Chapter 762: Descent into the Abyss

Mom’s words forced Lu Xin to clamp his mouth shut and adjust his “vision” to its clearest setting.

He too longed to know exactly what it was that Mom wanted him to see clearly…

“Ssssss…”

The Jack of Spades in his hand, as they drew nearer, had begun to thrash about like a tiny beast.

Usually too frightened to defy Lu Xin, it now trembled in sheer terror, straining every ounce of strength to break free, its sharp edges nearly slicing off Lu Xin’s fingers—if not for his unyielding grip that denied it control over his fate.

At the same time, a soft, rustling sound—like that of silkworms devouring—echoed incessantly, its delicate tone burrowing into one’s mind until madness took hold.

Even his nostrils detected a fresh, overwhelming stench of blood that made him utterly nauseous.

Lu Xin glanced at Mom, his heart pounding furiously.

Her injuries were worsening at alarming speed.

Her clothes had already turned a deep red with blood, the stains gradually spreading like a blooming crimson flower.

And that blood-red flower was unfolding into even more vivid hues—a sight that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Lu Xin could clearly feel that Mom was taking this pain upon herself.

Just as she had once stood before him and deflected the bullets from a multi-barrel rotary gun to protect him.

Even now, despite seeing the worry in Lu Xin’s eyes, she only shook her head slightly, then pointed downwards with a grave expression.

Clenching his teeth to suppress any overt emotion, Lu Xin abruptly turned his gaze downward.

Then, his whole expression turned vacant in an instant.

……

……

In that single glance, Lu Xin felt as if he had finally witnessed the very bottom of the Abyss.

Earlier, as he descended into the Abyss with Mom, he had seen one surreal panorama after another in its depths.

Yet even now, he felt his understanding of the Abyss was painfully superficial.

For he had not yet truly sunk to its lowest layer.

However, the ‘vision’ his mental power had manifested barely enabled him to glimpse the scenery of that deepest layer…

…or rather, the people!

Immense and grotesquely hideous people.

Lu Xin could only force himself to call them people, since their gargantuan bodies had long forsaken any human shape, leaving only massive tentacles and twisted, amorphous forms—piles of rotten flesh spreading across the bottom of the Abyss.

Or rather, they weren’t just ‘like’ rotten flesh—they truly were decaying.

Their bodies, unimaginably vast, overwhelmed the entire lowest realm of the Abyss.

On this rotting mass, one could even discern dull eyes and half-formed human organs.

Distorted mental power radiated from every part of their bodies, seeping into the very air of the Abyss in creeping tendrils, forming vague, dark mist-like fumes that spread ominously.

It was as if they had always existed here, destined to rot eternally.

Lu Xin felt that he was in a decaying world—becoming both its corpse and its tombstone.

In that moment, a profound sense of familiarity washed over him.

At the same time, an intense surge of terror gripped him.

This was true fear—a dread far surpassing the sum of all the terrors he had faced in his life.

“Ah…”

Almost instinctively, he pounded his head with his fist.

He struck so hard it felt as if he could crush his own brain matter out.

For he harbored the delusion that his body was inching back to life, rising against him as an enemy.

……

……

“Huff…”

At the same moment, when Lu Xin spotted the enormous ‘monster’ below, it seemed that the creature had noticed him as well.

That monster should have already perished.

Yet as Lu Xin beheld it, its massive form was slowly, inch by inch, reviving…

The sensation of his body reawakening was an illusion, but the reality was undeniable.

Within the decayed flesh, tendrils of new growth began to emerge.

These fleshy buds strained upward, fixating on Lu Xin’s direction.

The writhing mass of blood and flesh was subtly transforming, gradually sprouting human torsos, heads, and facial features.

Each one grew increasingly human in appearance, their expressions growing more animated.

Suddenly, one of them extended its arm and swung forcefully at Lu Xin, a look of fanatical frenzy etched on its face.

Lu Xin felt a strange summons.

His heart began pounding violently, as if deep within he yearned to dash forward and embrace them.

Not to merge with them, but to completely dissolve into them, becoming one with their ranks…

……

……

“Enough…”

Mom had been watching Lu Xin all along—even though her body had transformed into that of a blood-soaked wretch.

Through excruciating pain, she fought to remain lucid as she gazed at Lu Xin, only whispering at that moment.

