No one would have thought there would be a vein of air stones located at the outskirts of Crimson Abyss.
To find that place, one first had to go around the entrance connecting the Abyss and Crimson No. 2, then pass through a dense forest, and finally slide down a naturally grown tree-covered pit to reach the air stone vein.
The Purple Fox Squad stumbled upon it by sheer luck. At the formation of the team, due to improper coordination, a Dangerous-level Demon escaped their encirclement. In the pursuit, Qiao Lingzhi accidentally fell into the pit, and to rescue him, Shinkai Katsuyuki and Brandon had no choice but to enter the cave.
Initially, they didn't know that the stones embedded in the cave walls were air stones. They were merely intrigued by the aesthetically pleasing stones and decided to investigate a bit upon their return.
Since it wasn't inside the Abyss, they couldn't just kill to silence anyone, so the three members of the Purple Fox Squad reluctantly signed a contract with the other two to prevent the leakage of the air stone vein's existence.
Yan Luo was the fourth person to come to the air stone vein. Upon seeing the azure stones embedded in the cave walls, he realized he had become intricately tied to the Purple Fox Squad in terms of interest.
It would likely be difficult for him to leave the Purple Fox Squad in the future.
Air stone was a small gem predominantly azure, yet faintly shimmering with a silvery glow. Most spatial equipment was manufactured using it, with very few exceptions relying on higher-grade substitutes.
Nowadays, Blue Star couldn't manufacture spatial equipment without using materials from the Abyss.
The existence of the Abyss led Blue Star down a development path entirely different from a decade ago, now inseparable from the Abyss.
Yet, over time, the Abyss would gradually expand, eventually cultivating Doomsday Level Demons, which could ultimately lead to the destruction of the entire Blue Star.
Thus, the United Government periodically organized Hunter teams to eliminate an Abyss that had expanded to critical levels.
However, these matters had nothing to do with Yan Luo for the time being, as his power wasn't yet strong enough to partake in such grand undertakings.
Yan Luo gazed at the azure stones on the cave walls, a hint of complexity flickering in his eyes.
Even though it would breach the regulations of the Hunter's Guild and United Government, he needed to seize this windfall. Otherwise, he couldn't form his squad or fulfill his dream.
Since Yan Luo was a newcomer, Shinkai Katsuyuki and the others didn't let him collect the air stones. Ultimately, they still harbored some mistrust towards him.
Yan Luo was instructed by Shinkai Katsuyuki to 'remain vigilant of the surroundings,' but Brandon stood nearby, fiddling with his handgun, occasionally glancing at Yan Luo.
They needed Yan Luo's intellect and knowledge, yet they couldn't fully trust him.
Fortunately, the situation was easily resolved. Yan Luo needed to accompany them on several more Abyss hunts to privately sell air stones, alleviating their concerns.
While Shinkai Katsuyuki and Qiao Lingzhi killed demons and harvested air stones using the magical power dissipating from the demons' deaths, Yan Luo silently observed the pit.
The presence of this pit was rather inexplicable, as if it had been deliberately created for air stone collection.
A large quantity of air stones was exposed to the air, uniformly sized and distributed, resembling an artificial creation.
Yet, it was common knowledge that nothing artificial existed within the Abyss, which puzzled Yan Luo. He could only tentatively explain it as 'just how the Abyss was.'
Perhaps Shinkai Katsuyuki and his companions had similar perplexities, but given the substantial benefits provided by the air stones, they'd overlook any doubts, deceiving themselves.
"Alright, let's go!"
Eighty harmless and ordinary demons combined had netted the Purple Fox Squad a mere sixteen air stones.
Nonetheless, for Shinkai Katsuyuki and his allies, this was a major haul.
They previously collected a maximum of eight air stones, as their captured demons were mostly harmless. With Yan Luo's assistance, their yield had doubled.
Just the thought of the sixteen air stones and the resultant profit was enough to excite them.
Yan Luo's involvement meant sharing the spoils, but their total profit also increased!
In fact, individual earnings had even surpassed previous amounts!
Brandon, bearing the Engraving of the Spirit Cat, was agile and served as the scout before Yan Luo joined, so he was the first to leave the pit.
