Chapter 100: Abyss Stands Alone

The news that the Abyss Squad had achieved the first clear of the Howling Mine on Heroic difficulty, crushing the Dragon Sovereign Guild’s elite first group with only three members, spread through Ashford City like a hurricane. The shockwave it created was far more intense than the previous first clear of City Hall. That achievement had demonstrated Aiden’s personal combat prowess, but this one proved something far more significant: Abyss possessed the strength, coordination, and potential to repeatedly challenge high-difficulty team dungeons with only three members. In certain aspects, they had even surpassed the elite teams of major guilds.

The three codenames—Reaper, Silas the Bulwark, and Purple Lily—quickly became some of the hottest names in the Ashford City player community. The dark emblem of Abyss, which seemed to represent consumption and darkness, also became instantly recognizable. Before long, discussions about the mysterious three-person squad could be found across almost every player gathering and communication channel in the city.

As their reputation grew, recruitment invitations began flooding Aiden’s anonymous communication channel.

Inside the new base Aiden had temporarily selected, a detached villa located in a relatively quiet area of the city, he calmly browsed through the messages. Silas had reinforced the villa himself, making the structure considerably more secure without drawing unnecessary attention, while the surrounding area remained quiet enough for the three of them to rest and train.

Luna was in the adjoining room, quietly practicing her mental power control after reaching Level 10. Silas was outside in the yard, adapting to his newly increased strength and the changes brought about by his breakthrough. Aiden, meanwhile, had the less physically demanding task of dealing with the dozens of organizations attempting to recruit them.

The first wave came from various small and medium-sized guilds and studios.

One of the earliest messages came from the War Wolf Guild.

[War Wolf Guild]:

"Boss Reaper! I’ve admired your name for a long time! As long as you and your team are willing to join us, the position of Vice President is yours! Guild resources will be at your command! And if you’re interested in beauties—uh, elite members, of course—you’ll have your pick!"

Aiden stared at the message for a moment.

The generous promises were accompanied by an unmistakably rough, almost underground tone. The offer sounded impressive at first glance, but most of its benefits were vague enough to be meaningless.

The Rose Women’s Guild took an entirely different approach.

[Rose Women’s Guild]:

"Respected Mr. Reaper, although our guild is primarily composed of female players, we possess abundant resources and maintain a harmonious environment. We sincerely invite you and your team to join us. Your strength would undoubtedly bring new vitality to our guild. And perhaps, during your time with us, you might even meet someone special~"

Aiden’s expression remained unchanged.

The Assassin’s Creed Studio was more direct.

[Assassin’s Creed Studio]:

"Reaper, let’s get straight to the point. Our studio specializes in high-difficulty dungeon exploration and high-end quests. We recognize your strength. Join us, and you’ll receive a share of the profits based on your contributions. It will definitely be more profitable than working alone. Think about it."

Cold, practical, and straightforward.

At least this one had no unnecessary flattery.

Unfortunately, Aiden had no interest in any of them.

He marked all the messages as read and ignored them in bulk.

The scale of these organizations was simply too small to accommodate his ambitions. Joining them would not provide Abyss with greater freedom or opportunities. Instead, they would eventually become another set of shackles restricting his movements.

The next wave of invitations, however, came from organizations with considerably more influence.

These were factions powerful enough to contend with the Dragon Sovereign Guild to some extent.

One message immediately caught Aiden’s attention.

[Highmore Group — Guild]:

"Mr. Reaper, hello. I am Sterling Vaughn, President of the Highmore Guild. We have been closely following the remarkable strength displayed by you and your Abyss Squad, and we hold your accomplishments in the highest regard."

"The apocalypse has descended, and the old order has collapsed. These are troubled times, but they are also a time when capable individuals can rise above the chaos. The Highmore Guild is prepared to offer you the position of Honorary Elder, along with SS-level access to the guild treasury, should you and your team agree to join us."

"You will not be required to undertake routine guild obligations. You will have participation in major decisions and access to our highest level of resources. We believe that only by combining the strength of capable individuals can we build something powerful enough to survive the world that is coming."

The offer was considerably more serious than the previous ones.

Sterling Vaughn had not attempted to overwhelm Aiden with empty promises. Instead, he had offered genuine authority, access to resources, and freedom from most ordinary guild obligations. The wording also revealed that he understood the changing nature of the world and the importance of gathering powerful individuals.

Aiden’s fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop as he read the message.

Sterling Vaughn.

A powerful figure in his previous life.

Aiden remembered him as a relatively capable man with sharp instincts and clever methods. Compared with the other organizations that had contacted him, the Highmore Guild’s invitation carried genuine weight.

An ordinary player would have found such an offer difficult to reject.

Aiden, however, only considered it for a few seconds before typing a short reply.

"Sorry."

That was all.

He sent the message without bothering to explain himself.

Another message soon appeared from a completely different kind of organization.

[Dark Night]:

"Abyss? Interesting. Cooperation? Paid. Contact channel: XXX."

The message was short, almost cryptic, but its simplicity carried a different kind of weight. Dark Night was a secret organization known for intelligence gathering and assassination. They rarely contacted outsiders without a reason, and their interest in Abyss clearly meant they had already begun investigating the team.

Aiden closed the message without replying.

He had no interest in cooperating with an organization whose methods required him to constantly watch his back. Bargaining with a tiger for its hide was not something he intended to do.

Then another encrypted message appeared.

The sender was listed as:

[Dragonspire—Liaison 07]

Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Dragonspire.

Unlike the player-created guilds, Dragonspire represented the remnants of the official forces in the region. It was the largest survivor base established by the remaining military and governmental forces, possessing the most complete remnants of the pre-apocalypse military, technological, and administrative systems.

