Old God of the Abyss

The surprise came so suddenly that Yang Qizhou felt like he was dreaming.

His game character hadn't died even once and had successfully obtained [Holy Redemption]. By a twist of fate, he had also erased the power the wizard had left behind in the [Polluted Silver Relic], allowing the treasure to regain its former might.

Two epic items in one go.

Talk about a double blessing.

"Huh, wait. Something about the Silver Relic's attributes seems a little off... The Silver Divine Envoy of the Silver Nation will appear before the character in forty-eight hours... Damn... Doesn't that mean he's coming to hunt me down?"

"I knew the game couldn't possibly be so generous as to hand out two 'epic' items for free. So this is what it was waiting for."

"Damn it."

Yang Qizhou wasn't worried about his game character being hunted. Even if he died, it wouldn't matter. At worst, he could use the Doom-Bringing Raven's ability to rewind time or simply revive.

The problem was that this Silver Divine Envoy was clearly after the [Silver Relic]. Unless he handed over this "epic" item, the hunt would never stop, and his game character might even end up getting camped after he died.

"I wonder how much effect [Holy Redemption] will have on this Silver Divine Envoy. If it can end the hunt outright, that'd save me a lot of trouble."

"Whatever. I'll deal with it as it comes."

"There's no way I'm handing over the [Silver Relic]. I've spent my whole life taking things from others. No one's ever taken anything from me."

There were still forty-eight hours, so Yang Qizhou put the matter aside for the time being and tapped the screen to continue refreshing the game text.

"Under the effect of [Holy Redemption], you learn the coordinates of the second Sacred Offering."

"It is the [Ring of Friendliness], which represents 'generosity.' It was originally enshrined in the Hall of Valor in the Fortress of Gods, Asgard, but was lost in the Abyss of the North ten years ago. Take [Holy Redemption] to that perilous place, and under the guidance of the King of Virtues, you will find the lost holy relic."

"You heard about the Fortress of Gods from the 'Six-Faced Monster' of Dark Fog Town. You know it is a vast city composed of many divine kingdoms, where the gods dwell, but you don't know any more specific details."

"You think that once you return to Fire-Stealing Village, you might ask Lena about it."

"You plan to leave through the Spring of Heaven."

"You suddenly hear a crisp creaking sound. Following it, you see a stone tablet develop a crack. Dust shakes loose from its surface, and writing faintly appears."

"A vague sense of dread comes over you. You reach out and brush the dust from the tablet, revealing what is written on it."

"[Holy Redemption] is a ritual object that seals the Old God of the Abyss. Whoever comes here must never take the holy relic away. Otherwise, the Old God will revive, and darkness will fall upon the earth and all living things, which will be engulfed by despair and suffering."

"This 'Sacred Offering' was actually sealing an ancient Old God of the Abyss?"

"You realize you've caused trouble."

"You want to leave this place as quickly as possible."

"Suddenly, sinister, twisted, and chaotic whispers fill your ears. The entity thanks you for taking [Holy Redemption] and freeing it, but the scent on you disgusts it. So the Old God of the Abyss plans to express its gratitude in another way: once it returns to the world, you will be the first target it kills."

I knew this trash game wouldn't let players get something good so easily. So this was what it had been waiting for.

Good grief.

As expected of the Old God of the Abyss—even its way of repaying a favor was this bizarre. I really should thank your ancestors for eight generations.

Yang Qizhou gritted his teeth in frustration. He'd gotten two "epic" items at once and had thought the game had finally grown a conscience. But the truth was, it had hidden a blade behind a smile. Both the [Silver Relic] and [Holy Redemption] came with a catch.

The [Silver Relic] was at least somewhat decent. It had given him forty-eight hours to prepare his game character for the Silver Divine Envoy's pursuit.

[Holy Redemption], on the other hand, was a complete pain in the ass. He'd only just gotten his hands on it, and the Old God of the Abyss was already hunting him. At this rate, there was no escaping death.

The text continued to refresh.

"Fate's choice is once again laid before you. You face the Old God of the Abyss's murderous intent."

"Will you save yourself the effort and wait here to die?"

"Or will you refuse to surrender without a fight, escape the Spring of Heaven, evade the Old God of the Abyss, and fight for a sliver of hope?"

