Facing the Abyss as a Demon Cultivator

The next day, Chu Xiu, refreshed after a good night's sleep, returned to school. Every returning trial participant was thoroughly questioned about their experiences. The government would assign specialists to compile this information, creating a map of the trial grounds. This map would include the locations of various teleportation points, Awakened ones, ghoul clusters, and high-rank monsters. Based on this data, they would formulate effective strategies to help the Awakened enhance their strength and unite their power to conquer the World Mission.

"Name?"

"Chu Xiu."

"Student ID?"

"17352009."

"Profession and Talent?"

"Bone Assembler (D-rank), Bone Polishing (D-rank)."

"Oh? Rare talents. Are you sure those are the correct names?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Tell me about your experience in the Abyss."

"Initially, I was transported to an apartment building..."

As Chu Xiu spoke, he observed the person across from him. He seemed to be an experienced Awakened, at least D-rank, with a pair of steady black eyes that seemed to see right through him. However, Chu Xiu remained undeterred in his decision to lie. With the Qi Concealment Technique, he was confident as long as he didn't encounter an Awakened of C-rank or above using detection skills on him.

It was said that in the beginning, every Awakened who returned safely from the Awakening Trial had to register their true information. Professionals with investigative skills, such as Witches and Seers, would ensure that no one lied. However, it was later discovered that this information, no matter how confidential, would inevitably be leaked. This created an extremely hostile environment for high-talent Awakened individuals, hindering their growth and advancement. After several horrific cases of talent and profession theft, the upper class took action.

Initially, wealthy conglomerates and influential families began concealing information about their children, refusing to submit it to the government. Later, high-rank Awakened followed suit, and even ordinary families found ways to hide their children's information. Moreover, as the scope of the trials expanded, investigative professions gradually became insufficient.

Now, the government's purpose in collecting information had shifted from "regulation" to "assistance." One could lie about their information or even refuse to report it altogether. No one would bat an eye. The government was only responsible for providing guidance on how to proceed effectively.

Of course, if one wished to join a large conglomerate or certain high-welfare talent development programs, they would have to undergo verification. Otherwise, everyone with E or F-rank professions could claim to be S-rank, leading to chaos.

Therefore, the registration officer opposite Chu Xiu didn't dwell on his attributes but was more interested in his experiences in the Abyss, such as the surrounding terrain and ghoul distribution.

Chu Xiu didn't hide anything in this regard and repeated the fabricated story he had told Shen Zhuo and the others.

Upon hearing how Chu Xiu, with a low-grade support profession and no additional resources at the start, had managed to reach Level 6 by relying solely on his courage and wit, the registration officer couldn't help but reveal a surprised expression.

He sincerely advised, "You should highlight these experiences in your resume when applying for recruitment in major corporations and guilds. Although your talents and professions are only D-rank, you might still be recognized."

"You can also participate in the 'Skill Assessment' and earn a temporary contract based on your own abilities."

"Yes, thank you, Senior."

After finishing, the registration officer moved on to the main topic.

"Chu Xiu, do you know what our primary objective is at this stage?"

Chu Xiu shook his head.

The registration officer picked up a sign with four large characters written on it:

[World Mission]

"Only by completing the World Mission can the trial world be preserved."

"Whether you intend to challenge higher ranks or simply want to earn a living by working, this is the only thing you need to focus on from now on," he said, pointing at the sign.

The registration officer's words made Chu Xiu's expression turn serious. He understood the gravity of the situation.

The exploration of the Abyss by the Awakened was known as "Deep Dive."

During a Deep Dive, one might encounter three main scenarios: "Complete World," "World Fragment," and "Abyss Projection."

Of course, it was said that when diving into the deepest parts of the Abyss, there was a slim chance of encountering bizarre situations and even witnessing high-dimensional beings. However, these were too far-fetched for Chu Xiu and could be disregarded for now.

Among the three scenarios mentioned earlier, the first two were extremely rare. If one were to randomly Deep Dive into the Abyss, 99.99% of the time, they would encounter an "Abyss Projection."

An "Abyss Projection" was a replica created by the Abyss. The things inside were nothing more than echoes of the past. Although it would be a one-to-one replica of the original world, both the experience and drop rates were far inferior.

The "dungeon runs" that Awakened often referred to were essentially entering "Abyss Projections."

Once an "Abyss Projection" was cleared, one could leave their mark and re-enter it later, even choosing different difficulty levels. Of course, the monsters would respawn each time, introducing an element of randomness. Even if one had cleared a dungeon a hundred times, they could still fail on the hundred and first attempt.

On the other hand, "Complete World" and "World Fragment" were real, existing worlds. They held immense value, and upon discovery, they would typically be claimed by powerful forces.

Generally speaking, a large-scale Awakening Trial guaranteed the discovery of a "Complete World," while a Rank Up Trial guaranteed the discovery of a "World Fragment." The higher the rank, the larger the "World Fragment" discovered during the Rank Up Trial.

Taking the Ghoul World as an example, a D-rank Rank Up Trial might only grant a single building, while a B-rank Rank Up Trial could grant an entire city!

The resources contained within a complete world were naturally far greater than those found in ordinary dungeons.

Moreover, by completing the World Mission, a permanent "Anchor Point" could be established. From then on, all Awakened who participated in that particular trial could enter the world at any time, although there would be a cooldown period between each entry.

For instance, Chu Xiu currently had to wait 12.8 days before he could re-enter the Ghoul World.

However, if the World Mission was not completed within thirty days, everyone's temporary "Anchor Points" would disappear.

Without "Anchor Points," these Awakened would have to rely on "Deep Dives" to explore the Abyss. This significantly increased the risks while drastically reducing the rewards!

The unknown was the most terrifying. No one knew what they might encounter while Deep Diving in the Abyss. On the other hand, if one possessed a complete world, they could earn a decent income even by staying at the base camp and doing menial labor.

Therefore, for everyone, the current priority was to give their all to complete the World Mission and preserve the Ghoul World.

Naturally, there was also competition involved.

Upon completion of the World Mission, the Abyss would automatically evaluate each participant's contribution and issue rewards. In addition to the mission rewards, the top thirty individuals would receive a "Positioning Anchor Point," the top ten would receive an "Advanced Positioning Anchor Point," and the top individual would receive a "Core Positioning Anchor Point."

The purpose of these Anchor Points was to allow outsiders to enter the Ghoul World using certain special items. The higher the level of the "Anchor Point," the greater its power.

Therefore, major forces, including the government, would place bets in advance, sponsoring Awakened individuals with high talent and assisting them in completing the World Mission.

If their chosen individuals managed to secure high-level "Anchor Points," they would instantly recoup their investment and reap enormous profits from future exploration.

This was a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Awakened who possessed "Positioning Anchor Points" would enjoy a steady stream of income without having to lift a finger.

It could be said that the World Mission was the most crucial opportunity for all Awakened in the early stages!

(End of Chapter)