At the same time, she rushed to embrace Lu Xin, whose body trembled violently.

From her, he could smell the overpowering stench of blood mixed with expensive perfume, and felt her desperate, chaotic embrace. It was as if his muddled mind had been startled awake from a massive illusion.

“Go, now…”

He shouted instinctively, his voice quivering with fear.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid—everything will be alright…”

Mom’s voice also trembled, a delicate blend of tension and pain woven through each syllable.

As she spoke, Lu Xin heard the snipping sound of scissors. The Abyss’s irresistible pull seemed to lessen slightly, and he sensed that Mom was swiftly dragging his body toward the upper layers.

“Waaah…”

A cacophony of indescribable, complex screams erupted from below.

Lu Xin dared not even look down, yet even without doing so he strangely knew exactly what was unfolding beneath him.

From the bodies below, newly grown ‘people’ were bellowing in rage, their faces contorted with emotion—betrayal and envy. They stretched their bodies upward like tentacles, racing to reach him.

The entire Abyss trembled violently.

Lu Xin could feel the stench of rot and despair engulfing him, as countless screams flooded his mind.

Unconsciously, he broke down in tears.

It was the first time he had ever felt utterly helpless, confronting the enormity of his own insignificance.

Thankfully, Mom held him fiercely as they surged upward through the chaos.

For the first time, Lu Xin truly felt his mother’s presence.

He sensed the warmth radiating from her body, the unwavering determination in her embrace.

He even felt the tremors in her body with every pang of pain she endured.

It was as if, from the depths of the Abyss, she mustered every ounce of strength to drag them into the Upper World…

Like a desperate tug-of-war.

And her adversary was a force both overwhelming and despairingly powerful…

……

……

Rumbling thunderously…

Lu Xin’s ears filled with the sounds of collapsing mountains, cracking earth, and rolling thunder, followed by the cries of a million desperate souls. He wandered numb through a crumbling world, losing all sense of self.

He could only allow Mom to drag him along.

At times he plunged into hopeless depths, at others he felt as serene as if lulled by warm water, almost losing track of time.

He had no idea how long he remained in this state, nor what further ordeals awaited him.

All he could feel was an overwhelming flood of emotions in that despairing void—joy, sorrow, anger—each one crashing over him and nearly drowning him.

Dazed and confused, he lost all sense of time.

Like someone drowning, he sank into a stupor.

The chaos and maniacal screams of the past reverberated endlessly in his dreams, as if they were forever entwined with him.

Until, at a certain moment, a faint glimmer of light pierced his vision.

Startled awake, he discovered himself beneath a sky strewn with stars, surrounded by withered yellow grass.

In the distance, Base lights twinkled like scattered stars.

Lu Xin felt the secure embrace of the Real World. After what felt like an eternity, he slowly turned to see Mom sitting beside him, hugging her knees. Her body was marred by vast patches of blood; horrifying wounds that refused to heal…

Noticing Lu Xin’s awakening, she slowly turned her head, her face ashen and her eyes slightly reddened.

“I’m sorry…”

She whispered, “But I had to let you see.”

Lu Xin remained silent for a long while, his mind still fogged, unable to form coherent thoughts.

After a long pause, he finally took a deep breath and asked, “Just now… what exactly was that thing?”

It was the beginning.

Mom replied softly, “It’s something that dies yet can never truly perish.”

It lies hidden in the deepest recesses of the Abyss, waiting to be awakened by another.

The force you just felt was its power.

It’s also the essence of the Sixth Stage that I wanted you to understand.

……

“The Sixth Stage…”

Lu Xin could hardly believe it: such a terrifying force was merely the Sixth Stage?

Seeing Lu Xin’s confusion, Mom made no attempt to offer a detailed explanation. Instead, she looked at him intently and said in a soft tone:

“I had to show you this power to let you know that there exists a force in the world beyond imagining.”

“And in the future, you will encounter many people.”

“They will have countless plans—some to resist, some to surrender, some to inherit, even to cleanse or research…”

“But their ultimate aim will always be to inherit the power of the Abyss’s lowest depths.”

“Each of these plans might have its own origins and rationale, but I don’t believe any of them…”

……

“Then…”

Seeing the earnest look on Mom’s face, Lu Xin asked in astonishment, “What is it that you believe in?”

Mom turned to him and replied softly, “I believe in you.”