Chapter 46: Abyss Well

Vilyric and the others had a smooth journey. After leaving the borders of the Nobos Ironblood Empire, the envoy continued southeast, taking a route through another country that was on good terms with the United Kingdom and shared a border with it.

This was the final stretch of the journey, and completing it would lead directly to the legendary World’s Southern Abyss. The Kingdom of Azure, with its total area rivaling that of the United Kingdom, was scattered across countless floating islands in the southern region of the world.

Half a month later, the envoy safely arrived at their destination.

This long trek of over two months had finally reached its terminus, which was also a new starting point.

Ahead lay the Abyss.

The envoy naturally could not stop right at the edge of the true abyss; they were currently stationed in the nearest city, waiting for the Kingdom of Azure to escort them.

Curious and eager, the Priestess informed Philena before rushing out alone with a few of her followers.

This medium-sized border city was less than ten kilometers from the actual abyss, so there was no need to fly. With at least legendary-level prowess among them, they quickly reached the location.

The Abyss was more of an epithet than anything, but in reality, the scene here was slightly different from what Vilyric had imagined.

Outside the city, there were no signs of human activity; the barren land made Vilyric feel as if they had stepped into a world on the brink of apocalypse.

Walking forward a hundred steps, they passed numerous warning signs and symbols.

Then, in a certain spot, the earth was abruptly severed.

“Wow~”

“So this is… the Abyss?”

Aside from the Winged Sisters who had lived here for decades, Edwina and Vilyric both exclaimed sincerely, even the usually aloof Giant Dragon couldn’t help but show surprise.

Countless massive shadows loomed far in the sky, while the ground directly ahead plummeted at an almost 60-degree angle, disappearing into the deepest darkness.

Profound and void-like, it certainly lived up to the name Abyss.

The Abyss was vast and boundless; its intersection with the world could hardly be considered smooth. It was said that the area Vilyric was in was not actually the farthest point south of the world.

On the contrary, this place represented a sort of inward convexity, being the first intersection point of the Abyss and the Earth in the north-south direction.

The sunken abyss was nearly circular, surrounded by land with only a few kilometers wide opening to the south.

It was as though a mighty force had forcibly excavated a chunk of the earth.

This area, around thirty thousand square kilometers in size, was uniquely named the Abyss Well.

This was not mere conjecture.

Some had long believed that the hundred thousand floating islands of the Kingdom of Azure were once part of the earth that had risen to the skies for some reason long ago.

The shapes of those floating islands, especially directly above here at the Island of Spris, astonishingly matched the Abyss Well both in form and size.

However, no one could fully understand the specific causes and principles; the most common belief was that it might be somehow connected to the deities of the Winged People—the God of Sky and Freedom.

Additionally, strictly speaking, this area actually belonged to the territory of the Kingdom of Azure. The city where the envoy was stationed, although nominally under local governance, was entirely built and managed by the Winged People.

In stark contrast to the desolate land outside the city upon arrival, the edges of the Abyss Well were crawling with thick vines and low vegetation, spreading down into the deep, lightless abyss.

Vilyric didn’t quite understand what this signified, but one thing was certain: if someone were to accidentally fall in, these plants might serve as a buffer, preventing them from plummeting directly into the depths and giving them a chance at survival.

Were these plants a natural result of time passing, or were they intentionally cultivated by the locals?

If it were the latter, that would be an astonishing feat.

Aside from that, there wasn’t much else.

Vilyric and the others meandered around the edge of the Abyss Well for quite some time without seeing anything crawl out, leaving them a bit disappointed.

She had thought about going down to the bottom to see what the so-called Abyss was all about, but…

What if truly going down meant never returning?

For example, if Vilyric speculated that beneath the abyss lay an entirely different world, the Priestess, who had little knowledge of spatial magic, couldn’t guarantee her safe return.

Even if that weren’t the case, it would be incredibly reckless and foolish to enter an unknown land unprepared. Vilyric didn’t see the need to hastily take the risk to explore the secrets of the abyss.

After all, this mission’s goal was simply to observe.

After a brief exchange of opinions, the group returned to the city where the envoy was stationed.

When they found Envoy Group Leader Miss Philena, she was engaged in discussions with a few exquisitely dressed Winged People, whose style clearly differed from that of humans. A couple of scribes and advisors accompanied them.

These Winged People were clearly the officials sent by the Kingdom of Azure for the handover.

There were five in total, and the young woman at the forefront, appearing to be in her twenties, was a White Feather Winged person, while the other four were Red Feathers.

“Hey, Miss Philena, how’s the workload?”

The Priestess casually greeted them without any pretense.

“Hmm, we’re just about done. Since Miss Vilyric has returned, we’ll be ready to head out. The Kingdom of Azure will be taking us to the nearest Island of Spris, from where we’ll transfer directly to the capital, Sky City. If we time it right, we should arrive just in time.”

With a thick stack of documents returning to the table, Philena turned aside, allowing the young White Feather Winged woman to step forward.

“Let me introduce, this is Lady Hilda Kurk of the Free Wings, one of the Wing Emperors. She is a renowned legendary powerhouse responsible for coordinating with our envoy.”

The White-haired woman, whose hair was braided and fell across her shoulders, smiled kindly at Vilyric and the others with a greeting befitting the Kingdom of Azure.

“Hello everyone, may the God of Freedom bless you. I’m Hilda.”

It was evident she was a highly cultured and refined noblewoman. Her gestures were graceful and proper, her smile sincere and gentle, exuding an amiable air that naturally drew trust and reliance.

She truly seemed well-suited for diplomatic work.

“Lady Hilda, this is Miss Vilyric, the one I mentioned who exterminated the escaping Abyss Beast. Moreover, she is acknowledged as a close friend and super powerhouse by our Majesty, making her quite reliable. As fellow top-tier powerhouses, perhaps you could find time to exchange ideas and have some friendly sparring.”

Mentioning Vilyric’s feat of taking down that Abyss Beast to the Kingdom of Azure was a decision made after consultation with Philena.

The Winged People, especially the White Feather Winged folk, placed great value on ability, as seen from their tradition of competing for the title of Wing Emperor regardless of race, along with the “Coming of Age Trials” that Leila and Renée spoke of.

If Vilyric wanted to engage conveniently with them, she would need a valid yet not too outrageous introduction. Southern Disaster was certainly out of the question, but that Abyss Beast, which was being hunted by the Kingdom of Azure, happened to be the perfect fit.

   

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