Abyss of Seals, Shadow of the Outer Gods

The sheer number of Black Goat offspring was overwhelming, forcing the group to halt several times along the way, their progress frustratingly slow.

Even Tilis could feel her magical reserves depleting at an alarming rate. Her protective barriers had shattered multiple times, each instance nearly plunging the group into disaster.

"Stay close!" she gritted her teeth and urged. If anyone got separated in this place, not even she could save them.

"Brother... I don’t feel well..." Helena clutched Luo Wei’s wrist tightly, her arm darkened, half-transformed into something inhuman.

The relentless mental corruption had persisted from the start, and Luo Wei had lost count of how many times he’d cast [Control] to stabilize everyone’s corruption levels.

"Hold on, just a little longer!" Luo Wei anxiously scanned the distance.

Finally, he spotted an ancient temple obscured by dense foliage.

"We’re almost there!" Luo Wei exclaimed excitedly.

"Everyone, be careful!" Tilis’s barrier shattered again, and she hastily warned them.

In an instant, the Black Goat offspring surged forward like a tidal wave.

The battle dragged on endlessly before Luo Wei and the vampires barely managed to repel the onslaught.

"Brother..."

Helena let out a pained moan as the dark energy festered in her wounds, spreading relentlessly across her body.

Tilis raised another barrier while Luo Wei used [El Tuga School Healing] to tend to Helena’s injuries.

This cycle repeated endlessly—barriers breaking, fighting, healing, recasting spells...

By the time the massive, crumbling temple came into view, everyone was pushed to their limits.

Yet, the closer they got to the temple, the more frenzied the Black Goat offspring became.

Their shrill, trembling roars echoed, as if determined to prevent anyone from reaching the sealed domain of the Mother Goddess.

"Get inside the building, now!" Even Jo had to roar to be heard over the chaos.

The vampires moved swiftly through the blood mist, covering the group’s desperate retreat into the colossal stone structure.

Passing through the entrance, Luo Wei found himself staring into a vast, darkened hall.

Though pitch-black inside, not a single Black Goat offspring could be seen.

It was the only good news so far—if they could hold the entrance, they wouldn’t have to face monsters attacking from all directions.

"Hurry, hurry!" Evelyn materialized behind them, unleashing a sweeping blood magic spell to block the relentless tendrils.

The group rushed into the temple.

Once the last person was inside, Evelyn took one look at the horrifying black tide outside and vanished instantly.

Everyone breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Inside, Tilis immediately conjured an enormous orb of light, an enhanced version of [Illumination], banishing the temple’s gloom.

Luo Wei and Tilis studied the temple’s interior with fascination—this was the first time they’d ever managed to enter this place.

Meanwhile, the vampires had no time for exploration, standing guard at the entrance, warily eyeing the frenzied Black Goat offspring outside.

Not a single one dared to follow them inside—though whether that was a good or bad thing remained unclear.

After all, what lay sealed within this temple was far more terrifying than those creatures.

"Hmm..." Tilis murmured as she examined the surroundings. "The architectural style here is... odd."

Luo Wei only needed a glance to recognize two starkly contrasting belief systems.

The temple’s interior looked like it had been repeatedly altered—bearing both the sacred grandeur of a church and grotesque, twisted reliefs. Statues resembling the Black Goat offspring littered the space.

"Here’s what likely happened," Tilis mused. "This was originally built as a sanctuary for the fallen Light God, so it started as a temple of light."

Luo Wei nodded. "After the Church’s decline, they lost control over the continent, and this place was taken over by cultists. Eventually, it became a shrine to the Mother of Abundance."

After all, both the Light God and the Mother of Abundance had perished here, buried beneath their feet.

"Enough with the archaeology, you two," Evelyn interjected impatiently.

Luo Wei and Tilis turned to her, sensing her palpable anxiety.

"Where do we go from here? This temple looks empty—there’s no sign of any secrets."

"And—what if Eleya has completely lost her humanity by now? Could she be lurking somewhere, waiting to ambush us?"

"No, no!" she continued frantically. "Maybe we shouldn’t rush in. Let me sweep the temple first..."

Her voice grew increasingly tense, reminding Luo Wei of what she’d confided in him the night before.

Though she’d escorted him without complaint, she still didn’t truly believe in this mission.

She feared he might disappear because of it.

"Teacher, calm down," Luo Wei said, squeezing her trembling hand as they ventured deeper into the grand temple.

His steps were unhurried, as if waiting for something.

"How can I calm down? Luo Wei, you promised me a convincing answer, but we’re here now—where is it?"

"If you’re not even sure, maybe... maybe we should stop here."

"You’ve seen the temple—there’s nothing here. No secrets. You’re overthinking this..."

The moment she finished speaking, the path ahead vanished.

Before Luo Wei stretched a massive square corridor, its walls lined with a spiraling staircase descending into darkness.

Below, an abyss stretched endlessly.

Everyone peered down nervously, the unfathomable darkness sending chills down their spines.

"W-where does this lead?!" Evelyn gasped. "It’s too deep—how could humans have dug this?"

"Whether humans did it or not, this is undoubtedly the lair of the Mother of Abundance," Tilis murmured.

She pulled a precious magic orb from her pocket and tossed it downward.

The group watched as its glow dimmed, swallowed by the darkness without even the faintest sound of impact.

Silence fell.

The depth defied imagination—the black void below seemed to stretch straight into the gates of hell.

Helena clung tightly to Luo Wei’s other arm. "Brother... are we really going down there?"

Luo Wei stared into the abyss, momentarily lost in thought.

It wasn’t fear of the unknown that gripped him—but the sudden flood of system notifications.

[Save Point: Temple of Light, Abyss of Seals]

【Urgent Mission Alert!】

【Due to the investigator's arrival at an anomaly disturbance point and a highly unstable zone, please repair the breach immediately to maintain the stability of the intersecting worlds' rules.】

【Technical support for repairs will be provided...】

【System rewards delayed. Due to premature advancement to the next phase, maintenance updates will follow after repairs...】

"Wait... a breach? So it really is a bug?" Luo Wei couldn't help but feel startled.

From the mission prompt, he picked up on several key phrases.

"Anomaly disturbance point," "breach," "intersecting worlds," "next phase"...

Each term carried immense weight.

Luo Wei still remembered that after concluding his visit to the Thornflower Castle, he had received a 【Containment Voucher】 as a mission reward. At the time, the system described it as—

【In recognition of your efforts in managing the containment facility, partial permissions for the second phase are hereby granted.】

Now, the mention of "next phase" again—did this mean he was about to enter the "third playthrough"?

Luo Wei seemed to vaguely grasp the purpose of this "game"...

The system's updates and iterations implied that he would soon face even more formidable adversaries, progressing from creatures merely stronger than humans—"aberrations"—to entities of the caliber of Elder Gods, Old Ones, or even Outer Gods...

Indeed, compared to the minor skirmishes of "containment," as he ascended further, the true nature of this world would gradually unveil itself. Though it remained unclear how "containment" would evolve when confronting such malevolent beings in the future.

As for these "intersecting worlds"...

Luo Wei instinctively stepped onto the staircase, descending slowly step by step.

The other three quickly followed.

Upon entering this so-called "Seal of the Abyss," everyone's vision began to warp in unsettling ways.

"Brother... is my eyesight failing?" Helena rubbed her eyes in confusion.

Evelyn and Tilis exchanged a glance, their expressions equally stunned.

"Your vision is fine..." Luo Wei murmured. "Because I see it too..."

The surroundings of the spiral staircase grew hazy and indistinct.

Though everything was right before their eyes, Luo Wei inexplicably felt as if the world had doubled, overlapping with indescribable phenomena.

He tentatively reached out, attempting to touch the cold wall.

The surface rippled, and the phantom images grew fainter.

Luo Wei leaned closer, pressing lightly against the wall.

It was as if he pierced through a veil of mist, catching a glimpse of the surreal landscape beyond the world.

Rotting constructs, dead worlds, shattered cities riddled with holes, a chilling wind howling past pallid stars...

That world seemed inverted—when Luo Wei gazed into the dark abyss, he saw the cosmos.

Flickering colossal pillars, an ancient temple eternally suspended in the depths of the universe, and a discordant, shrill sound resembling flutes echoed from afar. Enormous, cryptic beings lumbered sluggishly in the void...

Luo Wei struggled to articulate that world or the forms of those entities...

His level was insufficient; his human senses couldn't fully perceive the truth of the other side.

All he could grasp was—

Madness, chaos, the incomprehensible, and the unspeakable...

Yet he understood now—the collapse of the rational world stemmed from this...

The moment he sensed the attention of certain presences, Luo Wei snapped back to reality.

He hastily withdrew, returning to the familiar world.

He couldn't afford to observe further—not yet, at least.

"What's on the other side?" Tilis, driven by insatiable curiosity, moved closer to the wall.

Luo Wei swiftly stopped her.

【Sanity: 8↓】

【Sanity: 50↑】

【Sanity: 25↓】

【Sanity: 80↑】

Sanity waged war against madness.

Thanks to the system's constant buffs, Luo Wei could risk a glimpse beyond, but Tilis couldn't.

Her wrist still tightly gripped in Luo Wei's hand, Tilis only grew more puzzled.

"It's another world," Luo Wei explained succinctly.

"The world of the Outer Gods?" Tilis asked.

Luo Wei nodded.