Chapter 31: The Role of the Badge
Deep, dark, sinking endlessly.
Su Xiao felt as if he were in a void of nothingness, with even the ground beneath him being nothing but emptiness and darkness. As a result, he couldn't determine whether he was floating in the darkness or falling continuously.
After the initial few seconds of confusion, Su Xiao assessed the situation. He had been locked in a life-or-death battle with the Wolf Knight Captain, and due to severe injuries, he had fallen unconscious. After that, he arrived here, or rather, his consciousness had come to this place.
The surrounding darkness, depth, and the cold, damp sensation were unmistakably the aura of the Abyss. Su Xiao wasn't surprised by this. During the deadly fight with the Wolf Knight Captain, he had suffered mild erosion from Abyssal energy.
For someone who had never been exposed to the Abyss, this would be extremely dangerous. However, Su Xiao had come into contact with the Abyss many times: the Abyssal Jar, the Silver Moon Wolf Xidi, the City of Bei in the Treeborn World, the Netherworld's Heavenly King Hall, and finally, the Primordial Mask he often carried with him.
These experiences had brought Su Xiao into repeated contact with Abyssal energy, and he had suffered erosion during that time. After returning to Reincarnation Paradise, he had always used his Hunter authority to recover.
Repeated direct or indirect contact with Abyssal energy had significantly improved his resistance in this regard. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to withstand the mild erosion of Abyssal energy while fighting the Wolf Knight Captain to the death.
However, there was one thing: the energy erosion Su Xiao had encountered in the past was always devoured by the Cyan Steel Shadow energy within him. But when facing Abyssal energy, the Cyan Steel Shadow energy couldn't devour it. At most, it could repel it, slowly pushing the Abyssal energy out of his body. Of course, this was only possible with sufficiently high Abyss resistance.
These several indirect contacts with the Abyss had made Su Xiao realize the importance of Abyss resistance. Unfortunately, there was currently no effective way to improve this aspect.
Su Xiao estimated that his current Abyss resistance wasn't high enough to be semi-datafied. He figured that Kaiser, who was one with the jar, probably had extremely high Abyss resistance.
The dense darkness still surrounded him. Su Xiao's perception of himself was somewhat blurry, and he still couldn't figure out where this place was. As for taking any action, his current state was that his consciousness had arrived here, without even a spiritual body. Taking action was out of the question. Waiting to wake up was the only option.
"So this time, it's the Law Destroyer."
A vast and heavy voice came from the surroundings. After that, Su Xiao vaguely sensed black tendrils rising around him. These tendrils didn't seem like parts of a living creature; they were more like the purest darkness made manifest.
A dozen or so scarlet eyes arranged in a V-shape appeared in the darkness ahead. The massive entity before him seemed to be darkness itself. Its eyes looked at Su Xiao without contempt or condescension, only indifference—indifference toward all living beings.
Although he couldn't see the specific form of this colossal being, one of its dozen eyes was damaged, with a metal mask embedded in it. The metal mask emitted a faint glow, but it looked like it wouldn't be long before the mask was corroded to decay by the darkness.
After the massive being stared at Su Xiao for a few seconds, a black tendril extended toward him. The next moment, a blood-red chain shot up from the darkness below, piercing through the black tendril. Then, several golden or azure chains emerged, stabbing into the body of the massive dark entity and dragging it down into the darkness below.
Roars came from below. Countless Abyss Spawn swam around the massive entity in the darkness, and even the weakest among them exuded an indescribable sense of fear. The scene was hair-raising.
The surroundings fell into dead silence. After an unknown amount of time, an ascent occurred. Su Xiao felt himself being pulled into a patch of radiance. Then came the solid feeling of his consciousness returning to his body. Although he was still unconscious, it was much better than being in the endless darkness just moments ago.
Vaguely, he felt someone holding his right hand. A gentle energy flowed from the two hands holding his, entering his body and beginning to restore his severely damaged organs.
