Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 317 - 318 : "..." [2/2]

Meanwhile, in a northern region of the Ancita continent, not too far from the Great Winter Forest, a customary act of robbery was quietly unfolding within a forest less traveled.

Amidst splattering blood and chilling cries of despair, a small merchant caravan succumbed to a band of mountain brigands.

Their loot, along with the plundered goods, was swiftly hauled back to the thief’s den. The skirmish ended, the looters retreated, and soon, the path was engulfed by a profound silence once again.

All that remained were the wreckage of the caravans, nauseating trails of blood, and scattered body parts.

But just when serenity seemed to have taken over, a stack of hay nearby started shaking.

A figure clad in black cautiously peeked out, looking left and right. Upon confirming that the bandits were gone and the coast was clear, he finally stepped out, walking on tiptoes to the wreckage of the caravan.

He started rummaging through the remains, seemingly in search of some grub to satisfy his hunger. Clearly, this shadowy figure was famished.

As he stepped into the sunlight, his true appearance was revealed: a pitiful blue-haired youth, dressed in a shabby black coat and ragged shoes, skinny and filthy.

His petite figure, resulting from malnutrition, made him look much weaker than his peers.

His body was covered in bruises, suggesting he’d been subjected to much abuse. His face, smeared with dirt and stains, wore the woebegone look of a distressed refugee.

However, the filth and grime couldn’t dim the light shining from his eyes. His reddish eyes, radiant like rubies, were striking, captivating, and full of life.

If someone from Asumos Church was there and saw this youth from behind, they’d be stunned to discover that faint golden patterns were emerging on the back of this blue-haired boy, partly obscured by his tattered cloak.

These patterns were imbued with an ancient divine power. Such unique patterns were exclusive to only one kind of individual - the Chosen One.

The youth’s identity was close to being revealed.

---

After exploring the ruins for a while, the blue-haired boy named Asar showed a glimmer of joy,

"Found...found it!"

Holding a piece of dark bread that the robbers had discarded, a flash of delight crossed his eyes. Without a second thought, he shoved the food into his mouth.

After a few swallows, his intense hunger was finally alleviated.

’Ah, I survived,’ he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a certain joy of narrowly escaping death. Ever since his resurrection from the chaotic graveyard, he’d been plagued by a strong sense of hunger.

If he hadn’t found something to eat, he feared he’d become the first Chosen One in history to die of starvation. That would be, indeed, a tragic fate.

Fortunately, he had found food just in time.

Collecting himself, Asar slowly bent down and picked up a few mud-covered newspapers from the ground.

’This is...’ After quickly reading the ’urgent news’ in the newspaper, the ragged, mud-streaked, and dirty Asar leaned against a massive stone, gazing thoughtfully toward the north, in the direction of the Winter Forest.

"Hmm, it seems likely that Xue Tianao’s fall had something to do with those Abyssal demons,"

Asar mused. Abyssal demons despise the Chosen Ones. They’d probably stop at nothing to wipe out anyone who has divine powers. Despite Xue Tianao Being Too Powerful, controlling one of the four major empires, he still couldn’t stand against the assault of the Abyssal demons. It shows how fearsome and Powerful these creatures are in this world.

Not only that, the Abyssal demons act strategically, maybe like the news reports say, there must be high-level entities among them that possess wisdom. They attacked SkyeDome not just because of Inferno but also to remove Xue Tianao, who posed a threat to them.

Their deliberate attacks on the Chosen Ones have made passing the trials even more difficult. If even a veteran like Xue Tianao failed, then what about him?

With these thoughts, Asar looked down at himself. Seeing his small body that was not even 1.6 meters tall, thin arms and legs, and the pitiful amount of magic and energy in his body, the new Chosen One sighed heavily.

"Man..." Now, he was not even strong enough to face a situation on his own. Heck, he was barely able to withstand a breeze.

Any Abyssal demon could probably pin him down and grind him into the dirt. His power was embarrassingly weak.

