My Abyss Survival Diary

Chapter 17 Farewell

Anthony gave his life to provide Simon with a fatal warning...

It's hiding in the tree canopy!

Simon opened his eyes wide and could vaguely make out the outline of the monster; its entire body was pitch black, perfectly concealing itself in the night.

Without hesitation, Simon slid the harpoon off his shoulder, tip up, aimed at the slightly trembling silhouette, and pressed his thumb against the trigger of the explosive bolt.

The crossbow bolt shot out from the side of the fork, trailing a burning fuse and drawing an orange-red path in the fog.

Orange flames exploded on the tree canopy, shattering branches and leaves, breaking vines, and scattering spores with the shockwave.

The explosion's flames illuminated the entire tree canopy in that instant.

For a moment, Simon saw a human face.

A face with all the features on a bat's body!

A smiling monster with a human face hung upside down from the treetop, tilting its head to look at him.

That was a monster that shouldn't exist in this world.

The monster's body resembled that of a bat, but it wasn't entirely a bat, as it possessed both gliding wings and four limbs. Its lower limbs were thick and short, while its upper limbs were slender and had sharp claws.

Its gray-black wing membrane is unusually large, enough to cover its entire body. This is its means of camouflage. Its wing membrane has a kind of chameleon-like "mimicry" ability, which can change the color of the wing membrane to the color of the surrounding environment, making it completely undetectable.

In the firelight, the smiling face appeared even clearer.

The skin was connected to the flesh, and the muscles pulled the blood-stained corners of the mouth upwards, revealing two rows of fine, serrated teeth.

Its wings folded, its body fell from the tree trunk, and it glided silently over, its claws sweeping towards Simon's head.

Simon calmly turned to the side, his claws grazing the collar of Anthony's robe. Had he not dodged that blow, Anthony's head would have been severed in an instant, just like Anthony's.

His body leaned forward the instant he turned to the side, and the harpoon slashed upwards from below, the blade cleaving into the monster's side abdomen.

The blade cut into the grayish-white skin, leaving a deep wound.

Dark purple blood gushed from the wound, thick like tar, and smelled of rotting flesh.

The monster suddenly swung its claws, and Simon quickly retreated, holding the harpoon in front of him to block.

The claws slammed into the fork, producing a dull thud. Simon was jolted back two steps, his hand going numb.

The monster spread its wings, took off, and silently glided to another tree, hanging upside down again, its eyes still fixed on him.

"Get out of here!" Mr. Bell's voice came from behind.

The burly figure rushed to Simon's side, drew his bow, and aimed the arrow at the monster on the treetop.

"Badal! Take Klein with you!"

Badr burst out of the fog, one hand holding Klein by the collar and the other holding a shotgun.

Klein was struggling, his blond hair disheveled, his face covered in dried blood, and his eyes red as if they were about to bleed.

"Let me go! Anthony..."

"He's dead!" Badar roared, his voice booming like a shotgun blast. "You'll die if you stay!"

He pulled hard, and Klein staggered a few steps, being dragged into the fog.

After the two left, Simon looked at Bell and said, "That monster can only glide. It might not be as fast as us in the forest. We can still run now."

Turning his head to look at his companion, he was surprised to find that Mr. Bell's eyes were no longer cloudy; a crimson flame burned in them, reminding him of steel being tempered.

"Simon, we're not on the same path." Mr. Bell shook his head with a smile. "We just happened to meet and become companions. You are people seeking survival, while I... am someone seeking death."

Thinking back to our first meeting, he kept talking about some glorious death.

Simon knew nothing of his past, only that the mysterious man was constantly challenging powerful monsters in order to face his destined glorious death.

He paused, then looked up at the blurry outline on the treetop.

"I was very happy living with you and Klein, but it's time to part ways... For my destined glorious death, and to avenge my friend Anthony, I will hunt down this monster until one of us dies."

Simon understood that he couldn't persuade Mr. Bell, so all he could do was offer his blessings.

"May your military career flourish, Mr. Bell."

Bell laughed and reached out his large, calloused hand to pat Simon's shoulder with a heavy pat that made Simon's shoulder slump.

Farewell, my friend.

He turned around and charged towards the monster...

The bow was drawn, the arrow left the string, and shot towards the smiling face on the treetop.

Simon turned and left without hesitation, his roar mingling with the rustling of the trees, growing ever more distant.

After passing through a large grove of trees, the group slowed down and sat down to rest under the trees.

The mist swirled around them, the spore light flickered and dissipated, and sunlight streamed down...

The abyss has long welcomed the dawn.

The team of four lost two people overnight. Klein had not yet calmed down. His face was pale and his light blue eyes were red as if they were about to drip blood.

"I'm leaving too..." Simon stood up and said, "I wish you all a safe journey to your new camp."

This was the result of his careful consideration.

While living with Klein and the others on the first level offered him safety and security, he never forgot his goal. He was willing to give up a safe life, to wander and live in constant danger, just to leave this eerie abyss and return to life in the sunlight.

Just as Mr. Bell said, they weren't on the same path either...

Klein stared at Simon in astonishment, his lips trembling.

Are you leaving too?

"Yes, I'm going to the second floor to find the cave robbers, and then I'll leave." Simon was very frank.

Klein stared at him for a long time, then lowered his head and wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve.

"You're not ready yet." The blood still lingered, making his face look somewhat ferocious. "The second level is even more dangerous than here. You'll need equipment, you'll need weapons, and of course... you'll need indulgences."

He suddenly pulled a dagger from his waist, lifted his coat, and cut open the lining...

wow-

A dozen or so copper coins rolled out of the crack and clattered as they scattered on the muddy ground.

Indulgences, eighteen indulgences—that was all they had.

"Simon, let's do another job!" Klein picked up one of the indulgences, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Simon. "There are many more in Theodore's camp. He enslaved so many people and killed so many people. There must be a lot of indulgences in his camp."

He shoved the indulgence into Simon's hand and gripped his hand tightly.

"Cooperate, you help us kill him, and you get 70% of everything he's accumulated!"

Simon had anticipated that Klein might propose working with him again, but he hadn't expected to receive such a generous offer.

A 70% success rate means he will receive enough supplies to support his journey to the second level, and it also means he will be able to equip himself with a complete set of superior weapons and equipment.

This is both his determination and his sincerity.

"It's a pleasure working with you." With that, he shook Klein's hand.

With such a generous offer, he had absolutely no reason to refuse.

"Let's go find the priest and change our gear," Klein said through gritted teeth, uttering a line the enemy often used. "We need to have a good time too."