"There's no direction in the Dark Abyss. As long as you carry a strong desire, you'll find the Tower of Babel. But leaving the Dark Abyss comes at a cost. You'd better be mentally prepared!"
With that, the old man turned back to his scribbling, saying no more.
Roy had gotten the answers he needed, so he didn't disturb the old man further. Instead, he took Eluresha and Alma to a corner.
"Eluresha, Alma, I need to rest for a bit. Once I wake up, we'll head to the Tower of Babel. Keep watch for me, okay?"
Roy had the information he wanted and was ready to take a break.
Though the old man seemed harmless, Roy still felt the need to stay cautious.
Eluresha's strength was a bit lacking, but Alma's was more than sufficient.
If even Alma couldn't hold her own, Roy doubted he'd fare much better even if he stayed awake.
Eluresha nodded eagerly, pulling Roy into her arms.
"Daddy, let me lull you to sleep!"
Alma watched their intimate moment with a trace of envy on her face, as if she wanted to do the same.
Resting on Eluresha's soft, cushioned embrace, Roy found himself unable to fall asleep right away.
It had been a while since he'd opened any treasure chests. Maybe it was time to crack open the ones he'd been saving up?
Checking his system, Roy realized he had accumulated 13 unopened chests. It was definitely time to open them.
Let's do this, starting with the oldest ones.
[Opening Bela Dimitrescu's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 2 Agility Points!]
[Visit the fastest novel site on the web: 101kan.com]
[Gained 2 Constitution Points!]
[Opening Daniela Dimitrescu's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 2 Agility Points!]
[Gained 2 Constitution Points!]
[Opening Daniela Dimitrescu's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 2 Agility Points!]
[Gained 2 Constitution Points!]
The Dimitrescu triplets' chests only yielded agility and constitution points—nothing else.
Well, what could you expect from three minor vampires?
[Opening Angela's Fate Chest…]
[Gained 3 Spirit Points!]
[Gained 2 Willpower Points!]
Angela's chest didn't yield much either, but it pushed Roy's willpower stat past 100, making it his fourth attribute to break the century mark.
[Opening Blood Queen Mary's Fate Chest…]
[Gained 2 Memory Points!]
[Gained 3 Spirit Points!]
Now for the big one—what would the Death Witch's chest yield?
[Opening Dolores's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 5 Memory Points!]
[Gained 5 Spirit Points!]
[Gained 5 Willpower Points!]
[Gained Minor Death Authority!]
Jackpot!
[Minor Death Authority: In her youth, Dolores came into contact with the power of death by chance. This force permanently altered her body, stripping away most of her senses but granting her immortality. However, the Death Authority's effects go beyond this. The Death Witch's use of death's power is still quite crude.]
The Death Authority, huh?
Roy recalled the Lust Authority he'd synthesized from fragments of the sin of lust and given to Elizabeth.
That gift had cemented Elizabeth's trust in him.
The Lust Authority was incredibly valuable, so this Death Authority was likely no small thing either. It could prove immensely useful in the future.
Next chest.
[Opening The Thing's Mother Entity Fate Chest…]
[Gained 2 Strength Points!]
[Gained 2 Agility Points!]
[Gained 2 Constitution Points!]
[Gained Mutant Mimic Cell Prototype!]
What's this?
[Mutant Mimic Cell Prototype: The purest form of The Thing's cells from the universe, uncontaminated by any external influence. Its true form is revealed only after parasitizing a host.]
What's the use of this thing?
Roy was puzzled but kept opening chests.
[Opening Alien Queen's Fate Chest…]
[Gained 3 Strength Points!]
[Gained 3 Agility Points!]
[Gained 3 Constitution Points!]
[Gained A0-3959X.91-15!]
If Roy remembered correctly, this was a special substance from the Alien franchise, first appearing in Prometheus. It seemed tied to the biological origins of both the Xenomorphs and humanity.
To think he'd actually gotten this!
[A0-3959X.91-15: Also known as Black Water. Developed in ancient times by a civilization called the Engineers, this living organic compound was used to seed and experiment with new life forms on habitable planets. However, rumors suggest the Engineers' civilization was destroyed by this very substance.]
