Into the Abyss: The Descent to E535

Ge Xiu was dragged by the half-grown child in front of him, stumbling along with weak, unsteady legs.

The foul, oppressive atmosphere cloaked the ground, and as he looked around, he saw an endless expanse of trash mountains. The colorless, rotting waste squelched underfoot, releasing a nauseating stench.

A voice echoed in his ears:

"Welcome, criminal Ge Xiu No. 7098, to the compulsory punishment reform system. After testing, your sentence is 1156 years, equivalent to 1156 points of evil. Once your evil value is completely eliminated, you will be free. Each year spent in the punishment world will reduce your evil value by a fixed amount. If you exceed the punishment threshold, additional reductions will be applied. The specific amount will be determined by the review team after the punishment world ends."

So, the more miserable he is, the shorter his sentence becomes.

Ge Xiu pondered this for a moment before asking, "So, no matter what happens in this world, as long as you spend a year here, you can reduce a little bit of evil, right?"

"Yes."

"Even if I am actually quite content during that time?"

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Ge Xiu blinked innocently, his expression one of naive curiosity: "I'm just asking hypothetically."

"...The reduction of the basic evil value is only linked to the duration of time spent in the virtual world."

That's fair enough.

Ge Xiu's eyes curved into a sly smile. The distant remnants of stars were reflected in his gaze, and his dark pupils gleamed in the dim light, taking on a faintly malevolent glint.

"Understood. I have no further questions."

The voice, momentarily disrupted by Ge Xiu's query, continued: "Please ensure that prisoner 7098 is served appropriately. The difficulty level of your virtual world will be determined by the review team. The first punishment world is of initial difficulty. Subsequent difficulties will be adjusted based on the criminal's progress and attitude towards reform."

The voice remained cold and emotionless, offering no hint of whether it was a threat or a warning.

Ge Xiu casually nodded, as if the details were of little consequence.

At this moment, the young man leading Ge Xiu slowed down, breathless. An unusual noise emerged from ahead, different from the constant drone of mosquitoes and flies on the garbage dump. It resembled the murmurs and chatter of a crowd gathering together.

They waded through ankle-deep garbage until they bypassed a massive pile. The ground before them opened up into a flat, compact area—a stark contrast to the heaps of refuse they had traversed. It appeared as an artificially created square with clear signs of civilization.

The square was packed with people.

Every individual was ragged and emaciated. Their cheeks, hollowed by hunger, had a grayish, withered appearance. Yet, their eyes shone with an almost feverish gleam, reflecting a desperate glimmer of hope.

The same light sparkled in the eyes of the young man who was pulling Ge Xiu along.

He stood on tiptoe, peering over the crowd with hopeful anticipation. His thin fingers gripped Ge Xiu's cold hand, trembling with excitement.

"It's said that this time the quota is doubled compared to last time. Maybe we'll make it..."

Before he could finish, a strange metallic scraping noise came from above.

The crowd fell silent instantly, their attention fixed on the source of the sound.

A massive starship hovered above the square. Its protective shield slowly opened, and a small silver metal ball descended from it. The ball projected a light blue holographic display over the crowd, accompanied by a calm, female voice:

"According to Article 36 of the Humanitarian Act of the Alliance, to protect the basic human rights of residents in marginal constellations, the Alliance will periodically select physically and spiritually qualified individuals from these secondary galaxies to enter high-level galaxies. After the basic service period, the Alliance will provide post-retirement support..."

The holographic projection displayed scenes of high-level interstellar city-states: orderly skyways, abundant supplies, and clean living spaces. The light blue glow reflected off the crowd's thin faces, their eyes glowing with a deep, almost painful longing amidst the filth and decay of their home planet.

Ge Xiu observed the scene with a calm and indifferent demeanor, his detachment contrasting sharply with the crowd's rapt attention.

Despite their fixation on the alluring vision projected before them, no one noticed his aloofness.

The atmosphere remained stagnant and oppressive, with mosquitoes and flies continuing their relentless buzz. No guards were visible, and the air was thick with the smell of decay.

Ge Xiu shifted his gaze to the young man beside him, then lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper: "If I were you, I would leave now."

Xiao Yi seemed jolted from a daze. He stared at Ge Xiu, first in confusion, then with a mix of surprise and irritation. "You... I went out of my way to call you from the shed, and now you're telling me not to participate? I'm worried about the quota being filled. It's really inconsiderate of you!"

He angrily shook off Ge Xiu's hand and turned away, though the sense of cold unease lingered. Despite the distraction of the holographic vision, he couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort.

Ge Xiu watched him go with a smirk, then turned his attention back to the starship. The ship's landing bay opened, and beams of light from the spheres began to lift people into the air.

Ge Xiu looked up, observing as one of the beams enveloped him, lifting him towards the starship.

He glanced around thoughtfully, noting that 399 other beams lifted individuals into the sky. The garbage-strewn square below grew distant, the discarded refuse shrinking into colorful hills. The stench of decay faded as the fresh, clean air from the starship's sphere provided a stark contrast.

To the aborigines who had never left the garbage star, the scene unfolding above seemed like a dream.

They were bathed in clean water for the first time, dressed in fresh clothes, given ample nutrient solutions, and even received smart bracelets. Xiao Yi marveled at the softness of his new clothes, his face a mixture of awe and anxiety. Other people whispered in amazement:

"The bracelet actually lights up!"

"...The clothes are intact, not a single tear..."

"I'm not hungry at all... it's incredible!"

Xiao Yi scanned the crowd for Ge Xiu, but couldn't find him. He anxiously touched the cold bracelet on his wrist, resolving to apologize to Ge Xiu when they disembarked.

As he lay on his narrow, soft bed in the crowded rest cabin, the slight vibrations of the starship's flight rocked him to sleep. He had anticipated difficulty sleeping, but the dimmed lights and exhaustion soon overcame him.

In the distance, voices could be heard, seemingly from another world:

"...Is the anesthetic injected?"

"Certainly."

"Don't worry, they all sleep like dead dogs."