The black sun hangs high

Chapter 420 "The Landfill"

The Dark Abyss is such a wondrous and bizarre world.

Although Hugh had glimpsed this landscape countless times before through the messenger in the mirror, the court hounds, and the many jumbled memories given to him by Theseus, it was only when he actually set foot here that he truly felt the absurdity and horror of this world.

According to Theseus, the wasteland he is currently in does not have a specific name within the Abyss.

Generally speaking, it is simply referred to as the "wasteland".

Alternatively, it can be seen as the Dark Abyss's "dumping ground" and "corpse dump".

In the countless great hunts launched by the Dark Abyss Court, the remains of victims who were kidnapped, plundered, and preyed upon by the greedy creatures were carelessly abandoned here after being devoured and drained.

Because there is no precise concept of time in the Dark Abyss, those corpses can often remain in this wasteland for a very long time, and during this time, they will naturally become part of the entire Dark Abyss "ecosystem".

Attracted by these delicious scraps, the lowly races that have been lurking in the bottomless abyss for years often come out in full force. They will gather together and try to collect everything they need from these soulless corpses. They usually do not have the ability to actively hunt or devour prey and can only rely on the scraps produced by the fighting and death of other races to maintain their existence.

Therefore, for them, the massive amount of "garbage" produced by each great hunt is a feast they desperately want.

Those drawn here are not only the "cleaners" at the very bottom of the Dark Abyss, but also various other scavengers, including many spiders and hounds that have not yet fully formed and have separated from their groups.

The gathering of these individuals can also attract even more dangerous entities.

"In these respects, you can let your imagination run wild... After all, the races and forms of creation in the Dark Abyss are never fixed. Even spiders and hounds can change for all sorts of reasons."

While Hughes was busy studying the small hill in front of him, Theseus once again began his explanation of the Dark Abyss.

Unlike his riddle-like behavior when discussing other topics, Theseus's desire to express himself was noticeably stronger and the information he conveyed was more accurate when discussing the Abyss.

That peculiar tone even reminded Hughes of hospitable people who take their friends on a tour of their hometown.

Hugh turned his head to look at the horizon, only to see that the dangerous black "cloud" seemed to have become even denser. In Hugh's magical vision, it was constantly showing various indescribable twisted shapes, and in that deep darkness, there seemed to be countless green lights flickering and swaying.

Those are their "eyes," eyes specifically used to observe their surroundings and search for prey.

"I don't quite understand. If the 'Great Hunt' has really been over for a long time, how will the creatures and races in the Dark Abyss survive? Won't they... uh, starve to death?"

"Hmm, good question."

Theseus’s voice sounded very lazy, and Hugh could even picture the guy lounging in his chair with his legs crossed.

Then, Theseus slowly said, "First, you need to understand a prerequisite, which is the operating rules of the Dark Abyss. As we mentioned before, if the Lord of the Ocean, Calron, really succeeds, then Vaan will become the second 'Black Sun.' This is not an exaggeration, but an inevitable outcome."

"You mean that although these races and creations within the Dark Abyss devour and prey on each other, the power they possess is actually a unified whole?"

"Well, you can understand it that way."

Theseus affirmed, “The so-called devouring, hunting and extinction are merely cycles that occur within a vast whole. As for the ‘Great Hunt’ we are talking about, it is this whole’s predatory behavior towards the outside world.”

“When the ‘Great Hunt’ is forced to stop, the overall strength will inevitably be weakened, and at this time, in order to ensure the continuation of the whole, its internal cycle will also become sluggish… In the case of specific individuals and groups, that means extinction or dormancy.”

At this point, Theseus suddenly chuckled: "I'll say it again, when we discuss the Dark Abyss or other special existences, don't bring your original way of thinking into it, it will cause a lot of trouble... In the end, in a world where even a precise concept of time doesn't exist, the so-called continuation of a race doesn't really have much concrete meaning."

“Look, like that ‘dark cloud’ you see, do you think these gathered muds really came here to hunt? They’re just continuing their old habits, operating according to a specific cycle. If you have to say, it’s no different from the seasonal changes in Vaan.”

Through Theseus's scattered descriptions, Hughes finally found the spider cave that the other had mentioned before.

These caves are hidden on the other side of the hill, concealed by countless piles of fragile skeletons.

The spiders were quite large, so the caves they created were also very spacious. With the help of his magical vision, Hugh walked into these ancient tunnels and soon entered a wide "hall".

In the past, this place should have been a resting place or a storage place for prey for the Dark Abyss Spiders, because inside this "hall" Hugh also saw countless piles of fragmented remains. Compared with the bones outside that had been ravaged countless times by various "scavengers", their integrity was obviously stronger. Even now, Hugh could still feel very slight residual power in them.

However, the spiders that once inhabited this place have obviously been gone for a very long time. The scratches they left in the cave have completely blended into the ground and walls. In this special world, the marks they left with their sharp claws are like murals, forever imprinted inside the cave.

The cave was eerily quiet.

After Hugh carefully sealed off the entrances and exits of the area, there was no extra sound. Hugh could even hear his own heartbeat, and the sound of his footsteps on the gravel and bone fragments was incredibly clear.

For Hughes today, food, water, and even sleep and rest are no longer essential choices.

The gifts from Mel, the disc that serves as a stable vessel, and the immense vitality bestowed by ancient creations such as the "Walking Forest" are more than enough to allow Hugh to function like a tireless magical puppet.

