Gazing into the Abyss

"By the way, Ye Chen, how are you feeling now? Is anything bothering you?" Lyle's smile faded as he asked with gentle concern.

Ye Chen rose from the bench, twisted his neck, rolled his shoulders, and quickly threw several punches into the air, followed by a series of kicks and sweeps. He felt his body over, from the skin to the bones beneath, and found no sign that anything was cracking again.

"Perfectly fine. Teacher, your treatment is amazing! Was that some kind of General Spirit Art, like Self-Healing?" Ye Chen asked brightly, his face full of curiosity.

Lyle shook his head.

"No. Self-Healing is the only healing art among the General Spirit Arts. To use healing on someone else, you have to rely on your Innate Spirit Art or a relic."

"And the reason you've recovered completely is that one of my Contract Relics healed you."

"If I could, I'd pass all of them on to you. But they're high-level relics, and you don't meet the requirements to contract with them yet. So even if I severed my ties to them, you wouldn't be able to take them."

At that, Lyle's expression suddenly dimmed, leaving Ye Chen utterly confused.

"Let's not talk about that. I left some new clothes in your room. Wash up before you change. You're a mess right now."

At Lyle's reminder, Ye Chen looked down at his torn shirt and trousers and realized he looked no different from a beggar.

The boy hurried off to wash up, then changed into a fresh white shirt, black trousers, and a thick, warm wolf-fur coat. He looked smart, and the clothes also let him move freely—just what he needed for the battles ahead.

After getting dressed, Ye Chen returned from his room to the Prayer Hall.

Lyle reached out and lifted the long blade lying across the bench beside him, then handed it to Ye Chen. It was the straight sword he'd left behind in the study on the second floor of Xiaowalu Mansion.

"You left your sword in the mansion. I brought it back for you. Here."

The boy took the sword in surprise. Its blade was still smooth as a mirror, but the leather wrapped around its hilt had been burned black and brittle.

Clearly, Lyle had retrieved it from the fire. Ye Chen couldn't imagine what extraordinary means he'd used.

"Teacher, you really are incredible," Ye Chen murmured, his admiration for Lyle rising another notch. Who knew what other rare treasures this man was keeping hidden?

Lyle fell silent for a long while, then a hint of apology appeared on his face.

"Ye Chen, I'm sorry. Before this Third Trial, I kept a great deal of crucial information from you, and that led to one unexpected turn after another. I hope you'll forgive me."

Seeing his teacher offer such a solemn apology, the boy hurriedly waved his hands. "N-no, it's fine! I don't mind at all! I'm sure you did it to test how well I could adapt to unexpected situations. I completely understand!"

Ye Chen gave an awkward explanation. He respected Lyle beyond measure and hadn't been angry with him even during his earlier struggle against the prey. Now that the trial was over, how could he hold a grudge?

Lyle's tone changed, and his face filled with relief.

"Still, your performance this time truly exceeded my expectations."

"I watched the Third Trial from beginning to end. Many times, I nearly stepped in. But you still relied on your wits and courage to overcome one crisis after another, and in the end, you completed the trial all on your own."

"Ye Chen, you proved your ability through your actions. You passed the test with strength and intelligence and became a true Hunter. Now I recognize that you can stand on your own, and I'm confident letting you venture beyond the Labyrinth into the world outside. Spread your wings."

Ye Chen listened quietly to Lyle's unreserved praise. At first, he blushed and scratched his head. But when he heard Lyle's final words, his heart gave a sudden lurch.

"On my own?"

The boy repeated the words, bewildered.

Suddenly, a tremendous roar erupted beyond the Prayer Hall, like countless cannons firing at once. The floor of the hall began to shake violently.

Rumble—!

"Teacher, what's happening!?"

Ye Chen's expression instantly sharpened with the alertness of a hunter on the prowl. He hurriedly turned to Lyle.

"Don't panic. That's thunder. It's one of the phenomena that occur before the Abyss invades. It won't affect us yet."

Lyle calmly reassured him.

An Abyss invasion!?

The words sent another shock through Ye Chen.

He'd thought there would be plenty of time to prepare after completing the Third Trial. He hadn't expected that the moment he awoke from his coma, the strange and unpredictable Abyss would already be on the verge of entering this world!

Lyle said no more. He simply walked toward the Prayer Hall's exit at an unhurried pace.

Ye Chen quickly checked the revolver and straight sword in his hands, then followed close behind Lyle, his heart pounding.

Teacher and student stepped outside together into the broad, snowy churchyard and looked into the distance through the courtyard gate.

The very next second, the sight before him left Ye Chen stunned.

What reflected in his eyes was no longer the familiar range of snow-capped mountains, dense snow-covered forests, and vast plains. Instead, an endless, lightless expanse of black stretched before him, like a starless night sky, swallowing everything except the Snow Mountain where the Old Church stood.

"Th-these..."

"Could they all be..."

"The Abyss?"

Looking at the black ocean covering the entire frozen world, Ye Chen couldn't help swallowing. Then, in a trembling voice, he asked his teacher.

During the trial, fighting just two creatures tainted by the Abyss had nearly cost Ye Chen his life. Now he could scarcely imagine how he was supposed to stand against an Abyss so vast and numerous that it covered the whole world.

But just as the boy was overcome by fear and doubt, the man clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, Ye Chen."

"The Abyss feeds on fear more than any other emotion. The more afraid you are, the easier it is for it to take advantage of you. Face it, just as you did during the Final Trial."

"Make it remember: when the Abyss gazes at you, you're gazing back at it! Always remember both the human and the beast within you! Never yield, no matter what. Never yield!"

Lyle's firm words steadied Ye Chen like a dose of medicine, awakening the hunter's resolve and fighting spirit within him. His hands clenched tight, and a gleam lit his eyes as his determination flared anew.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Ye Chen answered in a ringing voice.

"Good."

Seeing his student quickly regain his composure, Lyle nodded with satisfaction. He turned his gaze back to the approaching black ocean. Deep in his calm eyes, a brilliant gold suddenly appeared.

Whoosh!

The next moment, a dazzling golden beam shot from the heavens above the Old Church, from a point still untouched by the Abyss. It struck one corner of the black ocean like lava pouring into ice, dissolving countless dark Abyssal shadows and burning a hollow path through the boundless darkness.

Ye Chen stared upward. Then, high in the heavens, he saw an enormous eye.

It floated in the sky, its radius stretching for several kilometers. The iris at its center shone brilliant gold, the exact same color as Lyle's eyes.

The boy should have found this vast, indescribable thing—something he had never seen before—strange and terrifying.

Yet the instant he saw it, a sense of familiarity and closeness rushed into Ye Chen's heart.

His instincts told him that this golden eye, hidden at the top of the heavens, was why Lyle could keep watch over everything in this frozen world and protect Ye Chen wherever and whenever he was. It had watched over Ye Chen's life, allowing him to grow from a frail infant into an independent Hunter.