Chapter 6: Abyss Rank
Inside the bedroom connected to the dean's office, the room was about twenty square meters. Su Xiao crouched on the floor, tapping a rune awl against the wooden planks. The floorboards were now covered in intricate array patterns, and upon closer inspection, they formed a spatial formation of the Demon Race.
Before devouring the undying Abyss Spawn, Su Xiao had already prepared these spatial formations. He was only checking them now to ensure everything was in order. Once he had to use this, it meant the moment of life-or-death struggle had arrived.
Su Xiao had never planned to hide the news that he had eliminated the undying Abyss Spawn. He was certain that by noon today at the latest, the grand councilors of the Parliament and the high-ranking members of the Alliance would learn of this through their respective channels.
This would also lead to a certain situation. If the traitor was hiding among the Alliance's upper echelons, their first reaction upon learning that the undying Abyss Spawn had been destroyed would be that a Law Destroyer had arrived. Aside from Law Destroyers, few could eliminate such Abyss Spawn. In most eras, only the current Law Destroyer could handle this thing.
Of course, there had been occasional prodigies with such abilities, but they were too rare. Perhaps not even two or three would appear in ten thousand years.
This also meant that when news spread that an undying Abyss Spawn had been destroyed, those familiar with the details would immediately think of the Law Destruction Faction.
The six traitors of this world had once been members of the Law Destruction Faction, so they would certainly understand this. If they were among the Alliance's high-ranking members, upon discovering the Abyss Spawn's destruction, they would take action—either sending spies to investigate, attempting assassinations, or scheming against Su Xiao and the others.
Su Xiao was not afraid of investigation, assassination, or scheming. What worried him most was if these six traitors chose to lie low. That would be the hardest situation to handle.
This elimination of the Abyss Spawn was more like a screening and a test. It could test whether there were traitors among the Alliance's high-ranking members, enhance the Blade Demon Spirit, and grant him kill rewards. It was a triple gain, to say the least.
Su Xiao had set up the Demon spatial formation in the bedroom as a contingency. He never acted on blind confidence. If there really were traitors among the Alliance's high-ranking members and he couldn't handle them, that was fine. He would first retreat using the Demon spatial formation and then deal with them slowly.
As for spatial blockade, had anyone ever heard of setting up roadblocks to stop a motorcycle or a car? Who had ever seen a roadblock set up to stop a train speeding along a rocky road? That's right, not on rails, but on a bumpy, potholed rock path. Such a "train" would make people instinctively stay far away when they saw it coming. That was the Demon Race's spatial teleportation.
Moreover, besides this countermeasure, Su Xiao had another layer of insurance: the leader of the Hunter Force, Tessa.
Returning to his desk, Su Xiao picked up the phone and dialed Tessa. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. As soon as it connected, he could hear Tessa's slightly rapid breathing. On the other end, Tessa said, "Get to the point. I just killed a twisted mutant summoned by the Dark God Cult. I just want to take a shower and sleep. So, leave the scheming for later. I'm exhausted lately."
The background noise was chaotic—the wails of the severely wounded, the cries of children, shouts from Hunter Force members, and the laughter of cultists. It seemed Tessa's position as the leader of the Hunter Force was not easy. She was busy every day, especially now that the Dark God Cult was becoming increasingly rampant.
Tessa had always harbored an ambition: to climb higher, even to become a grand councilor. After that, she would immediately draft a proposal to expel the Dark God Cult from the Four Divine Cults, turning it from a recognized cult by the Alliance and the Northern Empire into a rat everyone would chase and beat.
This idea had taken root in her mind shortly after she became the leader of the Hunter Force. She genuinely hated the culprit that made her work overtime every day.
"I have a deal to discuss with you."
As Su Xiao spoke, he closed a top-secret file on the desk with one hand.
"A deal? No deal. You madhouse directors are all dark-minded, always plotting something bad."
With that, Tessa hung up. She was clearly a powerhouse with rich experience in dealing with old schemers, choosing not to cooperate to avoid being tricked.
No one knew how skilled Tessa was in strategy; she rarely showed that side. As for combat strength, the outside world once considered her the Alliance's ceiling, the only one who could match the Northern Empire's Grand General.
"..."
Su Xiao was silent for a moment, then dialed again.
"No matter what you say, I have to discuss it with my adjutants before deciding. So, it's better to talk face to face..."
Before Tessa could finish, Su Xiao interrupted, "I killed the Abyss Spawn locked in the deepest part of the underground prison."
As soon as Su Xiao said this, Tessa's side suddenly fell silent. She had likely activated a barrier to prevent others from hearing the conversation. This leader was a meticulous person.
