The joy of the Abyss's closure might dull the labor pains, but the pain itself would not vanish. It would remain buried beneath the joy, growing within people's hearts.
Humanity's ties to the Abyss had been too close. Eighty years could completely reshape the views of several generations and redirect the development of human society. But once it had turned, turning back would not be so simple.
During the eighty years the Abyss had existed, nearly every technology company had become entangled with it. Only by obtaining technology from the Abyss could a company survive the relentless competition. Tech companies had no choice but to hire independent hunters, establish specialized departments, and devote part of their budgets to Abyss-related sectors.
Those costs had created countless jobs. Some became hunters who risked their lives for money. Some had studied Abyss-related knowledge from childhood through university, entered Abyss-related majors, and gone on to Abyss-related work after graduation. Some had researched the Abyss their entire lives, while others had devoted decades of effort to a single Relic.
But after the Abyss closed, beneath the celebratory streamers, capital was already retreating. While people were still cheering, the "Abyss economy" had begun to contract. Major tech companies cut off their tails without hesitation, swiftly freeing themselves from the Abyss's restraints and investing their funds in more "practical" areas.
What followed was the collapse of employment. Those who had once benefited from the Abyss became jobless one after another. The Abyss knowledge they had studied their whole lives became worthless scraps of paper. The economic blow struck everyone still immersed in joy squarely on the head.
When large corporations tore apart their chains to the Abyss, smaller companies beneath them were also stunned by the sudden shift in trends. They lacked the resilience of large corporations,