Chapter 8 The World Devoured by the Abyss

"I told you earlier that after becoming a superpower user, every once in a while, you will be pulled into the Abyss Battlefield by some unknown mysterious force. This countdown is the time before entering the Abyss," Lu Heng explained her confusion.

Su Muyu immediately felt anxious. She wasn't ready yet, but the countdown was only 1 hour and 23 minutes away: "I... I'm not ready yet. What should I do after I enter?"

Lu Heng checked his own countdown and calmed her nervous emotions, "Don't panic, our countdowns are the same, so we will enter the same Abyss Battlefield."

Hearing they would enter the Abyss together, Su Muyu felt much more at ease, at least she wouldn't be dying alone in some unknown corner.

The next words from Lu Heng made Su Muyu tense again: "However, it's not certain that we'll appear in the same location, so remember what I'm about to say.

"Every time the Abyss Gate opens, multiple superpower users are transported into the battlefield.

"That means, where you appear, there should be other human superpower users.

"If there are, try your best to form an alliance with someone and figure out a way to survive until I find you."

Su Muyu nodded vigorously, "Okay!"

Lu Heng continued, "Next, I'm going to talk about some of the rules of the Abyss World. I'll say whatever comes to mind, and you try your best to remember everything. Once you enter, find a way to use these rules to survive..."

Time ticked away second by second, finally reaching the last few seconds of the countdown.

Lu Heng had told her all the survival methods he could think of, and finally held her hand, hoping to appear in the same location as her.

Countdown 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second...

The two looked at each other and slowly closed their eyes.

In the darkness, a series of data prompts emerged.

[Transporting to Abyss World α60810...]

[Danger Level: Level 3]

[Introduction: A city swallowed by the Abyss, being within the city will be affected by an unknown presence, and any life from outside the Abyss wishing to survive here is indulgent.]

[Battlefield Mode: Desert Escape Killing]

[Main Quest]

[1. Open the iron cage, escape from the hunting ground of the Horned Demon Commander.]

[2. Survive for 3 days in the ruined city.]

[3. Maintain a clear mind before the time ends.]

[Challenge Task]

[1. Kill 100 Abyss demons.]

[2. Find the castle hidden within the ruined city.]

[3. Kill the Horned Demon Commander.]

[Horned Demon Commander's feeding countdown 30 minutes...]

Lu Heng's heart dropped when he saw the danger level was Level 3.

The higher the danger level of the Abyss World you enter, the higher the mortality rate.

Normally, superpower users entering the Abyss Battlefield for the first time should be at Danger Level 1, with a small probability of being Level 2.

Now the danger level jumped directly to Level 3, which for a group of inexperienced human superpower users, basically meant a group wipeout.

Moreover, the battlefield mode is also terrible, "Desert Escape Killing."

This meant that there was at least one very terrifying Abyss Demon in this Abyss World, so frightening that there was no way to confront it.

Humans could only run; there was no chance of fighting back.

...

As his vision slowly returned, Lu Heng hurriedly observed his surroundings, looking for Su Muyu.

At that moment, his arm was grabbed by a pair of anxious hands, and Su Muyu's voice sounded in his ear: "Thank goodness we're together."

Lu Heng turned back and gave her a reassuring look, then began to observe the surrounding environment.

Their arrival brought them to a deserted city, the city filled with a thick fog, with many high-rise buildings faintly visible, proof that the city had once flourished.

But now it was devoid of life, the buildings blighted with signs of decay.

Lu Heng reached out and tugged at the iron bars he was leaning against, discovering that both he and Su Muyu were locked in an iron cage.

The cage was located inside an abandoned building, on the seventh floor.

The entire building was missing its outer walls, covered in signs of decay, probably the result of the glass exteriors being destroyed, making it look as it is now.

Inside the iron cage, besides Lu Heng and one other, there were eighteen more people.

A total of twenty participants made for an awful number.

The more the participants, the higher the danger; most of them would end up as cannon fodder, food for the demons.

The other eighteen Superpower Users gradually woke up and began to cautiously observe one another.

No one, including Lu Heng, was carrying any weapons.

At the end of the countdown, Lu Heng had been holding a Han Sword, but now his hands were empty.

As expected, weapons could not be brought in.

Fortunately, Su Muyu still had an anti-stab vest on her.

This was a classic example of exploiting the rules; although the anti-stab vest offered some protection, its defensive power was not especially high, causing it to be judged as clothing by the world's rules and thereby preserved.

Lu Heng had no memory of this Abyss World; the world number α60810 said it all.

Even for Reborns, it was impossible to have experienced every Abyss World.

Of course, while the Abyss Worlds entered differ, many commonalities still exist.

For example, the battle mode, the style of tasks, and the experience of surviving in the Abyss World.

...

After briefly observing, a bald, muscular man wearing a black vest stood up and said loudly,

"Everyone here is a Superpower User, as is obvious from our being here.

"The 30-minute countdown on the task panel is our time to form alliances.

"To survive, we must unite and face the demons together; only then is there a chance to live until the end.

"My name is Hu Biao, I used to practice fighting, and I doubt there's anyone here who can outfight me. So, those who want to join me, bring your sincerity and talk to me."

Having said his piece, he sat down to find a place.

The others exchanged looks before a thug-looking blond was the first to approach, directly addressing him as boss,

"Boss Biao, take me in, I can fight well, and I'm loyal too."

Lu Heng was somewhat surprised when he saw this blond,

Because this blond was the one he had encountered on the beach the night of the meteor shower, unexpectedly, he too had Awakened.

But just one glance at the blond made it clear he was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, seeing Hu Biao as the most powerful here, he immediately approached to call him boss. Extremely typical.

As for such a person claiming to be loyal, even a dog would laugh at the claim.

Of course, people like the blond have their ways of surviving.

If Hu Biao was smart enough, he would accept his allegiance.

Because with the first person joining, others would follow suit.

As expected, Hu Biao, without even inquiring about the blond's abilities, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Good, welcome aboard. Any other brothers willing to join? I promise I'll do my best to keep everyone alive."

With one came the second, and then more and more people surrounded Hu Biao, eagerly presenting their abilities and showcasing their value.

Among the twenty participants, there were three women.

Apart from Su Muyu, the other two gathered around Hu Biao, seeking protection.

Hu Biao did ask about the abilities of these people but did not reject any, accepting all of them into his group and having everyone listen to his arrangements.

A male youth with unimpressive combat power and a student's demeanor sought team recognition through his intellect, analyzing the environment and task:

"Our transport here is very much like some kind of game, and the mode is Desert Escape Killing.

"It sounds dangerous, but if the Abyss Battlefield is a game, it surely isn't a situation with certain death.

"So, don't be afraid, everyone. If we search carefully for clues, we're bound to find a way to succeed."

Lu Heng shook his head upon hearing this person's analysis.

Su Muyu asked quietly in Lu Heng's ear, "Is he wrong?"

Lu Heng replied, "The Abyss Battlefield is never just some game; it's more like a world being devoured, resisting the Abyss."

In truth, before being Reborn, humans were continuously exploring and researching the Abyss, trying to understand why it appeared, but no answer was found before the rebirth.

The only certainty was that the Abyss was engulfing humanity's home world, Blue Star.

As humans stepped into the Abyss and uncovered more of its hidden secrets, a terrifying reality emerged.

Blue Star was not the first world devoured by the Abyss and was likely not to be the last.