Chapter 392: The Key to the Fourth Layer of the Abyss

5:30 AM, 99th floor of the Anthem Company, Chairman’s lounge.

At the Anthem Company, regardless of whether it was during the Schultz era or the current He Yun management era, the person who works the most overtime has always been the Chairman, with the exception of Wu Chang.

Schultz’s house in Wildo City was visited fewer than a handful of times throughout the year, and since He Yun joined the Anthem Company, she has not even left the Anthem Building.

To make it convenient for the Chairman to rest, a specific area on the 99th floor was partitioned off and converted into the Chairman’s lounge.

Although Wu Chang is the nominal official Chairman, the time he has spent in the Anthem Company is not even as long as the time Schultz and He Yun have spent resting; this was his first time entering this lounge.

He was currently standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the lounge, watching the morning sun slowly rise.

Behind him, He Yun lay on her side on the large bed, watching the back of Wu Chang in front of the window; her eyes held a languor, completely devoid of the aggression she had shown when she threatened to reward Wu Chang.

He Yun asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Wu Chang said, "I don't know either, but just seeing the morning sun rise, I can feel a kind of power within it."

A ray of light shines into the dark night, driving the gloom and darkness away from the world; that feeling is indescribable.

Whether it was Schultz’s office or the Chairman’s lounge, the areas facing east were all meticulously designed to see the most perfect sunrise.

At that time, Schultz was immersed in the apocalyptic scenes the Omniscient Crystal showed him; with such a design, Schultz must have had a similar feeling when he saw the morning sun rise.

He Yun got up from the bed, came behind Wu Chang, and hugged him gently.

"Are you worried about the future?"

Wu Chang nodded, then immediately shook his head and said:

"I am worried about the future, but what I am worried about is not my future, but the future of the world I am in."

With his current strength, he could walk sideways in the Desolate Realm, and he had Ailin by his side who had comprehended the Undying Holy Fire; even if Huanxi came to the Desolate Realm, she would have to take a couple of slaps regardless.

He can protect himself, but Blue Star cannot.

His intuition tells him that whether it is the Evolution Faction of the Four Great Organizations or the Light Society, the schemes they have laid out are all targeting the Desolate Realm and Blue Star.

Although he had already learned of their plans preliminarily from Christine, he always felt that the Light Society and the Four Great Organizations were holding back, and the plan was not as simple as it appeared.

Based on the combat power the Four Great Organizations have shown now, they are not worth worrying about too much, but this is only the power they have displayed.

The weak performance of the Four Great Organizations in the Desolate Realm has a lot to do with the low ceiling of the Desolate Realm itself.

According to existing intelligence, the Four Great Organizations were the first group of people to discover the existence of the Abyss Game, and their history is almost the same as the time the Abyss Game appeared.

Many even believe that the Four Great Organizations were already established long before the Abyss Game appeared.

The Abyss Game has developed to this point, having gone through more than twenty years, and has expanded its recruitment of players many times.

If the Abyss Game is treated as a game, the period when Wu Chang joined the game is likely already the version of the dozen-plus beta tests, or even the final version before the public beta, while the Four Great Organizations are the first-test players.

A lean camel is bigger than a horse; just this foundation and the intelligence they possess cannot be underestimated.

One must know that Huanxi is not a kind person; if the Four Great Organizations really didn't have some trump cards, Huanxi would never have cooperated with the Evolution Faction, but would have swallowed them up directly.

Cooperating with the Evolution Faction shows, first, that the Evolution Faction is strong enough, and second, that they can provide sufficient assistance for Huanxi’s plan.

The Evolution Faction and the Light Society: the former possesses absolute intelligence, and regarding the understanding of Blue Star and the Abyss Game, they claim to be second, and no one dares to claim to be first.

The latter possesses absolute strength; not only are they gathered with strong individuals, but they can also mass-produce Imaginary Divinity. At least in the Rational Realm, no one can resist the Light Society.

Being targeted by these two groups makes Wu Chang unable to relax in his heart.

Taking this opportunity, Wu Chang told He Yun about the plan to enter reality and renovate Wanghai City.

If it were half a month ago, He Yun would have had too many things to research and would have been unable to spare any attention, only able to arrange for some subordinates to help Wu Chang.

