The next day.
All over the internet, there were many posts discussing Abyss Demons.
Some claimed to have seen black creatures, others said they were injured by the monsters.
There were also people online asking what does a countdown of 6 days mean?
This was clearly referring to the countdown of the Abyss Battlefield, but only those Superpower Users who had awakened the data panel could see it.
Moreover, not every Superpower User had it—only those summoned by the Abyss Battlefield would see the countdown.
Once the countdown to the Abyss Battlefield appeared on the data panel, it meant that when the countdown ended, one would be teleported into the battlefield and face death head-on.
By evening time, the internet began to control discussions related to the topic.
Apart from private circles and chat groups, content related to the Abyss posted elsewhere would be quickly censored.
The post inquiring about the countdown had also disappeared.
…
Lu Heng scanned the information on the internet, then went out to purchase supplies.
Since his first acquired skill was "Thunder Weapon", he needed to buy a weapon to unleash the power of this skill.
Lu Heng had practiced Step Sword Seven Styles before his rebirth, so he went straight to buy a Han Sword.
The blade was engraved with patterns and eight ancient characters "Electric Zeal Ori Kunwu, Phoenix Soars with Spread Wings".
Since he bought a decorative piece, the blade wasn't sharpened, but it was made of good steel.
Lu Heng found another place to sharpen it, using an electric grinder to polish it quickly—just enough to get by without spending time on slow grinding.
As it was inconvenient to do many things with six people living in one dormitory at school,
Lu Heng found a comfortable budget hotel and booked a monthly room.
He also bought a motorcycle as a means of transportation.
Buying the Han Sword, the motorcycle, and the hotel room—he used his credit card for a total of over ten thousand.
This amount of money could easily be earned back, so there was no need to feel heartbroken about it.
After checking into the room, Lu Heng found a place to try picking up the Step Sword Seven Styles that he had learned before his rebirth.
The first style: Sword Drawing Style.
His right hand drew the sword like a flash of lightning and executed a cut.
Clang!
The instant the sword was drawn, a string of data prompts appeared next to the hand holding the sword.
"Practicing swordsmanship leads to enlightenment, Swordsmanship Proficiency +1"
"Practicing swordsmanship leads to enlightenment, Swordsmanship Proficiency +1"
Having the essence of Step Sword Seven Styles in his mind, picking it up again meant his swordsmanship progressed very quickly.
After practicing Step Sword Seven Styles for an afternoon, his swordsmanship level was raised.
"Beginner Level swordsmanship perfected, entering the second Sword Skill Realm—Master Level."
Lu Heng checked his character attribute panel and found a new item under "Martial Arts".
"Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Master), Movement Technique (Beginner), Fighting (Beginner)"
After reaching the Master Level swordsmanship realm, the rate of proficiency growth slowed somewhat.
To advance to the third realm, he needed several more days of practice.
…
After finishing Step Sword Seven Styles, Lu Heng returned to the hotel room, sat down, and began scribbling in a notebook.
He recalled the times and places of some crucial resources that appeared at the start of the Abyss Descent, recording them in symbols only he could understand.
Since many events weren't experienced firsthand, the information he knew was incomplete.
Time and location could only be approximated.
Now being the second day of the Abyss Descent, officials should have discovered the appearance of Abyss Demons around the world, but they still didn't understand what was happening.
Lu Heng recalled that at the beginning of the Abyss Descent, a High Rank Skill Crystal Core had appeared in the Coastal area.
Moreover, this Skill Crystal Core was fully functional, and if acquired, one could easily start miles ahead of everyone else.
The only problem was, he wasn't clear on the time and place of the Skill Crystal Core's appearance.
Lu Heng only knew who ended up with it.
The one who got the skill was named Gong Chusheng, a "Demon" living among humans.
Lu Heng planned to snatch that skill, so he returned to school when the weekend was over.
…
Monday morning, after classes.
Students from various classes ran out of the classrooms, horsing around on their way to the cafeteria for lunch.
As these students rushed down the staircase, they bumped into four individuals, promptly stopping their footsteps and lining up against the wall to make way.
Among these four was Gong Chusheng.
As the four made their way downstairs, occupying the whole path, moving at a leisurely pace, other students had to step aside.
Because not even if they walked sideways would anyone dare to intervene with these four.
One bespectacled kid had already adhered to the wall, making room, but still got kicked by Gong Chusheng.
The bespectacled kid, though kicked, didn't dare make a peep, hastily pressing tighter against the wall to let the four pass.
Lu Heng stood in front of the teaching building, looking at the group of four led by Gong Chusheng, his face showing a reminiscing expression.
Gong Chusheng and his gang were used to being fierce on a daily basis, deeming it light to kick someone they found displeasing.
In his past life, a girl had been taken to an abandoned factory in the suburb by Gong Chusheng's group.
That night, the girl leapt from the rooftop, like a snowflake falling to the earth, into the world where the "Demon" bloomed.
