Chapter 768: Into the Abyss

It’s time to depart.

Although life at the Base can be a bit dull, idling outside the tent and counting the research team members is surprisingly entertaining.

But business must come first. After all, a new trial has just ended, and what follows might be even more terrifying. Mom is taking us into the Abyss to see that monstrous thing and retrieve Father’s lost Palace—all for this.

At least, leaving Qinggang now means one less worry.

After all, people from the Research Institute have arrived and declared their stance, which is a huge assurance for Qinggang.

Now, Lu Xin can finally feel at ease enough to attend to his own matters.

Of course, despite all these adventures and challenges, Lu Xin actually prefers staying at the Base.

Life at the Base is great—counting heads brings joy, and watching researchers tussle over issues is equally amusing.

But the best moment was when Number Eight was chased by the Canteen Auntie with a spoon…

…this kid cleverly dodged the researchers who reported him, purposely avoiding the stronger ones.

He never expected that the Canteen Auntie herself possessed high combat prowess.

She had once served in Doll’s Nanny Team.

That explains why, whenever Lu Xin went for food, the Auntie would always slip him a few extra pieces of meat…

…but necessary adventures must still be undertaken!

Lu Xin mused that leaving behind such a comfortable life was precisely the price for ensuring that comfort endures.

……

……

After the decision to depart was made, it took two minutes before Sister caught up.

She looked a little odd when she arrived.

Her pale face still held a spark of excitement as she clambered down from a towering metal pole by the Base.

Lu Xin noticed that she was also carrying a small white backpack on her back, now turned gray.

The bag looked as if it had been torn apart and then re-stitched—bulging mysteriously, hiding something inside.

Sometimes, the backpack would twitch unexpectedly, as if something alive inside was trying to break free.

Lu Xin was curious and wanted to ask Sister what it was, but she rolled her eyes, clearly not in the mood to answer.

With no option, he decided not to press the issue immediately.

Lu Xin understood that having the whole family work while leaving Sister at home wasn’t ideal.

Who truly understands the hardships of a left-behind child?

So, he resolved to first take care of Sister’s feelings and later ask about the bag—or, if all else fails, buy her a new one.

After all, he had the money.

And with several hundred million soon on hand…

…buying the most expensive ten-dollar bag at a street stall wouldn’t be a waste.

……

……

The family set off from the Base side by side, venturing into the tall weeds.

There, a group of squat Undercover Units wearing black top hats held hands in a circle, staring at Lu Xin with wide, pitiful eyes. A few of the main ones even wore expressions of grievance.

Lu Xin felt he couldn’t meet their sorrowful stares without blushing, overwhelmed with remorse.

These little fellows were so grudging—a casually offhand remark from him had left them sulking all this time.

But at that moment, he needed their help.

To quickly reach the coordinates given by Doctor An, they had to traverse the Abyss.

Originally, the Jack of Spades could help him tear a path through the Abyss Rift and enter. However, during a previous trip to the depths of the Abyss to see that thing, the card was so shocked that its mental power withered, and it began showing signs of agitation, convulsions, and even sobbing—as if suffering a deep emotional trauma and temporarily unable to function.

So now, he had to rely on these Undercover Units.

“You know, you guys are pretty impressive…”

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Lu Xin offered a shy smile as he joined their circle.

He even crouched slightly to pat the saddest one, whispering, “Thanks…”

“Xiang…”

The Undercover Units, upon catching sight of his smile, gaped in surprise.

Soon, nervous smiles slowly spread evenly across their faces.

Especially the one whose head Lu Xin had patted—the expression on his face turned blank and touched, and even his top hat began to change shape, sprouting two horn-like protrusions from its top…

“What’s happening?”

Lu Xin was just as startled.

Did these Undercover Units have their own way of leveling up?

They wouldn’t let him lose his hat, would they?

Yet, seeing the envious looks from the others, it seemed like a good thing.

Under the guidance of the pointed hat, the group politely patted their chests and performed their customary salute to Lu Xin.

Then, brimming with excitement, they held hands, encircling his family as subtle tremors of mental fluctuation coursed through them. Soon, delicate ripples of air coalesced into a massive vortex that enclosed everyone.

“See you in three days…”

As the family gradually descended, Mom turned and waved gently toward the Base.

Inside, countless onlookers couldn’t help but shudder.

At the very moment the mental vortex appeared, Lu Xin activated his Illusion ability to better stabilize the Abyss’s structure upon entry. In doing so, everyone caught sight of his family, the mysterious Ms. Lu, the eerie Terrifying Demon King, and that excited little girl in a gray skirt holding his hand.