But now, having obtained the Mechanical Heart talent and been "crowned" by the Mechanical Crown, let alone being distracted, she could even manage to create clones.

Before the two had finished breakfast, He Yun had already finalized a feasible plan through the Technical Department and the Design Department.

She combined the Underground Shelter plane and the Anthem Company’s technology to design a modular super factory that could be quickly assembled.

This factory is enough for the Anthem Company to gain a firm foothold in the real world and use it to manufacture various machines suitable for reality.

He Yun pointed to the concept map in the projection and said:

"With the Anthem Company’s productivity, I can manufacture its basic modules in just three days."

"The volume of each module is equivalent to the Peacekeeper; you only need to make a few more trips to transfer them all."

"After the factory is put into operation, as long as you give me a month, I can replicate a shelter underground. Even if your world is completely eroded, like my plane, and the surface is full of dead silence, I can guarantee that the people you care about can successfully move underground."

He Yun’s tone was full of confidence; surviving the apocalypse is her professional field.

Wu Chang said, "There’s no need to be that exaggerated. Even if those guys in the Evolution Faction are crazy, they won't go to that extent."

He Yun smiled and said, "Don't worry, just leave it to me."

Wu Chang stuffed his breakfast into his mouth in two or three bites, reached out to hook the back of He Yun’s knees, picked her up in a bridal carry, and said:

"As expected of my Vice Chairman, it really makes one feel at ease. This time it’s my turn to give you a reward."

……

There are only nine days left until the World Instance; He Yun and Wu Chang both have many things to be busy with.

Wu Chang stayed at the Anthem Company until the sky was bright, then prepared to return to reality.

Before leaving, He Yun asked Wu Chang to leave the Peacekeeper at the Anthem Company first.

After stimulating the power of the Mechanical Root through the Mechanical Crown, many new ideas emerged in her mind, and it was just the right time to perform maintenance and small-scale upgrades on the Peacekeeper.

Wait until before the World Instance starts, then have Wu Chang drive it away.

Wu Chang said, "After three days, I will come to pick you and the super factory up."

He Yun said, "Maybe it won't take three days to finish. Once the super factory is built, I will notify you at any time."

Wu Chang asked suspiciously, "How will you notify me at any time?"

He Yun pointed to Wu Chang’s phone, as if saying something insignificant, "I put a part of my consciousness into your phone. As long as you are within the range of Ailin’s Divine Kingdom, I can communicate with you directly."

"Don't worry, I will pretend not to see some things."

Wu Chang’s cheek twitched slightly; it’s over, he can no longer keep his innocence in the human world.

Now even if he died suddenly, others could not inherit his Mamba Iron Elbow by smashing his phone.

Returning to Wanghai City, one day had already passed since the end of the Steam Phantom instance.

It was time for him to go see his employer, Christine.

According to custom, he still let his True Self wear a disguise mask and made an appointment to meet Yu Na on the commercial street.

When the two met, they inevitably chatted about the Qualification Instance that had just ended.

Unlike the previous Apocalypse Archbishop, Yu Na has ambition and dares to take risks, so naturally, she would not miss the World Instance.

Her ability is roughly in the three or four thousandth position on the combat power ranking, far from the first echelon of the combat power ranking.

In the Qualification Instance, she was ranked into an A-level instance with a medium degree of pollution. Relying on being desperate enough, she not only completed the most difficult ending but also completed a hidden mission.

This allowed Yu Na to not only obtain an invitation to the World Instance, but the number on the invitation also successfully squeezed into the top one thousand.

According to Yu Na, she was able to achieve such results thanks to Wu Chang’s help.

Relying on connecting with him and establishing a secret church in Wanghai City, Christine was very satisfied with her work, not only rewarding her with an item but also increasing her contribution points significantly.

It was precisely by relying on these that Yu Na had the capital to go all out in the Qualification Instance.

Wu Chang asked suspiciously, "You used all your resources in the Qualification Instance, so what are you going to do about the World Instance later?"

Yu Na said without concealment:

"The True God told me that the scale of this World Instance far exceeds any previous one. With my strength, it is very difficult to maintain self-preservation."

