Facing the Abyss as a Demon Cultivator

[Residual Abyssal creatures have been completely cleared. Students, please leave the shelter in an orderly manner.]

The muffled and monotonous broadcast echoed in Chu Xiu's ears as he reached out to pull up the steel shutter in front of him and crawled out from under his desk.

What greeted his eyes was a classroom with a cold, austere design. The air still held a lingering scent of smoke. Unlike the classrooms in his past life, which featured large floor-to-ceiling windows and cozy white walls with wooden desks, this classroom was surrounded by rough, unpainted military-grade blast walls. The desks and chairs resembled products from the Cold War era, devoid of any decorative embellishments.

Looking out through the fist-sized ventilation holes, he saw a dark, tightly sealed sky, as if shrouded by a lead-gray haze. The playground below was littered with the corpses of mutated creatures, and the anti-aircraft turrets on either side were still rotating, their barrels glowing red-hot.

The stench of burning corpses wafted up from below, filling Chu Xiu's nostrils and making him nauseous.

Even after almost three months in this world, he still couldn't get used to it.

Yes, Chu Xiu was a transmigrator. He had crossed over from being a freshly graduated corporate drone to becoming a high school senior in this world.

Based on the memories in his mind, this was a world very similar to Blue Star.

However, in the year 2028, a mysterious force later known as the "Abyss" descended upon the world.

No one knew exactly what the Abyss was, but from that moment on, the sky would frequently tear open, unleashing countless powerful and terrifying monsters that destroyed everything in sight like tireless killing machines.

Despite having powerful thermal weapons, humanity found itself constantly retreating in the face of the seemingly endless hordes of monsters. Even if all the monsters were exterminated, the damage was already done.

Fortunately, the connection to the Abyss also paved the way for humanity to step into the extraordinary.

Those who entered the Abyss could awaken [Talents] and [Professions], allowing them to explore different Abyssal worlds and gain powerful abilities.

It was now the year 2067.

Thanks to the sacrifices of countless predecessors, humanity had finally established a foothold, carving a path with blood and bones, ushering in an era of universal awakening.

“Awakeners...”

A look of longing appeared in Chu Xiu's eyes.

No one could remain indifferent to extraordinary power.

Becoming an Awakener was simple. Every high school senior could sign up for the Awakening Trial before graduation. As long as they survived, they would become Awakeners.

However, the mortality rate was high, exceeding sixty percent.

Moreover, most people awakened with low-level [Talents] and mundane [Professions].

Thus, despite the strong allure of extraordinary power, only about half of the students signed up each year.

Chu Xiu himself was still hesitant, constantly deliberating over the decision.

As someone who had lived a peaceful life in Huaxia, suddenly being asked to risk his life was a hard decision to make.

As Chu Xiu was lost in thought, a tall young man walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Ah Chu, the registration for the Awakening Trial has started. Are you going?"

The young man had a square face, a broad frame, and muscles that exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.

This was Zhang Qingshan, the original body's childhood friend and class monitor. Their bond was so strong that they were practically inseparable since childhood.

Looking at the registration form in Zhang Qingshan's hand, Chu Xiu sighed softly, realizing it was time to make a decision.

After carefully considering his options, he solemnly said, "Qingshan, I'm going."

This was not an impulsive decision. In fact, from the moment he arrived in this world, Chu Xiu had spent a lot of time researching the Abyss and was well aware of its dangers.

In a world as perilous as this, an ordinary person without power was like a rootless duckweed. No matter how great their achievements, they could be destroyed at any moment by an Abyssal invasion.

If he encountered Abyssal creatures, he would be helpless, torn to shreds by claws and fangs in despair!

Rather than living in constant fear, relying on others for safety, Chu Xiu preferred to take control of his own destiny.

Even if he died in the Abyss, it would be his own choice.

Of course, another crucial factor in Chu Xiu's decision was that, as a transmigrator, he was not entirely without support.

In his mind was an ancient black book that had crossed over with him.

Currently, the book could not be opened, but Chu Xiu could sense that once he entered the Abyss and came into contact with extraordinary power, it would "awaken."

“Although I don't know what use this ancient book has, it's at least worth a try.”

Chu Xiu made up his mind.

Seeing his determination, Zhang Qingshan hesitated with the registration form in his hand and asked, "Ah Chu, have you thought it through?"

"Your academic performance is excellent. You could easily get into a university in the Inner Ring and settle in an Inner Ring city. I've heard that Abyssal rifts there are dealt with by high-level Awakeners within minutes, and ordinary citizens hardly notice them."

"You don't need to fight like us."

Zhang Qingshan's words were tactful, but Chu Xiu understood his meaning.

Although the specific Talent and Profession one would awaken could only be confirmed in the Abyss, there were some early indicators, such as the concept of [Energy Levels].

Energy Levels represented the total amount of unactivated extraordinary power within a person's body. The higher the Energy Level, the more likely they were to awaken stronger Talents. Even for similar Talents like [Endurance], someone with a high Energy Level might awaken [Endurance (B+)], while someone with a low Energy Level might only get [Endurance (E)].

The average Energy Level for high school seniors was set at 1.0, but Chu Xiu only had 0.8.

In contrast, Zhang Qingshan's Energy Level was a staggering 8.5, ranking among the top three in their grade.

Moreover, Chu Xiu's physical fitness and combat skills were also mediocre.

Entering the Abyss like this was indeed risky.

However, the mysterious book in his mind gave him the courage to take the plunge.

"Don't worry, Qingshan. I've thought it through." Chu Xiu smiled faintly.

"That's good," Zhang Qingshan breathed a sigh of relief and gave Chu Xiu a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Ah Chu, you've always been smarter than me. I trust your judgment."

"Later, come with me to meet our club members and my girlfriend's friends. It's good to have some acquaintances in the Abyss to look out for each other."

"No matter how dangerous the Abyss is, we'll face it together as brothers!"

Hearing this, Chu Xiu's eyes filled with gratitude. Zhang Qingshan and his girlfriend, Chu Qin, were both top students with extensive connections. Having them and their friends looking out for him in the Abyss would indeed increase his chances of survival.

He didn't say much, just gave Zhang Qingshan a punch, conveying his feelings without words.

In the following half month, Chu Xiu seized every moment to hone his survival skills, enhance his physical fitness, and thoroughly study Abyss-related knowledge.

He didn't place all his hopes on his cheat.

Amid the intense preparations, time flew by, and the day of the Awakening Trial finally arrived.