Facing the Abyss as a Demon Cultivator

Inside the stronghold, Wang Long spoke in a loud and confident voice.

Compared to two days ago, his muscles had grown even larger, making him look like a bull. Even his height seemed to have increased by a few centimeters, giving off an imposing aura.

It was clear at a glance that he had leveled up from killing monsters in the past two days, reaching F-rank level 4!

His increased level had obviously given Wang Long immense confidence. He seemed to have reverted to his old self back in school, the bully who intimidated classmates with his physique. Even his attitude towards Shen Zhuo was laced with a hint of disdain.

In his eyes, Shen Zhuo was just a rich kid with a good family background. His methods of managing the team were too soft, especially when it came to Chu Xiu.

He was practically being led by the nose.

Moreover, Shen Zhuo hadn't hidden the fact that he bought his profession.

This made Wang Long believe that apart from being born with a silver spoon, Shen Zhuo was utterly incompetent. He was convinced that he would be a much better leader for the team.

Before Shen Zhuo could respond to Wang Long's proposal, Yun Lu was the first to object, "How can we do that?! The price was agreed upon beforehand, how can we just change it? Then Chu Xiu could also change the cost of upgrading equipment!"

Wang Long remained silent, but Wu Xinyi sneered, "What does it matter? Our equipment is basically complete, and we've gotten a lot of good drops recently. Instead of continuing to rely on him, it's better to save the Karma Points to upgrade our combat skills."

"I just can't stand his arrogant attitude, unwilling to suffer any losses, as if we're begging him."

"It's not that exaggerated..." Yun Lu softly defended Chu Xiu.

Hearing this, Wu Xinyi became even angrier. Unlike Wang Long, she didn't have any personal grudge against Chu Xiu. Her dislike stemmed almost entirely from Yun Lu's seemingly inexplicable "preference" towards him.

"Xiao Lu, do you like him that much?" Wu Xinyi said angrily.

"Of course not! We've only known each other for a few days." Yun Lu waved her hands repeatedly.

"Then why do you always defend him?" Wu Xinyi continued to question.

Yun Lu lowered her head, hesitating for a long while before saying, "Actually... I just think he's really strong."

"Huh?" Wu Xinyi was taken aback, and the others also revealed surprised expressions.

Strong? Chu Xiu?

Yun Lu smiled awkwardly, "I don't know why either, but he has this reassuring aura about him... and I feel like he would protect me because I'm useful. Maybe it's just a herbivore's survival instinct?"

Wu Xinyi said helplessly, "You really think you're a deer?"

Li Shan chuckled, "Xiao Lu, maybe it's because he was the first person you met here, so you subconsciously developed this illusion. I think there's a psychological term for it."

"But let's be realistic, how strong can he be with an energy level of 0.8 as a support profession?"

Yun Lu fell silent, and Wang Long continued, "That's right, he's not strong, but he's already taken so many Karma Points from us. Can you really swallow this?"

"He was shortsighted enough not to join us before, and now he wants to buy meat on the cheap? Where's the logic in that?"

"You guys need to think clearly. Once the trial is over and we leave the Abyss, we won't be able to take these Karma Points back!"

Wang Long's voice was urgent.

Many others chimed in, mostly those with support professions. They worked tirelessly all day just to earn single-digit Karma Points, while Chu Xiu earned more than ten times that! As fellow support professionals, this huge disparity had long filled them with resentment towards Chu Xiu.

Of course, there were also those who disagreed. It wasn't that they had any particular fondness for Chu Xiu, but they didn't want any unnecessary complications so close to the end of the trial.

The crowd inside the stronghold was divided into two factions, arguing amongst themselves.

Sitting quietly in the corner, Guan Ke rubbed her forehead with a speechless expression, her eyes filled with disdain.

"What a bunch of idiots," she thought.

Guan Ke suddenly felt that maybe, like Chu Xiu, it was a better choice to remain independent from the start and utilize one's advantages to earn Karma Points.

Being among this group provided good cover and some conveniences, but it inevitably consumed a lot of energy.

These people had absolutely no sense of crisis, their eyes only seeing petty calculations.

In contrast, Chu Xiu had already boldly formulated a plan, attempting to increase his advantage by hunting at night. The difference between them was like night and day.

"Alright, that's enough."

At this moment, looking at the chattering crowd, Shen Zhuo knocked on the table.

"We set the price of food long ago, and it's not cheap. It's a very reasonable price."

"Rules are rules. There's no need to break them for a little profit."

Shen Zhuo's words ended the argument within the stronghold.

However, it was clear that Wang Long was not convinced. He snorted coldly and walked straight out of the stronghold.

Li Shan smiled apologetically at the others, "Wang Long is just impulsive, I'll go talk to him."

He then followed Wang Long out the door.

But as the door closed behind him, the apologetic smile on Li Shan's face instantly vanished.

He caught up with Wang Long, and the two walked silently along the corridor.

Once they were far away from the stronghold, Wang Long finally spoke, "So?"

Li Shan replied without hesitation, "We make our move tonight. This is our last chance."

Hearing this, a hint of hesitation appeared on Wang Long's fierce face, "Are we really going to kill him?"

Li Shan sneered, "What, are you scared?"

"Of course not, I just..." Wang Long's expression flickered between uncertainty and resolve, "I just don't think we have a guaranteed chance of success."

Li Shan scoffed, "How could we not? We're both level 4 now. You know that after reaching level 4, the experience gained from killing ghouls decreases drastically. There's no way Chu Xiu could have reached level 5."

"Two level 4 combat professions, afraid of a support profession of the same rank? Not to mention, our equipment isn't bad either!"

Li Shan's words seemed to convince Wang Long somewhat, but he still hesitated, "It's not enough to just win; we need to make it clean. If this gets out, we could be expelled from the stronghold."

Li Shan sneered, "What doesn't come with risks? If you're so afraid of everything, why even come to the Abyss?"

"If we miss this opportunity, where else are we going to find another stupid cash cow like Chu Xiu?"

"You should know in your heart that for Awakened like us, with mediocre professions and talents, we won't be able to grow without being ruthless. Don't tell me you want to be Shen Zhuo's lapdog for the rest of your life?"

Li Shan's words completely solidified Wang Long's resolve. The hesitation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep killing intent. He grinned ferociously, "Tell me, what's the plan?"

"Don't worry," Li Shan licked his lips, "I've already formulated a perfect plan, with multiple layers of preparation."

"Remember my [Lure] skill? The one made with ghoul blood? It can attract ghouls. We just need to apply it to..."

"And the [Type 005 Ghoul Venom] we got this morning, we can mix it into Chu Xiu's food..."

"Through some manipulation, we might be able to pull Gao Yuan over. Although he refused us earlier, he likes Yun Lu. We just need to..."

"We can borrow Xinyi's gun as insurance..."

"Most importantly, a lone wolf like Chu Xiu, even if he disappears, others will just assume he met an accident while hunting alone. He's the perfect target."

The more Li Shan spoke, the more excited he became, outlining several plans in one breath. Each one was enough to easily end the life of an F-rank level 4 Awakened.

It even made the person behind him sigh in admiration:

"What a perfect plan."

(End of chapter)