Dimly, Su Xiao felt as if his internal organs were soaking in warm water, making him drowsy, on the verge of transitioning from unconsciousness to sleep.
Just then, a sharp pain struck his left arm. A metal instrument resembling tweezers clumsily entered his flesh, clamped onto the crystals filling the wound in his left arm, and then pulled hard. The clumsiness and persistence of the action pushed the pain nerves in his left arm to their limit.
Su Xiao's eyes snapped open. He turned his head to see the Gray Maidservant sitting beside him with a gentle posture, holding metal tweezers as she removed the crystals from the wound in his left arm. She was also forcefully pulling out the Spirit Shadow Threads that had replaced the damaged nerves.
At this moment, the lower part of the silver mask the Gray Maidservant wore was partially stained black, clearly having absorbed the Abyssal energy from Su Xiao's body.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. He manipulated the crystals and Spirit Shadow Threads in his left arm to re-energize and dissipate. Seeing this, the Gray Maidservant gently lifted Su Xiao's left arm with both hands, and a golden-white energy flowed from her body into the wound on his left arm.
A few seconds later, Su Xiao felt much better in his left arm. After half a minute, the discomfort in his left arm was mostly gone.
Su Xiao sat up from the stone bed covered with an old blanket. He sensed his own condition. Although his injuries weren't fully healed, they were about 80% recovered. After drinking a bottle of [Vitality Potion] and resting for 10 to 12 hours, he would be back to peak condition. Indeed, going to the Saint Ten Church first had been the right choice.
The Gray Maidservant knelt beside Su Xiao. Seeing that he was no longer in danger, she got off the stone bed, placed her hands folded over her abdomen, bowed slightly to Su Xiao, and then walked toward Baha on the adjacent bed.
After the battle with the Wolf Knight Captain, Baha had taken the lead in scouting ahead despite his severe injuries. Behind him, Bubu Wang had carried Su Xiao and Gulu, slowly making their way from the Wolf Burial Ground back to the safe zone of the Grand Cathedral. It had been no easy feat.
This had caused Baha, who was originally the third most injured, to surpass Gulu and become the second most severely injured after Su Xiao.
Although the Gray Maidservant couldn't speak and her treatment process was somewhat clumsy, her healing ability was no less than that of the Moonlight Maidservant. As long as there was still a breath of life, she could save them.
Baha, lying weakly on the stone bed, was anxious. He had witnessed the entire process of the Gray Maidservant treating Su Xiao's left arm, and he was now panicking.
A moment later, Baha's shouts echoed outside the Grand Cathedral. When the treatment ended, Baha, wrapped in bandages, crouched on the chandelier, seemingly contemplating the meaning of bird life.
Bubu Wang stared blankly, unable to understand why the gentle maidservant sister was so clumsy in her treatment. Perhaps that was why the Gray Maidservant had been deemed a half-finished product by the old church.
After treating Baha, the Gray Maidservant looked at Gulu. Lying on the wooden bed with a blanket over her, Gulu's face was pale, whether from blood loss or fear.
When the treatment was complete, Gulu was wrapped in quite a few bandages, with her right arm in a cast suspended by a bandage around her neck. Even so, she still held a bottle of juice and drank it through a straw.
Su Xiao sheathed Dragon-Slaying Flash. For the upcoming battles, the blade could hold up. He checked the notification that had appeared earlier, which was the reward for killing the Wolf Knight Captain.
[You have killed the Wolf Knight Captain.]
[You have gained 15.72% World Source.]
[You have gained 1 Golden Skill Point.]
[You have gained the Wolf Knight Badge.]
[You have gained the Abyss Chest (Opening has a low chance of yielding Abyss products).]
...
Given the Wolf Knight Captain's strength, the 15.72% World Source gain wasn't much. First, Gulu had taken a share. Second, the Wolf Knight Captain had always been within Dead Silence City.
As for the Golden Skill Point, it wasn't usually obtained by killing enemies unless the target was an extremely special unit or the power gap between the two sides exceeded a certain threshold.
