???

At last, a few threads of dim light seeped through the gaps in the leaden clouds.

The long night passed silently. Dawn... had come.

Li Wei stood at the front line, her entire body almost covered in black blood. Only her almond-shaped eyes remained bright and shining.

At her feet, a "Sea Urchin" that had been sliced in half was still twitching faintly.

The tips of its tentacles struggled to curl, trying to launch one final attack. But after writhing a few times, it finally lost all signs of life, slowly going limp and withering away.

Li Wei silently surveyed the area. As far as her eyes could see, not a single living creature remained.

She let out a long breath of foul air, steadying her ragged breathing. She casually tossed the standard-issue longsword, its edge rolled and battered, into the trench, then returned the Cicada-Wing Soft Sword to her belt.

After finishing all that, she instinctively raised her head and looked toward the sky densely covered in leaden clouds, toward the pallid light leaking through the gaps.

The gray clouds overhead resembled the winding intestines of some terrifying giant beast. Pushed along by the wind, they slowly writhed.

But this time, Li Wei felt no pressure in her heart.

She even wanted to blow a kiss toward this sky and this land.

Because...

Abyss Essence: 143380

Looking at the number on the system panel, Li Wei could no longer suppress her smile.

The fact that she managed not to laugh out loud, hop around, or sprint off wildly was already the limit of her self-control.

Once her joy had subsided a little, she immediately began calculating.

She needed 50,000 essence to advance to Tier Four.

Assuming the upgrade experience required for the Middle Third Order was ten