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When Aether finished driving off the members of the Abyss Order, he turned around, looked at Shao Yun, and said, "Oh, right. I've got a little treasure here I want to give you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Aether pulled out a uniquely crafted stone blade.
The blade was carved entirely from a piece of glossy, obsidian-black stone, its edge smooth yet razor-sharp.
Most striking of all, at the very tip of the blade, an actual sharp animal claw had been seamlessly embedded.
Upon closer inspection, the claw resembled that of a wolf, though clearly different from those commonly seen—sharper, more menacing, almost predatory.
Shao Yun stared at the pitch-black stone blade before him and could not help but ask, "This stone blade? Does it have some sort of special ability?"
Aether nodded and explained, "Of course it does. This isn't just any stone blade. All you need to do is lightly slash the air in front of you…"
As he spoke, Aether casually raised his hand and gave the blade a gentle flick through the air beside him.
In an instant, the once seamless space tore open with a sudden rip.
Immediately afterward, an Abyssal portal shimmered into existence, glowing with an eerie, shifting light.
Seeing this, Shao Yun's eyes widened in shock, and he froze for several seconds before he finally came back to himself, stammering, "An… Abyssal portal…"
Aether continued, "That's right! I made this a long time ago. With it, you can go to any node established by the Abyss Order."
"So, I decided to give it a fitting name—the 'Abyssal Riftcutter'! How is it? Pretty cool, right?"
Although Aether's explanation sounded impressive, Shao Yun instantly spotted a problem—he had no idea where the Abyss Order's nodes actually were.
"I… don't think I know where any of the Abyss Order's nodes are…"
Hearing this, Aether pointed to the blade in his hand and said, "Just hold it. You'll know."
Shao Yun was just about to reach out and take the so-called Abyssal Riftcutter when Aether abruptly pulled it back and hurriedly added:
"But using this thing leaves behind a very obvious Abyssal aura, so avoid using it in crowded places. And it'll also cause… repulsion with Vision holders."
Just then, Aether inadvertently caught sight of the skull-shaped ornament hanging from Shao Yun's waist—the "Vision."
Aether's expression instantly stiffened with mild embarrassment. "Ah, that's right… I almost forgot. You're wearing a Vision on your waist…"
Instinctively, Shao Yun lowered his head to look at his Vision, and the words Wendy had once told him flashed across his mind.
"It's fine. Strictly speaking, this isn't exactly a 'Vision'…"
Shao Yun had no time to explain further. Without another word, he snatched the Abyssal Riftcutter from Aether's hand.
In that moment, a vividly clear image flashed through his mind—the precise locations of the nodes installed by the Abyss Order.
Shao Yun could not help but marvel inwardly. Brother-in-law never disappoints. The moment he makes a move, he hands over a teleportation tool of this caliber. Was this blade made from obsidian?
"Wow… what is this thing? Incredible. I can see the locations of your nodes crystal-clear in my mind!"
Shao Yun blurted out in astonishment.
…
Just as Shao Yun was about to proceed with Aether, he suddenly remembered Sethos, who was still waiting at the cave entrance.
"Hold on. Let me send my friend outside away first, then we'll talk."
…
Meanwhile, outside the cave, Sethos was lounging comfortably in the shade, eyes closed, enjoying a moment of peace.
Suddenly, a faint but unmistakable tremor rippled through the sand beneath him.
Sethos's heart tightened. His eyes snapped open as he turned toward the cave entrance.
Sure enough, moments later, Shao Yun emerged slowly from the cave with an expression of "disappointment" on his face.
Seeing him like this, Sethos immediately sensed that the outcome was not good.
So he said, "You're back already? That fast? I suppose you didn't find what you were looking for."
Shao Yun pretended to sigh helplessly and replied softly, "Yeah. Nothing. You'll need to update your ancient records."
Hearing this, Sethos looked at him apologetically and offered, "My apologies. I wasn't much help this time."
"How about I accompany you through the desert a bit longer? I do know this place fairly well."
However, Shao Yun was only thinking about one thing—getting rid of Sethos quickly so he could go help his brother-in-law.
He quickly waved his hand and declined. "No need! I'm heading north, all the way to the coast. From there, I'll take a ship from Bayda Harbor. Once I'm back, I'll report the mission failure to my employer directly."
