111: Past Events in the Abyss

Li Mo’s words created an invisible ripple in the luxurious private room.

Abyss Domain.

A special space that emerged with the world’s changes and the job transfer system.

In its first hundred years, it was synonymous with natural disaster.

It was a bottomless chasm filled by countless heroes with their flesh and blood, a Sword of Damocles hanging over the real world of Blue Star.

The Abyss Domain would slowly invade and corrupt reality.

But with the emergence of twelve historically renowned heroes, and eight eras of struggle, humanity’s decline was completely reversed.

The horn of counterattack sounded, and humans were no longer passively defensive; for the first time, they established permanent strongholds in the Abyss Domain, achieving a continuous presence.

From that moment on, the era changed.

The once distinct “Guardian Faction,” which advocated protecting Blue Star’s homeland, and the “Pioneer Faction,” which advocated developing the Abyss Domain, found their ideological conflict gradually losing its meaning.

Because the Abyss Domain was no longer just a threat.

It became a treasure trove.

Chen Ao sat up straight, staring at Li Mo, waiting for him to continue.

Li Mo didn’t keep him in suspense; he knew that what Chen Ao needed at this moment was information—the most complete, most crucial information.

“The Abyss Domain is currently divided into seven stable zones and three war zones.”

“The stable zones, as the name suggests, have been completely controlled by humans. The internal monster ecosystem has been entirely transformed, turning them into ‘ranches’ that stably produce materials, experience, and equipment.”

“And the three war zones are the true front lines where humanity’s main forces clash with the Abyss Domain monsters.”

Li Mo’s voice was steady, yet it carried a sense of grand narrative that was unsettling.

“The current situation is that humanity’s main army in the Abyss Domain has been stuck in the Third War Zone for hundreds of years.”

“According to calculations by the top think tanks, it might not be possible to advance even one step further within a thousand years.”

Chen Ao remained silent.

He was able to reach the position of King of the Black Market, so he naturally understood what this meant.

When an incremental market for expansion turns into a saturated market, what happens next is inevitable.

Intense internal competition.

And even more brutal internal competition.

“Outside the war zones, monsters have completely become resources raised by humans. Their only value is to be squeezed dry to the last drop of marrow.”

Li Mo picked up the red wine glass but didn’t drink.

“Where there are resources, there will be contention.”

“Where there is contention, there are winners and losers.”

“Thus, within the Abyss Domain, new factions were born.”

Chen Ao’s fingertips tapped lightly on the table, making a dull sound.

This was his habit when thinking.

“The first faction, I call them the ‘Conservationists,’” Li Mo continued. “They advocate that since resources are limited, they should be concentrated and supplied to the most elite powerhouses, hoping that they can break through first and lead humanity to overcome the shackles of the Third War Zone.”

“Sounds high-minded,” Chen Ao snorted. “In reality, it’s about depriving most people of their resources for a small handful. This will only make the strong stronger and the weak weaker, and conflicts will only become more acute.”

“Master Ao hits the nail on the head.” Li Mo nodded. “Therefore, the second faction emerged.”

His words paused, and the air in the private room seemed to grow heavy.

“The Resource Transfer Faction.”

Chen Ao’s movements stopped.

Li Mo looked at him, saying word by word, “This faction believes that since resources within the Abyss Domain are already saturated and competition is fierce, why not turn their gaze… back to Blue Star?”

“Their core Claim is to treat Blue Star’s job holders, or even ordinary people, whose strength is far below that of Abyss Domain humans, as ‘resources’ just like monsters.”

“What?”

Even Chen Ao, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but feel a chilling coldness.

Treating one’s own kind as resources, like monsters?

“This… can such rhetoric even be allowed?”

“Of course not.” Li Mo smiled. “In public opinion, this faction has always been scorned by the mainstream and nailed to the pillar of shame. After all, everyone comes from the same origin; they are all Blue Star humans.”

“However…” Li Mo changed his tone.

“As the internal conflicts within the Abyss Domain become more severe, this voice, far from disappearing, has shown signs of resurgence.”

“After all, compared to the differences between Abyss Domain humans and Blue Star humans, Abyss Domain humans themselves are clearly more closely related, yet now infighting and contention among them are common occurrences.”

“When survival itself becomes an issue, morality is the cheapest thing.”

In the private room, there was a deathly silence.

On the crystal screen, Scarface was still showing off, and Old Ghost and Seventh Master’s faces were extremely grim.

But in Chen Ao’s eyes, this scene now held a completely different meaning.

He had always thought this was just a commercial power struggle, a conflict of interests between an outsider and a local power.

Now it seemed he was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

This might be a… plunder of civilization by civilization.

It was the hunting of a lower civilization by a higher civilization.

Although they shared the same origin.

But now, the difference was immense.

“There’s also a third faction.” Li Mo’s voice pulled Chen Ao back from his thoughts.

“The Hedonists.”

“People in this faction neither have the courage to continue fighting in the Abyss Domain, nor do they stoop to the petty schemes of the ‘Conservationists,’ and they disdain the ideology of the ‘Resource Transfer Faction.’”

“Their only thought is to return to Blue Star with the vast wealth and power accumulated in the Abyss Domain.”

Li Mo swirled his wine glass, and the rich red liquid left streaks on the glass wall.

“For them, the future of the Abyss Domain is no longer relevant. Returning to Blue Star, relying on their strength and knowledge far superior to local job holders, to become a superior person and enjoy wealth and glory, is the best choice.”

“So…” Chen Ao’s voice was a bit dry.

He finally understood what Li Mo wanted to say.

“Exactly.” Li Mo confirmed his guess.

“The mysterious boss behind Old Ghost Hall, no matter which faction he belongs to, his motives are definitely not simple.”

“If he is a ‘Resource Transfer Faction’ member, then Linzhou, and even the entire Blue Star, are merely a plump piece of meat waiting to be slaughtered in his eyes, a huge resource package.”

“If he is a ‘Hedonist,’ then he is a shark returning to a fish pond. He will use the most brutal methods to establish his absolute order to satisfy his desire to lord over others.”

Li Mo set down the wine glass heavily.

“Whichever it is, it’s not good news for us.”

“Because in his world, Blue Star’s rules are worthless.”

“He doesn’t care about market balance, he doesn’t care about the Three Giants, and he certainly doesn’t care about the King of the Black Market.”

The strong will only associate with the strong.

Li Mo had said earlier that the Old Ghost Hall boss chose Old Ghost and Seventh Master because they had nothing and were perfect tools.