bookpub Chapter 96 The Conqueror of the Abyss
Chapter 96 The Conqueror of the Abyss
Chapter 96 The Conqueror of the Abyss
The corpse of the Imperial Adventurer was now emanating an eerie aura.
The moment the helmet was removed, even Simon was so startled that he took a half step back, and the helmet in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
When Sofia saw what was under the helmet, she almost instinctively wanted to run away, but her unconscious companion forced her to remain calm and observe the situation with a look of panic on her face.
What the hell is this thing?
There was no human head under the helmet.
A black, gelatinous substance was churning, encasing a human's pinkish-gray brain within a jelly-like gel.
There are also two eyeballs, which are rolling around.
Suppressing his nausea and unease, Simon observed the constantly surging gel, which contained not only a brain and eyeballs, but also a complete set of vocal organs. Looking down, he could also see something resembling bones. The entire thick protective suit was completely filled with the strange gel.
Simon's mind raced. The body had died very quickly, meaning it wasn't that the body had turned into gel, but rather that his body was originally made of gel.
The gelatinous substance surged again, and suddenly it coalesced into a sticky tentacle that shot out, its target not Simon, but the helmet.
Snap—
The tentacles stuck to the helmet and then immediately retracted. The Imperial Adventurer's "corpse" began to move, grabbing the helmet with its hands and pinning it to its head.
"I see, I see." A deep voice came from under the helmet. "I can't believe they actually performed surgery on me."
"What exactly happened?" Simon asked, brandishing his harpoon. "Are you human? Or a creation of some abyssal substance?"
The adventurer from the empire stroked his chin thoughtfully, and after a long while, he finally gave his answer: "I am still thinking with my brain, but my body—is no longer my body."
"During our adventure on the third layer of the abyss, my team and I extracted a special gel from a local plant that can perfectly preserve human organs. A certain component in the gel can replace nerves and blood vessels, and it can even allow organs to function inside the gel."
"I joked with my team that if I were to die one day, they should stuff my major organs and this gel into my protective suit, and then have the local heretics perform the surgery so that I could continue to take them on adventures. I never expected them to actually do it."
His voice, however, remained remarkably calm.
"It seems I must have perished in the battle against the Abyss Spawn."
"You never realized you were dead?" Simon's eyes were filled with suspicion. "And you haven't taken off your helmet for all this time?"
A muffled laugh came from under the helmet.
"I occasionally notice something unusual, such as why abyssal creatures are close to me, or why I don't feel hungry even if I don't eat for a long time—but my mind is only on adventure, and I don't think about anything else besides adventure."
"But this body is truly amazing! Not only does it not need to eat, it also doesn't need oxygen. It's practically the body every adventurer dreams of, hahaha!"
Simon nodded helplessly. The man in front of him had not only mutated into a monster, but his mind had long been completely consumed by the exploration of the abyss.
The adventurer in front of me completely disregarded his own situation, focusing solely on exploring the abyss. Even after learning that he was dead and his body was no longer the familiar one but replaced by some kind of gel, his reaction was that this new body was more suitable for exploring the abyss.
Another madman, he couldn't help but rub his forehead.
After calming down, the adventurer from the Empire took the initiative to invite Simon to cooperate: "Brother Simon, let's cooperate."
Simon was taken aback; he had never expected the Imperial Adventurers' attitude to change so drastically.
"My time is running out." His voice was filled with deep regret. "All creatures of the abyss will eventually return to the abyss. Even though I believe my self-awareness is strong, I will eventually be devoured by the abyss's consciousness. Before that, I hope I can conquer the end of the abyss."
"I need new equipment and a lot of money, which can't be done with Karl's funding. Killing him might be the best way to raise the money."
I see, it's for funding and equipment.
Simon nodded, extended his hand to shake his, and agreed to cooperate with him.
Although the guy in front of me seems to be mentally unstable, he desperately needs allies right now. Any new ally would change the other factions' perception of him and make them reconsider their cooperation.
Imperial adventurers need funds and equipment, which he has no need for. They have no conflict of interest, and after overthrowing Karl, they can each get what they need.
Having dealt with the Imperial Adventurer, Simon then looked at Sophia, who was barely managing to stay upright not far away.
"Do you want to continue playing?" Simon asked her.
Gripping the dagger tightly, Sofia's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Wilson was knocked unconscious by a single punch, Elder Chalasou knelt on the ground unable to move, and the adventurers of the Empire agreed to cooperate with him.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and what was originally a three-on-one attack became a "fair" one-on-one duel.
"I can't beat you!" she admitted. "But I can't possibly follow you to fight against Karl; what's the difference between that and suicide?"
"The difference is that you have a choice, you won't be a puppet being manipulated," Simon replied calmly. "What can you get under Karl's command? Just to survive. Why aren't you willing to fight for it, for your comrades, for yourself—"
Simon dropped that bombshell.
"And also, for the new life inside you."
Upon hearing this, Sophia's pupils contracted sharply, unable to believe that Simon had seen through her secret. She lowered her head, remaining silent, her hand unconsciously stroking her abdomen once again.
Her overly slow reaction, coupled with her instinctive action of protecting her abdomen, now confirmed Simon's suspicions.
Simon continued his questioning calmly: "Tomorrow Carl will continue to punish you, and tomorrow morning you will lose another comrade, just like Eric. How will your comrades view you? Your team will be a mere shell! Who will protect you when you are most vulnerable? Who will protect you and your children?"
In this dangerous abyss, losing the trust of your companions is like a lone wolf losing its pack; it must bear the risk of survival alone, and its fate is destined to be tragic.
As a tunnel raider who often had to work with his partners, she certainly understood this principle.
She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, her lips trembling slightly, but her tone was much firmer.
"I am willing to cooperate with you."
>