any trouble.

He reached out to touch it, and the system prompt appeared:

【Abyss Heart Shard (Incomplete)】

【Quality: Rare】

Effects:

1. Direct Absorption: Enhances Awakening Potential, permanently increases all attributes by 5 (no side effects).

2. Black Market Exchange: Trade for cash or high-level items.

3. Assisted Awakening: 30% success rate for ordinary people.

Without hesitation, he chose to absorb it—strengthening his own strength was his top priority.

“Absorb now!”

【Warning: Absorption is permanent. Confirm?】

“Confirm!” As soon as he grasped the blue sphere, a powerful yet gentle energy surged into his body, like warm magma rushing through his veins. Every bone in his body crackled softly, sweat soaking his clothes, and his consciousness was pulled into a star-filled space where his body was being reborn.

After an unknown time, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, gasping for breath. He lay on the high platform, soaked in sweat but feeling better than ever—his five senses were sharp enough to hear a small insect crawling on the rock wall dozens of meters away, and all soreness from the Silver Spider fight was gone. The system’s prompt confirmed his gain:

【Absorption Successful! All Attributes Permanently +5! Awakening Potential Greatly Enhanced! Triggering 「Abyss Sovereign」 System Evolution… Insufficient Conditions. Progress: 35/100.】

Lin Yuan pulled up his status panel and almost laughed—his Strength was 20 (15+5), Agility 23 (18+5), Constitution 17 (12+5), Spirit 26 (21+5). His basic strength had nearly doubled! “An incomplete shard is this powerful… imagine a full one!” He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power, then turned his attention to the Ruin Treasure Chest on the other side of the plaza.

The chest was exquisite, made of rust-free metal with a faint blue glow and the same patterns as the stone pillars. After checking for traps, Lin Yuan lifted the lid, and a blue light rushed out. Inside were three items: a sharp longs word glowing with cold light, a thick skill manual, and a palm-sized stone slab covered in patterns.

【Obtained: Abyss Longsword (Fine) ×1, Skill Manual: Wind Step ×1, Ruin Stone Stele (Floor 1) ×1】

He grabbed the Abyss Longs word first—it was light yet tough, with a perfect grip. A light swing cut through the air with a howl, slicing off a piece of a nearby stone pillar smoothly.

【Abyss Longsword: Quality Fine, Attack +25, Attack Speed +15%, 10% extra damage to Abyss monsters.】

“With this, I can kill Cyclops in one s***h!”

Next, he picked up the Wind Step manual.

【Skill: Wind Step (Active) – Movement Speed +60% for 10 seconds, leaves afterimages that withstand one attack each. Cooldown: 30 seconds.】

“Learn it!” Lin Yuan confirmed instantly—this skill was perfect for escaping, sneaking, or dealing damage.

【Skill 「Wind Step」 learned! Current Skills: Abyss Sense, Basic Evasion, Weakpoint Insight, Wind Step.】

Finally, he examined the Ruin Stone Stele, covered in unknown characters that exuded an ancient aura. “System, translate this.”

【Analysis Complete:“The Abyss has ninety-nine floors. Each has a Lord guarding part of the Abyss’s truth. To become the true Abyss Sovereign, defeat all Lords, traverse all floors, and uncover the ultimate secret. But first, survive. —Message from the Abyss Sovereign”】

Lin Yuan was stunned. “Was there someone else with the system before me?”

【Explanation: The system has bound many “Candidate Abyss Sovereigns” throughout history; most fell challenging Abyss Lords. This stele is a warning from one of them.】

Mixed emotions washed over him—this proved the system’s power but also the danger of Abyss Lords. Yet he felt no fear, only blazing fighting spirit. “Just because they failed doesn’t mean I will. I’ll become the true Abyss Sovereign!”

He put away the stele and checked Abyss Sense— the Monster Tide on the surface had dispersed. Just as he prepared to leave, the system beeped:

【Ruin Core Energy Source Detected under the high platform. Activate?】

“Activate!” Lin Yuan replied without hesitation.

【Activating Ruin Core… Warning! Activating triggers the Ultimate Guardian Mechanism! Prepare for battle!】

“Dammit! I knew it wasn’t that easy!” Lin Yuan pulled out the Abyss Long sword, tensing up as the entire plaza shook. The patterns on the stone pillars lit up with blue light, and a huge c***k opened in the far rock wall, releasing a terrifying pressure. A tall figure emerged—over two meters tall, clad in ancient black armor, wielding a massive black greats word. Under its helmet, two blue flames glowed, locking onto Lin Yuan with cold killing intent.

【Abyss Guardian: Ruins Sentinel】

【Rank: High D-Rank】

【Traits: High Attack, High Defense, Super Armor (Immune to Crowd Control), Skill 「Guardian's Wrath」】

【Weak Point: Flame Core under the helmet (Only Vital Point)】

High D-Rank! Lin Yuan’s pupils shrank—this was the strongest enemy he’d faced, a full rank above E-Rank. But retreat didn’t cross his mind; instead, his fighting spirit ignited. This was the ruin’s final guardian, and defeating it would bring the ultimate reward. He clenched the Abyss Longs word, bending into a fighting stance, as the Ruins Sentinel raised its greats word, blue flames flaring brighter.