S-Class Sacred Relic: Ember Branch

The Ember Branch was a sacred relic formed from the power the Goddess of Black Cinders had left along her path in the Void Abyss.

The gods' paths were not static. After merging with the Void Abyss's warping power, they took on all kinds of forms.

Some became buildings, some became monsters or plants, and others became objects that looked perfectly ordinary.

Among them, sacred relics generally referred to special entities formed from concentrated divine power.

They were extraordinarily rare even in the Void Abyss, and obtaining one usually required passing various trials.

One had to earn a sacred relic's recognition through sheer force of will.

And often, obtaining a sacred relic was not enough.

A sacred relic could only be used by a follower of a god whose path matched its own.

If someone possessed a Void Abyss sacred relic belonging to the god they worshipped, it was usually proof that they had earned that god's favor.

They would receive special attention throughout their faction.

Su Yi's abilities were certainly up to the task, but he had started too far behind.

Without an extraordinary opportunity, the highest rank Su Yi could reach in his current circumstances was L30: head of the armed division at a planetary branch office.

He would not even qualify to lead an entire planet.

But if Su Yi could win the Goddess's favor, that would change everything!

The Void Abyss Relics system was introduced in version 1.0. I wonder if it exists now.

If it does, there's a good chance this world is real!

Void Abyss Relics were special equipment that could be equipped to a Void Abyss Projection. Each projection could hold only one.

Once equipped, they produced all kinds of effects.

They generally increased the flow capacity. Some granted entirely new Talents, while others could even directly reshape a player's body and bestow special powers!

Like equipment and skills, they came in seven grades: D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.

With that in mind, Su Yi quickly searched his memory for everything he knew about the Ember Branch.

An S-class sacred relic shaped like a thorn branch burned down to a cinder.

Start from the direction where the sixth, seventh, and eighth divine statues line up. Turn sixty degrees clockwise and travel at a Void Abyss Projection's normal speed while silently counting for forty minutes. Then turn eighty degrees clockwise and continue for seventy minutes. You'll see a stone covered in thorns.

After carefully recalling the guide written by the famous lone player Niko Niko Nii, Su Yi set off.

Everything in this space was constantly moving relative to everything else, so there was no fixed up, down, left, or right.

Players had therefore developed a coordinate system that worked for everyone, using the statues of the gods' projections standing in the Void Abyss as reference points and the starting speed of a level-one Void Abyss Projection as the standard unit of distance.

Following the route from memory, Su Yi silently counted down for nearly two full hours before finally reaching his destination.

He had spent the entire journey counting, leaving him no attention to spare for his surroundings.

When he spotted the stone wrapped in flaming thorns amid the waves of the void, he breathed a sigh of relief.

So things that won't be added to the game until later already exist in this world!

Su Yi hurried closer and discovered that the so-called stone stood several hundred meters tall.

Tidal waves of Void Abyss power repeatedly submerged it before slowly revealing it again.

No time to waste.

Su Yi moved in quickly and soon spotted an opening about two meters wide at the base of the enormous stone.

Firelight flickered inside, and scorching waves of heat poured out.

The massive stone looked like a giant furnace.

And the opening was where its fuel went in.

As expected of an S-class Void Abyss sacred relic. A single branch has contaminated this entire area!

Su Yi ran through the requirements for passing the trial in his mind.

First, I need to withstand the power of both of the Goddess of Black Cinders' authorities at once.

Second, I need some ability to heal myself—enough to survive inside for at least ten minutes.

Third, I need to endure the pain. Once picked up, the thing will stab straight into my Void Abyss Projection and take root.

Fourth, I need enough money. After it takes root, I'll have to sacrifice 100 Void Abyss Coins every day.

After reviewing the requirements, Su Yi assessed his current situation.

The Dark Matter Eye is a perfect vessel favored by all the gods. It can handle the Goddess of Black Cinders' power without a problem.

Through my Void Abyss Projection, I can use my Talent without limit or cost, so healing won't be a problem.

I can take the pain, and I've got the money!

Once he was sure, Su Yi activated Matter Encoding.

That wondrous analytical vision sprang to life. He broke down and reassembled the stone, fashioning a relatively heat-resistant shell around his Void Abyss Projection.

Su Yi deliberately left plenty of cavities inside the shell to improve its insulation.

That should do it. In I go!

With that, Su Yi charged straight into the firelit cave.

The entire cavern was filled with charcoal that had burned down to embers.

There were no open flames, but the heat was terrifying.

Worse, countless branching passages formed an incredibly complex maze.

Fortunately, Su Yi remembered the map.

He raced forward without a wrong turn.

Less than three minutes after he entered, the heat penetrated his shell, and Su Yi felt its terrifying intensity.

He quickly shed the shell. Within a minute, he noticed signs that the surface of his pitch-black eye was beginning to melt.

This heat is insane.

Su Yi immediately activated his Talent to repair the melting surface and buy himself more time.

At that moment, after passing twelve forks, Su Yi finally reached his destination.

The space resembled a cavern threaded with tree roots.

The stone's interior was filled with roots covered in glowing sparks.

The scorching heat made Su Yi feel faint.

At the source of those roots lay a branch about a meter long.

It was pitch-black, its surface crisscrossed with cracks through which lava flowed.

Its six slender offshoots were covered in thorny leaves that glowed like red-hot branding irons.

The Ember Branch!

Su Yi did not hesitate for a second when he saw it.

He charged straight at it.

With no hands to grab it, Su Yi rolled onto the branch, driving its thorns into his Dark Matter Eye.

"Fuck!"

The instant they pierced him, Su Yi felt as though a dozen red-hot steel needles had plunged into his body.

The indescribable stabbing pain and searing heat left his mind reeling.

Su Yi was certain that if this had been his real body, he would already have passed out from the pain.

"This fucking hurts! Fuck me!"

The excruciating pain sent Su Yi into a torrent of curses.

At the same time, Su Yi felt the outer surface of his Dark Matter Eye melt completely.

His entire Void Abyss Projection showed signs of collapsing.

Shit. Should I retreat?

A Void Abyss Projection would not vanish if it died, but it would take thirty days to revive.

Without his Void Abyss Projection, he could not use any supernatural powers.

Just as Su Yi hesitated, he noticed that the Ember Branch seemed to sense something unusual about him.

It had been rigid as a steel bar, but it suddenly softened and pressed itself against Su Yi.

"Aaaagh!"

The burns spread over a much larger area. Su Yi howled in pain, then sprinted madly toward the exit with the Ember Branch attached to him.