To the Depth of Abyss

Chapter 157: A Plan

"Oh, hey! I was a little surprised because the place suddenly became crowded."

Arlene went inside and found that there are few not casual people in the bar. Especially the female Hunter with a green shield in her back. 

"So, you have come, Green Sky Shield holder?" asked Arlene to Jade. 

"Well, you asked me to come. So, here I am."

Arlene first went to the barmaid and asked, "Get me the usual." Takes the bottle the barmaid give, then walked to the center of the room. 

"Want to relax first, or?"

Arlene asked by activating a mechanism with a remote control. Mechanism that moves the adjacent floor; pulled out a metal table with a futuristic theme.

"Wow! That's so cool!"

Hwang immediately ran to the futuristic table in amazement. The futuristic table surface has many straight lines and many round edges. Don't know what it's called.

To Arlene's question, Jade replied: "I feel like I can receive anything that goes into my head now. So, please."

They just met and didn't even take the opportunity to get acquainted. 

However, the meeting wanted to go straight to the main point of the meeting, that is providing current information, formulating problems, and last disclosing plans.

"But first, you know how this city was first built, right?"

"Well, I was there when this region first being conquered, so."

Arlene pressed a button on the remote control she holds. The futuristic table reacts to the signals the remote control gives; a 3d map created on the futuristic table.

______________

Year-4 / Month-1

Land of Honor / The past Shield City 

In that month, on a certain day, a certain Researcher goes to meet the Staff Saint. 

The researcher is one of the smartest researchers Abyssal Hunter has. He has helped the community with all the science he created. 

In the certain day, he came to express his ideas and ask the Staff Saint for an opinion.

After finally could meet the Saint, he excitedly expresses his ideas:

"Violet Caelum Radiation cannot only be used for fighting purposes! They can also be used for development of science!"

It is natural to hear that kind of thing from the mouth of a researcher. Their heads are full of questions and they want to find the answers of all the questions.

But unfortunately, the thing that is brought up by the researcher is related to the dangerous substances in Abyssal Terra.

"Take it easy, I will create a medium that can hold that substance! Like all Hunters' Mana Vessels, this medium will be able to turn Violet Caelum Radiation into fuel so it can move itself like a machine!"

Mana vessel can store Mana / Pure Abyssal Radiation into a power [Arts], which Hunter uses to fight.

It was already dangerous for the Hunters, and Staff Saint actually didn't want the Hunter to use it. But if they don't use that power, they won't be able to move forward.

Because of that, the Staff Saint did not want to accept a risk that could endanger the Hunters other than the 'sin' he had invested.

Staff Saint told the researcher to go home and think about the idea twice before starting to invest it.

But the annoyed researcher didn't come home. He switched direction and went to the other Saint, the Spear One.

That one Saint is not difficult to find. It's just that the researcher has to reveal his idea to everyone who is with the Spear Saint.

The researcher accepts this and immediately presents his crazy idea.

Throughout the presentation, everyone is just silent, listening. The researcher began to worry that they all didn't understand his presentation and ended up kicking him out as well.

But that was not the one to happen. The Spear Saint instead laughing for unknown reason and said: 'Interesting!'

The Saint will invest his power in helping the researcher, but on one note. 

'Find a hidden place.'

With that order, an expedition to the northeast was carried out and being led by the Spear Saint for about half a year. 

The expedition led many participants to death and incurable wounds. Those who were lucky and still strong continued to advance with the Spear Saint. 

Until they found a place that could be said to be suitable but quite dangerous. That place is the Shadow Cyber City, which was just a dark, haunted land.

From there, the Spear Saint began to invest and support the certain researcher in his research. 

______________

"Which leads to all the things that are being built in this city today."

Elisa and Hwang are amazed at the short story telling the history of Shadow Cyber City, which is depicted on a futuristic table.

"That was such a good old day!" said Roger in amusement and nostalgia.

Roger who expressed his sense of nostalgia indirectly said that he is a

"Legend?" "Legend?"

Elisa and Hwang both asked Roger at the same time. 

Roger happily smiled. "Want my autograph?"

Roger's nostalgia brought a hint of joy to the room. But suddenly someone brought a little pain.

"Is it really that good old days?"

Jade asked to the wind of the room. 

From the interaction between Jade and Roger previously, said that they both know each other. However, Jade and Roger have different status and age. Plus Roger looks like a strong man who has high wisdom.

Jade is a Diamond Hunter, the holder of the Green Sky Shield. But she has a complexity within herself that is tied to past battles.

"By the way, can I continue my presentation?"

Without realizing it, they interrupt Arlene's explanation session.

"Okay, that is a three minute brief explanation of the history of the city's awakening. Now, the problem is, that researchers who built this city are currently carrying out experiments that could endanger Abyssal Terra."

Arlene's second sentence made the atmosphere becomes tense.

"Pure Birth Demon. Is that the experiment he's currently does?" asked Jade.

"Correct. It seems that the rumors have spread quite widely."

Everyone was not surprised, except for Hwang and Elisa. Especially Elisha, who is an obedient servant of God.

"Pure Birth Demon?' asked Elisa. "Is he really trying to give birth to that most terrifying monster?"

The topic is quite scary for Hwang alone. But Elisa is different, she asked with a firm and strong intention. It amazed Arlene.

"We don't really know yet until we grab the subject of research material, the subject of the Pure Birth Demon, from that mad scientist's hands. But we have one solid piece of evidence that we got from that crazy guy's mouth."

Arlene pressed a button on the remote control. The button signals the futuristic table to play an audio recording.

["She-She's alive! I thought she was dead because I injected the "Liquid Devil Seed" serum into her at a slightly higher dose than usual! Luckily, she's still alive! With this - wait ... You guys, you guys are trying to bother me again! F-!"]

Arlene turned off the audio player.

His words after that were inconsequential."

After the audio playback ended, the atmosphere became tense once again. 

New listeners, Jade's group have become concerned about this. But Elisa is the most concerned about the problem. Especially for one certain thing. 

"Um, could I ask something?"

"I will answer based on your question and my capacity."

"The liquid devil seed, what kind of liquid is that exactly?"

Jade is also concerned about that.

"As the name suggests, it is most likely the liquid from a 'Devil Seed' that had been processed. That madman processed the 'Devil Seed' into a liquid that could be injected into the human body. The subject of his research was not only the girl whom he mentioned in the audio recording. A few days ago, we had encountered several subjects, all of whom were men, whose bodies rot, but do not decompose. They must have been the failed subjects of that madman's research."

Hwang did not see the rotting bodies of the men directly. But he already felt like vomiting just imagining it.

For Elisa, she felt a pain in her heart. "Just instilling a Devil Seed into the body is already very painful. But, to be the subject of research who had to accept the injection of such a terrifying thing into the body, just how much pain she must feel." Elisa clasped her hands and pressed them to her face. "Oh, Dear Lord. Please give mercy to the girl."

At Elisa's prayer, everyone is concerned. Especially Arlene. Even though the only one who could see it was the legend man.

Done with the concern, Arlene got serious again. "Okay, with that, we, Bounty Hunter, need your shield, Jade the Green."

At Arlene's request, Jade stood straight with a very serious aura.

"I will definitely snatch the girl."

Her intention is very strong to help the girl, the subject of the cruel research. But her intention dropped by Arlene.

"No-no, to snatch that girl is our job."

"What? So, what is my job?"

"Your job is to block that madman's way."

"What?"

The order is a little less clear. Because of that, Arlene pressed a button on the remote. The button signals the futuristic table to play an audio recording.

["Only three days left! After that, we can be free from this cruel world! But, on that day, we have to get out of this place, to get to the surface!"]