Chapter 51

Mining? Seizing territory?

City-State blood feuds? Delicious food? Dragon blood?

Luge walked along, thinking about these things.

These seemingly different things, unrelated matters — viewed from another angle they might turn out to be tightly connected. Someone might say they are all resources, all desire; from yet another angle one might say they are mission, the entanglement of fate, the natural laws that must be obeyed to live in this world. And Luge found an angle of his own: transcendence. Of course he cannot achieve it yet, still far from that strength, but as long as he can become a powerful Wizard, none of this will be a problem, nor will it matter.

Luge considers himself a lazy fellow; even after learning of the existence of Dragonborn Kobolds, he fantasized about truly becoming a Dragon, then he could just laze about sleeping and grow stronger. In the end it was still the wondrous mystery of the Wizard path in Kalu's Diary, and the occasional mention of expensive Dragon experimental materials, that held back this notion of his.

Amidst wild fancies, he circled around.

This time, due to a different starting point, he took a bit of a detour; fortunately he chose the right fork in the road.

In the end he was gradually drawing near, approaching that Large Rock where the Half-Man resided.

As he walked, he suddenly felt that he was becoming more and more like a genuine Kobold. For instance, right now he seemed to be not merely collecting benefits to run errands for others, but also clinging to the Half-Man's thigh for the sake of the Wizard path — much like the so-called Kobolds who depend on the Saint Lord. There seemed to be a difference, yet not a very big one.

A burst of rumbling sound made Luge stop his wild thoughts and hurriedly hide to one side.

The more he listened to this sound, the more familiar it felt.

He poked his head out to look, only to see Ba'angte's burly figure rapidly retreating down another fork, soon disappearing from sight.

He shook his head, not knowing whether the other party had noticed him.

Continuing on his way, before long he arrived before the Large Stone Block again.

This time he waited a good while before the Half-Man's hazy figure gradually emerged, just like every time.

"It seems you have made your preparations, little Kobold who has already become a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice." The Half-Man spoke slowly.

Luge nodded.

The Half-Man before him might still think he had drunk that bottle of Side-Effect Removal Mingxing Potion, he thought to himself.

"I wonder if there is anything else I need to be careful about."

Luge assumed a posture of seeking guidance.

In his mind, however, a thought flashed to Kalu's Diary, and the possibility of subsequent diaries.

As a Kobold, channels for obtaining Supernatural Knowledge are far too limited; never mind personal progress, without some insight one is easily swindled even in ordinary transactions.

"That crevice is most likely in a stretch of Wasteland; over there you can likewise enter the Corridor Space at any time, but the position of that crevice cannot be changed — meaning when you go to a distant place and fall into danger, you can still return through the Corridor to the place where you first entered the Abyss. You can make clever use of this, but take care not to expose it; as long as you do not expose it, ordinary Demons will not be able to discover this crevice." The Half-Man instructed.

"Powerful existence, I wonder if you still have the continuation of that diary — the one you gave me back then..." Luge tried asking.

Without the slightest hesitation, a notebook of the same style flew over.

Luge immediately raised his hand to catch it, flipped through it happily with a couple of glances, and tightened his Storage Bag.

"Over there, take note: even if your disguise is not seen through, there will still be danger. They are not like Kobolds who have kinship among their own kind and help each other survive. Relations among Demons range from clumsy Savage Barbarians to cunning Cunning Deceivers; at most there is only compromise based on strength..."

"Generally in the wilderness, or places with Ruins, there will be a few dilapidated Abyss Altars. For me that is enough. You are an outsider from another realm over there; approaching an Abyss Altar will give you a sensation — this is not a difficult matter."

The Half-Man spoke and sent over another bottle of that same dark green Potion from last time — this was for Injury Prevention.

Luge silently accepted it.

At the same time the Half-Man's figure gradually faded until it could no longer be seen.

Luge thought for a moment, then still returned to his own Three-Sided Transparent Master Bedroom, where he began his first Abyss journey.

Rushing back all the way, looking at familiar places, indeed made him feel more at ease.

He rested a moment, then opened the Spatial Door.

A simple check: the Meat Worms prepared last time were still plentiful, that half-face was there too, still motionless with eyes closed. He thought a moment, then took off both his Storage Bag and Cultivation Bag and placed them on the Stone Bed in the Abyssal Bedroom.

He walked slowly to the Abyss Crevice at the edge of the space.

This was still his first time getting this close to the crevice; he reached out and lightly touched it — no sensation of being able to pass through — so he tried pressing his hand against it just like opening the Spatial Door each time, attempting to open this crevice.

With a single thought, the dark red crevice slowly opened wide, but the situation on the other side could not be seen at all.

He hesitated a moment, picked up a Small Stone and threw it over; it only stirred a momentary ripple, nothing else could be seen.

Zero-Circle Spell, Magic Skin Technique.

He hesitated no longer, striding across in one fierce step.

Before his eyes there was only a flash of darkness, then he passed through in one go — first came a solid-ground feeling, instantly putting his mind much more at ease.

He looked up, and was stunned.

What met his eyes was a room full of Gray Dust, with Table and Chairs, a bed; the Bedding on the bed was already Rotten, yet one could tell it had been extremely exquisite — uniform Pleats and Patterns on the Bed Curtain, and Hanging Ornaments at the four corners.

He slowly turned his neck; the room had a Window, one side of the Curtain already Rotten, the remaining side likewise showing its former luxury.

Both the bed and the floor had thick Gray Dust; the Room Door on one side was tightly shut, and from the dust one could see that for a very long time the Room Interior had only this Uninvited Guest leaving Footprints.

Abyss?

This is the Abyss?

The imagined Wasteland should still have a few bizarre, bare, leafless trees; in the Half-Man's description one would occasionally encounter wandering lesser Demons.

But no matter how one imagined, it would never be the scene before his eyes.

He walked to the window, wanting to Look Outside.

Thump thump thump!

"Young Master, your Abyssal Language class is about to begin; the Abyssal Language teacher has been waiting in the Classroom for a long time."

After the dull Knocking Sound came an aged yet courteous voice.

Luge stood in the Room Interior, instantly startled into a cold sweat down his back.

But very quickly he let out a long breath.

He remembered he could still hide back into that space, then return to the familiar Three-Sided Transparent Master Bedroom, and Eat a cup of Shaved Ice to Calm Shock. But then he immediately thought: this crevice position cannot be moved — doesn't that mean the Half-Man's Commission Cannot Be Completed?

Could it be that this Path Cut Off just like that?

"Young Master, I Know You're Inside."

The aged voice from outside the door sounded again.

He thought to go back and discuss with Half-Man first.

Anyway, he already had Dragon Blood, could already break free of the Short-Lived Species' shackles on his own; if Half-Man didn't work out, the Wizard Road could still be considered for other plans.

Thump thump thump!

He raised his hand and opened the Spatial Door.

"Young Master, you cannot run off Outside to play anymore; the Teacher has been waiting for a long time."

The moment the polite words came out, the Spatial Door that had just faintly emerged instantly dissipated without a trace.

(Chapter End)