『 After crossing the endless seas, I stumbled across something different for the first time. I was so used to these crystal clear waters that I wondered if these caves were another mirage. 』
The rope trembled as Azuma carefully climbed the cliff that led to the valley of giant leeches. The daze of sleep still lingered in his mind, and his thoughts were scattered.
Shiro's voice was calming, it felt like she was right next to him. But some of his thoughts also lingered over the masked man.
Who was he?
The uniform he wore was not ordinary, it was too refined to belong to the hunters and too different to be of a seeker. And why would someone wear a complete mask in the safer levels?
『 These caves are also not dark. There is something mysterious about this place. Despite being so far from the surface, lights embrace everything here and I am not sure what is the source of this… ghostly glow. 』
『 It's everywhere. 』
Azuma reached the valley, surprised at how easy the climb felt. He threw a brief glance down the cliff, towards the monstrous vines, and the seeker pod.
They were significantly far now.
And the valley in front of him lay baren.
『 I am not sure how long it's been since I arrived at these narrow shores and eternal seas, but I have seen no signs of any beasts, or trees, or well, life. This place is always silent and not even the winds blow in these depths. 』
Azuma took a slow step forward.
The monstrosities had vanished and left behind an ashen plain of nothingness. It was dimly washed under the soft glow from the lights trapped within the Abyssal flora.
"This feels… unreal," Azuma muttered, "How could all of them just die like this?"
There were hundreds of beastly leeches, but now there wasn't even one of them.
「 The Black Worms often referred to as the Soul Reapers, are recorded to be immortal parasites. They can only be killed through Luxar 09 laser guns. 」
Azuma winced, "Another parasite?"
「 Seventy percent of the known Abyssal Creatures are classified as parasites. 」
"How much do you know about the Abyss?"
「 Everything that is recorded in the global databases. Is there something that you would like to know, Azuma? 」
He strode down the white path, "Is there an area like what Shiro described?"
There were doubts in his mind. So far, only the four levels have been discovered and Azuma had already learned everything about them that was known.
Zero was silent for a few moments.
「 I have found it, Azuma. But there is very little information. 」
「 The Level Six — Sea of Undead. 」
Azuma stiffened, dread seeping into his core.
「 It is estimated to be located deeper than 8,700 metres but the complete depth is unknown. The strain of descending there causes death. 」
It was as if the Abyss fell quiet at her words to let Azuma realize how hopeless his dreams to find Shiro were.
The echoing winds breathed no more, nor did the screeches of distant beasts howled and urged Azuma to keep moving.
He was not entirely sure how he felt, but it was getting hard to even walk.
"Where… where did you find it?" it was harder to accept those words, "No such thing was officially revealed, ever."
「 Source: log 298402974_netherfalls_cicada. 」
Azuma halted, opening his mouth to say how absurd that claim was but, in the end, no words came out.
Those unfamiliar glimpses of his dreams came back to him, about the strange garden of cicadas, and the man with a glided a kimono.
He felt the cold blood on his skin and the blurry shadow of the man that always haunted his memories.
He too wore a cicada ring.
"Coincidence," Azuma concluded in a low uncertain voice.
The valley and the plains soon ended next to narrow caverns. A dull sweet scent of the Abyssal hounds lingered in the moist air.
Azuma had to find six more relics and since a day already passed, he was now concerned. He did not wish to delay any further even if it meant rushing the quest.
The fossilised nests in the Abyss were usually found near the edge of the second level, inside the dampened caves and preserved inside the carcass of some large creature.
It was not known when those nests became fossilised, or how were they even formed when the Abyss was considered to be too young to contain the fossils of these unearthly species.
But one of the theories suggests that during the Dawn Gate calamity, several animals were brutally mutated.
And when everything was going through tremendous rapid changes, some things were fosilised by the instability of time and space inside the Abyss.
Azuma took out a small orb from his waist pockets, and let it hover from his palm and guide the path.
『 Lumen Orb Activated! 』
There was a gentle bluish glow.
『 Hours Remaining: 4380 』
Six months.
Only a while has passed since Azuma entered the caverns, but soon there were wild impatient footfalls from the darkness. Squeaks, hisses, and inhumane chatterings came from everywhere.
Azuma creased his brows and a troubled look appeared in his eyes when he saw the first rant run out from a hole.
It was the size of a chihuahua, and equally vicious looking.
「 Azuma, I can not find any weapon to activate. 」
He smiled warily.
"There is none."