"Make your choice."

Yang Qizhou didn't hesitate. He chose "two."

Even though he was prepared for his game character to be killed by the Old God of the Abyss once, that didn't mean he'd let him sit there and wait for death. Yang Qizhou wasn't that kind of person. Whether in a game or in real life, no matter how desperate the situation was, as long as there was a chance, he'd take it.

The story continued.

"The Old God of the Abyss senses your intention to flee and plants a mark on you. From time to time, the Old God of the Abyss will learn the coordinates of your location."

"You activate the effect of the Garment of the Hidden World..."

"You escape the Spring of Heaven and sprint toward Dark Fog Town."

"You hear a tremendous crash and look back."

"You see the waterfall flowing across the sky collapsing. The elves and angels are corrupted by the power of the abyss. As they wail in agony, their bodies turn into mudskippers. Terrifying demonic shadows blot out the sky, covering half the heavens. The once-beautiful Spring of Heaven transforms into the Spring of Hell in an instant."

"You realize that the Old God of the Abyss has escaped. You run even harder."

"You continue to flee."

"You continue to flee."

"You suddenly stop, because a terrifying figure is blocking your path. It stands ten meters tall, its entire body shrouded in black mist. Its ram's horns are barely visible atop its head. Under the corruption of the abyssal power, the surrounding land quickly turns barren, and countless twisted creatures die across the Wilderness."

"You struggle to breathe, your eyes bloodshot. Under the immense pressure of the Old God of the Abyss, you feel as if your soul has frozen."

"Because of the Garment of the Hidden World, the Old God of the Abyss doesn't notice your presence. But through the mark, it senses that you're nearby. Green, malevolent energy containing the power of the abyss surges from its body in all directions like a tide."

"You are about to use the power of [Holy Redemption]."

"The instant the thought enters your mind, you are engulfed by the green energy. The Old God of the Abyss rapidly drains your life force."

"The flesh on your body quickly withers, your eyes grow dim, and you become like a piece of rotten wood."

"You die."

You really couldn't escape after all.

Yang Qizhou stretched and remained fairly relaxed.

His game character had two "epic" treasures and could even use the quasi-legendary Old Day Item, the Garment of the Hidden World. But he was still just an ordinary person, and the gap between his level of existence and the Old God of the Abyss was simply too vast. Getting away would have been a miracle. It was only to be expected that he couldn't escape the Old God of the Abyss.

The familiar routine followed.

Amid the narrator's mocking remarks, his game character's soul arrived at the River of Death and received the gaze of an unknown being. He was given two choices: use the Doom-Bringing Raven's ability to return to the moment he had last made a choice, or rely on the protection of fate's power to rewrite the outcome of his death.

Yang Qizhou, of course, chose the latter.

The last choice had been made before escaping the Spring of Heaven. Using the Doom-Bringing Raven to go back would do nothing but make his game character die at the hands of the Old God of the Abyss all over again.

"The Old God of the Abyss has already killed the game character once, so it should have repaid its favor and left."

Thinking of how the Old God of the Abyss had repaid him, Yang Qizhou couldn't help gritting his teeth. He secretly swore that once his game character got back on his feet, he'd settle the score.

Onward, onward.

Yang Qizhou refocused his attention on the phone screen, and the text refreshed again.

"Fate's power rewrites the outcome of your death. You open your eyes once more on a vast, boundless stretch of Wilderness."

"You breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that being targeted by the Old God of the Abyss really is awful."

"You prepare to set off for Fire-Stealing Village."

"Suddenly, you see that the mark of the Old God of the Abyss hasn't disappeared. Your expression stiffens, and a foreboding feeling rises in your heart."

"You see a shadow fall behind you."

"You hear a mocking voice behind you. It's the Old God of the Abyss. It turns out that it never let you go; it was waiting for you to revive."

"You are picked up by the Old God of the Abyss and put into its mouth. It chews you slowly and carefully. Amid the sounds of flesh and bones being crushed, you die once again."

"As your soul drifts toward the River of Death, you hear the Old God of the Abyss whisper."

"It says... Hurry back. This god hasn't had enough fun yet."