Chapter 908
A creature glided through the air beside them—its body resembled a turbot, yet it moved like a bird. It looked aquatic, but lived as if it were avian. Still, this was the Abyss. No matter how strange the creatures appeared, nothing felt out of place.
Ron bent down and picked up a stone. With a flick of his wrist—
Puchi!
The stone he threw pierced clean through the creature's head. It convulsed weakly before falling from the air.
Ron pulled on a nearby vine and caught the body.
The scent of blood quickly attracted attention. A bird swooped down in a flash.
Ron didn't hesitate. He hurled another stone—
Puchi!
The bird dropped, dead. The others, seeing the fallen corpse, gave up and left Ron's catch alone.
Soon, a small campfire was burning.
Erina sat across from Ron, roasting the fish. The aroma of grilled meat drifted outward as Ron quietly surveyed the bizarre landscape of the Abyss. His eyes then moved to the crystal sphere before him.
So far, the sphere's absorption progress had just barely passed one percent.
"The deeper we go, the faster it absorbs traits—but to reach one hundred percent, I'll likely need to reach the seventh layer… at the very least, the sixth."
A towering tree stretched upward from below. Its slender trunk pierced through multiple layers of the Abyss terrain. The entire environment felt surreal—like something from a game world, but with strong Lovecraftian undertones.
The scent of cooked meat wafted again.
Ron accepted a skewer from Erina. "The taste is alright, but still doesn't compare to the fish we caught back on the Gatekeeper's continent."
By midnight, Ron had reached a depth of 500 meters. Compared to ordinary explorers, his pace was slow—especially by the standards of veteran delvers. But Ron wasn't here to chase depth. He had only two goals: Ascension Relics and traits.
As for Ascension Relics, he had no leads at all. He could only search gradually. As for traits, they demanded patience. He only descended further once the absorption speed slowed.
The light had faded. At this depth, visibility was much lower than above. The environment had changed too. Lush greenery gave way to creatures that thrived in darkness—fungi, insects, and various organisms glowing faintly in the dim light.
Gravestones had become more frequent.
Delving was a profession with a high mortality rate. Compared to assassins on the Human World's surface, delvers were no safer. A dead body could be retrieved and buried on the surface, but doing so required bearing the Abyss's backlash. Most companions weren't close enough to take on that risk. Even those with close bonds often changed after death.
Someone like Mona, for example, could never sleep enough.
So many delvers were buried directly in the Abyss by their teammates in secluded spots. Over time, these grave markers became unofficial landmarks—used for navigation. Entire regions were named after the people buried there.
Ron closed his eyes. One of his Nen beasts sat beside him, standing guard for the night.
This was one of the advantages of being a Nen beast specialist. Ron could rest while the beast stayed alert. Although this consumed aura, it was well within his capacity. Compared to sleeping without worry, the cost was negligible.
Ever since acquiring Sumas's space, Ron rarely had to do this—but there was no denying how useful Nen beasts were. Especially spatial-type beasts.
Suddenly, an unusual sound rang out.
Ron opened his eyes, awakened by the noise.
In the darkness, two figures were locked in a fierce fight. They seemed to be struggling over something. One was already gravely wounded, while the other pursued with deadly intent.
Just as the injured one was about to be overtaken, something burst out of the shadows and slammed into the pursuer.
Bang!
The attacker staggered, tumbling to the ground.
The injured one turned back. Upon seeing this, their face lit up in joy. They immediately rushed back and launched a counterattack—soon leaving the other person heavily wounded.
They raised a large stone, preparing to smash it down on their opponent's head to end the fight. But suddenly, they hesitated. Two streams of tears rolled down their cheeks.
"Why?"
"Why did it come to this?"
"Why did you do it?"
"Why did I become like this?"
The person on the ground was barely recognizable—bloodied and mangled. But just from those few sentences, Ron could tell one thing.
They knew each other.
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