"I'll take that as a joke for now."
Tessa's tone was clearly probing.
"I did destroy that thing. Otherwise, why do you think that old man who ran away was willing to hand over the dean's position to me?"
The old man Su Xiao referred to was the former dean. Without a doubt, that old fellow had probably fled to a small country in the archipelago.
Hearing this, Tessa remained silent on the other end, which was her way of acknowledging Su Xiao's claim.
"Why are you telling me this? I feel like you're about to trick me."
Tessa was still very wary, clearly having suffered losses at the hands of the former dean.
The way Tessa and the former dean worked together was peculiar. The old dean would often scheme against Tessa, and then Tessa would confront him. In the end, the old dean would make some concessions, and both sides would benefit. People were always puzzled as to why the old dean compromised every time. His public explanation was that it was for the greater good, but the real reason was that he simply couldn't beat Tessa. He would easily get cornered in his office and beaten up, with nowhere to complain afterward.
Secondly, Tessa didn't use cunning tactics, but that didn't mean she was completely inept in that area. If Tessa really started scheming against the old dean, the outcome was uncertain. Simply put, the four grand councilors of the Holy Capital Parliament didn't need a leader of the Hunter Force who was skilled in political maneuvering.
Tessa's displayed style of conduct was exactly what the four grand councilors wanted in a Hunter Force leader. This also meant that even some Alliance high-ranking members with more real power had to remain polite and friendly with her.
On the other hand, the madhouse's image in the eyes of the Holy Capital Parliament could be summed up in three words: "This rebellious son!"
This also meant that whenever something went wrong at the madhouse, they would get a "belt whipping," and it would be loud. Other departments would feel the pain just watching. In contrast, when something went wrong at the Hunter Force, the Parliament would mainly criticize them, like a kind old father scolding his beloved daughter.
"I heard you've always wanted to become a councilor?"
"Rumor."
Tessa immediately denied it. She would never admit to such a thing.
"Over the years, this Abyss Spawn has caused no small trouble for the Alliance. When it was captured alive, quite a few of your people died. Now that it's been successfully eliminated, that's no small achievement."
"Not small at all. I've been busy for years, and it might not match the merit of this one thing. Congratulations, Dean White Night."
Tessa's tone became increasingly "friendly," almost gritting her teeth. She felt that the dean on the other end was trying to tempt her.
"What if you were the one who destroyed the Abyss Spawn, Tessa?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Only five people witnessed this. They're all locked up on the third level of the underground prison. If I tell them to keep their mouths shut, they will."
"Go on. Keep tempting me."
Tessa's implication was clear: she wouldn't be fooled by the madhouse people again.
"The credit goes to you. You do five things for me."
As soon as Su Xiao said this, Tessa's smile faded on the other end. The more she listened, the more reliable this deal seemed.
"One. At most one."
Tessa was tempted. She desperately wanted to become a grand councilor and completely eliminate the Dark God Cult.
"Four."
"Two. No more. I can only imagine how troublesome the things you want me to do will be."
"Three."
"Deal! I'll be there in twenty minutes."
With that, Tessa hung up.
Behind the desk, Su Xiao put down the phone. This was another card he had prepared. Eliminating the Abyss Spawn would indeed expose his identity as a Law Destroyer, but what if the news spread that it was Hunter Force Leader Tessa who had found a way to destroy it?
The Hunter Force and the madhouse were both directly under the Parliament's jurisdiction, but the distance between the Hunter Force's base in Kus City and the Holy Capital was too great. When the two sides cooperated, the Holy Capital could only turn a blind eye and not investigate too deeply.
In other words, as long as there were no traitors' informants among Su Xiao and Tessa's trusted aides, no one else would know about this.
The five criminals on the third underground level were the best witnesses. Su Xiao could make them keep quiet, and if Tessa broke the agreement, they could serve as witnesses to expose the truth. Even more cleverly, Tessa couldn't silence these five criminals. Not only was it difficult, but if she did, it would be a direct provocation to the madhouse.
Su Xiao's current strategy wasn't to use bait to lure Tessa onto the hook. Instead, he patted the side of the pirate ship he was on and clearly told Tessa that this was a pirate ship. In return, the small table on the pirate ship was laden with rich meat. Whether to board the pirate ship or not was Tessa's choice.
At first, Tessa was resolute in not boarding this pirate ship. Unfortunately, the person on the ship was offering too much.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked, signaling that he was ready.
What Bubu Wang had to do next was simple: tail Tessa. If Tessa was attacked by unknown assailants in the following days, it was likely that the traitors had sent them. Then they could follow the trail.
"Boss, there's news from the Sun God Cult. Several bishops there really want to meet you."
