Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
The Magic Origin Light was mysterious and esoteric.
Every time the Awakened Level increased, an esoteric light would be born inside the Awakener’s body. It could be used to upgrade any one of the three major attributes.
Following the female knight’s directions, Chen Gou added the strength of the Magic Origin Light to his Intelligence.
He sensed a mysterious energy gathering in his mind. His Intelligence increased from 9 to 11 points. Then, he heard the system speak.
“System notification: The host has broken through 10 points of Intelligence and the first critical point. The additional ability of Intelligence called MP Sublimation has been obtained. Each Intelligence point corresponds to a 15 MP increase!”
To an Awakener, the three major attributes had different purposes.
Strength determined one’s physical attack, HP, and physique.
Agility determined one’s movement speed, reaction speed, and attack speed.
Intelligence determined vitality, intent, and MP. When it increased by one point, there would be an increase of 15 points.
Chen Gou’s Intelligence broke through to 10 points. Just like the female knight had said, that specific attribute was upgraded and broke through the first critical point.
MP Sublimation, which was a passive ability, would allow him to obtain 5 additional Intelligence points every single time he added an Intelligence point in the future.
“This is the best ability for a mage. However, as a summoner, I do not seem to need much MP… No, that’s not right. I currently only have one skill, which is True Summoning. I do not need to worry about not having enough MP. It will be a different story once I possess many skills.”
Chen Gou frowned, but his brows smoothened out quickly.
As far as Awakeners were concerned, it was naturally best to possess as much MP as possible, for MP was akin to gunpowder for them.
Once all the MP was used up, it would be impossible to use powerful skills. Without MP, all Awakeners would be helpless, no matter how strong they were.
Therefore, in conclusion, he was satisfied with the additional ability he obtained when his Intelligence broke through its limit.
Nothing happened throughout the night. Chen Gou slept for the next few hours in a half-awake, half-asleep state. The day had just broken when the female knight woke him up again. He underwent a new round of training.
Over the next few days, the five official members of the Abyssal Expedition Team were main attacking unit and leader Edward Park, towering meat shield Mundo, long-range attacker and ranger Han Feng, sentry Alan, and support Ye Qing, who was an expert at various controlling and healing skills.
Each of them took turns to spend one day training Chen Gou.
There was not much training that was related to combat skills. After all, it was very difficult to make an ordinary youngster transform into an elite warrior in the short period of a few days.
The most important thing was cultivating his combat experience so that he could maintain a constant state of alertness, react correctly upon encountering a sneak attack, not show mercy to enemies, and so on.
Each of these skills was discovered and derived by them first-hand.
During the rest of the days, the butler of the Abyssal Expedition Team took charge of training Chen Gou. This 40-plus-year-old, middle-aged butler was also an Awakener. He had not become a member of the knight team but he had once explored the world outside and killed quite a number of evil spirits.
By the time the 30-day training ended, Chen Gou’s aura had changed. He still felt young but he was starting to look like a warrior.
All his past lazy habits had been forcibly wiped away. His hand was always ready on the sword handle, and his gaze was now constantly cautiously sweeping his surroundings.
One day, the Abyssal Expedition Team left Panshi City with Chen Gou to participate in the Abyssal Assessment.
The armored horses charged out of the metal city gates and into the vast wilderness.
Bones, as well as farms and working farmers, could occasionally be seen lying by the roadside.
Despite the invasion of evil spirits, the evil spirits in this world were still being controlled very well in areas controlled by humans.
However, the common folk living outside the city where Awakened knights lived could face danger anywhere at any time.
The evil spirits would use various methods to break through their defense line and invade the humans’ territory through the mist.
The gold-grade team consisting of five Abyssal Knights sprinted in the direction of the North.
No matter where they went, everyone quickly made way for them and bowed politely as they passed.
According to the rules of the covenant, anyone who died by being knocked over by an Abyssal Knight outside the city would die an unjustified death.
No one knew what kind of species the Abyssal Knights’ battle horses belonged to. They could travel 50 miles in just slightly over 30 minutes.
Like a beam of black light, the five horses charged into a heavily-guarded city.
To be accurate, this was a city in the making.
There was evidently an outer city wall and an inner city wall. The inner city wall was higher than the outer city wall. It was already 15 meters tall, and there seemed to be no sign of its construction stopping.
The security was extremely tight every step of the way as well.
Even though they were the Abyssal Expedition Team, they still had to undergo a couple of rounds of interrogation before they could get close to the inner city.
“What are they being wary of given the tight security?”
Chen Gou was stunned the moment he climbed the city wall.
He saw a sea of mist in the center of the city, not some priceless treasure or a majestic palace. A blood-red light swam within the gray-black mist.
The mist churned, vaguely revealing a pitch-black crack.
A very uneasy aura was emitted from it.
Chen Gou’s eyes widened. “Could that be…”
“The evil spirit abyss!”