Hiss! It really was the Black Water!
But how was he supposed to use it? Hand it over to Anya's lab for research?
That felt like a recipe for an apocalyptic disaster!
(Allegedly inspired by the Engineers' design)
[Opening Anya Kozlov's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 2 Memory Points!]
[Gained 1 Willpower Point!]
As expected, Anya's chest didn't yield much. Roy had braced himself for that.
The actress had too few roles to draw from.
But the next two were different—Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman had plenty of works, including some big-budget films.
[Opening Marianne Megan's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 1 Agility Point!]
[Gained 1 Memory Point!]
[Gained Magic Mirror!]
Bingo!
It had to be the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Huntsman!
In that fairy tale adaptation, Charlize Theron played Snow White's stepmother.
At the time, many fans complained that Theron's evil queen was far more beautiful than Kristen Stewart's Snow White. Was the mirror blind?
But when Disney's Snow White came out, people started saying Kristen Stewart's version wasn't so bad after all.
In Disney's version, the mirror was truly blind.
As a certain comedian once said, it's all about the competition making you look good. Who'd have thought a film's reputation could be boosted like that?
[Magic Mirror: One of the greatest achievements of ancient alchemy, a magical mirror with an artificial soul! It can answer any question its master asks, but beware—its answers aren't always correct.]
So it was that Magic Mirror. Could it tell Roy how to escape Hell?
(In the movie, the mirror's a liquid robot XD)
[Opening Gretchen Henderson's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 1 Strength Point!]
[Gained 1 Spirit Point!]
[Gained Alethiometer!]
Whoa, another hit?
Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman were delivering!
Roy vaguely remembered the Alethiometer.
It was from Nicole Kidman's fantasy epic The Golden Compass, though the film didn't get great reviews. Roy didn't know the full plot but recalled a compass-like device that could grant wishes. Was this it?
[Alethiometer: Composed of 36 symbols representing natural elements, abstract concepts, religious imagery, and geographic markers. Answers are interpreted through specific combinations, revealing truths or predicting the future. But at what cost?]
(Alethiometer)
A device with predictive powers?
Roy felt a mix of awe and confusion.
The last two chests were Alma's.
[Opening Alma's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 10 Memory Points!]
[Gained 10 Spirit Points!]
[Gained 10 Willpower Points!]
[Gained Skill: Psychic Link!]
Holy cow, 30 points in mental attributes right off the bat, plus a skill!
Memory became his fifth attribute to break 100. Now only agility was left.
[Psychic Link: You can now establish a mental connection with other intelligent beings. But be warned—if they resist, you'd better have enough mental strength to overpower them.]
This skill was solid—super practical!
[Opening Fate's Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 5 Memory Points!]
[Gained 5 Spirit Points!]
[Gained 5 Willpower Points!]
The second chest didn't yield any items, just 15 attribute points. Not a bad deal, though.
With all 13 chests opened, Roy could finally rest easy.
Lulled by Eluresha's off-key humming, Roy drifted into sleep.
What was that? Why did he feel an intense pressure?
Was Eluresha pranking him again?
Eluresha was a mischievous one, often pulling small tricks while Roy slept.
Roy opened his eyes, only to find complete darkness—not from a lack of light, but because something was blocking his vision.
He realized he was buried under something. Digging through it, he found himself covered in the ash-like substance of the Dark Abyss.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft! Eluresha, are you pranking me again? Eluresha? Alma?"
Rubbing the powder off his face, Roy noticed neither Eluresha nor Alma responded.
Turning his head, he saw Eluresha frozen in a Madonna-like pose, holding him, while Alma stood still, gently cradling her belly.
A bad feeling crept over Roy. He reached out to touch Eluresha, and she crumbled into ash.
The same happened when he touched Alma.
"No—how could this be? How long was I asleep?"
Glancing at the Nephilim elder nearby, Roy saw he too had turned into a statue.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Roy knew this wasn't normal. Maybe it was a nightmare.
But when he tried to use his Nightmare skill, the dream wouldn't budge.