Shinkai Katsuyuki, burdened with the air stones, followed, then Qiao Lingzhi, with Yan Luo as the last to exit.
Yan Luo offered no objection, fully aware that the three still didn't trust him.
Upon exiting the pit, the first thing Yan Luo did was survey his surroundings.
During the previous half-day's action, Yan Luo noticed that while Shinkai Katsuyuki and the others possessed a hunter's vigilance, their lack of skill often led to missing signs of demonic presence.
Before Yan Luo could finish his observation, Qiao Lingzhi called him to depart.
Their next tasks were to procure dinner and find a resting spot.
Everywhere in the Abyss was perilous; they had to find a place devoid of Dangerous-level Demon activity to rest assuredly.
That duty, again, fell upon Yan Luo.
Yan Luo harbored no resentment. Within the squad, everyone had their responsibilities, his being one of them.
Yan Luo knew Crimson Abyss better than other Abysses since his parents had perished under a demon tide there. If he had the power to destroy an Abyss, Crimson Abyss would be his first target.
Upon careful search, Yan Luo suddenly discovered no signs of Dangerous-level Demon activity in their area.
"...No, something's wrong!"
A flash of insight crossed Yan Luo's mind, causing him to shiver, his eyes widening.
Turning to Shinkai Katsuyuki and the others, he urgently shouted, "We have to leave here immediately!"
"W-What's wrong?"
Yan Luo's sudden fear had startled Shinkai Katsuyuki and the others as well.
Hearts pounded in their chests, pumping blood to their brains under pressure.
Eyes darted within sockets, and breathing grew labored.
Yan Luo, from clenched teeth, revealed his flashed thought, "There might be a deadly-level demon here!"
— What?!
Shinkai Katsuyuki, Qiao Lingzhi, and Brandon froze, terrified.
The point connecting Crimson No. 2 and Crimson Abyss lay near the Abyss's edge, genuinely an outer region.
Logically, deadly-level demons shouldn't appear here.
But that didn't mean they absolutely couldn't!
Every demon had its roaming area, harmless and ordinary ones too, though their weakness led to 'territory' being invaded by other demons, making it less apparent.
The absence of Dangerous-level Demon signs suggested only one possibility to Yan Luo—a deadly-level demon might be here!
Panic-stricken for two seconds, Brandon regained his composure, eyes warily fixed on Yan Luo, questioning, "Why do you think that?"
Yan Luo paused, furrowing his brow, "Because there are no signs of Dangerous-level Demon activity here..."
"They weren't here last time, either!"
Brandon rudely interrupted, his words causing Shinkai Katsuyuki and Qiao Lingzhi to quickly calm down. They exchanged a glance, subtly raising their weapons toward Yan Luo.
At that moment, Yan Luo finally understood why Brandon had posed such an evident question.
"You don't trust my judgment?" Yan Luo's probing gaze shifted across the three facing him.
Shinkai Katsuyuki played the mediator, "It's not that we don't trust your judgment, but we've always operated in this area without encountering deadly-level demons. The lack of Dangerous-level Demon signs isn't sufficient to prove there's a deadly-level demon here."
Yan Luo, with a tight frown, observed Shinkai Katsuyuki and the other two silently.
Brandon refused to give Yan Luo a pass, continuing, "You conveniently claim there's a deadly-level demon after discovering the air stone vein with us—there's something off! I get it, because we've been relaxed about security recently, spent a lot of money, beyond our earnings level, we're suspected. Who's your backer? Wu Zechuan? You staged a scene with him in the lobby! Otherwise, why would anyone refuse the Mountain and River Warband's invitation to join our small squad... Oh, I get it, even your previous rejections by other squads were an act! To show us!"
As he spoke, Brandon grew short of breath, red veins spreading in his eyes.
Not just Brandon, but Shinkai Katsuyuki and Qiao Lingzhi began to question Yan Luo's motives for joining the Purple Fox Squad upon hearing him.
Yan Luo took a deep breath, calmly asserting, "What you say isn't logical..."
"Shut up!"
Brandon cut him off again, gripping his shotgun handle tightly, angrily demanding, "Tell me, who's backing you?!!"