However, abundant physical strength ultimately cannot combat spiritual emptiness.

When Hughes began to face such a closed and silent world, he inevitably began to feel somewhat weary.

He leaned against a huge rock covered with the marks of Dark Abyss Spiders, and with the help of two magic orbs he had casually summoned, he picked out a few pieces from the pile of remains beside him and began to examine them slowly.

The victims who perished in the past "Great Hunt" came from an extremely diverse and rich array of racial backgrounds. Through these fragmented remains, Hugh quickly identified some ancient races that he was somewhat familiar with.

Ratmen who worship the Earth Mother Goddess, mutated sea beasts catalyzed by the Lord of the Ocean, Calron, giant lizard skulls that have been violently dismembered and gnawed... as for the remains of humans, elves, dwarves, and other races common in Vaan today, they are very rare here.

As Hugh had learned before, these groups were always labeled as inferior and worthless in the past. In the eyes of those "noble families," such groups could only be used as lowly sacrifices and slaves.

For the Dark Abyss Creatures who launched the "Great Hunt," such prey naturally held little value.

"squeak……"

A faint hiss echoed from the realm of the mind.

Ever since Hugh arrived in the Dark Abyss, Sniggy has been hiding in its pitiful territory, too afraid to peek out—the Dark Abyss itself exerted too much pressure on it, making it dare not move around freely. Only now, when the environment has become a little more stable, has it mustered the courage to give Hugh a simple greeting.

"Look closely, does he look familiar? He's from your hometown."

Hugh revealed a wicked smile, and at the same time brought the ratman's skull to his eyes, gently shaking it twice.

Seeing this, Sniggy, who had finally managed to make a sound, immediately turned and crawled back inside. The ghastly skull directly triggered the most horrific memories hidden deep within its body, a terrifying scene that no member of the Vane deity's retinue would ever want to accept or recall.

In fact, it's not just the running rats that are experiencing similar situations.

From the moment Hugh arrived, all the inhabitants of his mental world fell into a state of silence.

Interfering with the incredibly dense shadows of the Dark Abyss surrounding them, the Ernst family wills, who were originally able to exchange a few words with Hugh, are now in a state of near-dormant.

Of course, even if they were all awake now, they probably wouldn't be able to offer any valuable guidance or advice to Hugh regarding the Dark Abyss itself.

The Familiars such as the Touch of Calron and the Roots of Fate are now lying dormant in their own territories. Although these loyal Familiars are all prepared to await Hugh's summons, Hugh can still clearly sense their true state.

In such an environment, although they can respond to the call, the power they can exert is destined to be less than one-tenth of their original strength.

Even the court hounds and mirror messengers, who are the "natives" of the Dark Abyss, are now on high alert. Compared to the other "residents" of Hughes, they are more familiar with this world and more aware of the potential dangers hidden in this wasteland.

"Um……"

Hughes sighed and put the skull in his hand aside.

Irregular tremors were rolling in from afar along the ground, the vibrations caused by the surging tide of the dark abyss passing through the cracks and gaps.

As the dark, cloud-like "silt" in the sky drew closer, the tremors grew stronger. Even though Hugh was deep inside the cave, he could still feel the terrifying impact and erosion the outside world was experiencing.

The invisible dark abyssal magic formed a destructive gale, which was blowing across the surface of the land, which was made up of countless bones, and turning over these layers of debris and swirling them into the sky.

During this process, all the magic and soul remnants remaining inside these remains will be thoroughly discovered, and the "mud" that covers the entire sky will feast on these leftover "delicacies".

Although the "Great Hunt" has ceased for an unknown period of time in the Dark Abyss, the sheer number of remains accumulated in this "junkyard" is simply too vast. Therefore, this special race, which has now completely coalesced into a storm, can still obtain everything it needs from it.

Soon, the dark cloud reached the hill where Hugh was hiding, and the tremors became more intense than ever before. The cloud seemed to have no end, and the storm it stirred up never stopped. With its invisible tentacles and consciousness, it greedily rummaged through the wreckage, searching for those tiny corners that it and its kind might have missed in the past, hoping to find even the slightest bit of delicious debris.

Such an environment should be terrifying and oppressive.

However, the shelter dug by the Dark Abyss Spiders was sturdy and well-hidden enough to support Hughes through this terrible disaster.

So, amidst the continuous vibrations and strange noises, Hugh slowly closed his eyes.

He didn't want to fall asleep; he just wanted to close his eyes and rest for a while. But for some reason, the moment his eyelids closed, he felt a strong downward sensation acting on his consciousness.

Instinctively, Hugh tried to open his eyes, but when he finally managed to open them and regain control of his body, all he saw was his familiar desk and computer.

The computer screen was lit up, and there was even a "notepad" inside, with a line of text in the very center.

"Come here."

The sentences are concise, the language is cold, and the tone is elusive.

It's like an ultimatum from an unscrupulous boss to his employees who are slacking off.

Hughes couldn't be bothered with Theseus's perverse sense of humor. He slowly got up, turned around, and prepared to walk towards the other end of the Dream Sanctuary.

However, as soon as Hugh arrived in the adjacent corridor, he was somewhat surprised to find that the game TV in the "rest corner" at the end of the corridor was shining brightly, and in that light, a strange, blurry figure was leaning against a beanbag chair.

"Who is this again?"

(End of this chapter)