Abyss Descension: I Perform Rituals to Evolve In The Apocalyps-Chapter 35: Abyssal Burrow

In no time, it slammed into the Female Corpse Spider's hardened exoskeleton, and without pause, tore through it like a hot knife through butter.

The Female Corpse Spider didn't even get the chance to let out one final scream before its body split into two.

Blood erupted in violent spurts, painting the air red, as the two halves of its body slammed against the ground with a bone-rattling thud that echoed through the tunnels like a death knell, marking the end of its reign of terror over the underground labyrinth.

Kev stood still, staring silently at the scene of devastation before him.

Then, he burst into a laugh.

It started out as low and rough, barely more than a growl in his throat, but quickly rose into something wild and unrestrained, echoing in the air.

No doubt.

It was the laugh of a man overwhelmed with the joy because he had danced with death and lived to tell the tale.

Laughing and laughing, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

Taking deep breaths to calm his frantically beating heart, he reflected on his last exchange with the female Corpse Spider that had led to its death.

"No wonder it's called Forced Ascension," he muttered under his breath. "It really does send things to the afterlife whether they like it or not."

_____

Temple of Miracles

Looking at the view displayed in the surface of her magical mirror, Natasha exclaimed in joy. "Yataa! He's done it!!"

"Looks like you understand people better than I do," Lydia said, acknowledging Natasha's superiority over her when it came to reading people.

Natasha hugged her tightly and said, "I learned from the best."

"You really know how to sweet talk," Lydia said, reaching out to gently pat her head.

Natasha squinted her eyes like a cat who was satisfied, clearly enjoying the head pat she was receiving from her beloved aunt.

_____

Kev tilted his head, turning to his guide with a curious glint in his eyes.

"You called this half-human, half-spider freak a female corpse spider, right? Do you know a lot about it?"

He quickly got a reply.

"I do," Natasha said.

'What a joke. I am raising a corpse spider. If I don't know a lot about it, who will?' she thought in her mind.

Natasha was a very responsible person. Before adopting a corpse spider, she had researched everything there was to know about its race.

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"Care to share your insight with me?" Kev asked politely.

"Unusual creatures with a very special diet have a habit of building their settlements in places where the dead reside in overwhelming numbers. Corpse Spiders are one of them. They're a special breed of spider that feeds on corpses to survive and grow. If they don't get their fill, they starve and die. That's why they build their dens in places like the Abyssal Burrows where corpses are present in abundance."

"I understand that Abyssal Burrows are crawling with revenants and the creatures that prey on them. but how did they come to be?" Kev asked a very important question.

"Perhaps you haven't seen it yet, but revenants fear the Sun more than anything. They can't survive under its blinding glare for long. So during the day, they hide in the dark, waiting for nightfall before they resume their hunt for humans and other living beings. Over the years, they've carved through the earth, building twisted networks of tunnels deep underground to escape the sun's reach. We call these places Abyssal Burrows." Natasha gave him a mind blowing answer.

Kev looked around uneasily.

"I am in a Abyssal Burrow. No?"

"Yeah, you guessed correctly," Natasha replied.

"****" Kev cursed loudly before his gaze returned to the book hovering in the air before him.

"What's the Black Sun? I heard revenants are corpses brought back to life by the curse related to it."

"The Sun in the Abyss turns dark periodically. When that happens, mortality rate surges sharply as all sorts of weird things start happening. We call this phenomenon the Black Sun. You'll see it for yourself, if you manage to escape this Abyssal Burrow and reach the surface."

"Interesting," Kev muttered.

"Anything else?" Natasha asked promptly.

"Yeah. One more thing. Do beasts have runes or nuclei like revenants?"

"No." she replied simply.

But before Kev could feel disappointed, she added, "But they have something even better such as their beast core."

"Beast core? What's that?"

"A beast core is among the most prized collection you can get from an unusual beast. It's usually found near their heart or stomach. Every unusual beast has one. The core stimulates the life force of a person upon consumption, enhancing every aspect of their body. They're typically used to break through racial limitations. The stronger the beast, the more potent the core. Even the core of a weak beast can help average earthlings surpass their limits and ascend to extraordinary level of strength."

"Mine's already at the extraordinary level," Kev said.

"Don't worry. The beast you killed though not a fully matured Corpse Spider was still a cut above the lowest class of unusual beasts. Its core will give you immense benefits."

Kev's brows drew together. "Unusual beasts are classified into classes?"

"Yes. There are four. Lesser, intermediate, advanced, and zenith," she answered. "The one you just killed was an intermediate class unusual beast."

"What determines the difference?" Kev asked.

"Their ability to use magic," Natasha replied.

"The female Corpse Spider used wind blades during the fight. That's how I knew it was intermediate class."

"Unusual beasts that can use magic sometimes develop a magic core in their brains," she continued. "Only one or two out of every hundred intermediate-rank beasts will have one. Magic cores have various uses. For example, they can be used to craft magical items like the bow and gourd you got from Dakun if you know how. Because of their rarity, they're highly sought after by Abyss Dwellers across all professions. If you reach a civilized society, you can barter with one for gear, potions, or information."

"If I have understood it correctly, even if I find a magic core, it won't be useful until I either know how to use it or find someone who won't kill me for it, but be willing to barter for it?" Kev said.

"Exactly!" Natasha said.

Kev's eyes twitched madly, 'this damn world!'