Not only was he weak, but considering he crawled out from a chaotic graveyard and his clothes were tattered, he probably was a homeless beggar in his past life.

This meant he had no power, no background, and no one who could help him. And his enemies? Terrifying Abyssal demons who could flatten an entire empire.

"What kind of hellish start is this!"

he yelled in frustration, smashing the moldy bun in his hand onto the ground.

But after venting his frustration, he hopped down from the rock, picked up the moldy bun from the ground, and continued to gnaw at it.

Well, there was nothing else he could do. He was starving...

Feeling wronged, he took a bite of the bun and thought about his mission again. Complete the trials, repel the Abyssal demons, destroy Demon Temple...

Considering the difficulty of the tasks and his abilities, he couldn’t help but think,

"Maybe I should just give up."

After another inner roar, he knelt on the ground, feeling like crying. He realized that even if he wanted to give up, the Abyssal demons, or any organization that held hostility toward the Chosen Ones like the Divine Punishment Sect, would never let him go.

Once his identity as a Chosen One was revealed, his death was inevitable. Against him, the Abyssal demons wouldn’t even need an army as they did for Xue Tianao. They could probably kill him just by spitting at him.

So, he had to make sure nobody discovered he was a Chosen One. And he also had to hide his original identity. If the people who knew him before found out about his resurrection, they’d definitely spread the news far and wide, increasing the chance of his identity being revealed.

"Got to keep it under wraps,"

Asar decided internally. But the issue was, what’s the best way to go undercover? Mulling over it, he looked somewhat complicatedly toward the beat-up old carriage at his side. No, to be precise, his gaze was directed at the ragged cloth... skirt... on the carriage seat.

Then, a sudden brainwave hit Asar.

"That’s it!"

The Son of Destiny is surely all male, right? If I pretend to be a girl, no one would ever connect me to a Son of Destiny! This way, my real identity could be hidden more effectively! And besides...’

He looked down at his frail body, then at his delicate face hidden beneath the grime in the broken mirror.

He seemed quite suited to masquerade as a girl.

’Ofcourse, wearing a girl’s clothes might be a bit shameless, but it’s all about survival, right?’

However, even after finding a crafty way to hide his identity, Asar felt a gnawing unease. After all, wasn’t his current location a bit too close to the Winter Forest and the Abyssal demon horde? What if they just decided to rush him one day and trample him to death? Wasn’t that the reason for Xue Tianao’s tragic demise, being too close to the Winter Forest? Wouldn’t things be different if Xue Tianao were from the Red Leaf Empire, out of reach from the Abyssal demons?

Anyhow, for survival’s sake, steering clear from the enemy was always the smart move. Thus, "I need to head South!"

With newfound determination, Asar set his sights southward. Even though he was weak, frail, penniless, and starving, he decided to journey to the South where the Abyssal demons wouldn’t get to him so easily. That should provide a peaceful life.

’Wait, if I am heading South, why not use the Goddess-given powers to find a big faction to join? Having backers would definitely make life easier. But, which faction to join?’

As Asar pondered this, a headline from the discarded newspaper caught his eye.

"Hm? What’s this?"

"The Black Rose family... announce they will donate 80 million gem coins to the Snow Night Empire, as well as a huge amount of supplies..."

Intrigued, Asar slowly squatted down to pick up the tattered newspaper and started reading it attentively.

’Wasn’t the Sadik Empire located in the southern part of the continent, and the base of the Black Rose family was in the southeast of Sadik Empire? Besides, the Black Rose family seemed to be rich and powerful. And, according to the news, they were also a compassionate organization, even adopting war orphans’

’My current state would surely stir up people’s sympathy, right?’

After some thought, Asar’s pale red eyes flickered with a sharp gleam. At that moment, the Chosen One had a brilliant idea. His hands clapped together as he looked excitedly to the south.

’That’s it!’

"I’ve decided!"

He yelled,

"I’m going to join the Black Rose family!"

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