In the eyes of ordinary survivors, Dragonspire was the closest thing left to a functioning government.

The organization had suffered heavy losses during the initial stages of the Eclipse Online invasion, and the reconstruction of order had been slow. Even so, its foundation and long-term potential were not comparable to those of any ordinary player guild.

Aiden opened the encrypted message.

"Mr. Reaper, hello. We are the External Liaison Department of the Dragonspire Survivor Base. We have been closely monitoring the outstanding strength and potential displayed by you and your Abyss Squad. We officially represent Dragonspire in extending our most sincere invitation to you."

"Dragonspire’s objective is to gather our fellow survivors, rebuild order, resist the invading forces, and protect the remaining flame of human civilization. We urgently require individuals of your caliber to help shoulder this responsibility."

"If you are willing to join us, we will grant you the rank of Major, with the corresponding authority and treatment. You will retain independent operational rights, while your squad will receive advanced standard-issue equipment and logistical support. You will also be granted access to selected classified intelligence concerning the Eclipse Online invasion."

"We look forward to your reply."

Aiden read the message twice.

The wording was formal and restrained, carrying the unmistakable tone of an official institution. Yet the weight behind the offer was far greater than anything the previous guilds had proposed.

A military rank.

Independent operational authority.

Advanced equipment.

Logistical support.

And, most importantly, access to classified information concerning the Eclipse Online invasion.

That final offer was particularly significant.

For someone trying to understand the true nature of the invasion, such information could be invaluable.

Silas had walked over at some point and caught a glimpse of the message. His eyes widened as he read through it.

"Good grief. Dragonspire’s officials actually came looking for us?" He stared at Aiden in disbelief. "A Major? Sir Aiden, this is..."

Luna, who had finished her training, also approached. She leaned slightly toward the screen, and a trace of surprise appeared in her purple eyes when she saw the invitation.

Aiden remained silent.

Of all the offers he had received, Dragonspire’s was undoubtedly the most sincere. More importantly, there was some overlap between their objectives and his own. He also intended to resist the invasion and survive whatever was coming.

But joining Dragonspire came with a price.

An official organization meant rules, regulations, chains of command, and superiors whose orders would eventually have to be followed. Aiden would be expected to operate within a larger structure, and many of the things he intended to do—especially his plans concerning Damien—could become considerably more difficult.

There was also the problem of internal politics.

Any large organization inevitably contained different factions, competing interests, and people with their own ambitions. Becoming part of that structure would mean being drawn into conflicts that had nothing to do with him.

More importantly, Aiden had learned one lesson in his previous life that he would never forget.

He could not afford to place his fate in someone else’s hands.

Betrayal had been etched too deeply into his memory.

In this life, he would decide his own path.

Aiden raised his hand and typed a reply into the virtual keyboard.

"Thank you for your regard. I appreciate the invitation, but I have no intention of joining any organization at the moment."

"—Reaper"

He sent the message.

Silas stared at him.

"Sir Aiden, you rejected Dragonspire too?"

Although Silas was straightforward by nature, even he understood the significance of the offer. Dragonspire was not another ordinary guild. It represented the strongest surviving remnants of the old world’s organized forces.

"Yeah."

Aiden closed the communication interface and rose from his seat. He walked toward the window and looked out at the gloomy sky hanging over Ashford City.

"Living under someone else’s roof is never a long-term solution," he said calmly. "We have to walk our own path."

Silas remained silent for a moment before nodding.

Luna also looked at Aiden’s back thoughtfully. She seemed to understand what he meant and quietly accepted his decision.

Not long after Aiden rejected Dragonspire’s invitation, the steady stream of recruitment messages began to thin.

The various factions had apparently reached the same conclusion.

Abyss had no intention of attaching itself to anyone.

They were going to remain independent.

Ironically, that decision only made them more mysterious in the eyes of Ashford City’s players. Their refusal to accept powerful backers, combined with the strength they had demonstrated inside the Howling Mine, caused the reputation of Abyss to rise even further.

"They rejected Dragonspire too?"

"Even the rank of Major?"

"What exactly is Abyss after?"

"That’s the attitude of a true expert. They aren’t interested in power or influence."

"I bet they have some incredible backer behind them. Otherwise, why would they be so confident?"

"Who cares? Abyss is awesome. I’m becoming a fan."

The rumors spread quickly.

Some were exaggerated.

Others were completely fabricated.

But all of them had one thing in common: the three members of Abyss had become increasingly difficult to understand.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Dragon Sovereign Guild, Damien received the news that Abyss had rejected every major faction that had approached them, including Dragonspire.

He sat behind his desk with a gloomy expression. Fire elements flickered restlessly around his fingertips, and one spark landed on the corner of the desk, leaving a small blackened mark.

"Independent..."

Damien let out a cold laugh.

"What a fine ’independent’ group."

He looked toward the shadows beside the room.

"Selene, did you see that? They don’t rely on anyone, and they don’t give anyone face. An enemy like that is troublesome."

Selene stood silently in the shadows.

Her expression remained cold and unreadable as she listened. Internally, however, the importance she assigned to Abyss increased once again.

A team that refused every faction was difficult to predict.

A team that possessed overwhelming strength while remaining independent was even harder to control.

Aiden had made his position clear through his actions.

Abyss did not need to attach itself to anyone.

They were not looking for protection.

They were not looking for a guild to shelter them.

They intended to become a force powerful enough to stand on their own.

And in the chaotic world created by the Eclipse Online invasion, that independence only made the name Abyss carry even greater weight.