Everyone was listening intently as Thirteen spoke when they were suddenly interrupted by the coachman's laughter.
William took the opportunity to open the front window of the carriage as well, only to see that the coachman had finished cutting away his flesh and putting on his clothes.
"Is there something funny about that?" William asked tentatively.
The coachman answered frankly, "You aren't the first person to seek the Tenth Abyss's recognition. Many people have tried before, including some who completed the process and became overconfident. Like me, for example."
Those words left William stunned. He had suspected the man's identity from the very beginning.
"And as you can see, I failed. I've become a permanent slave of the Tenth Abyss, put on this impossible-to-remove 'face mask,' and stayed here to work for the abyss, hauling outsiders with potential like you to the Abysmer Settlement.
"Of course, no matter how many people I take there, the result won't change.
"As more and more people become slaves, the Extreme Dark Zone corresponding to the Tenth Abyss will grow stronger, perhaps even reaching the level of the Source Plague Zone and beginning a full-scale invasion of the Old World itself."
William paid no attention to what the coachman said. "What do I need to do to make contact with the Tenth Abyss?"
"Are you that eager to become a 'coachman' like me? But you haven't completed the process yet, so you may receive an even lower position than mine.
"The method of contacting the abyss is very simple. Once you arrive at the Abysmer Settlement, only the final stretch of the road to the Tenth Abyss will remain.
"However, not everyone can set foot on that road. A prerequisite must be met.
"Large numbers of outsiders linger in the settlement, trying every day