Chapter 324: Raziel’s Plan

Another few days passed. That morning, Zich left his residence and headed straight for the First Shelter branch of the Players Association.

Because of the recent attack, Arthur had not returned to the Fourth Layer. As such, the lord of the First Shelter had set up a temporary office for him in the First Shelter branch of the Players Association. Through the massive floor to ceiling windows, one could overlook the First Shelter below.

When Zich pushed open the door, Arthur was standing with his back to him by the window, holding a document in his hand, seemingly deep in thought.

"Sit."

Hearing the door open, Arthur spoke without turning around.

Zich didn’t stand on ceremony. He walked straight to the sofa and sat down before asking, "Any progress with the investigation?"

"We’ve made some headway."

Arthur turned around and placed the document on his desk, though his expression showed little relief.

"I had people reinvestigate the duty records from that day. Anyone capable of sealing off the corridor, pulling away the guards, and modifying the Association’s internal access permissions at the same time couldn’t possibly be an ordinary staff member. They would have to be at least a supervisor level official."

"How many suspects?"

"Eleven."

Arthur sat back in his chair and rubbed his brow.

"We’ve narrowed it down to eleven people, but all of them have worked for the Association for many years. A few are even veterans I personally promoted. Without conclusive evidence, I don’t want to falsely accuse innocent people, nor do I want to alert the enemy."

Hearing this, Zich nodded slightly.

Being able to narrow down the suspects to eleven people from the entire Association branch in such a short time was already considerable progress. At the very least, it was much better than not knowing who the enemy was.

As for how to proceed with the investigation, that was something Arthur would have to consider.

"Actually, there’s something else I wanted to ask you today."

"Oh?" Arthur raised his head. "What is it?"

"The Falling Thunder Abyss."

Zich looked at him and slowly spoke the name.

"Do you know that place?"

The moment Arthur heard those words, his previously calm expression changed slightly.

"Why are you suddenly asking about that?"

"Because my Second Layer Ascension Quest takes place in the Falling Thunder Abyss."

As soon as those words fell, the office became silent.

Arthur leaned back in his chair and stared at Zich for a full five seconds before finally speaking.

"I do know that place."

His voice had grown noticeably more serious.

"Twenty years ago, when I was still on the First Layer, I once saw the Falling Thunder Abyss from a distance. Although I never actually entered it, even now, I can still vividly remember what I saw back then."

"What was it like?"

"It’s an enormous canyon shrouded in lightning all year round. The sky above it is an eerie blackish purple, and thick thunderclouds hang so low over the canyon that they seem ready to collapse at any moment. Nothing grows within a hundred li of the place, and even the hardest mountain rocks have long since been scorched black by the endless lightning strikes."

Arthur paused briefly.

"With my strength back then, merely standing on the outskirts of the canyon was enough for the residual shockwaves from the lightning to injure me. I didn’t dare approach any closer."

Zich’s fingers tightened slightly.

If even Arthur had been unable to approach the outskirts back then, the danger posed by the Falling Thunder Abyss was probably far greater than he had initially imagined.

"Furthermore, that isn’t a place just anyone can enter."

Arthur continued, "The outskirts of the Falling Thunder Abyss are surrounded by a naturally formed ring of spatial rifts. Ordinary Players have no way of passing through them. As for the canyon itself, it’s said that something is hidden deep inside."

"What is it?"

"I don’t know."

Arthur shook his head.

"I never entered it back then, and none of the people who actually ventured into the abyss ever returned alive to tell me what was inside."

Zich fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking.

"The Locke family."

Arthur’s gaze instantly sharpened.

"So, you already know."

"The Falling Thunder Abyss is located within the Locke family’s territory," Zich said. "If I want to go there, I’ll have to pass through their land first."

The president slowly said, "The Locke family has operated in that region for many years, and their influence is already deeply rooted. Passing through their territory won’t be easy, especially for you."

Arthur deliberately emphasized those last few words.

Zich naturally understood what he meant.

With their bad blood, expecting the Locke family to let him enter the Falling Thunder Abyss without interference was obviously unrealistic.

"I know."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

He thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I’ll put that matter aside for now. We still haven’t dealt with the ancient tomb exploration. Once that’s finished, there’ll be plenty of time to think about the Falling Thunder Abyss."

After all, his Ascension Quest wasn’t going anywhere. The most important thing right now was to secure whatever benefits he could obtain first.

Besides, there might be something inside the ancient tomb capable of strengthening his summons.

Arthur studied him for a while before finally nodding.

"That’s probably for the best. But I still need to remind you of something. No matter what happens, don’t try to force your way into the Locke family’s territory alone. If you really can’t find another solution, come back and find me."

"Mm."

Zich acknowledged him, stood up, and left.

After Zich left, Arthur looked at the door for a few seconds before sighing.

"Raziel, I hope your plan is worth it," he muttered to himself.

One of the reasons Arthur had decided to stay behind wasn’t just because of the attack. The main reason was that Raziel herself had requested that he watch over Zich until he ascended.

...

The corridors of the Players Association were long and quiet. The magical lamps overhead emitted a cold white light, casting a pale glow across the metal walls on either side.

Not long after leaving Arthur’s office, Zich noticed a familiar figure leaning against the wall a short distance ahead.