Falling into the Abyss

Thank you Papercrane and Ko-fi Supporter for the kofis—Bonus Chapter (5/5)

Editor: Kat, Proofreader: Yuzu

Soon after they were rescued, Ethan and the others were sent to the transport plane and transported back to the Forbidden City. A week before arriving on Earth, the nonhumans were woken up from their sleeping cabins and locked up in the cargo hold, waiting for the spaceship to land. Now, there were less than 100 of the 300 people who were sent there, and half of them were dying. Although they had received basic medical treatment, it was evident that those with broken arms and legs couldn’t be cured in one or two days.

Painful groans emerged from the temporary bunks in the cargo hold, and the roaring sound of the spaceship caused feelings of irritation to surge among them. Ethan sat cross-legged on his bed. Using an old pencil he found in the warehouse, he wrote something on a piece of the paper used to wrap the cargo. Suddenly, the light was obscured by a shadow. Ethan looked up and unexpectedly saw Chen Zeng smiling at him.

Chen Zeng was one of the few nonhumans who didn’t get hurt because every time he was in danger, he would be firmly protected by his followers in the crowd, who risked their lives to cover him and allow him to retreat.

Ethan didn’t understand how anyone could believe in the Great Evil God so much that they were willing to sacrifice their life for Chen Zeng. Wouldn’t Chen Zeng feel afraid to control such fluid fanatical emotions?

Ethan grew vigilant and folded the paper as if nothing had happened. “What’s the matter?”

“I heard from Stan. This time, you are considered a big hero. You saved his life?”

Ethan’s heart thumped. It seemed that Stan was also one of Chen Zeng’s people…… He pretended to smile sheepishly and said, “I was just lucky to find the exit. It was Samuel and the chief security officer who saved him.”

“So, you saw the worms?” Chen Zeng sat down naturally on his bed. Ethan was a little unhappy inwardly, but he didn’t show it on his face and still maintained a polite smile.

“I saw them. They were very scary.”

“But they didn’t hurt you?”

Ethan noticed that he said you, not all of you, and his nerves tightened. From an outsider’s point of view, things were really strange. One didn’t need to mention the sergeant and Stan, whose legs were disabled. The chief security officer and Samuel were also almost eaten. Only he took the initiative to enter the nest of the worms and came out intact. If anyone had any hidden motives, then they would indeed find that suspicious.

He pretended to smile brightly and said, “I was really lucky this time. It’s probably because my luck was too bad during the previous missions, but now my luck has probably changed for the better.”

Chen Zeng’s gentle and sharp eyes locked firmly on him. “Before, you were about to be sacrificed, you were so lucky to be able to escape unscathed. We’d have to sincerely thank the illumination of the Lord for that.”

Ethan knew he had a hidden meaning within his words, so he echoed, “Yes, I’ve escaped from death twice. Maybe I’ll start believing in God.”

Ethan intuitively felt that Chen Zeng probably knew something.

He was afraid that if he denied it, Chen Zeng would only be suspicious. Therefore, he thought for a moment before saying, “Seriously speaking, I’m not sure.”

“Oh?”

“All the worms would strategically attack us. They surrounded us, but they didn’t attack us casually and instead forced us into the underground temple. I just don’t know what exactly they were trying to accomplish by forcing us down the temple.”

“Stan said you could read the words on the stone pillars in the temple?” Chen Zeng continued to ask.

Ethan cursed inwardly. Although Stan spoke little and his legs were crippled, his eyes, ears, and memory were obviously very good. He quickly turned his head and scratched his hair like he was embarrassed. “I don’t understand them. However, I don’t know why, but it was like I was being hypnotized. Maybe it was slightly like the hypnosis that happened on Red Earth? The wise man they believe in is very similar to the Eve’s God of Disorder and the Great Evil God you mentioned. Maybe they have the same ability.”

“Sure enough!” Chen Zeng looked dignified. “It seems that what the horned people believe in is really the Great Evil God. They knew for a long time that the Great Evil God was coming!”

Ethan shrugged awkwardly. “However, our universe is dominated by the God of Order, so the God of Disorder can’t descend completely. That’s what Tanisiel said.”

“No, there are ways.” Fear flashed through Chen Zeng’s calm expression at that moment, and he said, “These great evil gods have never given up on this universe. For a long time, they have been looking for their followers in this universe and recorded the way to open the door to Hell in several manuscripts. Since ancient times, anyone who saw those manuscripts would have a tragic ending. Some people went crazy, some people went missing, and some people who knew a little about it started crafting legends about them.”

Manuscripts…… Ethan thought of the book in that horned person healer’s hand.

“How do you know about these things?” Ethan looked suspiciously at the ordinary-looking Asian man in front of him.

However, Chen Zeng suddenly wore his usual kind and profound smile and said, “Have you forgotten that I am the messenger of God?”

Ethan wanted to roll his eyes, but because he didn’t know who around him was Chen Zeng’s die-hard fan, he had to suppress himself. However, he still couldn’t help but doubt whether it was Tanisiel who told Chen Zeng that information.