"Roy Black!"
Suddenly, an ancient voice called his name. It sounded eerily familiar, but no matter how hard he tried, Roy couldn't place it.
With his 110 memory stat, that shouldn't be possible, yet he drew a blank.
"Who's speaking?"
Roy stood and followed the voice.
"Roy Black! Are you ready?"
"Ready for what? Who are you?"
No one answered. The voice just kept talking.
"Roy Black! The time has come!"
"What time? What are you talking about?"
The voice didn't respond, only repeating, "The time has come."
It grew louder, deafening, until Roy covered his ears.
"Can you stop being so cryptic? Argh!"
With a scream, Roy snapped his eyes open, realizing it had all been a dream.
He was still lying in Eluresha's arms. The little succubus had unbuttoned her top, apparently trying to… feed him.
"Eluresha, what are you doing?"
Eluresha jumped, startled by Roy's sudden awakening.
"Ah! Daddy, I just wanted to see what it's like to feed you!"
Roy was speechless. Who tries that?
"When you have your own kids, you'll get your fill of feeding!"
Roy pulled Eluresha's top back up and glanced at Alma.
Alma was staring off into space, cradling her belly, lost in thought.
Roy stood and stretched. The weird dream aside, his energy was fully restored.
Looking at the elder in the distance, still scribbling as if he never needed rest, Roy wondered if the old man had been living like this for thousands of years.
Talk about a life!
Scratching his head, Roy prepared to say goodbye and head to the Tower of Babel.
"Sir, I'm heading out."
The elder paused and looked at Roy.
"Leaving, huh? Well, I hope I don't see you again!"
Not seeing Roy again would mean he'd successfully left this world.
"Oh, wait a second. I have something for you."
The elder suddenly walked to a corner and started digging through the powdery ground.
Roy watched curiously.
"I know I left it here somewhere… Got it!"
After about ten minutes of digging, the elder unearthed an object.
It was an odd, irregular shape, constantly twisting and warping in Roy's vision. He could feel intense chaotic energy radiating from it.
"What is this?"
"The Heart of Chaos. I stumbled upon it in my youth. If you're truly destined to leave the Dark Abyss, this will help you. If you're not the chosen one, bring it back to me. Remember, only through rebirth can one achieve nirvana!"
With those final words, the elder turned back to his scribbling.
Roy took the Heart of Chaos and bid the elder a final farewell.
"Take care, sir!"
---
Added Content After Upload
Roy Black
Nephilim
Strength: 121
Agility: 97
Constitution: 152
Memory: 110
Spirit: 141
Willpower: 122
Abilities: Mike Tyson's Boxing Skills, Bob Munden's Shooting Skills, Grigori Rasputin's Charisma, Sawyer Family's Chainsaw Skills, Key of Solomon, Master Thief, Trap Master, Nightmare, Eye of Judgment, Touch of Darkness, Eye of Truth, Assassin's Heart, Expert Water Sports Skills, Soul Substitute, Selina Kyle's Athletic Skills, Ashbringer, Blood Frenzy, Super Regeneration, Phoenix Force (Dormant), Psychic Teleportation, Embodiment of Desire, Embodiment of Fear, Sleeping Curse, Deception Space, Winter's Arrival, War Domain, Bat Form, Blood Moon Descent, Psychic Link
Items: Smith & Wesson M625 Revolver, Smith & Wesson M629 Ivory Edition Revolver, Smith & Wesson M500 Revolver, M1014 Shotgun, Ghostface Mask, Mason's Camcorder, Cursed Hair, Remington M870, Original Sin Fragment (Greed), Hound Ring, Nidi's Black-Rimmed Glasses, Ghost Wolf Blood, Jason's Hockey Mask, Seed of Silence, Leech Serum Formula, Fire Seed, Original Sin Fragment (Wrath), Leviathan Armor, Leviathan Axe, Ring of Darkness, Iris's Blindfold, Heart of the Universe, Minor Death Authority, Mutant Mimic Cell Prototype, A0-3959X.91-15, Alethiometer, Heart of Chaos