Chapter 247

Ethan guided Luo En along the stone path toward the city gate, nodding to the vendors by the roadside from time to time.

Luo En observed the surrounding environment; an indescribable aura permeated the air.

It was not like pollution or decay, but a peculiar metallic smell.

It was mixed with a rust-like scent similar to blood and carried a subtle sense of biological activity, as if the air itself were breathing slowly.

"The Wizard has already noticed the special nature of the air."

Ethan glanced at Luo En's slightly furrowed brow and took the initiative to explain:

"That is the so-called 'Abyss Aura,' a unique product of the intersection between Abyss energy and the surface world."

Luo En nodded lightly; his senses were much sharper than those of ordinary people.

Not only could he smell that scent, but he could also feel the energy fluctuations contained within it—faint and continuous, like a heartbeat coming from afar.

This energy fluctuation carried a certain irregular rhythm, both intimate and strange, making one want to experience it more deeply.

Ethan then recounted the various strengthening effects that the Abyss Aura brought to the residents.

Luo En was quite interested in this change; it matched the content he read in the "Abyss Creature Illustrated Guide," but was more detailed and specific.

"Are there any other changes?" He pursued, his heart beginning to think about how to apply this information to his own bloodline research.

Ethan pondered for a moment, complex light flashing in his eyes:

"Many people will develop special... abilities. I have a friend who can perceive Abyss energy fluctuations and foresee impending danger.

He once suddenly ordered everyone to stop during an exploration; at that very moment, the ground ahead collapsed, and the entire team was spared as a result."

His tone suddenly deepened:

"But the price is equally huge. On average, our lifespans are nearly a third shorter than ordinary people. Even looking so strong, very few people here live past fifty."

He raised his hand to point to an old woman on the street corner in the distance.

Her skin had turned into a nearly pitch-black dark gray, and her eyes had completely turned into purple crystals, emitting an unnatural light:

"Look at that old lady; she is only in her early forties, but her body has already begun to decline rapidly. This is the Abyss harvesting our life fruits in advance while bestowing power."

Luo En silently noted this information, both out of academic interest and to assess potential risks.

Exploring the mysteries of life has always been one of the core issues of wizard exploration.

"You mentioned earlier that the Abyss makes people gain special abilities; do these abilities have any patterns?"

He continued to pursue, preparing to record this information well into his consciousness library.

"There are indeed some patterns, but they are not absolute."

Ethan explained, while avoiding a drunken dwarf:

"For example, those dwarves proficient in mining often develop a special perception of underground spaces;

elves good at weaving might gain the ability to manipulate fine threads;

and those explorers who have been active in the Black Sand Wasteland for a long time might develop the weak ability to control sand grains."

He tapped his chin lightly with his finger:

"Simply put, the Abyss Aura strengthens one's original talents and traits while distorting them, making them more unusual."

"It sounds like these changes are not entirely negative."

Luo En commented softly, his gaze scanning the diverse residents on the street.

Ethan let out a short laugh:

"On the surface, that is indeed the case, but the biggest price is not the shortened lifespan, but that we have been 'marked' by the Abyss and can never leave."

Luo En raised an eyebrow: "Marked?" This statement piqued his interest.

"Yes, marked." A lingering shadow appeared in Ethan's eyes:

"People who live around the Abyss for a long time will undergo some... changes, making us unable to leave the coverage of the Abyss Aura for a long time."

He pointed to his forehead, where there seemed to be an invisible mark:

"Once we try to leave too far or for too long, we will begin to... gradually lose control. Mild cases involve headaches, hallucinations, and emotional instability; severe cases involve complete distortion, becoming mobile Abyss radiation sources that pollute everything around them."

Luo En saw the fear that flashed in his eyes when he mentioned "distortion."

That was not the fear of hearsay, but the shock of having witnessed it with his own eyes.

"I once saw a person distort."

Ethan's voice was so low it was almost inaudible, his eyes unfocused, as if he had fallen into some painful memory:

"That was my uncle; he was chosen for an experiment and had to leave the edge of the Abyss for two months. When I saw him in the cage again..."

Ethan's voice trembled slightly:

"His body had completely deformed, his skin cracked, revealing spreading black crystals, and his eyes had turned into more than a dozen, distributed across his entire head. More terrifyingly, he had completely lost his sanity and became a beast dominated by instinct."

Luo En felt the real fear from this description.