Finally, the [Wolf Knight Badge] and [Abyss Chest]. Su Xiao had obtained an [Abyss Chest] before. Opening it was thrilling, with a low chance of releasing a sealed "Daddy-level" artifact, both exciting and dangerous.
As for the [Wolf Knight Badge], Su Xiao had previously obtained the [Saint Choir Badge]. He had thought these were only for opening doors, but now it seemed they had other uses.
Su Xiao took out the [Wolf Knight Badge] and checked its attributes. He found that looking at it was the same as not looking; the item's description read: 'A badge representing the Wolf Knight Team.'
The sound of Gulu slurping juice through a straw came from nearby. Su Xiao turned to look at Gulu, who had already taken a high-tech wheelchair from her storage space and sat in it. From her expression, she was overjoyed.
"Hmm hmm hmm~, hmm~"
Gulu was even humming along to music. Keep in mind, she had only gained a small amount of World Source, and she hadn't received any chest rewards at all. As for the most valuable [Wolf Knight Badge], she hadn't even seen a trace of it.
"What did you get that makes you so happy?" Baha, perched on the chandelier, asked.
"Nothing much, just a title."
As Gulu spoke, she couldn't help but smile. No wonder she was so happy. The power gap between her and the Wolf Knight Captain was enormous. Additionally, although her Charm attribute wasn't particularly high, her consistent improvements had brought it to over 150 points. After all, she was an Eighth Rank Contractor. Getting her Charm attribute above 200 points was difficult, but above 150 points was achievable.
The Charm attribute wasn't just for negotiation or Charm-type ability bonuses. It also played a key role in obtaining titles.
With a Charm attribute of 156 points, combined with the massive power gap between Gulu and the Wolf Knight Captain—enough for one to kill the other on sight—Gulu had obtained her first Eight-Star title, "Moon Wolf Radiance."
Just this reward alone made Gulu feel that this trip had been incredibly worthwhile, and all the suffering she had endured before was not in vain.
"You were the main combatant, so the title you got must be even better."
Gulu spoke with a smile, but when she realized she was one step away from getting beaten, she fell silent and continued drinking her juice.
Ignoring Gulu, Su Xiao sat cross-legged under the statue at the center of the Grand Cathedral to meditate. Since beginning his exploration of Dead Silence City, he had obtained three "Source Stones." He needed two more to qualify for entering the "Supreme Sanctuary."
However, there was something he needed to do first: obtain enough Dark Source to upgrade his unique Law-Destroyer talent ability, Shadow Hunt. Dark Source was a unique resource within Dead Silence City, and if he missed this opportunity, he would never have another chance.
The problem was that to upgrade his talent ability this way, he not only needed enough Dark Source but also had to find the "Sacrificial Altar." Yet, since entering the inner city, he hadn't found any information about it. This made him suspect whether the "Sacrificial Altar" was in the outer city of Dead Silence City.
Ending his meditation, Su Xiao walked toward the stone platform on the second floor. Before long, he saw the Archbishop, sitting on a stone chair, gaunt and emaciated. Since arriving in Dead Silence City, the Archbishop had become increasingly weak and aged. Moreover, he had forgotten many things, including the details of the Central High Tower and the Supreme Sanctuary.
This was normal. Time was the sharpest razor. A long life would cause some memories to be shaved away by the years. Before coming to Dead Silence City, the Archbishop had even forgotten areas like the "Wolf Burial Ground" and "Polluted Land." The good news was that after returning to this Grand Cathedral, he had gradually recalled some things.
"Hmm? You defeated the Wolf Knight?"
The Archbishop spoke. Although he was growing older, his eyes were no longer as cloudy as they had been in the High Wall City.
"Do you have any memory of the location of the Sacrificial Altar?"
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the Archbishop looked puzzled. He pointed to a large pile of rubble at the innermost area of the first floor and said, "That's where the Sacrificial Altar is. Didn't I tell you?"
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. He just took out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a long stream of smoke.
