CHAPTER 988: CHAPTER 799: THE ABYSS DESCENDS (EXTENDED CHAPTER)

Jia Shi narrowly completed the mission and found the key item.

"A-level task evaluation, reward: 3000 Source Qi, 300 points."

"An E-level weapon is only worth 100 points, so a reward of 300 points is quite a lot, but the cultivation skill..." Jia Shi browsed through the First Tier store he could access and found that the cheapest cultivation skills required 200 points, and none with the suffix "true."

"Cultivation skills with the ’true’ suffix start at 2000 points. There must be some secret I haven’t discovered yet."

"The Source Qi rewarded by the game is equivalent to experience, but... you have to cultivate yourself to convert the experience into strength, which is strange. Without cultivation skills, you can’t even use Source Qi."

Jia Shi immediately channeled Source Qi for cultivation, progressing dozens of times faster than when he cultivated on his own before.

In no time,

he felt as if he had broken through an indescribable bottleneck, dramatically increasing his strength.

When he reopened the player panel, it had changed from "No Rank" to "Awakening Second-tier."

"Awakening Second-tier? So that’s the Main God’s game level? I feel ten times stronger, like I could punch a cow to death, no, a tiger!"

He checked the time and exited the game.

As he stepped out of the game pod, he felt a sense of emptiness and loss.

He wasn’t the type of young man who lacked exercise, but at this moment, a clenched fist brought an unprecedented sense of weakness.

From a powerful self in the game, to a weak self in reality.

The more he compared, the more it highlighted the magnificence of a strong body in the game.

"If only I could become stronger in reality too."

"But a game is just a game after all, and besides, when I board the ark, I won’t be able to play the Main God’s game anymore."

Jia Shi lay on his bed, filled with melancholy.

Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, he suddenly sat up and, almost instinctively, sat cross-legged in meditation as per the game’s cultivation method, emptying his mind.

Perhaps, deep down, he harbored an unrealistic expectation too.

Although only a day had passed in the game, with less than half a day of cultivation, Jia Shi felt quite familiar with the Primordial Spirit Cultivation Method, able to clear his mind and achieve the best state of cultivation from the game.

After about ten minutes,

he blinked his eyes in slight disappointment, "I knew it..."

Suddenly, he froze, quickly closing his eyes. In his perception, although Source Qi particles were not like a sky full of stars as in the game, he managed to capture one or two!

Following the steps from the game, he smoothly absorbed the one or two points of Source Qi into his body.

Suddenly,

his body trembled!

The change was subtle, but Jia Shi still felt himself grow a tiny bit stronger!

His face was full of disbelief, "The cultivation method from the Main God’s game can actually be used in reality to become as strong as in the game?"

"Perhaps, this is not just a game!"

Jia Shi didn’t continue cultivating but instead called for a driver overnight and drove around the city and surrounding areas, eventually splurging to buy an old villa in the suburbs.

Here,

was the area with the richest Source Qi particles in his perception!

...

In the blink of an eye,

Jia Shi had battled in the Main God’s game for a month, transforming from a naive youth to a seasoned warrior, unfazed in any environment, having slain countless monsters.

He had also experienced death.

In the game, death not only deducted a large amount of Source Qi points and score points, but the fear of falling into darkness upon dying was something he didn’t want to experience again.

Yet Jia Shi had experienced it dozens of times. To find items or secret manuals with the "true" character, he was utterly maniacal; even if it meant dying a few times, it was worth it!

He had become accustomed to it.

Jia Shi summarized the treasures he had collected over the past month.

Primordial Spirit Cultivation Method (True);

First Tier Source Gathering Array Detailed Explanation (True);

Combat Skills: Heavy Slash (True); Combat Skills: Vacuum Break (True); Combat Skills: Flame Dragon Roar (True);

And also...

Mini Source Qi Bead (True);

Exoskeleton Rune Armor (True);

Storage Bag (True);

Reality-enhanced Blank Card *2;

Jia Shi was overjoyed.

Exiting the game pod, he went to his usual cultivation chamber.

The entire villa had been remodeled by him with a classical charm, and the cultivation chamber was equipped with meditation mats and incense, arranged with a simplified version of a First Tier Source Gathering Array—due to many materials being unavailable on Water Star.

"Hoo~"

After half an hour, Jia Shi exhaled deeply.

In his hand, a Mini Source Qi Bead, the size of a glass marble, shimmered with Source Qi that had now completely dissipated.

"The Source Qi contained in the bead is used up, and I only barely reached Awakening Third Layer... In the game, I’ve already reached Awakening Twelfth Layer! Luckily, as long as I wear the Exoskeleton Rune Armor, I should have some ability to protect myself in the real world."

Jia Shi was well aware of the imminent threat facing Water Star.

The monsters emerging from the Abyss were the same as those in the Main God’s game, a fact he’d discovered through investigation!

"If there really is a deity, the Main God’s game is perhaps a sliver of hope bestowed upon us by the deity."

Jia Shi walked to a corner of the chamber, lifted the floorboards to reveal a hollow compartment underneath.

Inside was a wooden box, into which he carefully placed the spent Source Qi Bead, then hid the box back.

He locked the door, then leaped silently out of a second-floor window, landing on the lawn and, with a flicker, vanished into the night.

...

Recently, Water Star’s various regions have been conducting military drills; every day, Cosmic Battleships could be seen launching and landing. Even the ordinary populace on the planet could feel an impending storm.

Online,

apocalyptic theories were rampant.

Many posts asserted confidently about the Abyss, about monsters, about cultivators, sounding completely real.

Many netizens began to believe, but after a while, they doubted again.

The reason was simple,

those posts were left intact, without being deleted, calling into question their authenticity.

But the atmosphere was undeniably off, with prices skyrocketing across Water Star, and at night, the streets were virtually empty.

Seventh District of Water Star, Old Imperial City.

This city, with a history spanning a thousand years, was one of the two most prosperous cities in the Seventh District.

Even at night, there were hardly any people in sight.

Jia Shi, dressed in a black top and pants, climbed over a fence into a surveillance-free alleyway, glanced around, then took out a black cloak and mask from a pocket the size of a palm at his waist and quickly put them on.

He went straight to the depths of the alley, slipped through a slightly ajar wooden door, and navigated his way through twists and turns into a dimly lit room.

Inside the room were several people in black robes or other disguises, and upon seeing the newcomer, they said, "Boss Jia?"

"It’s me."

Jia Shi revealed a concealed symbol in his palm.

This was the symbol of their secret gathering.

An exclusive gathering of master players from the Main God’s game!

After a while, all the members slowly arrived.

Only about a dozen in total, not many, exchanging information and items; although game points couldn’t be traded, knowledge could be.

A burly man in a black robe spoke, "The military has been secretly promoting cultivation skills, but from the intel I have, even the most elite Special Combat Teams, only a very few can even grasp the basics, and besides us players, I haven’t heard of anyone reaching Awakening First Tier."

"Moreover, on Water Star, ten special Protection Shelters and a hundred Advanced Protection Shelters have been built. Three hundred miles north of Old Imperial City is an Advanced Protection Shelter, which should be relatively safe in case of a disaster."

Some members inquired carefully, clearly showing interest.

Others didn’t show it, appearing indifferent.

But all the members of the secret gathering understood: the goal of the gathering was to stop the Abyss, seal the Abyss, and uncover the secrets of the Main God game and the Abyss.

First and foremost, however, they had to ensure their own survival.

Suddenly,

the ground trembled violently, and everyone in the dim room felt it.

One member with enhanced hearing listened for a few seconds and then said, "There are screams outside, and I heard words like ’collapse, monster.’