Novel Full 167 Welcome Home
Ronin had managed to keep his wits about him enough to reach the Edge and rent a Griffon. As he sat on the large bird’s back, watching the realm that stared back.
He found himself grinning, like a kid finally going home after a tedious day at school.
This kind of innocent smile that’s uncharacteristic of him would have made anyone have shivers down their spine.
SWOOOP!
The bird had dived down, and Ronin’s eyes burned from excitement.
He was in the Abyss.
And The Abyss welcomed him.
The pervading fumes that would have killed normal humans did not make him cough out and retch. He inhaled it deeply like perfume, filling his lungs.
But he can feel that it still deteriorated his mortal organs, and with great annoyance, he took out the Potion of Illuminance.
Now that was what made him retch.
He wanted to puke out this sun essence, but he needed it to survive. It was a very bitter pill to swallow, realizing that he was only almost halfway through that promised greatness and was still a weak human in the end.
“Damn Aurion…..” He gritted his teeth, and threw the bottled back to his enchanted bag.
However, he also heard something in his head that lessened his bad mood.
[EXP gained!]
[EXP gained!]
[EXP gained!]
Again and again, it rang out as he stepped down from his Griffon’s back.
These birds were special and can survive the rancid fumes longer than other animals, but not forever. They needed to breath fresh Celestial air too, so they were only recommended to last about a month or so in the Abyssal realm.
Ronin observed the surroundings with great interest. He had seen it before from the visions of Espinella’s memories, the strange flora and fauna of this place.
He heard footsteps, and turned around.
Several Redbears had arrived, these ugly balding creatures wearing wide smiles with their single tusks. They sniffed about as they walked like humans, though not completely.
They were walking more like how toddlers would walk, trying their best to balance themselves and placing their hands in front of them.
These Raourbjorns as they were scientifically called were the creatures that were most documented in the Abyss. Because they tend to always live near the Edge of the Abyssal Realm, and try to lure humans and scientists trying to study the area.
They drooled on those wide mouths as they go for Ronin, but Ronin only smiled at them back.
Upon that smile, the Raourbjorns suddenly became confused, stopping in their tracks.
Then, they bowed their heads and walked on all fours, as if asking for forgiveness.
Ronin ignored them, and went over to the large thorny vines. They were called Prickurses, and was actually related to roses more than anything in the realms above. Though that relation may as well be farther than lightyears.
The moment Ronin walked over to the Prickurses, they moved slowly to part for him and several small dots grew on their bodies covered by needle-like leaves.
“For me?” Ronin asked the plant and chuckled.
He took some of these small dots, and smelled their poisonous scents.
Everywhere he went, the Abyssal Realm welcomed him like a long lost king.
The Griffon that was wary and ready to defend its rider from any attacks was terribly confused, cocking its head to the side.
The ‘EXP gained’ notification just kept ringing on his head, but Ronin did not care. He had the whole of the Abyssal realms animals and plants at the palm of his hand, and as they surrounded their lord…..
He gave one command.
“Lead me to the Baptismal Grounds.”
He mounted the Griffon again, and the animals all ran to lead him to the direction of the beacon, and the plants turned to the same direction also.
Once Ronin was just about 50 meters away from the tower of fiery light, he spitted someone sitting there in a peaceful way. Like a monk by a waterfall.
Except that this monk was not only missing hair but missing the upper half of his skull, and behind him was a waterfall of pure fire.
“Ah, the king has arrived to seek me. I have been awaiting you.”
“You wanted to lure me here.” Ronin said with a stern expression. “What do you want, Mephisto Espinella?”
Espinella stood up, and raised his hand…
And Ronin had a headache again, stronger than the others he had.
“You always disliked how much I speak, so let me show you instead, My Lord.”
————————
It turned out that Vyrill simply make many makeshift resting places all around the Abyssal realm. He clears the thorns from the Prickurses and arranges this thick vines that were like tree trunks with the help of his crystal dummies into a shelter.
These dummies were very useful and acted like servants for him. They helped prepare food, and so this was Mephisto’s first time to try ‘Abyssal cuisine’.
Which comprises of green worm like creatures with many eyes turned into a soup.
“Uh….. Are you sure these are edible?” He stopped the urge to gag at the sight.
“Was that really what you mean to ask? Or are you doubting if I have prepared this properly and wanted to scare you with the eyes?” Vyrill had assumed what’s on his mind.
This former professor with one black eye just ate them worms with his hands, slurping them. He said:
“Oculawormas look disgusting, but they are good to eat and the eyes actually gives one energy. Think of them like small bits of potatoes. The body is just like meat.”
Mephisto could still not see these worms as anything like meat or potatoes, but tried his best to eat the soup that was in the skull of some animal just like Vyrill had. There were no utensils, so he had to take the slimy things with his own fingers and dangle them to his mouth…..
And…..
It honestly did not taste bad.
If he closed his eyes and think of it as meat potatoes, that is.
After the fulfilling meal and some rest, they continued again to travel along with the Mephisto’s Griffon to the Beacon, the Baptismal Grounds.
The large beacon was visible everywhere in the Abyss, as it was in the center after all and possibly have a diameter of about 20 meters.
Mephisto could not help but be amazed by it a little, as he saw Vyrill take something from his bag and attach a string to it.
The string was made of diamond, he realized. Must be difficult to procure.
“Where did you get that?” He asked.
Vyrill shrugged and attached the tiny thing into it. “He had been experimenting a little himself on what could be the different results.”
“And what exactly are these ‘results’?” Mephisto asked.
Vyrill instead asked another question.
“Have you wondered why if was called the Baptismal Grounds?”