Demon Cultivator in Abyssal Era-Chapter 255 - 159: Mirror Image Analysis

"Captain, should we retreat?"

"Retreat? The world we previously explored no longer has any opportunities, which is why we’ve invested almost all our assets in purchasing the Anchor Point of this world. If we leave now, won’t we suffer a total loss?"

"So what? Just consider it a failed investment. No matter how down and out we brothers are, we have our strengths, and there will always be opportunities to make a comeback. Why take the risk?"

"Yeah, my kid is only six years old. If I die in the Abyss, what will happen to my wife and child?"

The members of the Fang Squad whispered amongst themselves. Some advocated leaving immediately because this place was too dangerous for them, while others believed the opportunities here were worth the risk, as long as they were cautious.

The argument between his teammates made Zhao Yinwu’s face increasingly grim, and he couldn’t help but curse.

"Damn! Who the hell startled that thing?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he realized his mistake and quickly shut his mouth. Besides them, only the Dark Night Monarch remained here; who else could it be?

Huang Guohua cast a sidelong glance at Chu Xiu, smirking without humor, "If it was Chen who alarmed the Calamity, then technically, he should compensate us for our losses."

His words made Chu Xiu’s eyes turn cold, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Su Jinyu quickly mediated again, "Arguing about who triggered the Calamity is meaningless. After we entered the pit, the awakening of the Calamity became inevitable."

"In a world devoured by the Abyss, there’s no variable, so time is meaningless for creatures here, just like a pre-recorded movie that can fast-forward and rewind at will."

"But our arrival disrupted the balance of the local environment and introduced new variables. The whole system needs to be recalculated. Even if we did nothing, our mere existence is enough to awaken the Calamity."

"Now the key is that we must stop it from developing further."

Su Jinyu’s words explained a lot of Chu Xiu’s confusion. It wasn’t his probing with Jade Poison Corpse Fire that awakened the entity at the bottom of the pit, but rather that the Calamity would awaken due to their presence, regardless of any testing.

This seemed to be a hidden Rule in the Abyss, which also explained why during the Awakening Trial, the powerful Corpse King did not immediately leave the tower to kill everyone but appeared only during the final Blood Moon Ceremony.

Chu Xiu realized his understanding of the Abyss was still shallow, and there were many things he hadn’t noticed.

As for Huang Guohua, he seemed to be aware of this long ago but was looking for an excuse to legitimately shirk the reward he promised Chu Xiu, hence the rather displeased glance at Su Jinyu.

Su Jinyu continued, "As long as we fully utilize the individual combat advantage of the Awakened, we can significantly slow down the expansion of the Calamity, holding out until reinforcements arrive."

"And we can gain substantial benefits in the process, can’t we?"

For some reason, this girl seemed extremely invested in the matter, trying hard to persuade others to stay.

However, after some debate, the others made their decisions.

"Sorry, miss, we brothers are just rough men who don’t understand those grand principles. We only know that if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Don’t take on work meant for those with the skills."

"This place is indeed too dangerous for us." Zhao Yinwu shook his head apologetically.

Huang Guohua also said, "I will report this to the leader of this world, but that’s as far as I’ll go."

Disappointment clouded Su Jinyu’s face, but she refused to give up, looking to Liu Feng for help, "Elder Liu, we did sign..."

"I will compensate you for the breach of contract," Liu Feng coughed slightly, "I only intended to earn some extra money, not to risk my life. If the school learns about the situation, they won’t blame me."

After a pause, he advised, "Researcher Su, I suggest you not persist. I know how hard you worked to secure this opportunity; this place is tied to the project you’ve dedicated three years to. But you’re young, so everything can start over. Without life, there’s nothing."

Facing Liu Feng’s advice, Su Jinyu looked down, her expression darkening.

After a while, she looked pleadingly at Chu Xiu.

"Chen, if you agree to stay and help me complete the research, I can transfer Liu’s protection contract to you, along with the breach of contract compensation, totaling over a hundred million Huaxia Coins!"

Faced with Su Jinyu’s hopeful gaze, Chu Xiu pondered for a while before asking, "Have you already obtained a Pollutant?"

Su Jinyu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this question from Chu Xiu, but she nodded, "Yes."

"How did you find it?"

"I guessed based on environmental analysis. The Pollutant would change the local ecology. This change is hard to discern but not without traces."

"So you found it?"

"Yes..."

"Is it in your possession now?"

Su Jinyu hesitated, shifting her gaze to Huang Guohua.

Chu Xiu understood and turned to say, "Since you all don’t want to fulfill the agreement, use the Pollutant as your compensation for saving you."

Retreating from Legend Equipment and many benefits to a mere ordinary Pollutant was already a significant concession.

Yet Huang Guohua still shook his head, "As I said before, since you didn’t act in time, my young master lost an extremely precious Legendary Artifact for nothing, so there’s naturally no talk of repayment."