Baha spoke. He had been handling matters related to the Sun God Cult recently.
"Not for now."
Su Xiao didn't plan to ally with the Sun madmen just yet. He would wait until Vice Dean Yesinger and the Dawn God Cult launched their joint attack. Then it would be the right time to openly ally with the Sun God Cult.
[Tip: The kill reward for eliminating the Abyss Spawn (Aberrant Species) has been settled. This kill reward is double: Reincarnation Paradise Notarization + Void Tree Notarization.]
[You have obtained Golden Skill Points ×7.]
[You have obtained the Original Sin Sprout (Abyss Rank item).]
[You have obtained a Soul Crystal (usage effect equivalent to 100 Soul Crystal Cores, cannot be split, highly rare, can be sold to Reincarnation Paradise for an equal amount of Space-Time Power).]
[You have obtained an Abyss Chest (opening it has a chance to yield Abyss products).]
...
The rewards for killing the undying Abyss Spawn were unexpectedly generous. Su Xiao had never obtained an "Abyss Rank" item before. He tried to look up information on this through his Hunter Authority.
After checking, he learned that "Abyss Rank" was somewhat similar to "World Rank." Its rating was 10 to ???, with a minimum of 10 and a maximum certainly exceeding 3000.
To put it simply, the rarity of "World Rank" equipment went without saying, but its strength depended on the specific situation. One thing was certain: even if World Rank equipment had no practical use, it could still be sold at a high price due to its material composition.
Therefore, World Rank was not within the fixed tier system. Legendary → Epic → Holy Spirit → Immortal → Origin Rank was the more commonly encountered fixed tier, with standard equipment strength and rating criteria.
For example, an Origin Rank item with a 3000 rating would have strength in a certain aspect that was absolutely astonishing. In contrast, a World Rank item with a 3000 rating might not necessarily have high strength, but it would be extremely valuable. Selling it for materials could buy an Origin Rank item of the same rating.
As for Abyss Rank, it didn't represent strength or value. The higher the rating, the more dangerous the item.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 500 points: if a contractor below the seventh rank obtained it and didn't get rid of it quickly, they would be close to death.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 1000 points: even seventh-rank contractors would tremble upon seeing it.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 1500 points: eighth-rank contractors would have their heads buzzing after obtaining it.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 3000 points: ninth-rank contractors would also shed a layer of skin.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 4000 points: if a ninth-rank contractor obtained it and didn't discard it immediately, they would be close to death.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 5000 points: a ninth-rank contractor obtains it, and then the ninth-rank contractor dies.
An Abyss Rank item with a rating of 6000 points: find a good feng shui spot and lie down peacefully.
As for items far exceeding the Abyss Rank rating of 6000 points, they had a collective name: Original Sin Objects. The Abyssal Jar, the Necronomicon, and the Soul Crown were all such existences.
Su Xiao looked at the [Original Sin Sprout] floating in front of him. Just hearing the name, he knew it might not be a good thing. He checked its attributes.
[Original Sin Sprout]
Origin: Abyss.
Quality: Abyss Rank.
Category: Dangerous Object.
Effect: After consuming this item, you will gain a certain degree of "Original Sin characteristics," allowing for a greater absorption of Abyss energy.
Tip: This item is sealed. It cannot be used until the seal is lifted.
Rating: 5430 points.
Introduction: The primordial object of Original Sin.
Price: This item is under the notarization seal of Reincarnation Paradise. If this seal is lifted, the negative effects caused by this item will be triggered. The Hunter must use their own brand as a medium to lift this seal.
...
Seeing the description at the bottom, Su Xiao felt relieved. He had been wondering why such a dangerous item was given as a kill reward.
With the seal in place, this item could indeed be considered a reward. Without Reincarnation Paradise's seal, such Abyss Rank items were different from Original Sin Objects. Original Sin Objects wouldn't kill a living being at first sight, like the Abyssal Jar.
Of course, there were Original Sin Objects that would kill at first sight, like the Necronomicon. Without an owner, seeing it meant either being qualified to hold it or exploding into a mass of twisted, semi-transparent tentacles and dying miserably. However, there were exceptions, like the mutual disdain between Su Xiao and the Necronomicon.
The [Original Sin Sprout] he had obtained was a different concept. It was a completely dead object. Without the seal, touching it or even approaching it would lead to erosion, puppeteering, and absorption. There was no room for negotiation or maneuvering. It was a relatively clean death. Being entangled by an Original Sin Object was worse than death, like the Crow Woman before, who couldn't even commit suicide because the Necronomicon prevented it.
Although the [Original Sin Sprout] was sealed, its use was truly hard to describe.
