Chapter 206: Returning to the Abyss – The Bleeding Desert

Standing at the center of a vast desert, Thoren could see nothing but endless sand dunes stretching as far as the eye could reach.

The horizon shimmered beneath the oppressive heat, and the sky above seemed unnaturally vast with two blood moon. The silence was overwhelming, broken only by the faint whisper of wind as it dragged grains of sand across the surface.

Before he could properly examine his surroundings, a notification appeared before his eyes, accompanied by a neutral voice that echoed within his mind.

[Welcome to the Bleeding Desert]

[Your Trial: Find Vorlath’s Blood Compass.]

Thoren froze for a brief moment.

A trial?

This was not what he had expected.

He had assumed the second floor would function similarly to the first. Hunt beast, grow stronger, and ascend through sheer power.

But now…

Everything had changed.

“This isn’t about hunting anymore…” he muttered under his breath.

This was something else entirely.

A task.

A requirement.

A condition for ascending.

Thoren’s gaze sharpened as he processed the information.

If his assumption was correct, then failing to complete this trial would mean one thing.

He would be trapped on this floor.

Unable to ascend.

Unable to move forward.

“…Now I understand why the second floor is considered ten times more dangerous than the first,” he whispered.

It wasn’t just about strength.

It was about survival, intelligence… and perhaps luck.

Just as he began to consider his next move, another notification appeared.

[Congratulations! You’ve gained a new skill]

[Ghost Whispers]

[Grade: Peak Iron Grade]

[Description: Sense the fallen spirits and souls within a 10-meter radius who have died within the last hour and communicate with them for 30 seconds.]

“Hmm!”

Thoren’s eyes widened in disbelief.

A new skill?

Right at the moment of his descent?

He hadn’t expected this at all.

A grin slowly spread across his face, unable to hide his satisfaction.

“Haha… this came at the perfect time,” he murmured, clearly pleased.

Although the range was limited to ten meters, it did not bother him.

As long as he could approach a recently deceased body, he could extract information directly from the dead.

“This will make things… much easier,” he added thoughtfully.

Now everything depend on how effective he could use the skill. Before he could fully process his new skill, yet another notification appeared.

[Congratulations! The Abyssal Market is now open.]

“…Oh?”

Thoren frowned slightly, his brows knitting together as he studied the message.

Then, a look of realization crossed his face.

“So it’s finally unlocked…” he muttered.

Without hesitation, he summoned his status window.

[Name: Thoren Starfall]

[Occupation: Necromancer]

[Rank: Bronze]

[Level 1 (0/500)]

[Attributes: Strength 40, Agility 34, Constitution 39, Intelligence 70, Perception 57, Charm 32]

[Awakened Soul: 1]

[Skills: Undead Summoning, Bone Manipulation, Ghost Whispers Lv. 1]

[Talent: EX-Rank Undead Space]

[Sub-Talent: SSS-Rank Soul Lantern of Eternal Crypt]

[Abyssal Market: Opened]

[Unassigned Attribute Points: 0]

[Inventory]

Thoren carefully examined the panel. Several changes stood out immediately.

First, his level had been reset. Back to the beginning.

Second, the addition of Ghost Whispers to his skill list.

And more importantly…

It had a level.

“Does that mean… I can level it?” he mused, tilting his head slightly.

After a moment of thought, he nodded to himself.

“That must be it.”

Unlike his original awakened skills, which seemed fixed, this skill appeared to have growth potential.

That alone made it incredibly valuable.

His gaze then shifted to the Abyssal Market.

With a thought, he opened it.

Instantly, a flood of information surged into his mind.

A massive panel appeared before him, filled with categorized sections and subsections. Rows upon rows of items were displayed, each one radiating value, rarity, or power.

Weapons.

Artifacts.

Consumables.

Materials.

His eyes widened.

“…Oh my…”

But just as quickly, his expression shifted into a frown.

“So expensive…”

The cheapest item, a Low Iron-Grade dagger cost 100 gold coins. And that was just the beginning.

The higher-tier items soared into the thousands… tens of thousands… even millions of gold coins.

Thoren inhaled sharply. He currently possessed less than two thousand gold coins.

In this market… He was practically poor.

With a sigh, he closed the panel.

“Looks like I need to find a way to earn money again,” he muttered.

Back on the first floor, his primary goal had been to accumulate enough wealth to free his family from their debt.

He had believed that once that was achieved, he wouldn’t need to struggle financially again.

But clearly, he had been wrong. Even here, in the Abyss, money still ruled.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside.

“This isn’t the time for that.”

Right now, he needed to focus.

He needed to adapt.

To survive.

To understand this place. Just as he was about to move, something felt… wrong.

His body sank slightly.

“…What?”

He looked down.

The sand beneath his feet was shifting unnaturally.

It was pulling him down.

The desert itself seemed to be trying to devour him.

A chill ran down his spine, and every hair on his body stood on end.

Without hesitation, he leapt backward, escaping the sinking spot just in time.

“What the hell…?” he cursed under his breath.

With his heightened perception, he should have sensed danger.

And yet, this had caught him off guard.

Before his eyes, the sand returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Then, the ground beneath him shifted again.

The sand collapsed inward like the gaping maw of a beast, attempting once more to swallow him whole.

“This…”

“What is going on?!”

He moved quickly to another location.

But after only a few seconds, the same thing happened.

Again.

And again.

No matter where he stood, the ground beneath him would eventually begin to sink.

As if the desert had chosen him as its prey.

“I need to get out of here.”

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, he summoned his mount, the Undead Iron Roar Komodo.

The massive undead beast materialized instantly, its hollow eyes flickering with soul fire.

Thoren leapt onto its back.

“Move!” he commanded through their mental link.

The creature responded immediately.

With powerful strides, it raced across the dunes, kicking up clouds of sand in its wake.

The wind roared past them as they sped forward, putting distance between themselves and the treacherous ground.

For a brief moment, Thoren allowed himself to relax.

But that moment did not last long. After traveling for less than five minutes, his ears caught something.

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