First Encounter with the Abyss

The Alpha Ape's curled-up body sprang high into the air like a massive boulder, casting Ye Chen entirely beneath its shadow.

The next moment, its terrifying weight whipped up a savage gale as it came crashing down on Ye Chen's head.

BOOM!

The giant ape's curled body slammed the hill straight into collapse.

In an instant, earth shattered and snowy mist erupted.

The Alpha Ape's strength was terrifying, but its speed was even more terrifying. Had Ye Chen not used the Auling Power bursting from beneath his feet to instantly flee beyond its attack range, he would surely have been seriously injured by now.

After just the first exchange, Ye Chen had already realized that this giant ape tainted by the Abyss far surpassed Goda, the fugitive he had hunted during the day, in both destructive power and agility.

Therefore, even though Ye Chen's body had now been tempered by Nightmare, he had no way to confront it head-on. He could only use its strengths against its weaknesses.

After dodging the Alpha Ape's crushing blow, Ye Chen did not choose to counterattack. Instead, he leaped directly down the collapsed hill, while the enormous shadow amid the snowy haze immediately followed close behind.

With legs alone measuring two meters long, it easily caught up to the sprinting Ye Chen through its terrifying leg strength. Its arms, half crimson and half black, rose fiercely before smashing wildly at the figure ahead.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD—!

The giant ape chased the youth in a frenzied assault, battering the Pine Forest along the way until the trees toppled in every direction, yet it could never strike its target.

Listening to the endless explosions behind him, Ye Chen remained calm and unhurried.

Although his leg strength could not shake off the Alpha Ape, under the protection of Auling Power, Ye Chen could still move with nimble steps, weaving through the dense Pine Forest like a small snake. He constantly used trees as cover, causing the creature's attacks to miss again and again.

"Waaah—!"

After pursuing him for over a hundred meters without even touching a hair on the youth's head, the Alpha Ape inevitably grew agitated. It suddenly reached out, tore the trunk from a nearby pine tree, and hurled it with all its might at Ye Chen's back.

Sensing danger from behind, Ye Chen turned around and instantly rolled to the side, dodging the flying broken trunk.

THUD!

Yet even though the youth's reaction was nearly at the limit of human ability, his shoulder was still struck by the spinning trunk. The violent impact immediately threw him off balance, sending him flying into the snow, where he lay motionless.

"Hee hee hee~"

Seeing Ye Chen lying motionless on the ground, the Alpha Ape grinned foolishly in triumph.

However, just as it excitedly stepped forward to savor the sweetness of Ye Chen's flesh and blood, a sharp iron device snapped shut beneath the snow and dirt, carving countless dark-red blood blossoms across the Alpha Ape's broad instep.

"Mm!?"

The Alpha Ape was greatly startled and could not help falling forward. Its fall triggered two more Beast Trap traps buried in the snow ahead. The bloodstained iron devices clamped onto its left and right hands, scattering warm Ape Blood across the pristine snow.

While Lloyd's group had been gathered around Ponsen's abandoned hat, Ye Chen had quickly set these three Beast Traps at the foot of the hill. He then climbed a pine tree to observe the situation, ultimately bringing about the outcome before him.

Setting traps in advance and then luring enemies into triggering them was not only how Ye Chen had previously hunted the fugitive Goda, but also a method that had never failed him throughout more than ten years of hunting countless wild beasts.

Now that the Alpha Ape had fallen into the trap, Ye Chen, whose shoulder was only slightly bruised, no longer had any need to play dead.

He swiftly rose from the ground, drew Blood Blade, and turned to charge toward his prey.

Seizing the opening as the Alpha Ape struggled to rise, the youth's horizontally slashing crimson blade cleanly pierced its left chest.

SHHK!

With a muffled sound, the scarlet Blood Blade cleanly pierced through its enormous heart. Ye Chen swiftly pulled it free and retreated from the prey, preventing himself from being struck and injured by its dying resistance.

However, the instant its heart was torn apart, the Alpha Ape stopped moving altogether.

Then, with a stunned expression, it fell backward toward the sky. Its terrifying weight sent great waves of snow bursting up from the uneven ground beneath it.

THUD!

Ye Chen stood five meters away from the giant ape, watching without moving.

Although he knew his Blood Blade had undoubtedly pierced the prey's heart, he could still vaguely sense that the Abyss Matter clinging to the giant ape's surface had not stopped moving because of it!

Like mud, it coated the Alpha Ape's fur. It seemed to still be swirling, still writhing, still emitting an intensely unpleasant buzzing sound.

A bad feeling rising in his mind, Ye Chen saw that the Alpha Ape was not moving and prepared to approach again with his blade, intending to split its head in two as well.

But just as he reached a point three meters from the Alpha Ape's body, Ye Chen suddenly noticed that the folds on its huge belly had begun to squirm in an eerie manner!

The youth immediately retreated several steps. Within mere seconds, the densely packed folds on the ape's belly transformed in an unbelievable manner into the outlines of countless living faces: wolf faces, deer faces, bear faces, and even a broad human face.

Moreover, Ye Chen was extremely familiar with the owner of that human face. It was Goda, the fugitive he had hunted in the abandoned village that morning!

Faced with such a horrifying sight, Ye Chen, certain that Goda had indeed died by his blade, instantly grasped the truth.

Mental Erosion again!

These folds formed from Abyss Matter could not only display the victims the Alpha Ape had devoured, but could also directly sense the memories within one's mind, launching even more effective attacks against one's will!

The reason Lloyd and his group had become so lost and dazed earlier was precisely this powerful corrosive effect directed at the mind!

As Ye Chen thought, he backed away. Then Goda's face on the ape's belly was suddenly surrounded and condensed by the Abyss Matter around it, taking on a ghostly form in an instant before flying swiftly toward Ye Chen.

Then, a string of accusations and pleas spilled from the dead soul's mouth and drilled into Ye Chen's ears.

"Why? We had no grudge against each other. Why did you kill me?"

"I wanted so badly to see my wife one more time. Why couldn't you show mercy and let me see her before I died?"

"You're so heartless. So heartless... Come with me. Take me to see my wife, and then I'll forgive you. You want forgiveness too, don't you?"

Face-to-face with the ghost, the youth listened to the sinister wails entering his ears. Though this unprecedented and bizarre illusion did cause his mind to waver slightly, he immediately answered it with a sweep of his bloodstained blade.

"Get lost!"

Ye Chen, whose mental fortitude far exceeded that of ordinary people, directly slashed Goda's ghost into four pieces.

Since he had already learned from Lyle that Goda's wife had been killed by Goda himself, the other man's moral condemnation did not make Ye Chen uneasy. Instead, it quickly restored calm to his heart amid the illusion.

The blade flashed. Under Ye Chen's clear gaze, the fragmented Goda did not reassemble or return to life. Instead, he became countless black particles before finally vanishing into the cold air.

Abyss... it truly cannot be underestimated.

Ye Chen warned himself inwardly.

However, when he turned his gaze back toward his prey, he discovered that the snow there held nothing but the pit and marks left behind by the Alpha Ape's body.

That man-eating monster was gone!