Destroying the Stone Pile Plain wasn't particularly difficult, but since they were scattered in various locations, it was a bit troublesome. Fortunately, Rover and Aether split up to handle them separately, and within half a day, they had taken down all the Stone Pile Plain structures.
"Woohoo! Finally, we can explore further inside!"
Zhiqiong was overjoyed, practically itching to dive deeper and investigate. But Rover grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Let us go down first. Once we confirm it's safe, you can follow."
Hearing this, Zhiqiong suppressed her excitement and watched as Aether and Rover leaped down.
...
The moment Rover entered the interior, his first impression was one of oppressive darkness. Only faint starlight illuminated the space, making visibility pitifully low.
And from the depths, unceasing growls echoed, sending chills down one's spine.
A blue crystal floated before Rover's eyes. Before descending, he had already done his research.
This crystal was called Lumenstone Ore, capable of providing illumination in The Chasm. It was essential equipment for exploring this place.
Using the Lumenstone Adjuvant, Rover lit the nearby torches, then surveyed the surroundings. The terrain was rugged and uneven, with jagged rocks jutting out everywhere. All kinds of monsters lurked in the shadows, and the eerie silence made even his own footsteps unnervingly loud.
"Aahhh—I-I'm coming!"
A sharp female voice rang out from above. Rover looked up to see Zhiqiong gliding down with her Wind Glider. Her voice also served as a signal, allowing Aether to quickly pinpoint their location and catch up.
"Hehe, time to start mapping..."
Zhiqiong opened her backpack, about to take out her tools, but Aether stopped her.
"Safety comes first. Rover and I will scout ahead. Once we confirm there's no danger, you can proceed."
Zhiqiong crossed her arms, her face clearly displeased. But seeing the concern in Rover and Aether's expressions, she ultimately agreed to Aether's suggestion.
Rover felt a vibration on the back of his hand—his Tacet Mark was resonating. Then, Abby emerged from it.
"What's wrong, Abby?"
Rover looked at Abby, who seemed utterly exhausted, sighing deeply before pointing in a certain direction.
"Ugh... I smell that foul stench of the Abyss again. I haven't been sleeping well these days because of it."
Paimon patted Abby's shoulder sympathetically.
"Don't worry, you glutton. Once we get back up, I'll treat you to a feast."
Abby's eyes lit up, ignoring the nickname Paimon had given him, his antenna-like hair perking up into an exclamation mark.
"You promise? No take-backs!"
Aether, however, was puzzled. Where would Paimon get the money? Then he noticed the little creature glancing at him sheepishly, and his lips twitched.
"You mean I'm paying!?"
Paimon leaned in and whispered to Aether:
"Well, think about it. Abby's nose got messed up because he was trying to help find your sister, right? So it's only fair you treat him!"
After this brief interlude, the group's mood lightened slightly. Following Abby's lead and with Rover's overwhelming strength, they cut straight through The Chasm, arriving at its central region.
Suddenly, Abby stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening.
"What's wro—"
Before Aether could finish, he looked up—and saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
A city. An entire city, floating upside down in the sky!
Even Rover was momentarily stunned.
Before them was a vast space where the Abyssal energy below had condensed into clusters of purple crystals. Countless crystals arched upward like some kind of ritual formation, eerily surreal. And above it all, an inverted city hung suspended in the air.
It was too shocking, completely beyond imagination.
The sight reminded them of that upside-down Statue of The Seven they had encountered before—just as unsettling.
"As expected, at the turning point of fate, you arrive as promised."
The voice of Dainsleif came from behind them. Rover turned to look at him, vaguely recalling that back in Inazuma, he had charged into the portal alongside Lumine.
Paimon was curious.
"You made it inside The Chasm too?"
Dainsleif shook his head—a rare gesture for him.
"This is The Chasm's interior? I see...
Ever since we parted in Inazuma, I've been trapped here. But I could sense that the Princess must have some purpose here, so I followed the traces of the Abyss, which led me to meet you all again."
The moment Aether heard about his sister, he immediately pressed for answers.
"What about my sister? How is she?"
Dainsleif looked at Aether, then turned his gaze toward the floating city.
"The Abyss's teleportation network is an intricate web. In other words, the Princess is clever. The moment she entered the portal, she altered the node, immediately diverting me—who was right behind her—to the wrong location. This place. She intended to trap me here.
Thus, we never fought. We didn't even meet."
Aether sighed quietly in relief, but also felt a pang of disappointment. It seemed that on this journey into the Abyss, he likely wouldn't get to see his sister.