[64] The lineup of the abyss

The Abyss, with its dark, gaping mouth, awaited us as we stood at the precipice. The carved stone stairway spiraled downwards, giving a sense of order to the wild and seemingly endless depth. It was as if we were staring down the throat of the world itself. The Gaiko, unaffected by the height, maneuvered its bulky form with uncanny agility and began its vertical descent down the moss-covered walls, eliciting gasps from the uninitiated.

"By the Twelve, look at that!" Sera exclaimed, pointing at the Gaiko as it deftly traversed the sheer cliff-face. Her eyes were wide with excitement and apprehension.

Aurelia, standing beside me, scoffed slightly, "Interesting...beasts in this world have such peculiar ways of movement. Truly intriguing," she remarked, her gaze fixated on the descending Gaiko.

Our group began to descend as well. Each step on the stairway seemed to echo into the chasm below, the sensation of descending into the unknown producing a mix of anxiety and excitement.

The deeper we descended, the more our surroundings began to change. The world above gradually faded away as we ventured into the depth of the earth. We passed through layers of rock and soil, vegetation diminishing as we descended further, replaced by moss and fungi, casting an eerie glow on the walls of the Abyss.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the entrance of the first floor. A massive crowd of adventurers filled the cavernous space, their colorful armors, cloaks, and banners creating a bustling, chaotic scene. Their excited chatter echoed throughout the cavern, creating a constant hum of voices.

"Huh, talk about crowded," Kuroko mused, observing the throng of adventurers. "Guess the Abyss really does draw the masses, doesn't it?"

Lila gazed at the crowd, her eyes wide with awe and a hint of trepidation, "There are... so many people here. I didn't think adventuring was this... popular."

I couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions, "Welcome to the Abyss, ladies. The adventure begins here."

I then noticed one line was short while ours is way longer.

With a question on my mind, I turned to the grizzled adventurer standing in front of us, by tapping him on his shoulder.

"Hey man, any idea why that line is so short?" I gestured towards the shorter queue.

The man, a burly human with a thick beard, chuckled and followed my gaze, "Ah, you mean that one? That's the 'Pro Line', only for the high rollers."

"High rollers?" Sera asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

The man turned to Sera and grinned, revealing a few missing teeth, "Yep. That line is only for teams who have an S-tier adventurer in their party. Those big shots don't wait around like us mere mortals."

"S-tier... well, we do have an S-tier adventurer in our group," Kuroko said, looking at Aurelia who was quietly standing beside me. I quickly nudged Kuroko and shot her a glance, reminding her of Aurelia's undercover status.

"Yeah, we have an S-tier... er, I mean, A-tier adventurer. That was just a small mistake," Kuroko quickly corrected herself, scratching the back of her head.

The burly man laughed heartily, "Well, missy, an A-tier adventurer is no joke either! But unfortunately, you still need to wait in line with the rest of us. Don't worry, it moves along pretty fast."

"Thank you for the information," I said, giving the man a friendly nod.

Sera crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, "So we're stuck here waiting because of a technicality."

The grizzled adventurer simply shrugged, "That's the way of the Abyss, lass. It's a wild place, but it still has its own set of rules." He then turned and began to chat with another adventurer, leaving us to our thoughts as we continued to inch forward in the queue.

With a quiet sigh of impatience, I reached up and adjusted my limiter to S-tier. I felt the raw, unleashed power thrumming within me, and a smile tugged at my lips.

"Alright," I said, my voice firm and sure, "looks like we are heading to the pro line."

Sera rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless, crossing her arms over her chest, "Oh, finally! I thought you'd keep us waiting here forever."

Lila blinked at me in surprise, but there was a hint of warmth in her eyes as she nodded, "That would be much quicker, Master."

Kuroko grinned, her eyes gleaming with excitement, "Yeah, let's show them how it's done!"

Aurelia just shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide the slight smirk on her lips. "It's about time you did something useful."

We then moved out of the queue and walked confidently towards the pro line.

The pro line was sparse with teams, the daunting presence of the abyss perhaps dissuading all but the bravest or most foolhardy of adventurers. In a matter of minutes, we were standing before the gatekeepers: a towering giant of a man, his muscled arms crossed over a barrel chest, and a diminutive man seated comfortably on a chair by his side.

Before the seated man was a large crystal orb, emitting a soft, iridescent glow. Its brilliance seemed to reflect the myriad possibilities and perils of the Abyss, flickering and changing like an ever-evolving map.

The small man looked up from the orb and squinted at our group, an air of bored routine about him. "Any of you S-ranked?" He asked, his voice surprisingly deep for such a small person.

I stepped forward, adjusting my limiter and allowing the aura of an S-tier to roll off me. The small man looked surprised for a moment before extending a gnarled hand towards me, motioning for me to step forward.

"I am," I said confidently, approaching him. As I came to a stop before him, he placed his hands on the orb. It flared brightly for a moment, bathing us all in a soft, ethereal light. As the light dimmed, he sat back in his chair, looking satisfied.

"Well then," he said, his eyes glinting with a newfound respect. "Welcome to the Abyss, S-tier." His voice echoed around us, and I couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation course through me. We were stepping into the unknown, into a world of untold dangers and rewards. And most importantly, getting away from the long line up.

Q: What was the longest line up you have been in?