With smiles all around, his family slowly sank underground.

And just like that, they vanished.

“Isn’t that reasonable?”

Even the mental researchers, witnessing such an incredibly lifelike scene, couldn’t shake the overwhelming strangeness.

“Even if it used to be unreasonable, from now on, it has to be accepted as the norm.”

Professor Bai sighed softly, “Mental Altered Persons are appearing more and more; soon, it might just become commonplace.”

Elsewhere, Doctor An murmured with a low sigh:

“There’s an increasing sense that things are spiraling out of control…”

“……”

“……”

A familiar dark red glow emerged, and the world around flickered like overlapping images. Leaning on his Illusion ability to steady himself, Lu Xin immediately scanned the area with caution.

Even the black particles in his eyes began to churn; his right hand turned pale while his left was veiled in trembling darkness.

“Don’t worry.”

Sensing his vigilance, Mom whispered softly, “It won’t come.”

“After all, it’s dead. Unless you get too close, it won’t actively track you.”

“……”

Hearing Mom’s reassurance, Lu Xin finally relaxed a bit.

The ‘Origin’ he witnessed at the bottom of the Abyss had left a deep psychological scar.

He was genuinely afraid that, upon entering the Abyss, the creature’s tentacles might immediately start pursuing him.

“If that’s the case, let’s move on.”

Taking a deep breath, Lu Xin gazed into the distance of the Abyss.

Mom smiled, patted the ‘pointed hat’ lightly, and handed it a coordinate.

With that subtle gesture, the pointed hat’s black top gradually changed color.

It transformed into a vibrant red, resembling a glossy poisonous mushroom.

The surrounding Undercover Units salivated in envy, while the pointed hat trembled with excitement—its enthusiasm ranking second only to Father, who was hidden behind, chuckling.

Overcome with joy, it grabbed Mom’s fingertip and gave it a quick kiss.

Then it dashed to a rust-red, crumbling building; one small hand rested on its waist while the other pointed forward vigorously.

All the Undercover Units surged forward in a mad dash.

Surrounded by them, the entire family was enveloped in a strange mental force field, as if the space beneath was being rapidly pulled in. With each light step, they moved through the Abyss like a speeding train.

“Is it really that magical?”

Lu Xin marvelled at these little creatures of the Abyss, examining them with genuine curiosity.

They resembled moles of the wasteland, darting quickly through the depths.

At times, their little legs pounded the ground; then they’d crouch and crawl using their front paws.

Nimble and agile, they maneuvered through treacherous terrain, deftly avoiding suddenly stretching tentacles.

Much like a school of fish returning to water, they displayed incredible speed and dexterity.

“Swish…”

Everywhere they passed, various mental monsters were startled—some recoiled sharply, while others watched cautiously.

Some, upon being disturbed, even extended their tentacles in a bid to capture prey.

But these Undercover Units had long adapted to such chaos, nimbly dodging every stray tentacle and hazard.

Even in their rapid march, they maintained their original formation.

Occasionally, when they encountered a powerful mental monster they couldn’t avoid, two Undercover Units would immediately settle the matter with their Scissors-Wrapped Hammer. The one who struck first would then bravely charge at the creature…

Banging their chests vigorously, they provoked the monster into devouring them, allowing their comrades to pass.

Devouring themselves…

Had Lu Xin not reacted quickly by unleashing mental power radiation to scare off the creature, it might never have returned.

How brave…

Lu Xin marveled, noticing that these little monsters seemed to rely only on the bag and the hammer.

Yet, invariably, one of them always ended up using the hammer…

Perhaps even the smallest groups in the Abyss have their own ways to survive.

……

……

Flashes of light and shadow, reality and illusion, shifted rapidly.

It felt like only an hour before the Undercover Units brought Lu Xin’s family to a strange place.

Ahead, the view faintly resembled a Small Town—with vague silhouettes of a church and a garden.

Oddly, an eerie silence reigned ahead, as if the area were forever engulfed in darkness.

The most astonishing part was that not a single mental monster was present, and no rustling from elsewhere could be heard.

“Have we arrived?”

Lu Xin turned to glance at Father, who wore a slightly tense expression.

Throughout the journey, Father had spoken little, suppressing his inner joy—apparently worried that Lu Xin and Mom might change their minds at the last minute. Finally, he took a deep breath, slowly lifted his gaze, and murmured, “Yes, it’s here…”

After a pause, he looked back at Lu Xin and Mom and softly said, “Thank you.”