Gazing into the Abyss

"By the way, Ye Chen, how does your body feel now? Is there any discomfort?" Lyle softened his expression and asked with a gentle tone.

Ye Chen stood up from the bench, twisted his neck, rolled his shoulders, and threw a few quick shadow punches and kicks. He immediately sensed that his body—from the skin on his surface to the bones within—showed no signs of tearing again.

"Not at all. Teacher, your healing methods are incredible! Was that some other form of General Spirit Art similar to Self-Healing?" Ye Chen replied with a radiant face, his eyes full of curiosity as he pressed for an answer.

Lyle shook his head.

"No, Self-Healing is the only healing method among the General Spirit Arts. To heal others, one must rely on Innate Spirit Arts and Relics."

"The reason you were able to recover completely is thanks to the effects of one of my Contract Relics."

"If I could, I would pass them all on to you, but these are high-tier Relics. You currently lack the requirements to form a contract with them, so even if I severed my connection to them, you wouldn't be able to take them with you."

As he said this, Lyle's expression suddenly dimmed, leaving Ye Chen completely bewildered.

"Never mind that. I've placed new clothes in your room. Go wash up and change; you look far too unpresentable right now."

Hearing Lyle's reminder, Ye Chen looked down at his tattered, shredded clothes and trousers, only then realizing that he looked no different from a beggar.

With that, the youth hurriedly washed up and changed into a crisp white shirt, black trousers, and a thick, warm new wolf-fur coat. He looked sharp, and the attire was practical enough to allow him to stretch his limbs and move freely in future battles.

Once changed, Ye Chen returned from his room to the Prayer Hall.

Seeing him, Lyle reached out and handed over a long blade resting on the nearby bench—the very same straight sword the youth had left behind in the study on the second floor of the Xiaowalu Mansion.

"I retrieved the sword you dropped in the mansion. Here it is, back to you."

The youth took the long blade in surprise. Although the surface of the blade was still smooth as a mirror, the leather wrapped around the hilt had been scorched black as ash.

Clearly, Lyle had retrieved it from the heart of the fire, though it was impossible to know what miraculous methods he had employed.

"Teacher is truly amazing."

Ye Chen muttered under his breath, his admiration for his teacher rising to a new level. Heaven knows what other rare and precious treasures this man might be hiding in secret.

Lyle remained silent for a long time before a hint of apology suddenly appeared on his face.

"Ye Chen, I'm sorry. Before the Third Trial, I withheld a great deal of critical information, which caused you to face constant crises. For that, I ask for your forgiveness."

Seeing his teacher offer such a solemn apology, the youth quickly waved his hands in response: "No, it's fine! I don't mind at all! I'm sure you did this to test my ability to adapt to changing circumstances, Teacher. I completely understand!"

Ye Chen explained with an embarrassed expression. He respected Lyle to the utmost degree; he hadn't felt a shred of resentment toward him even while fighting for his life against his prey. Now that the trial was over, how could he possibly hold a grudge?

Lyle shifted his tone, his face filled with gratification.

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

"I watched the Third Trial from beginning to end. Many times, I was tempted to intervene, but you relied on your wits and courage to overcome one obstacle after another, ultimately completing the trial all on your own."

"Ye Chen, you have proven your strength through your actions. With power and wisdom, you have successfully passed the test and become a qualified Hunter. As of now, I recognize your independence, and I am confident enough to let you head out into the world beyond the Labyrinth. Spread your wings and soar."

Ye Chen listened silently to Lyle's unreserved praise. At first, he blushed and scratched his head, but when he heard the final sentence, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Alone?"

The youth repeated the word, looking lost.

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from outside the Prayer Hall, as if countless cannons had fired at once, causing the floor of the hall to shake violently.

Rumble------!

"Teacher, what is this!?"

Ye Chen's expression instantly shifted to the vigilance of a hunt, and he hurriedly asked Lyle.

"Don't panic. That is thunder—one of the phenomena that occurs before an Abyss invasion. It won't affect us for the time being."

Lyle replied with a calm expression.

An Abyss invasion!?

Hearing this, Ye Chen's heart was struck with even greater shock.

He had assumed that after completing the Third Trial, he would have plenty of leisure time to prepare. He never expected that the moment he woke from his unconsciousness, the mysterious and terrifying Abyss would be on the verge of stepping into this world!

Lyle said nothing more, simply walking with steady steps toward the exit of the Prayer Hall.

Ye Chen quickly checked his revolver and straight sword before following nervously behind Lyle.

The master and apprentice stepped outside into the spacious, snow-covered courtyard of the church and looked toward the horizon through the courtyard gate.

The next second, Ye Chen's face was frozen by the sight before him.

At this moment, reflected in his pupils and upon his retinas were no longer the rolling snow-capped mountains, dense snowy forests, or vast snowfields he had known. Instead, it was an endless, impenetrable domain of pitch-black darkness, like a night sky devoid of stars, swallowing everything except for the mountain where the Old Church stood.

"These..."

"Could it be..."

"The Abyss?"

Ye Chen gazed at the black ocean engulfing the entire frozen world, unable to help but swallow hard, before asking his teacher in a trembling voice.

In the previous trial, dealing with just two creatures tainted by the Abyss had nearly cost him his life. Now, he couldn't even begin to imagine how one could possibly contend with an Abyss of such terrifying scale, one that had consumed the entire world.

However, just as the youth was deeply shaken and gripped by fear, the man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not be afraid, Ye Chen."

"The Abyss loves fear above all else. The more you fear, the easier it is for it to exploit your weaknesses. Face them head-on, just as you did during the Final Trial."

"Make them remember that when the Abyss gazes into you, you are also gazing into the Abyss! Always keep your humanity and your beastly nature in mind! At any moment, you must not yield, you must never yield!"

Lyle's resolute words acted like a sedative for the heart, instantly igniting the awareness and fighting spirit of a Hunter within Ye Chen. His hands clenched tightly, and the bright glint that lit up his eyes signaled a rekindled will to fight.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Ye Chen answered in a loud, clear voice.

"Very good."

Seeing his apprentice quickly regain his composure, Lyle nodded with satisfaction. He then locked his gaze once more onto the encroaching ocean of pitch-black darkness, and deep within his calm pupils, a brilliant golden hue suddenly emerged.

Whoosh!

The next moment, above the Old Church, at the very top of the firmament not yet swallowed by the Abyss, a burst of radiant golden light streaked out. It struck a corner of the black ocean like magma pouring into a glacier, causing countless shadows of the Abyss to dissolve and scatter instantly, burning a hollow path through the boundless darkness.

Ye Chen looked up, stunned, and then caught sight of an incomparably massive eye at the top of the firmament.

This eye floated at the zenith, its radius stretching for several kilometers. The iris at its center glowed with a dazzling golden luster, identical to the color currently shining in Lyle's eyes.

Gazing at this indescribably massive entity, something he had never seen before, the boy should have felt a sense of eeriness and horror.

Yet, the moment he saw it, a feeling of familiarity and warmth surged into Ye Chen's heart.

His intuition told him that it was precisely because of this Golden Eye lurking at the top of the firmament that Lyle was able to perceive everything in this world of ice and snow at all times, and was able to protect Ye Chen's life at any time and any place, allowing him to grow from a frail infant into an independent Hunter.