Then he pointed toward the distant direction of Fontaine and continued, "This way is far faster than slogging through this scorching, perilous desert. So let's part ways here. Sound alright?"
Sethos paused for a moment when he heard Shao Yun mention taking a ship to Bayda Harbor.
If he wanted to return to the Silent Palace, retracing his steps would indeed be quicker.
Going with Shao Yun would mean taking a huge detour.
With this in mind, Sethos nodded lightly and said, "Alright. I won't go with you. I'll return the way I came… Good luck."
Shao Yun responded politely, "Good luck to you too."
…
Once Sethos disappeared completely from sight, Shao Yun waited a few seconds to make certain he was truly gone, then immediately hurried back to Aether.
"Now, we need to lure Dainsleif out and restrain him quickly." Shao Yun stated the objective clearly.
Hearing this, Aether let out a faint smile. "Luring Dainsleif out is easy. Ever since The Chasm, he's been bothering me nonstop. Doesn't rest for a moment."
Shao Yun asked, "Do you have a good place to set up an ambush?"
Aether nodded. "I know just the place. Follow me."
He gestured for Shao Yun to come, then used the Abyssal Riftcutter in Shao Yun's hand to open another Abyssal portal.
Shao Yun followed Aether into the portal.
The moment he stepped through, a blinding burst of light forced Shao Yun to shut his eyes reflexively.
Before he could reopen them, the noisy chirping of rainforest birds filled his ears…
Gradually, he opened his eyes. The intense sunlight stung for a moment before he adjusted—and realized he and Aether were standing in the rainforest of Sumeru.
"This… is this Sumeru's rainforest?" Shao Yun murmured, his attention soon caught by a nearby Sumeru-style treehouse.
"Wow, an actual Sumeru treehouse… and it wasn't burned to ash?"
Aether then spoke beside him. "This is where I once met the founder of the Abyss Order, 'Chlothar,' and his son 'Caribert.'"
"At the time, Dainsleif and I were still traveling together."
Shao Yun nodded calmly, though his gaze remained fixed on the treehouse.
"I see… so that's how it was."
As his eyes drifted down to the field in front of the house, a sudden memory surfaced—something about the strange mushrooms Clotal once grew…
But before he could think further, Aether patted his shoulder. "Anyway, go inside and wait. I'll draw the Abyss Order's attention outside."
…
While waiting, Shao Yun wandered around the interior of the unusual treehouse.
Given Aether's story, the treehouse must have existed for a long time.
Yet, astonishingly, the room was spotless—meticulously cleaned, absolutely free of dust, as though someone had been living there all along.
Did brother-in-law clean this himself?
Just as Shao Yun's eyes drifted toward a cracked mirror sitting on the table, a deep, stern voice echoed from outside—the voice of Dainsleif.
"The Abyss' aura… why is it here?"
The sound seized Shao Yun's full attention, and he reflexively looked toward the entrance.
When Dainsleif lifted the curtain and stepped inside, Shao Yun took the initiative and greeted him.
"Hello, Dainsleif."
The moment Dainsleif saw Shao Yun standing there unharmed—and looking so calm and composed—his mind froze.
Everything before him completely contradicted his expectations. He had never imagined Shao Yun would appear here, of all places, at this moment.
After several seconds, Dainsleif finally regained his voice and asked, puzzled, "Shao Yun? You… how are you here?"
Instead of answering directly, Shao Yun slowly drew his Cowboy Revolver imbued with the Goat's Blessing, from his waist, cocking the hammer with practiced ease.
His tone was outwardly calm, but carried an unmistakable sharpness.
"I don't exactly have many choices left. But I sincerely hope we can keep things peaceful and calm between us."
Facing an old companion he once struggled beside, Shao Yun truly wished to avoid violence. If words could defuse the situation, all the better.
However, Dainsleif trembled the moment he heard those words.
"Oh? What?"
With the Abyssal aura lingering around the area and Shao Yun aiming a gun at him, Dainsleif understood immediately—Shao Yun was working for the Abyss Order now.
Whatever the reason, it was secondary. He moved instantly, flashing toward an Abyssal node to open a portal.
He leapt into it, disappearing from sight.
Watching Dainsleif flee through the portal, Shao Yun let out a cold snort and pulled out the Abyssal Riftcutter.
"You think you're the only one who knows how to open portals?"
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