"Rather than saving strength for the World Instance, it is better to establish an advantage in the Qualification Instance, and when the World Instance comes, rely on the first-mover advantage to join the faction you are in."

Wu Chang: "Six."

No wonder the Apocalypse offended all factions, and the members are still full of loyalty to Christine; she really does come up with ideas.

After finishing lunch, the cross-border communication ritual was ready. Wu Chang followed Yu Na through the secret church and came to the altar of the communication ritual.

Yu Na activated the ritual and took the initiative to leave, leaving the space to Wu Chang and Christine.

Looking at the light and shadow gradually taking shape on the altar, Wu Chang performed a Stilan noble salute and said:

"I am very happy to see you again, Your Excellency Christine. The world I just experienced was actually a rare S-level instance. The experience inside the instance was extremely dangerous. If it weren't for the belief that I must fulfill my promise to you, I am afraid I would not have been able to come back."

Christine imitated Olivia’s queenly etiquette and returned the salute to Wu Chang.

She heard the meaning in Wu Chang’s words and reminded him: "Stilan has my church and my Divine Kingdom. I saw everything that happened very clearly."

"Zhu Li is my agent on earth, and her decisions represent my will. She promised to give you the faith of Stilan, so of course, I will not go back on my word."

"And as compensation for letting you go to the S-level instance, you should have already received it."

Wu Chang asked suspiciously, "What are you referring to?"

Christine used her ability to condense a horn-shaped light and shadow and said:

"The Holy Revelation Horn, and the Lyman divine power sealed inside."

Wu Chang said, "Wasn't that the reward for me completing Olivia’s commission?"

Taking the reward he deserved and using it as compensation for him was somewhat unreasonable.

Christine said:

"The compensation is not just the horn itself, but also the meaning behind it."

"At the Moonlight Sanatorium, if I hadn't lent power to Zhu Li to let her stop Lyman’s final retaliation, you would have died there."

"From the very beginning, you owed me a favor."

Wu Chang remembered what Zhu Li said when she gave him the Holy Revelation Horn; he had just entered the Abyss Game at that time and hadn't even sensed Lyman’s backup plan.

If Christine hadn't taken action, he would indeed have been unable to resist at that time.

He exclaimed, "Thank you for your generosity."

"I wonder if Your Excellency Christine is satisfied with my actions this time."

Christine laughed, her laughter very loud, and said:

"Of course I am satisfied, especially when Lyman’s projection descended and collided with you; every time I think of it, I can't help but laugh out loud."

"As long as you are happy, that is all that matters." Wu Chang stole a glance at Christine, wondering to himself what kind of conflict she and Laiman actually had.

Judging by Christine's reaction, it was not some deep-seated hatred between her and Laiman; it was more like she was simply using Laiman for amusement.

There was no need to ask to know that at the end of the Moonlight Sanatorium, the reason she stopped Laiman was not to help him, but simply to sabotage Laiman's plans.

The relationships between Evil Gods are truly complicated.

Christine's laughter continued for half a minute before slowly stopping. With lingering amusement in her voice, she said:

"My commission should have ended when you returned, but things have changed, and I need you to do me a favor."

"This commission will count as a separate transaction, and once it is done, I will give you the corresponding reward."

Wu Chang assumed a listening posture, waiting for what Christine had to say next.

Christine said:

"After Zhu Li awakens, she will soon activate the divine grace I bestowed upon her and ascend to the Realm of Reason on her own, but there are some problems now."

"With the involvement of Laiman and the Mother of Desire, the world instance has expanded too much, squeezing out other normal channels of ascension. If Zhu Li wants to ascend, she must make use of the access rights you possess."

The free passage to the Realm of Reason was being squeezed; to enter the Realm of Reason again, one could only go through the Pillar of the Present World that Wu Chang controlled.

Wu Chang nodded and said, "If it is just such a small matter, no reward is needed."

It was just a matter of lending a path; even if a reward were given, it wouldn't be anything he would find worthwhile. It was better to do Christine a favor; if he had to move against Laiman in the future, he might be able to get some intelligence from her.

Christine said, "Are you sure you won't accept a reward? Recently, those people in the Realm of Reason have been very restless. Since you have already agreed to lend the path, I would also like to ask you to make one more trip and escort Zhu Li to a designated place in the Realm of Reason."

