"Ever since you two purified that crystal pillar, the energy readings here have been getting more stable day by day. The beacons recovered from all regions show the same results—the growth of unknown substances has slowed, geological activity has basically stopped. If nothing unexpected happens, the abnormality in The Chasm can be considered over." Khedive said, holding a thick report with his usual seriousness.
"What unexpected thing? Don't jinx it!"
"The Akademiya doesn't believe in baseless superstitions like 'jinxing'... Anyway, thank you for your efforts. I'll make sure to mention your names in my paper once we're back."
"Hmph, that's more like it." Paimon turned toward Jinwu. "Jinwu!"
"We've received the ore samples and the measurement data you sent. The Ministry of Civil Affairs has no objections to further exploration and restoration plans. The Millelith are already preparing to go deeper into the mines. Before long, the upper layers of the mining area might reopen to the workers. But down here, this deep underground—absolutely not. We'll be stationed permanently below to monitor the situation and maintain the seal over this region. We can't let miners—no, we can't let anyone come down here again."
At the moment of parting, a trace of sorrow showed in Jinwu's smile. "But you're always welcome. The Exploration Team will forever open its doors to you."
They packed away Taliesin's poetic manuscript written about Lumine's tale, and the commemorative bomb that Clitopho had crafted from spare parts after failing to find ingredients for a proper drink. Finally, Lumine and Paimon said their goodbyes to Zhiqiong. "We should get going now."
"Mm. Goodbye, Senior. Goodbye, Paimon. I'll never forget our time together."
Lumine and Paimon turned and began walking out of the camp. Suddenly, they heard Victor Wang calling from behind. "Tell Keqing for me—my task is done."
Lumine silently raised her hand in a small wave.
Once their silhouettes had disappeared, Zhiqiong looked back at Victor Wang. "You're not leaving?"
"I still want to look around."
"The Yaksha you mentioned? Haven't we already scoured every corner of The Chasm these past few days?"
"You said the geological structure of The Chasm has been constantly changing since the abnormality began, right? After all this time, maybe that space has been sealed behind some mountain mass."
"Then you'd better look carefully. My eyes haven't spotted any unknown areas left. If there really is something hidden, it must be behind a mountain wall. Don't tell me… your eyes can see through rock now?"
"That's not impossible."
"Hmph. Do you even know how deep we are? Even if we can't measure it exactly, I'd estimate at least a thousand meters—twice the height of Dragonspine! And considering the entire surrounding range, if you plan to check every mountain wall, even if it doesn't kill you, it'll keep you stuck here for a year or two!"
"Then I'd better get started. No time to waste."
"You—!"
Victor Wang only smiled, then headed off in the direction Lumine had gone. Even moving at his full speed, he couldn't see a trace of her. As expected, Lumine and Paimon must have teleported away. Looking back and confirming no one followed, he sprinted toward the nearest Teleport Waypoint outside the camp.
The Chasm held far too many secrets: a Celestial Nail that pierced a thousand meters into the ground, ruins of an ancient nation older than Khaenri'ah itself capable of purifying the curse of immortality, the Ruin Serpent excavated by Khaenri'ah, the mysterious space that trapped Bosacius and Yelan's ancestor, the falling star recorded in [Before Sun and Moon] that created The Chasm before returning to the heavens, and—comparatively trivial though it seemed—fossils of deep-sea creatures.
Most of these could no longer be studied in detail. Still, considering the black calamity that struck here five hundred years ago and the presence of the Ruin Serpent, it wasn't unreasonable to think a Khaenri'ah outpost had once existed here.
On the surface, he was searching for the missing Yaksha. In truth, he sought relics of Khaenri'ah. With that goal in mind, the first thing Victor Wang needed to do was—purify The Chasm.
After conducting a thorough search with Lumine and Zhiqiong days ago, he was certain that every accessible area of The Chasm had been explored. But, as he'd told Zhiqiong, the terrain had kept changing over the past two years. Some once-flat tunnels now had vertical drops of tens or even hundreds of meters. Hidden chambers behind collapsed rock weren't impossible.
To uncover them, he would need to activate Abyssal Vision—but to do that, he had to first remove all interference, meaning he had to purify every trace of the Abyss throughout The Chasm, from top to bottom, inside and out. It was no small task.
"Let's see which beasts are still out here messing with me…"
"Main temporary shaft—no reaction. Good."
"Ruin Serpent's cave—hmm? The serpent's gone, but there's still a reading… a spider?"
In a dark corner clung a purple spider. In an environment unfit for human survival, it had adapted to the Abyss, even using Abyssal power. Its small mouth opened, firing a bolt of pure abyssal energy—proof of life's fierce will to survive.
But Victor Wang wasn't one to underestimate. Channeling elemental energy into the Lumenstone, he engaged the Abyssal Spider in a deadly duel. The spider fell, dissolving into the light.
After that, at the bottom of a nearby pit, he found two clumps of Dark Mud and a single dim-colored husk. Victor Wang recognized the name of that husk—Haltaf.
The husks and Black Serpent Knights of The Chasm had once been people of Khaenri'ah. Perhaps because their bodies and minds were stronger before the curse, they differed from ordinary Hilichurls who could not use elemental power, from Lawachurls who relied on elemental crystals, and from Hilichurl Rogues who used intellect and Slimes to channel the elements. Like Samachurls, they could wield elemental power freely—and with far greater physical strength.
When Victor Wang descended to the pit, Haltaf didn't react. Even when Victor Wang used the Lumenstone to destroy the Dark Mud, Haltaf still made no move.
Victor Wang quietly turned and left.
Like Hilichurls, these husks did not release Abyssal energy without reason. Still, he wondered—if Hilichurls could return to who they once were… could husks, too?
Next, he followed another tunnel leading to the Ruin Serpent's den. There, chunks of Dark Mud had hardened into purple-black stone. Ordinary Lumenstones couldn't purify them, but Victor Wang painstakingly broke them loose, carried them beneath the Celestial Nail, and set them under its light to dry. Every time—perfect results.
After sweeping through the remaining areas, within two days the purification was nearly complete—all except for one place: the Nameless Ruins.
Unfortunately, that ruin was enormous, its presence overwhelming. He could sense its disturbance from afar, and its surface was hard as millennia-old steel. Destroying it was slow work, so Victor Wang decided to leave it for now.
Two more days passed. All other areas were fully purified, leaving only the Nameless Ruins as the last interference point. He noted its direction carefully—it shouldn't cause much trouble.
"Hmm…? Something feels off. Only one interference source left—the Nameless Ruins?"