Although the priest didn’t have a chance to meet Chen Zeng, since he had been able to talk to Samuel to find out the general location of his mutated self at that time, it was not impossible for him to have spoken with Chen Zeng. Moreover, with Chen Zeng’s current position in the Forbidden City, as long as he knew some information, he could ask the guards who believed in his preachings to help him find the information he needed. Maybe he had a manuscript in his hands……

What was the priest trying to do? Ethan couldn’t help feeling vexed.

Probably because he had gotten the information he wanted, Chen Zeng stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “I have a hunch that you and I will share a deep relationship. When I’m praying in the morning, and at night, I will pray on your behalf.”

Ethan watched Chen Zeng turn around and leave inexplicably. After a long time, he took out the piece of paper from his pocket.

On the paper was a letter to Tanisiel. His words were very vague, and he didn’t write a title, so no one should be able to see through its meaning. He hesitated, wondering whether the paper should be crumpled or torn to pieces.

His soul bond with Tanisiel had already remained quiet for more than two weeks. He needed to know if Tanisiel was well, and he needed to see the priest. The current situation of Samuel and Schneider was unpredictable. He needed the guidance of the priest.

.

Schneider crept into the cargo hold. At this time, most people on board had already fallen asleep, and the cargo hold was quiet. Pretending to be on patrol, he strolled through the center of the temporary bunks. Then, he took a few turns and went down two floors using the metal escalator. He saw a man leaning against the door with a cigarette in his mouth in the medicine storeroom.

“You wanted to see me?” Schneider asked, taking the cigarette he found today out of his pocket. This was the secret code they agreed on. If Samuel needed to find Schneider, he would leave a cigarette in the elevator connecting the upper floor to the cargo hold.

Samuel glanced at him and took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. “Can you pass on a message?”

Schneider has not seen a “letter” written on paper for many years. His eyebrows were slightly raised as he asked, “For whom?”

“Ethan’s letter to the Eve priest.” Samuel said the words “Eve priest” unhappily and handed the note to Schneider. The moment the latter took the note, the eyelashes that covered his dark eyes seemed to appear a little gloomy.

Samuel didn’t let go of his hand holding the note. Schneider looked up at him in surprise.

“What’s the deal with you kissing me in that temple?” Samuel asked.

The thing Schneider was most afraid of was that he would ask that question. As expected, after dragging out this matter until now, he still could not escape. He pulled back the hand containing the note and said in a cold voice, “Don’t think I’ll take special care of you because of this.”

“Aren’t you already taking special care of me?”

“……I just pity you.”

“Do you pity yourself or me?” Samuel slowly approached him. They were obviously the same height, but Schneider inexplicably felt that at this moment, Samuel was a head taller than him, making him feel deeply threatened. He didn’t want to retreat and show his weakness, so he had to bear the embarrassment and face Samuel’s gaze.

Samuel had already entered his personal space and even forced him to move back a few steps, knocking over a paper box with his leg. The meaningful look in Samuel’s eyes caused him to freeze, and his low voice made him almost want to shudder.

“No one will be good to another person for no reason. You were helping me previously because you wanted me to make love to you?”

There was no disdain in the question, but it was also very blunt, so Schneider’s dark complexion became tinged with a faint redness. He turned around to walk away, but Samuel grabbed his arm.

“I’m asking you seriously,” Samuel said, “I’ve always received your compassion, so I feel bad about it.”

Schneider couldn’t bear it and looked back at him. “So you’re going to be my bitch?”

“Don’t make it sound so awful. And given our previous positions, shouldn’t we say that you are my bitch?” Samuel said with a laugh.

“Don’t think that I won’t hit you since you know my weakness,” Schneider squeezed the words out of his teeth. However, Samuel said with a quick smile, “You can consider it as me not knowing how to speak properly. We both know each other’s secrets, so helping each other vent is not a big deal. If that’s what you want, then I don’t mind.”

“I mind!”

“Well……since you are so angry, it couldn’t be that you’ve fallen for me, right.” Samuel said half-jokingly as if he didn’t believe the other party could really fall in love with him. However, Schneider’s silence caused him to slowly open his eyes and say, “You couldn’t really…”

“That’s the end of this discussion.” Schneider interrupted him with a conflicting sentimental and gloomy expression in his eyes. “They said that the priest named Tanisiel had been sent back to Eve. I’ll try to send him this paper.”

Looking at Schneider’s departing back, Samuel inexplicably felt his heart sink.

Initially, when Ethan said that Schneider liked him, he didn’t believe it. However, the kiss in the temple couldn’t be erased from his memories. Samuel didn’t want to be in someone’s debt, especially owing someone favors. He owed Schneider so much that he was always uneasy. Therefore, he thought that if Schneider was merely craving his body, there was nothing wrong with Samuel satisfying him. After all, the last time when they were in the basement……the experience was worth remembering.

However, if the other party wanted something as luxurious as his sincere feelings, could he really afford to give them to him?

How could such naivety survive in the Forbidden City?

T/N: Sorry for the late chapter post.