Thinking of this girl, Lu Heng sighed slightly in his heart and turned to wait for her in the cafeteria.
…
On the first floor of the school cafeteria.
A girl got herself a helping of two ounces of rice, thought for a moment, added a vegetable dish, and two spoonfuls of the cafeteria's free egg drop soup, then found an empty table to sit down and start eating with her head bowed.
The girl's name was Su Muyu. Even though unadorned, her delicate features were hard to disguise.
If dressed up, saying she could outshine the moon and embarrass the flowers might not be an exaggeration.
Lu Heng knew her family had it tough. Brought up by her mother from a young age, she was thrifty with her living expenses, leading to a leaner build.
Despite being thin, Su Muyu's body had curves in all the right places, with her chest prominently bulging, its round outline still visible through her loose clothing.
Growing up in a single-parent home, Su Muyu had a rather soft personality, enduring bullying at school without daring to speak about it at home.
Because talking wouldn't bring anyone to defend her, it would only add to the distress of her mother who was busy with daily struggles.
While Su Muyu was eating with her head down on the first floor of the cafeteria, someone was watching her from the second floor.
Lu Heng watched her for a long time before coming down from the second floor, got himself a meal, and sat down opposite her with his tray.
As Su Muyu was eating, she noticed someone had joined her at the table, causing her to pause for a moment.
She lifted her head, glanced at Lu Heng, and then lowered it again.
The seats in the cafeteria were public space, open to anyone.
However, if the students were not acquainted, they usually wouldn't sit so close unless all other spots were taken.
After sitting down, Lu Heng placed a bowl of Cordyceps Chicken Soup in front of her and said, "This soup is for you."
"Ah?"
Su Muyu was puzzled for a moment, then looked up at Lu Heng again with confusion on her face.
She recognized Lu Heng because they had attended the same club before, but they had never spoken to each other.
Lu Heng casually explained, "When I was buying the soup, I had already swiped my card, and the auntie told me this was the last portion of Cordyceps Chicken Soup. I don't like this soup, so I'm giving it to you. I haven't drunk any."
Su Muyu pursed her lips, reluctant to accept something from a stranger without reason, and softly declined, "I'd rather not…"
Lu Heng picked up her spoon and stirred it in the Cordyceps Chicken Soup, "Your spoon has touched it, you have to take it whether you want to or not."
Su Muyu was immediately torn, "But... but…"
"If you feel bad about it, you can give me the money," Lu Heng changed the subject, issuing an overbearing request.
Su Muyu was stunned again, almost to the point of crying.
Because the soup was expensive clay pot soup, even at the school cafeteria it cost 10 yuan a portion.
10 yuan was almost enough for her daily food expenses.
But her spoon had already been in the soup, touched by her saliva; it wouldn't be proper to return it to someone else now.
Although it stung to part with the money, she still took out a 10-yuan bill from her bag and pushed it towards Lu Heng.
Seeing her reluctant but still paying demeanor, Lu Heng felt a pang of sympathy.
She was still the same as before his rebirth, unable to refuse, willing to swallow her disadvantage and just turn away to wipe her tears in secret.
Actually.
Before his rebirth, Lu Heng's relationship with Su Muyu wasn't just that of unfamiliar classmates, but rather, they were companions who had faced life and death together.
In his past life, Su Muyu, unwilling to be humiliated, jumped from the rooftop. She didn't die, however, but suffered from crushed leg bones, paralyzing her lower body, confining her to a wheelchair for life.
And the group that wanted to humiliate her, due to their influential families, did not face a fair trial.
Later on, one year after the Abyss Descent.
Su Muyu successfully awakened, and her life began to slowly change.
It was also around that time that Lu Heng became her teammate.
So, Lu Heng knew her personality all too well.
Since money had been spent, Su Muyu, with tears, saw it through to finish the Cordyceps Chicken Soup and ate all the chicken and jujubes in it.
After she finished the soup, Lu Heng took her 10 yuan to the cafeteria cashier to get a Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ticket.
Su Muyu sneakily watched Lu Heng with the corner of her eye, curious about what this bad person would do with the money.
Lu Heng returned with the Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ticket, placed it in front of her, which happened to be her favorite soup.
She stared at the ticket, stunned once more.
Lu Heng left the ticket and, without a word, turned around and walked away.
"Hey!"
Su Muyu stood up, wanting to call out to this bad person, but as the words reached her lips, they didn't come out.
She looked at the Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ticket on the table, unsure whether to take it.
But if she didn't take it, that was her 10 yuan spent.
After much inner turmoil, she finally picked up the ticket and carefully placed it in the inner pocket of her backpack.
She left with her backpack on, reaching the cafeteria door, remembered something, and turned back to the cafeteria window to ask, "Auntie, is there only Cordyceps Chicken Soup available tonight?"
The cafeteria auntie pointed behind her at several large clay pots and answered, "We've got them all, radish soup, lotus root soup, black chicken soup, which one do you want?"
"No, thank you, Auntie." Su Muyu frowned and left the cafeteria.