The Abyss breathed.
Each step Ye Tian took deeper into the ravine pulsed with death and silence. The walls whispered with forgotten screams. And yet, his blade—still slick with beast blood—remained steady in his hand.
He was no longer just prey.
He was a predator… evolving.
But then, a new sound broke the gloom—a muffled scream.
Faint. Choked. Human.
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed. He pressed himself against the jagged stone wall and moved toward the noise, each footfall calculated.
What he found… was not what he expected.
A young girl, no older than sixteen, was being pinned by a massive lizard-like beast with obsidian scales. Her arm was torn and limp. A bloody dagger lay inches away from her twitching fingers.
[Target Identified: Abyssscale Serpent-Tongue | Rank 1 Beast]HP: 300 / 300 | Weakness: Precision Attacks | Status: Feeding Mode]Warning: Host is not yet optimized for frontal combat with Rank 1 Beasts.
"Yeah?" Ye Tian muttered. "I didn't ask for your opinion."
The girl turned her head slightly, just enough to reveal her face—ashen skin, violet eyes glowing with eerie light, and an expression of defiance even in helplessness.
Their eyes met.
She didn't plead. She didn't cry.
She simply said, "If you're going to watch me die, do it quickly."
That decided it.
Ye Tian surged forward.
[Activating: Flame Fang Slash]
He dragged the sword shard across his arm, igniting the blade with his own blood.
FWOOSH!
A crescent of red fire exploded through the air, crashing into the beast's side with a searing hiss.
[Critical Hit: 134 DMG dealt]
The beast shrieked, turning its attention toward him. It lashed its tail, tearing a trench into the stone.
Ye Tian ducked low and stabbed into its exposed underbelly, twisting as he poured his wrath into the strike.
The girl, not one to waste an opportunity, gritted her teeth and rolled to her dagger.
In a blink, she was beside him—her limp arm ignored, her good hand driving the blade into the serpent's eye.
Together, they brought the monster crashing down.
Its corpse convulsed once, then went still.
[Enemy Defeated: Abyssscale Serpent-Tongue]+300 EXP | +1 Skill Point | Title Bonus UnlockedLevel Up! → LV 3System Integrity +2%
They collapsed against the wall, panting.
"You're either insane or stupid," the girl muttered, spitting blood.
"I've been called worse," Ye Tian replied, eyes still burning. "You're welcome, by the way."
She smirked faintly, then passed out.
A few minutes later…
She stirred, eyes fluttering open to find him tending her arm—clumsily, but with surprising care.
"You didn't run," she whispered.
"I hate watching good people die," Ye Tian replied. "And I hate watching good monsters live."
A moment of silence.
Then the girl spoke. "Name's Yue Qing."
"Ye Tian."
"…You're from the surface, aren't you?"
"Was," he said coldly. "Now I'm from the Abyss."
Her gaze flickered. "Me too. I was born here. Cursed blood. Exiled before I could speak. No sect would touch me."
Ye Tian studied her. "Then we have something in common."
A long pause.
Then, a faint smile ghosted across Yue Qing's lips.
"Maybe the Abyss isn't so lonely after all."
[Companion Detected: Yue Qing – Alignment: Neutral]Unique Trait: Cursed Spirit Veins – Origin UnknownCompatibility Score: 72% (Potential Ally)Relationship Status: Neutral (Suspicious Trust)System Advice: Protect this one. She's more than she seems.
Ye Tian stood.
"Rest for now. I'll keep watch."
Yue Qing blinked. "Why?"
He turned away, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Because when I crawl out of this hell… I don't plan to crawl out alone."
[END OF CHAPTER 3]