The black sun hangs high

Chapter 474 Essence
After an unknown period of time, the raging rat, shrouded in gloomy mist, once again carried its master onto the vast plain paved with the bones of countless dead.

Following its master's wishes, the giant rat slowly walked up a hill of bones. It wasn't too far from the mountains behind it, so the spatial rules remained stable, only slightly more "viscous".

Hugh turned around to look back, and even now, the figures of those who had come to see him off were still standing at the foot of the mountain.

According to the plan and agreement, once Hugh leaves, the rat people will immediately begin to take measures to completely seal off and hide their settlement.

From then on, this ancient race from Vaan would spend a long period of learning and development in this dwelling, which was transformed from the ruins of another civilization.

Hugh looked at the hunched figure standing at the front of the farewell procession, raised his hand and waved it twice. The figure then raised its withered arm and gently swayed in his direction. The sight reminded Hugh of the plants swaying in the cold breeze on the plains of Delan in early spring.

The path from bud to giant tree is destined to be incredibly long, yet the chaos in the Dark Abyss Wilderness frees this winding path from the constraints and limitations of time. With so many variables reduced to chaos, it is unlikely that anyone could accurately calculate the specific process a civilization needs to go through from enlightenment to rise.

"I wish you all the best."

Hugh spoke, but the storm raged on the Dark Abyss Wasteland, and only he could hear the sound.

The moment the words fell, the enormous metal disc hidden in the ocean of Shug's spirit broke through the surface and appeared. With the infusion of boundless magic power, the intricate gears and chains began to operate.

Accompanied by orderly and dull metallic sounds, the state of magic in the groove of the disc was constantly changing. Under Hugh's control, the magic mixed with the gloomy shadows was extracted separately. These transparent and clear streams of magic were shaped into sharp blades and decisively fell into the groove where the running rat lived.

Almost instantly, the Ernst family souls who had voluntarily remained in the ratmen's habitat were freed. The magical link between them and Hugh, the metal disc, and the running rats was thus easily severed by Hugh. This action seemed dangerous, but it did not cause any impact or damage to either side.

At the same time the link ended, Hugh sent a portion of his magic to the other end of the link. The total amount of this magic was quite limited, but it was enough for these "family elders" who existed in the form of blind rats to gain almost infinite life in this chaotic world. From then on, they would no longer be creations limited by Hugh or other magical rituals, but "divine advisors" with a status similar to the warriors and priests in the rat tribe.

A slight ripple came from the low sigh of Countess Alexandra.

These souls and wills had been trapped for a long time in the Earth Mother Mystic Ritual set up by the Black Sun Society. The power of the ritual allowed the invisible souls and wills to merge and collide with each other. In the minds of these dead, they had long since become an inseparable whole. However, now, a part of their souls had separated. The shock and emptiness brought about by this process were obviously not pleasant.

However, Alexandra didn't say anything more.

After all, for these former soldiers, being able to personally go to the struggle and the battlefield again, and to join the conflict of iron and blood once more, is already the ultimate pursuit and enjoyment.

Not to mention, the enemy in this battle is so extraordinary.

Hugh pulled his attention away from the roar of the metal disc, and the massive, intricate creation sank back down. Hugh raised his gaze and looked intently at the warm light shining through the crack in the towering mountain.

Now Hugh knows that the source of that radiance is neither a miracle nor some kind of beacon hidden in the abyss.

It was an old monument, a magnificent monument that came from the past, yet spanned the unknown and the future, completely transcending the dimension of time.

The secrets hidden within constitute his soul and spirit, giving him the reason and power to fight against those distorted beings.

"I'm leaving."

Hugh gazed at the warm light and spoke softly, bidding farewell to the pioneers who didn't even know him. Then he spurred the running rat to turn and run down the hill, his figure disappearing nimbly into the faint light, just like those wanderers heading to distant places at dawn.

The moment he stepped into the familiar darkness, the shadow protection from Theseus immediately surged from within the bodies of the running rat and Hugh, and these forces quickly formed a void armor and barrier, layer upon layer, enveloping Hugh all around.

Under their protection, Hugh adjusted his state and constructed several special magical rituals that had been organized and modified by Aziv and were adapted to the Dark Abyss environment. Then, the Roots of Fate and the Touch of Karron, which were part of Hugh's power carriers, emerged one after another. They formed the foundation and nodes for these magical rituals, spreading the magic power that could only cover a small area to the surrounding areas.

As a result, the chaotic rules that had been causing constant interference when Hugh first arrived in the Dark Abyss Wasteland retreated under this special coping method, the scale of space quickly returned to normal, and the running rats' speed was correspondingly increased.

Which way should we go?

Hughes asked in his mind, and Theseus immediately responded—a shadow emerged from the barrier, gracefully tracing an arc in mid-air, pointing towards the distant horizon.

"If we follow this direction, we'll find the Dark Abyss Palace?"

"Ah."

Theseus sneered: "If you don't trust my navigation, you can explore on your own... Of course, if you ask me, the fastest way to find the Dark Abyss Palace is to directly remove these shielding measures. That way, those hounds will be right in front of you."

"And then what? I pick a few out to pull the cart?"

"More likely, they will summon their superiors along with them, and then you can smoothly arrive at the Dark Abyss Palace in the form of excrement and soul remnants."

