Facing the Abyss as a Demon Cultivator

The mechanical voice rang in Chu Xiu's ears as the scene around him began to distort, shattering like a mirror. When he came to his senses, he was back in the Awakening Space.

Chu Xiu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

The dungeon wasn't difficult; in fact, it was completely lacking in challenge for him.

However, the sheer number of ghouls, each requiring individual elimination without exception, still took some effort.

As a result, it took him about fifteen minutes to clear the dungeon.

As for rewards, besides the basic reward for completing the dungeon, there was nothing else. The drop rate was abysmal.

He gained about 9 experience points, slightly better than he had anticipated.

He was still 877 points away from leveling up, meaning he needed to clear 98 more dungeons. Without interruption, that would take nearly twenty-five hours.

Acceptable!

Of course, he couldn't possibly grind continuously. Dungeon delves were incredibly draining, both physically and mentally. He wouldn't force himself to challenge dungeons in a suboptimal state.

This wasn't a game, after all. He only had one life.

However, even with a conservative estimate, a week should suffice.

Moreover, as his proficiency increased, his speed would also pick up!

He wasn't afraid of hard work. As a demonic cultivator, one had to be ruthless, not only to others but also to oneself. This was nothing.

Chu Xiu's main concern was the randomness of the dungeons.

Each time a dungeon was created, the monsters and spawn points would be randomized.

Theoretically, if one were extremely unlucky, it was possible to encounter D-rank or even C-rank monsters in a normal difficulty dungeon!

The probability was negligible, but with enough attempts, accidents were bound to happen.

Take, for example, the group of people at the school gate who led others on dungeon runs. Few lived past forty.

Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it and immediately started a new dungeon.

This time, he chose the [Hard] difficulty.

On Hard difficulty, the ghouls' attributes were close to those in reality. Moreover, the time of day shifted from day to night, further enhancing their strength and increasing their numbers.

However, for Chu Xiu, it was still a walk in the park.

In the end, it took him twenty minutes to clear, earning him 2 Karma points and 13 Profession experience points.

The efficiency was slightly higher, but not by much.

By now, Chu Xiu was feeling somewhat tired. He returned to reality for a half-hour break before continuing to challenge the even higher difficulty [Nightmare] dungeon.

On this difficulty, the ghouls' constitution received an additional 20% boost, and their numbers doubled!

Finally, Chu Xiu got a taste of the ghoul horde that he hadn't had the chance to experience in reality.

As soon as he entered the underground parking lot, dozens of ghouls surged towards him from all directions, a terrifying sight.

These simulated ghouls knew no fear, never retreating, making them even more difficult to deal with than their real counterparts!

Although they couldn't harm Chu Xiu, protected by his +7 Energy Absorption Heavy Armor and Tough Skin trait, even dozens of cockroaches jumping at him would be frightening.

Moreover, Chu Xiu noticed Elites mixed in with the horde!

This made him cautious. To be safe, he began to carefully draw out and eliminate the ghouls layer by layer, instead of charging in like he did on the previous two difficulties.

With the help of his [Silent Boots], he could quickly disengage after each kill. Although it took more time, he didn't encounter any danger.

When he finally reached the bottom floor, the final boss turned out to be the Level 9 Elite Type-008 Ghoul he had killed before!

With the additional 20% constitution boost, this creature was now capable of going toe-to-toe with an Elite Yin Ghost, although it was still no match for Chu Xiu.

However, considering the surrounding mob of smaller ghouls, Chu Xiu didn't let his guard down. He carefully drew out the enemies in groups, utilizing his superior mobility to whittle them down. Once most of the smaller ghouls were eliminated, he finished off the Elite Yin Ghost with a single blow.

His final reward was 4 Karma points, 33 experience points, and luckily, a [Standard] quality equipment drop.

However, due to the significant time spent on luring and eliminating enemies, the total clear time reached one hour and forty-five minutes, making it less efficient overall.

"The [Nightmare] difficulty dungeon requires a full party of mostly C-rank or higher combat professions, equipped with at least [Excellent] quality gear, and all at Level 9, to have a chance at clearing."

"Even then, the failure rate is not low! If I'm not mistaken, those dungeon-running groups mainly focus on [Normal] and [Hard] difficulty dungeons."

"To consistently clear [Nightmare] difficulty, you'd need a full party of B-rank combat professions at the very least!"

Even Chu Xiu sensed a hint of danger. For instance, if a few more Elites were to spawn within the ghoul horde, or worse, if the final boss turned out to be D-rank, he would be in trouble.

"Although the probability of such scenarios is low, it's a factor to consider. Moreover, clearing [Nightmare] dungeons is too taxing."

Facing a swarm of ghouls with Elites mixed in, taking damage was inevitable. Although they were only minor injuries like scratches and bruises, their cumulative effect would still impact his leveling speed.

Chu Xiu aimed for flawless clears.

Therefore, he decided to focus on farming [Hard] difficulty dungeons for experience for the time being.

He could always come back to challenge [Nightmare] difficulty after refining a few more Yin Ghosts.

With his mind made up, Chu Xiu stretched his sore shoulders, let out a deep breath, and returned to reality.

As soon as he stepped back into his room, he heard a loud knocking on the door and Li Xiu's voice shouting, "Chu Xiu! Chu Xiu!"

Chu Xiu's heart skipped a beat. When his mother called him by his full name, it usually meant trouble.

He quickly opened the door. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Li Xiu stood outside, fuming, with a tall figure behind her.

"Hey, Chu Xiu," Zhang Qingshan greeted him with a smile.

"Oh, it's Qingshan, come in." Chu Xiu tried to play it cool.

But Li Xiu wasn't letting him off the hook so easily. "What were you doing in there? Why didn't you answer the door for so long?" she demanded.

Chu Xiu chuckled awkwardly. "Mom, I was so tired that I fell asleep."

"Don't lie to me! You were in the dungeon, weren't you?"

"No way, I was just taking a look around the Awakening Space. Don't worry, Mom, I won't do anything reckless."

Li Xiu stared at Chu Xiu for a long moment before sighing. "Fine, I can't control you youngsters anymore. Qingshan, please talk some sense into him. He's a support class, he shouldn't be thinking about those dangerous things."

"Yes, Auntie," Zhang Qingshan readily agreed.

Li Xiu shook her head and turned to leave. Zhang Qingshan closed the door behind her and chuckled. "You were in the dungeon, weren't you? You just got back and you're already at it again. You're really eager, huh?"

Chu Xiu didn't deny it.

Zhang Qingshan continued, "Why didn't you call me? We could have teamed up, it's always safer with a buddy."

"I didn't want to slow you down," Chu Xiu said with a smile. "So, what brings you here so late at night?"

"What else could it be? To talk about exploring the Abyss, of course," Zhang Qingshan said, waving his hand. "I was wondering if you'd be too scared to go back in after that, but it seems like you're not giving up."

Chu Xiu smiled. Having grown up together, he knew Zhang Qingshan all too well. He was a loyal friend, and he was probably here to help him level up.

However, in a place like the Abyss, even self-preservation was a challenge. Was he worthy of such loyalty?

"Qingshan," Chu Xiu began, looking up at his friend. "What Talent and Profession did you awaken as?"

(End of Chapter)