Chapter 281: The Abyss (Part 2)

Things didn’t unfold as Wu Qingsong had hoped. By the next day, after another entire day of walking, they still hadn’t found any signs of life.

It felt like they were wandering through the land of the dead—a world devoid of sound, motion, or any trace of life. Apart from the endless expanse of stone and the occasional drip of water, there was absolutely nothing.

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but wonder if they had somehow bypassed all the right paths. Without having left any markers when they arrived, and with no way to retrace their steps to the bug shell from before, there was no option but to grit their teeth and keep moving forward.

Their sense of time gradually grew faint and disoriented.

In the end, they could only measure time through Nina’s abilities.

The depletion of her Silvermoon power marked a day, while its recovery marked a night. However, with both hunger and exhaustion gnawing at them, Nina’s endurance began to wane. Though they had no means to measure it precisely, her limits were shrinking little by little.

If it weren’t for the healing properties of her Silvermoon light, she might have collapsed long ago. Now, with their food completely exhausted and only the freezing, bone-chilling water seeping from the rocky walls to sustain them, it was evident that her condition was deteriorating with each passing day.

Would she die here?

As Wu Qingsong watched the fading silver glow of Nina’s Silvermoon light, he couldn’t help but ask himself this grim question.

She hadn’t said anything, but he could sense it. Deep down, she might have preferred facing the Crimson Demon Lord in a final, valiant battle to slowly wasting away like this.

The unrelenting cold of the underground, combined with hunger, the ceaseless movement, and the constant drain of maintaining her Silvermoon light, was pushing her to her limit. Wu Qingsong was growing increasingly worried for her.

He had read countless survival stories about people enduring extreme conditions for days, but those cases often involved minimal movement and metabolic slowdown in controlled environments. Nina, however, was continually marching under grueling conditions, burning energy without replenishment. 

How much longer could she last?

On what he assumed was the umpteenth day, Nina lay down to rest as usual. But this time, she didn’t wake up at her usual interval.

“Nina!” Wu Qingsong called out in alarm. 

He rushed to her side and held her in his arms. She felt disturbingly light, her body chilling to the touch. He could barely detect her pulse or the faint rhythm of her heartbeat.

“Nina!” he called her name again, louder this time, panic rising in his chest. He pressed down hard on the acupoints on her hand and the center of her upper lip. After what felt like an eternity, her eyes slowly fluttered open.

“What… what happened?” she murmured weakly.

“Nothing,” Wu Qingsong said softly, forcing a calm smile. “You just dozed off.”

It might have been severe hypoglycemia, or perhaps a fainting spell caused by extreme hunger and exhaustion. Whatever the case, Wu Qingsong knew that if things continued like this, Nina’s death would only be a matter of time.

He might be able to stumble his way through the darkness and eventually find a place with living creatures or even make it back to the surface. But if he didn’t come up with a solution, she wouldn’t last long enough to see that day.

As he searched himself for anything useful, his hand brushed against the belt around his waist.

That’s it! This thing should be edible, right?

Though treated and hardened, the belt wouldn’t have undergone the chemical processing of modern leather. At the very least, it shouldn’t be toxic.

Without hesitation, he removed the belt, took out his knife, and began cutting it into small pieces in the darkness. After a brief moment of hesitation, he stuffed one piece into his mouth.

The taste was beyond description. He struggled to chew it, but the tough leather refused to yield. In the end, he had no choice but to swallow the piece whole.

His long-empty stomach reacted violently, as though flames had ignited inside it, causing an excruciating pain. He writhed and clutched his abdomen, waiting for the agony to pass. After what felt like an eternity, either the stomach acid had finally broken down the piece of leather, or his body had triggered some kind of self-defense mechanism. The pain slowly subsided.

This won’t work.

Wu Qingsong glanced at Nina, then carefully set about processing the belt once more. This time, he cut it into very fine strips, taking his time to chew each piece thoroughly until it became a paste-like mush before swallowing. The stabbing pain in his stomach returned but was significantly less intense than before.

This might work.

Encouraged, Wu Qingsong methodically sliced the remaining belt into thin threads, carefully bringing a piece to Nina’s lips.

“What is this?”

“Beef jerky,” Wu Qingsong said, trying to sound calm. “Chew it well, as much as you can, and swallow it slowly.”

Nina’s exhausted gaze told him she didn’t believe there was any beef jerky left, but she made an effort to chew. However, her body was far too weak, and her attempts proved futile.

“I’m sorry,” Wu Qingsong said quietly, hesitating only for a moment.

After a while, in her groggy state, Nina felt something wet, sticky, and with an overwhelming stench pressed into her mouth. She tried to push it away, but Wu Qingsong held her firmly.

“Swallow it,” he said, his voice low but firm. “You can’t give up. You must survive and make it out of here alive. Trust me, just swallow it.”

Nina realized what it was and recoiled internally. A wave of nausea rolled through her, but in the end, she did as Wu Qingsong instructed, forcing herself to swallow the revolting substance.

Wu Qingsong continued repeating the same motions, carefully slicing the belt until a palm-sized section was removed. Only then did he stop, feeling around in the darkness for the nearest water source. He cupped his hands, carrying water back to Nina and gently helping her drink.

“How do you feel?” he asked softly.

“Just let me rest a little longer… I’ll be able to walk,” Nina murmured, her voice faint and drowsy.

“You don’t need to walk. I’ll carry you out,” Wu Qingsong replied firmly.

Without Nina’s Silvermoon light, the pitch-black surroundings were oppressive. The idea of leaving her behind to scout ahead for an exit, only to return, filled him with dread. He wasn’t confident he could navigate back accurately in total darkness. And given her fragile state, she couldn’t afford to expend any more energy. The only option was for him to carry her and press on.

Though Nina was taller than him by more than 20 centimeters, her body had grown noticeably frail. Wu Qingsong carefully removed her armor and any excess equipment, discarding them to lighten her load. He only kept her sword, using it as a walking stick and tool to probe the way ahead.

He then scooped her into his arms, adjusting her securely onto his back, and began the slow, deliberate trek forward into the unknown.

This method was, of course, painfully slow. 

Wu Qingsong had to stop frequently to adjust his posture and toss stones into the darkness ahead to gauge their path. The terrain was unforgiving—steep climbs and sudden drops were common. In such moments, he would carefully set Nina down, throw her sword to the intended destination, then either lower her down or push her up depending on what lay ahead.

Whenever exhaustion overwhelmed him, he would find a spot to sit and rest. During these breaks, he meticulously sliced the remaining belt into thin strips, chewing them into a mush to feed Nina. Only after regaining some strength would he press onward.

One belt was quickly consumed, leaving Wu Qingsong no choice but to begin cutting into Nina’s belt. By then, the meager energy provided by the improvised meals seemed to have helped Nina regain some clarity. Her once pale, listless demeanor began to show faint signs of recovery.

She had some awareness of what Wu Qingsong had been doing for her. And precisely because of this, when he once again pressed the pre-chewed pulp into her mouth, she didn’t resist. Instead, she obediently swallowed it, her expression unreadable. Strangely, rather than feeling disgusted, a peculiar, indescribable warmth blossomed deep within her heart.