Abyss Descension: I Perform Rituals to Evolve In The Apocalyps-Chapter 25: The Guide (1)

Suddenly, Kev asked it a crucial question. It refused to answer him.

As this was the first time such a thing happened. Kev felt a bit taken aback.

"Why?"

He didn't understand.

Why was it suddenly refusing to be cooperative?

"Feed me first. Then I will tell you what you want." A book was demanding to be fed. It was an odd sight. But Kev had seen much weirder things.

So he wasn't surprised.

"What do you eat?"

"Corpses."

"Would one suffice?"

"Can I get two?"

Kev didn't want to waste his time arguing with a sentient book that could talk and had preferences for corpses, no less. He gave it what it desired, hoping to get an answer out of it in return.

A whirlpool opened up in the middle of the book's first page. It released an intense suction force. The two corpses offered by Kev were pulled inside it. Then the whirlpool closed, and the suction force vanished.

"Now that you are done feeding, I hope you can honestly tell me what I want to know."

"Okay."

Right after, Kev got the answer to his question.

"You can go now."

After Kev finished speaking, the book closed by itself and went away, going back to where it came from.

But not before leaving behind a message:

"Call me soon. I will be waiting for your next call. Keep in mind I want to be properly fed each time I am used."

Because Kev treated it fairly, feeding it for all the answers it had provided him, it expressed its willingness to answer his call at any time.

This was an unexpected benefit.

Kev felt slightly satisfied and thought back to the answer the book had given him when he asked what it was.

Was it a spirit trapped in a book?

Or something else entirely?

He was really curious about its true nature.

The answer it had given him was satisfying.

It made sense—yet it opened the door to even more questions.

Every Corpse Collector was blessed with a guide.

These guides came in all kinds of shapes and forms.

Some resembled animals or human-shaped creatures like crows or pixies no larger than a hand.

Others took the appearance of a busty angel with black wings, dressed in a tight, alluring outfit, black stockings included.

Kev's guide, however, came in the shape of a book.

It had been bestowed upon him the moment he ascended to the ranks of class holders and became a Corpse Collector.

Who did the blessing?

Kev didn't know.

The book also turned quite when Kev asked about it.

Perhaps it didn't know.

Perhaps it couldn't talk about it for some reason.

Whatever the case, it was left a mystery for now.

"My guide's form is a bit unusual," he muttered, "but it gets the job done. So I've got no complaints."

Kev focused on something more important.

"As per my knowledge, class holders can't unlock the full potential of their class without fully assimilating with their role. This process can only be completed by fulfilling the duty assigned to them."

"The duty assigned to class holders is determined by their class. I don't know if there's a penalty for neglecting that duty... but I do know there are rewards for fulfilling it."

"The name of my class is a direct giveaway. It clearly points to the responsibilities I must shoulder from now on if I want to grow stronger. I must collect corpses."

"By collecting corpses, I can begin assimilating with my new identity. And once this process reaches a certain depth, I'll awaken more powers befitting my role."

Kev turned to the corpses in his surroundings, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

If he wasn't mistaken, collecting these corpses using his Corpse Collection skill would bring him immense benefits.

"Collect," he called out.

His eyes turned pitch black.

A moment later, a ripple appeared in his shadow.

It intensified—

Then—

His shadow stretched unnaturally, flowing like molten tar, spreading outward in all directions, covering every inch of the floor.

Every corpse in the room began to sink into it.

Soon, they vanished from sight.

The shadow that had stretched to fill every nook and cranny of the room snapped back beneath Kev's feet, just as his eyes shifted back to their original state.

He had stopped using his powers.

"I have collected over eighty corpses. My gains should be immense."

Kev checked them out and was pleasantly surprised.

Not only had he earned a massive amount of corpse collection points, but he had also deepened his assimilation with his role as a Corpse Collector to such an extent that he underwent qualitative changes twice, unlocking two new powers.

Out of curiosity, he bothered his guide to better comprehend the nature of his gains.

[ Corpse Collection Points ]➤ 80

Note.

※ 100 points are required to increase any stat by 1.

※ 100 points are required to level up a skill.

"I need 20 more points and I'll be able to improve a certain aspect of myself."

[ Skill Acquired ]◆ Shadow Steal (Lv. 1)

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› Allows the user to steal the shadows of their kills.

› Stolen shadows can be stored and repurposed.

› Using these shadows for Shadow Manipulation will bypass the usual energy cost and physical burden.

"I see. This skill directly offsets the side effects of Shadow Manipulation."

[ Skill Acquired ]◆ Forced Ascension (Lv. 1)

› Consumes stolen shadows to unleash an attack of epic proportions.

› Power and range are determined by the number and quality of shadows used.

"It seems strong."

He would soon realize that his words had failed to capture even a fraction of the Forced Ascension skill's true power.

[ Assimilation Rate: 30% ]

By collecting over 80 corpses, one of which belonged to an evolved Revenant, he had made a major leap forward in the process of assimilating with his role in order to realize the full potential of his class

No wonder he unlocked two skills related to his class.

"Something tells me it will only get harder to progress in unlocking the full potential of my class from here."

There was no concrete proof. Just a gut feeling.

Still, Kev hoped he was wrong.

Because if his instincts were right, it would only mean more trouble for him.

Kev turned to his guide.

"I'm done for now. You can go back. I'll call you when I need you."

"Huh?"

The guide made a glaring word appear on her page:

"Where's my payment? Don't tell me you're the kind of scum who hires a prostitute for her services, do the deed, and then leaves without paying."

"Are you a prostitute?" Kev asked playfully.

The book turned red—literally. Its color shifted from black to crimson.

"No, I'm not!"

If it had a face, Kev could imagine it fuming.

"Why do you always use such extreme examples?" Kev asked.

"None of your business," his guide snapped.

"Didn't you just eat? Why are you hungry again? Are you a little glutton?"

"Stop making fun of me, or I... I'll stop talking to you."

"Okay, okay. Little ancestor, I'll stop."

Hearing his words, the guide seemed to settle down.

"Give me what you owe me," she demanded.

"I don't have any corpses on me right now."

"If I'm not paid what I'm owed, I'll stop answering your call."

"Do you have to threaten me with abandonment at every turn? I'll go and collect some corpses for you. Just stick with me for now."

Kev didn't feel annoyed.

He was the one in the wrong.

He had purchased his guide's services without having the ability to afford them.

He tucked the physical manifestation of his guide under his arm and stepped into the network of tunnels.

This was his second attempt at exploring them to find a way out of this underground space.

He hoped to be successful this time.

Meanwhile, in a temple, a petite woman with an ample bosom and slender legs rolled her eyes that matched her fiery red hair in their intensity and colour.

"This guy is as clueless as he is annoying."

In front of her was a mirror.

The mirror didn't reflect her.

It showed a room with a man in it. That man was Kev.

The mirror was showing the surroundings of the so-called guide in his hand!