A mage's journey begins with a battle mage.

Chapter 428 Heading to the Abyss

With the felling of this twisted tree, Baker's tragic life came to an end.

The swamp of flesh and blood began to slowly shrink.

"Master, here you go."

Grace handed the axe to Jiang Shuzhou.

"No need, you can keep it."

As his premonition grew stronger, Jiang Shuzhou finally understood what was going on.

However, he still needs to verify it.

"Master, I believe I am a wise man."

Grace said this out of nowhere.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuzhou's lips twitched.

"Don't take that guy's words seriously. There's no such thing as a big deal. Besides, what makes you think you can kill a god?"

Despite saying that, Jiang Shuzhou already had some guesses.

Especially after seeing the strong aura of order emanating from the axe in Grace's hand.

With a little more thought, the answer becomes quite clear.

A rustling sound rang out; it was the sound of the pen tip scratching on the paper.

It seems the playwright has arrived.

Jiang Shuzhou shook his head, then took Grace and rode in a carriage towards the abyss.

The two remained somewhat silent throughout the journey.

"Master."

Grace broke the silence.

Don't leave me.

She said.

I will try my best.

That was all Jiang Shuzhou could say; he really didn't want to lie to the other party.

But all indications suggest that the three deities are Jiang Shuzhou himself, or rather, a aspect of him.

Grace paused for a moment after hearing this, then continued.

"Old man, you still have so much knowledge hiding away? You're not allowed to die until you've finished teaching me, or I'll flip your coffin! So you won't take that rubbish with you when you go down with it!"

"By the way, Master, how about some gold coins?"

"I think you're just asking for trouble, saying whatever comes to mind!"

The moment of emotion lasted only a few seconds before Jiang Shuzhou was immediately enraged.

I should have known better than to teach those heartless, abstract concepts. Perhaps it's because of this constant exposure, but Grace isn't as timid and obedient as she used to be, and she's become quite abstract.

Of course, in the end, Jiang Shuzhou was only punished by copying the textbook; he didn't actually get angry, it was all just a joke.

Jiang Shuzhou didn't care much about Grace's use of abstract art; he never suffered a loss anyway.

Making Grace copy textbooks every day was quite fun.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The vast and magnificent city of Leonnat is the front line of the Abyss, where countless people gather to retrieve items from the Abyss.

Due to the unique nature of the abyss, each level contains immeasurable resources and rare treasures.

However, the cost is also the highest.

People call those who explore the abyss and search for treasures within it "abyssal explorers," and some of these explorers are willing to risk their lives for the treasures in the abyss.

To be precise, the abyss is the path to the opposite world.

Each level represents a dive.

Each dive and ascent causes some harm to a person.

The damage caused by rising to each level is different.

The lower you are, the greater the damage you will suffer when you rise to the surface.

Even from the seventh floor onwards, once you rise to the surface, the only consequence is death.

Only by reaching the very bottom can one escape the abyss.

Of course, reaching the bottom isn't entirely without its advantages, but what those advantages are depends entirely on the World Tree's mood; if it's in a good mood, immortality isn't so difficult.

What if it doesn't go well...

Then just wait to turn into a monster.

"Balloons, balloons, balloons for floating!"

"Anyone know what a teleportation scroll is?"

"Professional deep-sea divers, we have everything you need!"

Jiang Shuzhou walked into the bustling, noisy city.

The prosperity of Leonnath is entirely supported by the abundant resources of the abyss.

The carriage slowly drove in.

Listening to the shouts around him, Jiang Shuzhou felt a sense of excitement.

"Let's go find some professional Abyss Divers."

Jiang Shuzhou needed to go to the fast passage on the third floor to go directly to the bottom floor.

The simplest solution is to find a group of Abyss Dwellers and have them take you down.

Fortunately, Ryan Nat offers this kind of service. After all, a lot of second-generation rich kids are looking for thrills, so this kind of demand naturally arises. As we all know, where there is demand, there is a market, and so this kind of person came into being.

Jiang Shuzhou quickly found his target.

"Hello, welcome to the Phantom Abyss Squad. What services do you require?"

A sweet voice rang out from the receptionist.

"I need someone to take me to the third floor."

Jiang Shuzhou said.

The third level isn't very dangerous; once you surface, you'll only experience some hallucinations, although they can be quite intense.

Of course, the price to pay for diving into the third level of the abyss will be no less.

"Okay, after estimation, it's 50,000 gold coins per person, not including the return trip."

"We can sign a contract, but you need to pay first. After all, you know, accidents can happen in this line of work."

Jiang Shuzhou had nothing to say about this and readily agreed.

Since the money was all obtained through fraud and deception, there's no harm in not using it.

Soon, the front desk arranged a small team for Jiang Shuzhou, who would be responsible for taking Jiang Shuzhou and Grace to the third level of the abyss.

A burly man rushed over.

"Boss, my name is Norton, and I'm the team captain. You can come to me if you need anything."

As soon as he arrived, Norton extended his hand enthusiastically, intending to shake hands with Jiang Shuzhou.

Unfortunately, Jiang Shuzhou didn't have this habit.

So his hand just stood there awkwardly frozen in mid-air.

Grace made no attempt to help him out of the predicament; she simply remained silent beside Jiang Shuzhou.

"Haha, boss, if you have time, we can set off right now. What do you think?"

Norton gave an awkward laugh and changed the subject.

After all, they work in the service industry, and a contract has been signed, so they have to treat Jiang Shuzhou like their father. There's no way around it; the one who pays the bill is the boss.

"Take me to see it."

Jiang Shuzhou said.

Norton then led Jiang Shuzhou to the team's camp and met the other members.

They are archer Kim, warrior Galvin, healer Nathan, and mage Cheung Pak-chi.

Including captain Norton, there are five people in total, which is a very standard squad.

Jiang Shuzhou observed these people, calculated their strength, and finally came to a rough conclusion.

Theoretically, these people are able to reach the third level.

If we encounter a strong enemy, one or two people might die.

If such a situation were to occur, unless the other party were foolish enough to provoke Jiang Shuzhou directly, Jiang Shuzhou would absolutely not intervene.

The money has already been spent. If this still can't allow Jiang Shuzhou to safely reach the third level, then these people deserve to die.

"Alright, let's go!"

"Boss, we have prepared all the supplies you need in advance. You just need to carry them yourself."

Norton said.

Jiang Shuzhou glanced at the items and noticed local specialties such as maps and monster encyclopedias, which made him slightly more satisfied with the service.

Everything was prepared in advance; this tour group looks very professional.

Soon, the group arrived at a huge, dark, and bottomless pit.

Countless people have come and gone here. Some return bleeding from all seven orifices, some go insane, and some die instantly.

"Boss, just jump down, we'll automatically go to the first floor."

Norton instructed.

Jiang Shuzhou nodded in agreement, then grabbed Grace and jumped down.

A strange feeling filled my whole body.

They were as free and at ease as fish in water.