This distortion was clearly not just a distortion of the flesh, but also included the collapse of the spirit and consciousness.

"In the end, the guards had to..." He did not continue, but the meaning was quite clear.

"Actually, even if we were allowed to leave, we wouldn't want to leave at all."

Ethan continued, trying to shake off those heavy memories:

"The lack of Abyss Aura makes us feel extremely uncomfortable, just like..."

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly looking for an appropriate metaphor:

"Just like the pain of an addict unable to get their beloved object. Initially, there is restlessness, followed by severe headaches, and finally unbearable pain, until complete collapse."

Luo En nodded thoughtfully.

This situation was extremely similar to the "Abyss Brand" phenomenon recorded in the "Abyss Creature Illustrated Guide," only milder.

Abyss energy indeed has fascinating characteristics; it bestows power while binding the soul, making it a "double-edged sword" in the true sense.

"It is said that wizards once tried to clear such marks."

Ethan scratched his head, continuing somewhat uncertainly:

"This is information I got when chatting with an apprentice, who is my drinking buddy.

According to him, when doing this experiment, the wizards used very precious potions.

At first, it looked very effective; the experimenter's skin returned to its normal color, and his eyes stopped glowing. But on the seventh day..."

He shook his head, his brow furrowed:

"The experimental subject suddenly fell into madness, began to tear at his own skin, claiming that something was crawling under his skin, and finally he..."

Ethan made a throat-slitting gesture:

"Ended his own pain. The wizards found some kind of black crystal in his blood vessels, which had already merged with the blood and was almost impossible to separate."

Luo En was silent for a moment, digesting this information.

The Abyss Brand seemed to be deeper into the bone marrow than he had imagined, not only changing the body and spirit but even penetrating into the most basic life functions.

This also verified his previous conjecture that any resident here was several times stronger than ordinary people in physical fitness and had the opportunity to awaken various special abilities.

They could become very useful warriors with just a little training, but there were basically no traces of these Abyss residents in the outside world, clearly because of various restrictions.

"What happens to those who lose control? Are they executed?" Luo En asked.

Ethan shook his head and pointed to a dark building inside the city wall.

It was surrounded by high walls covered with spikes, and the gate was as thick as a mountain, cast from a dark red metal, with strange runes engraved on the surface.

Guards fully armed stood at the entrance, holding special spears with tips flashing with eerie purple light.

"They are sent to the 'Prison'."

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering whether he should reveal this information:

"Every outpost has such a place; on the surface, it is to protect ordinary residents, but in reality..."

He leaned toward Luo En and lowered his voice: "It is also an experimental field provided for wizards, with special procedures that allow wizards to purchase those who have lost control as research materials."

Luo En felt a slight interest when he heard the term "research materials."

As a bloodline modulator, he knew very well the research value of these "experimental subjects."

Tissue samples and blood of Abyss mutants often contain unique energy structures and gene fragments, which have irreplaceable value for advancing bloodline research.

"Of course, there are strict regulations for this kind of transaction."

Speaking of this, the man's eyeballs turned, vigilantly observing the reaction of the wizard lord before him:

"Wizards need to sign special contracts to ensure that the experimental subjects will not get out of control. If an accident occurs..."

"Let me guess, the responsible wizard must make compensation?" Luo En continued calmly.

Ethan nodded, a look of surprise on his face, clearly not expecting the other party to be so familiar with these rules.

"Yes, and the compensation amount is extremely high. A few months ago, a wizard had to pay several complete magic stones because an experimental subject escaped and caused three deaths.

Of course, more seriously, there is the loss of reputation; that school has not been able to obtain formal experimental permits at the Abyss outpost for at least ten years."

Luo En secretly noted this information.

Although he was somewhat interested in "Abyss experimental subjects," he did not intend to get involved in this field for the time being.

After all, his top priority for bloodline research is the further development and fusion of the Chimera bloodline, as well as helping Dail and Ailan increase their bloodline concentration and complete their transformation.

At least at this stage, he did not want to risk trying other paths that might bring uncertainty.

The two continued forward and soon arrived in front of the main city gate of Town 69.

The city gate was tall and magnificent, built of some dark brown stone, with complex runes engraved on the surface, flashing with a faint blue light in the sun.

Each set of runes was arranged according to a precise geometric structure, forming a complex protective array network.

"These runes are part of the protective array." Ethan explained, pointing to the glowing patterns:

"They can slow down the infiltration of Abyss energy and protect the residents in the city from excessive infection."

