Chapter 59: Discoveries about the Black Mud
“Who are you?! Why am I here?!”
Eugene, leaning against the remains of the cage ripped apart by the Shadow Armament, stared in fear at Abyss, who sat casually on the floor, a calm smile on his face.
His memories had been erased by Abyss. All he remembered was being beaten all day, watching helplessly as Titus seized his assets, then being imprisoned in this abandoned restaurant’s basement storage room—and then, somehow, the cage was ripped open, the room was in ruins, with massive holes in the ceiling and walls. And a young man in black cloth armor was sitting there, observing him with amusement.
And his mouth tasted of blood. He probed it with his tongue, discovering two missing molars, a dull ache radiating from the numb wounds.
“Stay calm. You have amnesia. Your subordinate tried to rescue you, but he failed,” Abyss explained patiently. “Do you recognize me? I’m the one who dismantled your solvent machine.”
“You! Ah!” Eugene, putting together the clues—the destroyed room and his missing teeth—realized his subordinate must have used something powerful to attempt a rescue. And if this boy claimed his subordinate had failed, it meant this seemingly powerful mage could withstand their secret weapon’s magic-negating effects!
“Stay put and behave. Titus will decide your fate later,” Abyss said casually.
He had tossed the Shadow Armament and its unconscious pilot back into the shop above. They were an eyesore down here. The pilot, his memories erased and his body unconscious, wouldn’t wake up for a while.
“No! No! Don’t let Titus kill me!” Eugene pleaded, his voice cracking, his body trembling uncontrollably, a primal fear gripping him, perhaps a remnant of his erased memories. “Let me go, and I’ll pay you! I can give you a lot of money!”
“Oh, no need. I’m richer than you,” Abyss said, smiling faintly.
He was waiting for Rebecca and Flora’s report, keeping an eye on Eugene in the meantime. It was a bit boring down here, but he found it amusing to torment the old gangster.
“Abyss! Can you hear me?”
Rebecca’s voice echoed in his mind through the necromantic link. After he had taught her how to use it, she had quickly mastered it, now capable of communicating with him effortlessly.
“I hear you. How’s the situation there?” Abyss asked, his gaze fixed on Eugene, who was now sobbing in his cage.
“Everything’s under control! I’ve administered the antidote to all the affected children. They’re recovering well. I’ve been observing them, and there are no signs of relapse. And your servant, Elton, found me. He’ll ensure the children’s safety. Titus and I are heading towards you now. He said he’s going to settle things with Eugene once and for all.”
Relieved to hear that the children were safe, Abyss relaxed slightly. He had a backup plan. If Rebecca couldn’t handle the situation, he would send Flora to assist her.
He had sent Rebecca specifically because he believed the black mud might be useful to her research. And she had just awakened from a forty-year slumber, becoming his follower. She deserved a chance to prove her worth.
“Abyss, I collected a sample of the black mud the children vomited. I found something interesting,” Rebecca said through the link. “Remember what that necromancer said? He believed I possessed secrets about Shadow Demons. It seems we do have a connection to their origin!”
“Oh? Tell me more,” Abyss said, his curiosity piqued. He casually tapped the cage bars, startling Eugene, who had been planning his escape.
“I found a familiar component in the black mud—it’s the toxin from the air in that other world’s factory, transformed through a series of complex reactions!” Rebecca’s voice was laced with excitement. “The other world I traveled to, using the contaminated crystal, must be the Shadow Demons’ origin. Those creatures infesting the Shadowed Depths might be connected to the Outer Gods. If you’re investigating them, you should explore that world!”
“This is wonderful!” Abyss exclaimed, his eyes shining. The Lord of Silence he had encountered in the other world might be related to the Shadow Demons. Could this lead to a connection with that aloof deity?
Instead of fear, he felt a surge of anticipation, as if he were about to reunite with a long-lost friend.
“Did the souls of those deceased natives transform into Shadow Demons and come to this world?” he asked.
“That’s a plausible explanation, but I’m considering a bolder hypothesis—the Shadow Demons aren’t transformed souls, but the black mud itself,” Rebecca said. “I don’t have any concrete evidence yet, but this possibility keeps nagging at me. We need to capture a Shadow Demon and study it.”
“We must! We must!” Abyss said, nodding enthusiastically, his excitement confusing Eugene, who was watching them from his cage.
“Alright, that’s all for now. Titus and I are almost there. We’ll talk later!” Rebecca said, ending the conversation. “Love you!”
As the connection severed, Abyss basked in the joy of discovering a new lead on the Outer Gods.
Every clue brought him closer to acquiring their power, and every new source of divine power increased his chances of defeating the Creator God. How could he not be happy?
“Leona, Flora, how are things on your end?” he asked, connecting to their minds.
“Waaah!” Leona’s startled scream echoed in his mind.
“Abyss…?” Flora, also surprised by his sudden contact, said, “We’re fine. Princess Givia is safe.”
“Hmph, Abyss, we’re about to end the Goat Eyes Gang’s reign in this city! Your servant, Fallon, stole their other Shadow Armament! A bunch of Goat Eyes thugs chased him here, and Flora and I took care of them! They don’t have many men left!” Leona said, her voice filled with pride, after recovering from her initial shock. “We’re just waiting for you to return!”
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