"The Abyss?"
Wang Siyuan, who often browsed the web, naturally knew what the Abyss meant. A deeper sense of dread welled up within him as he asked hoarsely,"You're not talking about that rift between material planes—where only undead creatures can dwell, are you? But... but that's just fantasy lore! How could something like that exist in reality? It's absurd—utterly impossible!"
"Then, according to you, those enormous insects aren't real either? Just a hallucination of yours?"
Li Jiayu's voice dripped with mockery as she glanced at the faces around her, pale and despairing.
"The Abyss," she said coldly, "is precisely as you imagine it—a world of graves, teeming with all manner of undead beings. Skeletons and zombies are the most common, weak though they are, relying on their hardened flesh and undying bodies for strength. Destroy the soul fire within them, and you can end them completely—provided you shatter them into pieces first. Even if you sever their heads, they'll still bite with their teeth, still claw and tear at your flesh. And worse creatures exist—corpse beasts, liches, corpse dragons—wielders of powers no science could ever explain. And then... there are the wraiths. They devour souls and claim bodies as their own."
At the mention of wraiths, Li Jiayu's expression darkened. Her teeth ground together audibly.
In her previous life, one of her companions—a young woman named Qin Shiyao—had been like a ripened peach, radiant and voluptuous. She served as the healer of the team, skilled in restoration and acupuncture, her gentle nature winning everyone's affection. She had been on the verge of becoming deputy captain.
But during a battle with a Thunder Wolf Dragon, Li Jiayu was gravely injured—her organs ruptured, her body charred, death all but certain. Ordinary medicine could not save her.
Qin Shiyao, who had always treated Li Jiayu like a younger sibling, gave half her own life force to save her—pulling her back from the brink of death.
That act, however, left Qin Shiyao fatally weakened, unconscious and defenseless. And it was then that a wraith took possession of her body.
Li Jiayu's heart still bled with regret. Every time she remembered, she was torn apart by remorse.
Had she known what fate awaited her dear sister Qin Shiyao, she would rather have died than allow her to make that sacrifice.
For the wraith that took her... was a succubus.
A spirit of lust and corruption, feeding upon desire itself.
When Qin Shiyao awoke, the gentle healer was gone. She became wanton, insatiable—before everyone's eyes, she threw herself upon one of the team's warriors, coupling with him shamelessly.
Within three days, she had seduced every man in the group save Li Jiayu—by force, by drug, by temptation. Had Li Jiayu not been too wounded to respond, she too might have fallen prey.
Worse still, every man she touched was drained—his essence sapped, his strength halved after a single encounter.
Eventually, Qin Shiyao abandoned the group, preying upon other men. Any strong, virile warrior she saw would make her eyes gleam with hunger.
Those who had once known her wept bitterly, mourning her shame—such a good woman, reduced to a creature of disgrace.
Three years later, after draining countless men of their life force, Qin Shiyao grew monstrously powerful—beyond the limits of humanity. Even ten corpse dragons combined could not match her might.
At last, when Li Jiayu had reached her own peak, she could bear it no longer. She used herself as bait, knowing the dark allure of a summoner's power would tempt Qin Shiyao.
When Qin Shiyao succumbed to her lust, Li Jiayu struck—catching her off guard, dealing a crippling blow. The two fought a desperate, savage battle. Li Jiayu lost her sight that day, but at last freed Qin Shiyao's body from corruption.
It could be said that in her past life, Li Jiayu was blinded by a wraith.
"Li Jiayu… what should we do? Why aren't you saying anything? Wake up!"
Seeing Li Jiayu's clenched jaw and trembling fury, Sun Weiwei panicked. She looked into Li Jiayu's eyes—and froze. A chill shot through her body. The hatred and murderous intent in those eyes were like something out of hell itself.
"Ah... forgive me. I just remembered something unpleasant. I didn't frighten you, did I?"
Li Jiayu, known as the Dark Grand Summoner, bore blood on her hands—soaked in sin. The number of zerg and undead she had slain was in the tens of thousands. But so too were the humans who had died by her hand.
Her killing intent was palpable, suffocating. If she did not restrain it carefully, those around her could barely breathe.
"N-no, it's fine," Sun Weiwei stammered, pale but pretending calm. "So… what should we do now? Li Jiayu, do you have a plan?"
"Oh, I do," she replied coldly. "Feed the giant bugs. Once they've eaten their fill, they'll leave. But they don't fancy noodles, rice, or vegetables like humans do. They crave meat—human flesh."
"What?"
Her classmates gasped, as if their throats were gripped by invisible hands.
A hundred giant insects—each one could devour at least three people. Three hundred lives to sate their hunger.
Impossible. Unthinkable.
And yet, amidst the fear, a spark of selfish hope flickered in their hearts—out of ten thousand students, only three hundred might die. The odds favored survival. Surely they wouldn't be among the dead.
"I can guess what you're thinking," Li Jiayu sneered. "A one-in-thirty chance of death, is that it? Wrong. Who told you there were only a hundred red-headed beetles? Soon there will be thirty more scythe beetles, nearly a hundred acid bugs, and two hundred venomous spiders. To satisfy their hunger and lust for destruction… half of you will have to die."
Her words struck like a thunderclap. Terror crashed down upon them. The image of those monstrous creatures tearing through flesh and bone froze their blood.
"Li Jiayu! Please, stop scaring us! You must have a way out, right? You're so calm—you must have a secret plan! We were so close—you wouldn't let me die, would you?"
One of the girls could bear it no longer. She clung to Li Jiayu's arm, pressing herself against her in desperation.
"Save you? That's hardly up to me," Li Jiayu said flatly. "I can only ensure my own survival in the first wave. Perhaps I can help a few others—but I cannot protect you all. And besides... I don't deal with women who offer their bodies as currency. Most importantly—your pants are wet. I don't mind filth, but I've lost all interest."
Li Jiayu rejected her "offer." She was not driven by lust—never the gallant fool who would risk everything for a stranger. Once, perhaps, as the mighty summoner she had been. But now, reborn, still human, her power was only that of a student.
"Ah! They're coming—the bugs are climbing the building!"
A scream rang out from the next classroom. The students rushed to the windows—below, a dark swarm surged forward like an army of armored beasts, storming up the stairwell of the teaching building.