Horus paused, then continued.
"The harm of the Doomsday believers far exceeds imagination; the Book of Destiny must not fall into their hands."
Herman gritted his teeth and said, "These maggots should have been eradicated long ago! If it weren’t for the fear of disturbing the Abyss by hiding so deep in the sewers, they would have been burnt to ashes already!"
Horus’s gaze instantly shifted, staring intently at Herman.
Herman quickly covered his mouth, his eyes flashing with surprise and panic.
Rod raised an eyebrow, "The Abyss? Underneath the Royal City is the Abyss?"
After a few seconds of silence, Horus sighed and said, "Let it be, Rod, you are now one of the decision-makers, and you are qualified to know these highest-level secrets."
Herman breathed a sigh of relief, "Rod, we didn’t mean to keep it from you deliberately. Spreading such news recklessly can lead to significant negative impacts. People’s mental endurance has its limits. If panic exceeds a certain threshold, it will vastly breed more Doomsday believers, and the souls of the Fire Holders will also be more susceptible to erosion and Pollution, and even undergo Darkening, falling from humanity into monsters."
Horus nodded his head.
"In such a desperate world, knowing more is not necessarily a good thing. Before obtaining the corresponding clearance, we rarely reveal more secrets. One of the absolute secrets that cannot be disclosed is that beneath the Royal City lies the Abyss."
"By ’the Abyss’ you referred to, do you mean the Abyss Rift?"
Horus shook his head gently.
Rod’s frown deepened.
Archbishop, I remember being told that the true Abyss is a part of the Cosmic Dark Side that even Gods cannot reach, and the Abyss Rift is just a product of the fragmentation of the outer Abyssal spaces. Thus, there is a theory within the Royal City that the true Abyss is the origin of the Black Fog."
Horus nodded slightly.
"That’s right. Many schools and scholars in the Royal City have been searching for the true Abyss, trying to use it to find the true origin of the Black Fog, and thereby finding a way to dispel it. Unfortunately, there are no substantial results to show for it yet."
He paused for a moment, then continued.
"The Abyss beneath the Royal City is their discovery."
"It’s an existence utterly different from the Abyss Rift; that absolute darkness can swallow all light, and that terrifying Pollution can extinguish the Red Tear Stone and remaining light in an instant."
"It lies unimaginably deep beneath the Royal City, eroding upwards; many monsters hidden deep underground have been infected with the breath of the Abyss, and the prophecies of the White Tower indicate a terrifying presence below."
"We’re not sure what it is, whether it can be disturbed or not, and we certainly do not wish for accidents at this time, so when the Great Sect Leader, Asa, fled to the deepest layers of the sewers, we temporarily halted our urgent pursuit, lying in wait, preparing to eradicate them with a decisive strike when the time was right."
Horus let out a long sigh.
"We didn’t realize their harm could be so great; the things the Book of Destiny can do exceed our imagination."
Herman said, "But Rod, rest assured, the White Tower has completely locked onto their location. Judgment Chief Lucian will soon launch a fatal strike and completely eradicate them."
Rod fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke with unprecedented seriousness.
"Archbishop, I request to join the hunting team."