Su Xiao seemed to know how to elevate a "Quasi-Daddy Rank" item to the "Daddy Rank" category, making it a true Original Sin Object. It required first obtaining Original Sin characteristics and then massively devouring Abyss energy and various resources.
Su Xiao checked the "Primordial Mask" in his storage space. This thing was now emitting a strong devouring desire. It seemed that if Su Xiao let it out and let it devour the [Original Sin Sprout], it would willingly be used by Su Xiao from then on.
Don't be fooled by this illusion. Su Xiao was certain that if he released the "Primordial Mask" and let it devour the [Original Sin Sprout], the mask would immediately escape.
He absolutely couldn't let that happen. Su Xiao had already discovered that during the time the Primordial Mask became a "Quasi-Daddy Rank" item, it was incredibly useful. On Arcane Eternal Star before, the Primordial Mask was arguably the MVP of the entire battle.
The "Quasi-Daddy Rank" Primordial Mask not only had strong enough effects but also didn't require bearing the cost of using a "Daddy Rank" item.
Of course, the Primordial Mask wouldn't stay in this state for long. When its power increased by another tier, using it would require bearing the corresponding cost. This phased upgrade couldn't be stopped, and Su Xiao had tried various methods.
He put away the [Original Sin Sprout]. Its specific use was to be determined. The [Soul Crystal] he obtained this time was a good thing. One large piece was equivalent to 100 Soul Crystal Cores, meaning one large [Soul Crystal] could upgrade 1 level of Blade Grandmaster.
Although the [Soul Crystal] was good, Su Xiao was certain that to upgrade his blade technique to a higher level, he would still need to rely on a large number of Soul Crystal Cores to pile up. The [Soul Crystal] was recognized by Reincarnation Paradise as a highly rare item, and its scarcity meant it couldn't be used as a core resource.
Su Xiao suspected that if there was an extremely wealthy collector willing to exchange about 110 to 150 Soul Crystal Cores for this [Soul Crystal], he could ask the Goblin Merchant Guild later. If someone was really willing to trade, Su Xiao would definitely do it.
Finally, the [Abyss Chest]. Seeing this thing, his mood suddenly became a bit complicated. The scene of opening the "Daddy Rank" item, the Soul Crown, last time was still vivid in his mind. If he opened another one...
He put away the [Abyss Chest] and temporarily stopped thinking about it. Just then, the door was knocked on. The long-awaited Hunter Force Leader Tessa walked into the office.
Tessa was about 1.6 meters tall, wearing the Hunter Force's black-red combat uniform. Her short black hair looked smooth and soft. Compared to her appearance, Tessa's sharp gaze made most people who met her eyes instinctively look away, not daring to meet her gaze.
"So, I've been tricked by you again."
Tessa sat down in the chair opposite the desk, leaning back comfortably and letting out a satisfied sigh.
"If you don't want to cooperate, forget it."
"No, no, please. This matter can save me many years of hard work. I'm killing cultists or all kinds of weird things every day now. I even have a blood taste in my mouth when I wake up in the morning. Because of this bloody smell, I've been thinking about eating vegetarian lately."
Tessa sighed. Beneath her sharp gaze was actually a tired heart.
"Once a day, it can improve bleeding gums."
Su Xiao placed a porcelain medicine bottle on the table. Seeing this, Baha almost laughed out loud.
"I don't think it's bleeding gums. It's because I've killed too many things."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't say anything. He had quite a bit of experience in killing too many enemies and was basically certain that Tessa's condition was caused by overwork leading to some bleeding gums.
"Alright, it seems I do have a bit of bleeding gums."
Tessa picked up the medicine bottle and put it in her pocket. Seeing this, Su Xiao stood up and walked out. Tessa naturally followed, with Baha behind.
After passing through layers of secret sentries and checkpoints, Su Xiao opened the metal door leading to the third level of the underground prison. Descending the stairs to the third level, the scorched smell from the high-temperature burning still lingered.
Tessa observed the Abyss Spawn's cell for a while before asking, "Did you use Sun Flame to burn this Abyss Spawn to death?"
"You can consider it that."
Su Xiao certainly wouldn't reveal his Demon Spirit Awakening ability.
"I can't just 'consider it.' The higher-ups will investigate this. Any inconsistency will be troublesome."
Tessa picked up a piece of gravity crystal layer debris and easily crushed it into powder with a light squeeze.
"You killed the Abyss Spawn. Just improvise."
"Improvise?"
Tessa turned her head to look at Su Xiao, her expression somewhat interesting.