He had thought the "Sacrificial Altar" was in a hidden part of Dead Silence City. Because of this, he had specifically entrusted Kaiser to carefully search the latter half of the inner city for any buildings that might resemble the "Sacrificial Altar." As a result, Kaiser had almost dug into the ground but still couldn't find the "Sacrificial Altar."
No wonder he couldn't find it. The Sacrificial Altar was right inside the Grand Cathedral. Or rather, the Sacrificial Altar was part of the Grand Cathedral.
Finding the "Sacrificial Altar" alone was useless now. He also needed enough Dark Source.
Seeming to read Su Xiao's thoughts, the Archbishop said, "I think I also told you that the badge can be exchanged for Dark Source at the Treatment Center, right?"
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak, just exhaled another puff of smoke.
"Didn't I tell you all this?"
"You did."
"Then why are you asking? Young people these days have such bad memories."
The Archbishop sighed, pulled the blanket higher, and seemed to fall asleep again.
In the branch version of Dead Silence City, Su Xiao had obtained Dark Source by killing enemies. He had thought it would be the same in the original Dead Silence City.
But it seemed otherwise. Dark Source was one of the rare resources discovered by the Healing Church. In the past, to obtain this resource, one had to take a [Badge] to the "Treatment Center" to exchange for it. For example, the Saint Choir had a certain annual quota, and the Wolf Knight Team had another.
The "Sacrificial Altar," used to catalyze Dark Source, was even placed inside the Grand Cathedral, showing how much the Healing Church valued this resource.
Su Xiao called Bubu Wang over. Before long, he and Bubu cleared the large pile of rubble at the innermost part of the Grand Cathedral to the courtyard outside. Then, he pressed his hand against the circular groove on the ground.
A one-meter-square pitch-black stone slab rose up. The slab had the texture of obsidian, with a smooth surface dotted with star-like specks. Don't underestimate this thing. It was the core of a planet, which could be called a "Star Core." It also had an inscription to conceal its fluctuations.
Regarding this "Star Core," Su Xiao's idea was that if he could resolve the root cause of Dead Silence City, he would take it away. A "Star Core" was a rare and valuable item.
[Prompt: The Sacrificial Altar has been activated. The Hunter can use the "Star Core Stone" as a medium to upgrade talent abilities with Dark Source. Each upgrade consumes 5% Dark Source. Each talent ability can be upgraded up to four times.]
[Current Dark Source: 1%.]
...
Not far away, Gulu squinted her eyes, revealing a small canine tooth as she smiled, clearly having a mischievous idea.
Su Xiao sat beside the "Star Core Stone." With nothing to do during the dozen or so hours of recovery, he gestured for Gulu to come over.
If it were anyone else, Gulu would have already thrown a dagger at them. But since she couldn't beat Su Xiao and had been beaten several times—once having her leg broken—she reluctantly walked over. In just a short while, she had recovered enough to walk.
"What is it?"
"..."
Su Xiao pointed to the "Star Core Stone" beside him, then to the chandelier on the ceiling a dozen meters away.
Seeing this, Gulu looked as if she suddenly understood. With one hand still in a cast, she said, "I get it. You mean that after you leave the Grand Cathedral, you want me to sit up there and keep an eye on this black stone for you, right?"
"Obviously not. My boss means that if you dare to steal this black stone, he'll hang you from that chandelier and beat you."
Baha revealed the truth. Gulu clicked her tongue, turned her head, and continued drinking her juice, occasionally glancing at the "Star Core Stone."
Su Xiao resumed his meditation. Time passed unnoticed. Eight hours later, he could clearly feel that he had returned to his peak state. He wondered how the Gray Maidservant had developed such a recovery ability.
Taking out the two "Source Stones" he had, Su Xiao manipulated the Black King Bracer to absorb them. After the two "Source Stones" turned into black energy and entered the Black King Bracer, he felt that the bracer's protective effect had strengthened. Even if he didn't use a Protection Stone afterward, he could explore most areas of Dead Silence City.
It was time to continue exploring Dead Silence City. Su Xiao had four goals for this trip: