Chapter 508: A Shocking Revelation (Bonus - )
When Thoren heard her question, his eyes widened. Never in his wildest dream did he think anyone on the Bleeding Desert would know of the existence of the Abyss.
"Surprised?" she asked, not surprised by Thoren’s expression.
Every human looked down on their world, thinking it was nothing but a backward, discarded world filled with nothing but mindless beasts.
But they were wrong.
Terribly wrong.
What they knew was possible was far more than their little minds could ever comprehend.
"I strongly believe you’re not foolish enough to believe your human world was the first world to experience the arrival of the Abyss. Do you?"
By now, Thoren had already recovered from his shock. Taking a deep breath, he arranged his thoughts while carefully considering the implications behind her words.
Just from the casual statement made by the ancient scorpion, he could already infer that she knew far more than he had expected.
And perhaps even possessed knowledge about the Abyss that could answer some of the questions he had been carrying since his arrival.
"Of course not. I believe there are many worlds consumed by the Abyss, but I never expected this world to be part of it," he responded truthfully.
His logic was simple.
Since the Abyss could appear out of nowhere and attempt to devour their world, that alone proved they were not the first world it had ever devoured.
Simply because there was nothing special about their world that would make it the sole target of such a powerful entity that wanted to devour it.
Listening to Thoren’s response, the ancient scorpion agreed with him, her massive eyes carrying a trace of approval as she listened to his reasoning.
Their world was nothing but an endless desert without proper civilization that could compare to the worlds that had once been devoured.
Apart from ruins hidden throughout the desert, there might not even be traces of a proper world left, as the passage of countless years had erased almost everything that once existed.
As for their small towns and cities, they were nothing but ant’s hill compared to a true civilization, insignificant remnants scattered across an enormous world that had already lost its former glory.
"Our world was not like this, as you must have guessed. At its peak, your world could not even hold a candle compared to it."
Sigh.
A deep sigh escaped from her massive maw, carrying the weight of memories that stretched back beyond the understanding of ordinary beings.
"The original intelligent race of our world was the Veyrath. Their wisdom and intelligence are something I’ve never seen in my long life."
"Unfortunately, too much of everything is nothing but a curse."
She paused for a moment, and the cavern descended into a long silence.
Thoren could understand her long pause.
For such an existence, she would have experienced many things throughout her extraordinarily long life, and thinking about some of those memories might have caused old wounds to open once again.
"How long has your world been fighting the Abyss?"
Finally, the ancient scorpion broke the silence, but instead of continuing with her narration, she threw a question at him, her massive eyes remaining fixed on his figure as though she wanted to understand the extent of his world’s struggle.
"Fifty years and still counting," Thoren responded.
"Even though your race is one of the weakest races I’ve encountered, your tenacity and will to survive need to be studied," she said casually, her voice carrying no mockery despite the astonishing statement.
Hmm?
Thoren creased his brow when he heard her comment, unable to understand why she would describe humanity in such a manner.
His expression remained calm, but a faint ripple of displeasure passed through his eyes as he tried to determine whether she was looking down on his race.
"What do you mean?"
"Many races like yours without sufficient strength barely last the first year before their world is entirely devoured."
Perhaps sensing that Thoren might not understand what she meant, she continued, her massive voice echoing through the cavern with enough force to make the surrounding darkness seem to tremble faintly.
"From what I’ve seen and heard, your world is a barren world without mana or any cultivation of sorts."
"Without cultivation, how can you become stronger? Let’s talk about the arcane path if that is the path your world wanted to embark on."
"Your world is still at the primitive age."
"So, if your world is not barren, then what is it?"
Listening to her, Thoren had nothing to say because that was the truth. Her words were blunt, but he could not deny the reality behind them, and the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable the comparison became.
Even with the presence of mana, their progress might be fast from Earth’s standards, but in the face of higher civilizations, they were nothing but crawling creatures struggling to take their first steps.
The realization struck him with a strange heaviness, reminding him that the strength he had gained over the past fifty years of the Abyss invasion might still be insignificant when compared with the civilizations that existed beyond his understanding.
Seeing that the human kid before her understood her point, she was pleased with his reaction.
Unlike many arrogant geniuses she had encountered throughout her long existence, he did not immediately reject words that wounded his pride or desperately attempted to prove his race was stronger than it truly was.
"Now, let’s talk about why you’re here. Your trial?"
Hmm?
Once again, Thoren was left flabbergasted.
His pupils contracted slightly, and his expression froze for an instant as another wave of shock passed through him.
How did this damn ancient scorpion seem to know everything?
"You don’t need to be surprised. I know more than you can comprehend," her tone was still the same, casual and indifferent.
Her words caused another subtle chill to crawl across Thoren’s back. The ancient scorpion was not merely knowledgeable about the Bleeding Desert or the history of her world.
She seemed to understand matters connected directly to the Abyss and his trial.
"Have you ever wondered why the Abyss asked you to complete a trial before you can descend to the next floor?"
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[AN: This Chapter is sponsored by: Daemoncles.]