"You killed the Abyss Spawn, and it was on my turf. The higher-ups want results. The Alliance's strongest, Tessa, successfully killed No. 2 Abyss creature. Tomorrow morning's Alliance Daily, headline news."
Hearing this, Tessa's expression seemed hesitant, but inwardly, she was becoming more alert. She was starting to feel Su Xiao's danger.
"They five witnessed you..."
Before Tessa could finish, the Mind Master in the cell said, "Indeed, I witnessed Lady Tessa eliminating the Abyss Spawn. My mind was greatly shaken."
"Yes, I feel the same."
"I saw it with my own eyes."
"Congratulations to Lady Tessa for eliminating the Abyss Spawn."
The five criminals—Lion King, Furious Shark, Mind Master, and Siren—all expressed their agreement one by one. Only Hatred remained silent, hanging upside down as if dead.
"White Night, how did you make them so obedient?"
Tessa looked at the criminals with amazement, especially Furious Shark, who maintained a stiff smile.
"Maybe the reform has been effective."
Su Xiao sat on the steps, signaling Tessa to begin. Soon, the entire underground prison began to echo with dull thuds.
Two hours later, Su Xiao returned to the office. The handover with Tessa went smoothly. When he notified Mayor Perkins, the mayor was overjoyed. Strangely, Mayor Perkins showed no interest in how the Abyss Spawn was destroyed. That was the good thing about working with smart people.
Su Xiao checked the time. It was already afternoon. He took out the "Hunt List: Blood Pact" and looked at it. The six names arranged from top to bottom. The top one was becoming clearer. Behind this very blurry name, words like "Reincarnator" and "Past Life Memories" were faintly visible.
Behind the desk, Su Xiao turned his chair to face the wall. He pressed a mechanism on the wooden cabinet behind him. With a click, a wooden panel on the cabinet slid up, revealing a safe hidden inside.
This safe was embedded in the wall, reinforced by techniques, and was left by the former dean. It was clear that the old man had hidden something inside.
Moreover, the former dean had specifically left a letter, asking Su Xiao to take care of the safe for the sake of the succession but not to open it.
Normally, Su Xiao wouldn't open this safe. The problem was that the old man had previously said they were on the same side to deal with Vice Dean Yesinger's revenge. But before the revenge even started, the old man had run off to a small country, taking all his assets. This was clearly a premeditated escape.
Under these circumstances, it was naturally time to find a way to open the safe and see what good stuff the old man had hidden.
Su Xiao took out the Mysterious Eye. He had "improved" this thing into a lock-picking tool. He attached it to the upper part of the safe's keyhole. Hair-thin metal tentacles extended from the Mysterious Eye and entered the spiral structure of the lock. After a while, with a click, the lock opened.
Pulling open the safe door, Su Xiao saw a key. It was a key to a storage box at the Merchant Alliance Bank, with the corresponding box number on it. Under the key was a note that read:
'White Night, if you see this note, it means I have already taken my family and left. Consider this gift as compensation. Don't come looking for me. Don't miss me.'
The translation of this sentence was: 'I'm running away. I don't care about your business with Yesinger anymore. This is mental compensation, so don't come chasing after me to kill me.'
Compared to immediately going to the Merchant Alliance Bank's storage box to see what was inside, Su Xiao was more interested in the Mysterious Eye. This thing was surprisingly useful, but there were too many assembly errors.
Su Xiao checked the Mysterious Eye's attributes. It showed "This item has 157 structural errors," meaning assembly errors.
Su Xiao held the Mysterious Eye with both hands and used his mental energy to restructure one of the structural errors. He had a good feel for it this time. After a while, this structural error was corrected. He checked the Mysterious Eye's attributes again. The next second, a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes, because the Mysterious Eye's attributes now showed:
[This item has 219 structural errors (63 new structural errors added).]
Su Xiao rubbed his chin, once again doubting his talent in manufacturing. He couldn't help but wonder if the spatial stabilization device he had made for Tuanzhang last time would explode after some use.
Fixing one structural error had led to many derived contradictory structural errors. In that case, Su Xiao restored the structural error he had just fixed to its previous error sequence, exactly as it was. He checked the Mysterious Eye's attributes and immediately saw:
[This item has 220 structural errors (1 new structural error added).]
Su Xiao looked at the apple-sized Mysterious Eye in his hand and finally decided not to disassemble it. He still hadn't figured out how he had reassembled it last time after taking it apart. For now, he would just use it. As long as it worked, no matter how wonderful the way it operated, it was a good thing.
Just as Su Xiao put away the Mysterious Eye, he noticed that the Hunt List on the table began to emit a red light. The writing on the top line became completely clear. The name of the first enemy appeared.
This meant that the hunt had begun!