Theseus's joke was as malicious as ever. After a couple of snickers, he added, "The Dark Abyss has always been that stupid dog's hunting ground. Even if you can draw on some of the power left by your mentor, you can't possibly fight it head-on here."

"The derivatives of the Dark Abyss Palace are already so troublesome, so even if I do find the Dark Abyss Palace, what can I do? Can I really dismantle it?"

As Hughes gazed at the enormous shadow drifting across the distant sky over the wasteland, he questioned inwardly, "Back when we were still at the base, you were unwilling to reveal the secrets to me. Now that I've set off as agreed, shouldn't you tell me your specific thoughts?"

"Okay, but before that, I'd like to ask you a few questions." "Here we go again... Fine, go ahead and ask."

Hearing this, Hugh shrugged helplessly. However, he was already numb to Theseus's habit, so he simply adjusted his posture and used the Touch of Calron as a "seatbelt" to firmly fix himself to the back of the running rat.

"My first question is, you've been in the Dark Abyss for a while now... I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Dark Abyss."

"Isn't your question a bit too broad? Could you narrow it down a bit?"

"Alright, then tell me your thoughts on the 'rules' inside the Dark Abyss."

"rule?"

Hughes couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. The moment he heard those words, he could almost picture Theseus asking questions while leaning back in his chair drinking his beverage, looking incredibly smug.

After all, from the moment he entered the Dark Abyss, he had not sensed any clear patterns. Everything here was so abstract and chaotic. Even those creations that had a certain physical form and could move within the Dark Abyss Wasteland could not be understood by common sense.

Theseus, as always, sensed the change in Hugh's thoughts, so he immediately added, "Or, may I ask more specifically, do you believe that there are clear operating rules or principles within the Abyss?"

Hearing this, Hugh was slightly taken aback.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "If we exclude the obvious chaos and instability I felt inside the Dark Abyss, then what remains should be the operating method that supports this entire 'system'... Based on what I've learned before, although the Dark Abyss itself is mysterious and dangerous, it is not invincible or uncontrollable."

Just like searching through documents in a physical archive, Hugh neatly arranged the information and clues he had organized in his mind. As he quickly reviewed the contents, he continued, "Not only that, the Dark Abyss seems to be eagerly seeking more power from the outside world. A very typical example is the so-called 'Great Hunt.' Once the 'Great Hunt' stops, the Dark Abyss's presence will be greatly weakened. Conversely, the resumption of the 'Great Hunt' means that the Dark Abyss will begin a new round of expansion."

"Hmm...not bad, continue."

Theseus's voice was somewhat languid, and Hugh could even hear some strange "game sound effects" coming from inside the Dream Sanctuary. This guy was obviously busy entertaining his mentor's phantom.

Hugh didn't bother with the guy's attitude. He carefully recalled the documents and books he had found in the continuation base's database, and then his brows furrowed: "In those documents, it was mentioned more than once that all personnel participating in the continuation project and plan would have all secrets permanently protected... Even if they died, their remains would have to undergo strict processing."

"The Dark Abyss Hounds that constitute the 'Great Hunt' possess the ability to plunder the power, memories, and thoughts of their prey... However, they themselves cannot fully digest these powers and need to send them back to the Dark Abyss... Whether they ultimately abandon these memories and souls in the wasteland or bring them back to the palace, it means that the Dark Abyss actually has a strong need for these beings."

Thinking about this, Hugh suddenly realized something, and he felt as if he had been electrocuted.

“Remember? Every time we talked about the sea god Charon, we mentioned that if Charon continued down its path, it would eventually become the second Black Sun… Your judgment was actually correct, but you weren’t bold enough.”

Theseus said slowly, “The so-called Abyss can be seen as a phenomenon that can erode and destroy a world, or as a powerful individual god, or even as a collection of life forms in some form.”

"Its power and claws are tentacles used to absorb nutrients from the outside world. The many creations that roam inside the Dark Abyss are the intricate components of its internal system. Some may be muscles that help it function, while others may be tiny bacteria that help it 'digest'."

"Then what about the Dark Abyss Wasteland? If we really consider the Dark Abyss as a living entity, then what does the Wasteland represent?"

"Uh……"

Theseus hesitated for a moment, then said in a somewhat uncertain tone, "Perhaps it's a place for storing excrement?"

"It's disgusting."

"It's pretty disgusting, but there's no other corresponding explanation... Just understand."

Theseus chuckled dryly, “The truly useful souls were intercepted by the Dark Abyss Palace long before they were sent here, which is why you only encounter some fragments and remnants here.”

"So what are we now? Parasites wriggling in its intestines?"

"Hey……"

Theseus did not answer; instead, he said, "Now that this problem has been solved, we can naturally find ways to interfere with the overall operation of the Black Sun."

Hugh couldn't help but take a deep breath: "Tell me, is the Dark Abyss Palace equivalent to the 'brain' or the 'heart'?"

"All."

Theseus replied, “In fact, it also undertakes a considerable part of the ‘hunting’ function. It is the core of the black sun and the source of all the power radiating from the abyss. Once it falls into chaos, all its external actions will be hindered. In certain circumstances, we can even take over some of its functions.”

Hugh recalled Theseus's past, then asked with difficulty, "Did you used to do this all the time?"

"Not really. I used to be quite cautious, at most I would just cause some interference and sabotage, or mislead the 'Great Hunt' to some desolate places... But this time it's different, I'm going to pull off something big."

(End of this chapter)