Abyssal Expedition Team Leader Edward Park, who was wearing a bronze mask, said coolly, “This is a new abyss that appeared just two weeks ago. We suspect that the new species of evil spirit you killed came from here.”
Chen Gou inquired, “No one was sent in to clarify that?”
“That is why we brought you here!”
The gaze of the female knight, Ye Qing, scanned the few Abyssal Knight teams nearby and the youngsters with them.
She said, “Since this abyss entrance has just opened, the spatial passage is very unstable. High-level knights cannot enter. Therefore, you will be entering and exploring this abyss with five other participants. There is no need to intentionally kill evil spirits. You will pass the test so long as you survive for 10 days and gather some information.
“Of course, the more items and information you bring back, the higher your assessment results will be.”
Upon hearing that, Chen Gou took a deep breath. Exploring a new and unknown evil spirit abyss was quite a risky endeavor to undertake.
There was naturally a reason the Abyssal Knight Team had made this arrangement.
Because the newly-opened passageway was very unstable, only people below Level 20 could pass through. However, it was necessary to find out what the situation was like inside.
It would make more sense to have lower-level official knights and assessors enter the unknown abyss and gather useful information.
Therefore, the first batch of people to enter the unknown abyss would mainly gather information.
If it was a minor abyss with only a handful of evil spirits, the abyss assessors would be able to handle it themselves.
On the other hand, if it was an extremely dangerous world, anyone would face the possibility of death when they entered. They could only consider themselves unlucky. Everyone knew who to sacrifice: a few assessors or a few official knights.
In addition, after a month of special training, the abyss assessors were no ordinary soldiers. They were armed with innate skills and a certain level of survival capability.
In other words, luck played a huge part in this Abyssal Assessment. If this was a low-level abyss, everyone would pass. If it was a high-level one, everyone might die.
“I have told you before that it is not easy to become an Abyssal Knight. It is too late even if you want to back out now.”
Han Feng clapped him on the shoulder and exclaimed, “Survive, no matter how cowardly you feel!”
If that Strigoi did indeed come from this abyss, the background of this abyss is most likely one I am familiar with, such as the American TV Series The Strain. I will possess an advantage inside in that case…
With that thought in mind, he calmed down and felt a yearning for the unknown.
Should he fail to pass the Abyssal Assessment even with such a huge advantage, he would be fated to become an ant.
Despite his churning thoughts, his face remained impassive as he inquired, “This abyss seems to be a time passageway. How do we return after entering it? Is there a return passageway on the other side?”
“We are unable to determine what is on the other side of the abyss crack. However, it is certain that the passageway in the new Abyssal World that’s leading here is not stable. There is only a crack that is continuously shifting in the world.
“There is a magical artifact, a Void Stone, that the covenant researched and created. As long as there is no evil spirit nearby, if one puts magic inside, a temporary passageway will form inside the Abyssal World. You can return here by using it.
“However, the Void Stone needs at least 10 days to identify the spatial location of the Abyssal World.”
Chen Gou said in a low voice, “Thus, theoretically, we can return in 10 days at the soonest. We will not necessarily return after that, right?”
“That’s right. Don’t think that that’s too cruel. If anything else, blame the fact that you were born in this era. Since the start of the evil spirit invasion 30 years ago, each and every Abyssal Knight was born in this manner.”
The female knight handed a green diamond-like Void Stone to Chen Gou and said jokingly, “Since we are acquaintances, I hope you will come back alive. Who knows, you might become a bigshot in the future as well.”
Chen Gou followed her gaze and saw three figures wearing elegant long robes and majestic armor floating in the air above the abyss mist.
They were enveloped by light, so their faces were indistinguishable. They seemed like three Suns.
The Abyssal Expedition Team members could only look up at them.
These were the true heads of the Church of the Covenant!
The man in the middle lifted his hand and waved. The entire castle quietened down instantly.
Everyone focused their attention on them and waited.
A deep, powerful voice came from the light and reverberated in the air.
“The Panshi branch hall of the Church of the Covenant’s 5,156th Abyssal Assessment is starting in 10 minutes… All assessors, get ready!”
Upon hearing that, the Abyssal Expedition Team led Chen Gou to the bridge behind the abyss mist. A round platform had been placed in the center of the bridge.
The other five assessors were brought over as well. Behind each of them was a similar Abyssal Knight Team.
The members of these teams evidently knew each other.
“Edward, why did you guys choose an undeveloped child?” Someone took a look at Chen Gou and chuckled.
Ye Qing looked at the golden-haired young man around 17 years old who was standing behind that person and mocked him as well. “I could ask you the same question.”
“He is not the same. He is a member of the main branch of the Arslan clan. He might be young, but he is not weak. He came here to get first place.”
A number of people nearby looked surprised. Arslan was a huge clan of Panshi City. It contained many experts and was a power not to be overlooked.
Abyssal Expedition Team Leader Edward remained expressionless. The rest of the team smiled and remained silent.
In their opinion, such things and conversations were nothing to take seriously…