Wu Chang said, "It is just a small effort."

Before entering the world instance, he happened to be going to the Realm of Reason anyway, so it would not affect his plans.

However, since Christine had added more services to his plate, he decided to take this opportunity to ask a question he had been wondering about for a long time.

"Your Majesty Christine, there is a question I have been curious about for a long time: why do you high-ranking Evil Gods value us so much?"

Wu Chang had originally intended to say "Evil Gods," but realizing it wasn't polite enough, he corrected himself in time.

In terms of status, Christine, Laiman, and the Mother of Desire were all native gods of the Abyss.

It was not strange that they could be seen in various planes, establishing divine kingdoms to collect faith.

For example, the Great Holy Mother of the Tranquil Town plane also collected faith in the Wild Realm.

But unlike the Great Holy Mother, the activities of the cults of Evil Gods like Christine did not seem to center on harvesting faith; they focused more on absorbing players as believers and cultivating powerful players.

In the several worlds Wu Chang had experienced, wherever the Church of Tranquility appeared, the top echelons of the Church of Tranquility were basically all players.

When the Church of Tranquility selected a Holy Son, all the candidates for Holy Son were also players.

It was not just the Church of Tranquility; the Apocalypse choosing to build a large divine kingdom in reality, and the Mother of Desire attempting to turn Fang Hui into a clone to enter the real world, all reflected their special attention to the reality plane.

By comparison, faith had actually become an unimportant part.

Regarding Wu Chang's inquiry, Christine did not evade it and said:

"Actually, you should be able to guess the reason: because you are special."

Wu Chang pressed, "How special?"

Christine hesitated this time, as if there were some secrets inside that could not be told to Wu Chang for the time being.

"Special in that you and the Abyss are mutually choosing one another."

After hearing this, Wu Chang slowly typed out a question mark. He could understand the Abyss choosing players, but could Christine's so-called "mutual choice" be referring to that joining interface when entering the Abyss Game where one could only click "confirm" and was not allowed to refuse?

That would be a bit too "mutually choosing."

He tentatively asked, "Could you explain?"

Christine refused, "When you can reach the third level of the Abyss, you will naturally have the answer. Before that, knowing too much will do you no good."

Wu Chang did not press further, and after a brief conversation, he ended his meeting with Christine.

Leaving the Apocalypse underground church, he used teleportation to return home and couldn't wait to take out the All-Knowing Crystal.

Although the All-Knowing Crystal could not tell him some questions directly, as long as Christine provided a lead, the All-Knowing Crystal could fill in the details based on the intelligence.

However, he did not rashly let the All-Knowing Crystal tell him the truth. He still remembered that he had once seen a mass of pitch-black resentment inside the All-Knowing Crystal, and just one look at it had nearly caused his mind to collapse.

Within the Abyss, there were indeed many deadly secrets.

He did not have the "Whisper of the Nameless" now; if that happened again, he might really crash and burn.

He cautiously asked the All-Knowing Crystal:

"Within the scope of what I can know now, tell me, what is the meaning of the mutual choice between players and the Abyss that Christine mentioned?"

All-Knowing Crystal: ...

Wu Chang: "Is it that you cannot answer, or that I am not yet allowed to know?"

All-Knowing Crystal: ...

Wu Chang let out a long breath; not answering was, in itself, an answer.

If it were a lack of ability or incomplete information on the part of the All-Knowing Crystal, it would not be so silent.

He had guessed right; the secret hidden behind this piece of information was indeed not something he could touch right now.

The All-Knowing Crystal was different from Christine; the All-Knowing Crystal knew his strength, and even so, it still believed that the current Wu Chang could not bear the consequences of knowing the relevant secrets.

It was a good thing he hadn't asked rashly, or something would have really gone wrong.

He thought for a moment and said, "Keep the previous conditions; only tell me the information I can know at the current stage."

"What is special about players to Evil Gods like Laiman?"

This time, the All-Knowing Crystal reacted.

Its surface flickered with light, and after waiting for nearly five minutes, a line of text appeared before Wu Chang's eyes.

"Abyss Game players are the keys to entering the fourth level of the Abyss."

(End of chapter)