He pointed to a set of particularly complex runes:

"The main part of this was specially designed by the enchanters of the Crystal Spire as 'Purification Nodes,' which can convert the infiltrated Abyss energy into a relatively harmless form.

It is precisely because of these runes that the Abyss Aura in the city is much weaker than the outside, but also purer, and will not cause that kind of physiological discomfort."

After the guards at the city gate verified Luo En's wizard badge, they immediately saluted, not daring to perform any extra checks.

This respect and fear for formal wizards were consistent throughout the entire Ring Abyss Continent group; the status of wizards was above almost all extraordinary beings.

The moment he stepped into the city gate, Luo En immediately felt a subtle energy change.

The Abyss Aura inside the city wall was indeed much weaker than the outside, but also... purer.

This seemed to be the result of some kind of filtration and purification, making people feel less oppressed, but instead having a peculiar sense of comfort.

It felt like drinking ice water on a hot summer day, both refreshing and invigorating.

"Then, welcome to Town 69, Wizard Lord."

Ethan made a somewhat exaggerated welcome gesture, his eyes carrying a hint of pride:

"Although our small town is far from the prosperity of the Central Lands, it also has its unique charm."

Luo En looked up, and the scene in the city was indeed quite unique.

The streets were winding and tortuous, paved with dark gray stone slabs, and on both sides were buildings of various styles.

Some were ordinary stone houses, some seemed to be cast from living metal, with fine patterns constantly changing on the surface;

others looked like they were remodeled from the skeletons of huge creatures, shining with a pearly luster in the sun.

Most eye-catching was a tower reaching into the clouds, made entirely of transparent crystals, with every crystal constantly changing angles, making the whole tower look like it was rotating slowly.

"That is the Detection Tower." Ethan explained, following Luo En's gaze:

"The crystals at the top of the tower will change color according to the Abyss activity, from calm blue to dangerous red, with a total of seven levels."

Luo En looked toward the top of the tower and saw the crystals presenting a calm light blue light; clearly, the current Abyss activity was at a relatively low level.

The residents walking on the street were a mix of various races—besides gray-skinned humans similar to Ethan, there were various alien races.

These residents of different races all had similar Abyss mutation characteristics—gray skin, glowing eyes, unnatural limb extensions, or abnormal body surface patterns.

Ethan noticed Luo En's observation and explained with a smile:

"Under the influence of the Abyss, the boundaries between races become blurred. Our common mutation characteristics have, to some extent, brought us closer together. There are no strict racial barriers here like in the outside world; everyone is equally marked by the Abyss."

He shrugged, his tone carrying a touch of black humor: "It is precisely this common curse that created the unique harmony between us."

As the two went deeper into the city, the streets became more and more crowded.

Various hawking sounds, bargaining sounds, and peculiar music sounds intertwined, forming a noisy and vibrant wave of sound.

But when Luo En passed by, an invisible repulsive force field seemed to form around him.

The crowd parted unconsciously, making way for him.

Those originally noisy vendors and customers suddenly became quiet, their eyes filled with awe.

Those closer to him immediately bowed and saluted after seeing the badge on his chest.

"Move aside! The Wizard Lord is here!"

A tall man with a scarred face and an armband on his arm shouted in a low voice, helping Luo En push away a few young people who were blocking the way, his voice filled with awe.

As a formal wizard, Luo En's existence itself was a silent deterrent.

His radiation field and magic fluctuations were enough to make all extraordinary beings with a certain level of perception feel danger and instinctively choose to retreat.

Ethan seemed to have expected this situation, a proud expression appearing on his face.

Being a guide for a wizard was a great honor, which would win him considerable talking points in the town for a long time.

"We have arrived at our destination, Wizard Lord."

The man pointed to an open square ahead:

"This is the largest trading place in Town 69—the Abyss Market."

Luo En's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the noisy square.

The Abyss Market occupied a vast area, at least the size of several football fields, and was divided into dozens of areas, each selling different types of goods.

There were those selling food, those selling equipment, and those selling potions.

There was even an area specifically providing various "special services," ranging from divination to 'recuperation'.

"It seems particularly lively today."

Luo En pointed out, noting that the flow of people in the market was much larger than he had expected, with pedestrians almost rubbing shoulders.

"Ah, yes, you also saw the fluctuations of the observation tower just now; we are in the trough period of the 'Abyss Tide'."

(End of chapter)