The next day, Yan Luo got up early.
Although the instructor asked them to gather at the guild entrance at nine in the morning, the Hunter’s Guild had made it clear by assigning them accommodation—they were considered reserve hunters at this point.
As hunters, they couldn’t approach with a playful attitude; they had to take the upcoming exam seriously.
So Yan Luo woke up at six in the morning, did a set of stretches before breakfast, and began to maintain his equipment and weapons after eating.
This is something every hunter must do. Usually, after returning from the Abyss, one should meticulously check and maintain their equipment to prevent issues during the next Abyss hunt.
The Abyss is a very dangerous place, and every hunter there is primarily responsible for their own life. Therefore, mastering how to inspect and maintain equipment can’t be entrusted to others.
The time quietly slipped to eight in the morning. Yan Luo donned his gear, took the elevator to the underground parking lot, and headed to the Hunter’s Guild on his motorcycle.
The morning of Crimson No.2 didn’t differ much from Lingquan City. Everywhere people were going to work and school. The notable difference was the many fully-armed hunters like Yan Luo on the streets.
Every day, hunters enter and exit the Abyss, and today is no exception.
At eight-twenty, Yan Luo arrived at the Hunter’s Guild entrance. After parking his motorcycle, he walked into the first-floor lobby and casually picked a spot to sit.
It was the second day after graduating high school. Many of Yan Luo’s classmates hadn’t woken up, so he didn’t disturb their rest and casually opened a news website to browse news about other Abysses.
Yan Luo noticed that the Bright Silver Abyss strategy had begun. Three large battle groups led fifteen hunter squads into the Abyss, determined to slay the Master of the Bright Silver Abyss and eliminate it.
Being called a ’large battle group’ meant the team had at least ten hunter squads, with each squad having at least five members.
Though the number of hunters seemed small, they were called ’hunters’ instead of ’warriors’ because they didn’t engage directly with demons in the Abyss.
Every Abyss strategy requires a pre-planned route, including both a main and backup route.
Hunters entering the Abyss advance along the planned route to launch a decapitation strike on the Abyss’s master.
Once the master of an Abyss dies, the corresponding Abyss will be eliminated.
For this reason, the cost of dispatching a large troop for a frontal battle with the Abyss far exceeds that of a decapitation strike on its master.
Yan Luo is familiar with many of the world’s renowned battle groups and had imagined joining them as a hunter someday.
Among the battle groups strategizing the Bright Silver Abyss, Yan Luo recognized one called ’Luke’s Glory.’ The battle group leader is Luke Gostan, a powerful hunter of the Second Rank, matching the catastrophe-level demons.
With his leadership, the campaign against the Bright Silver Abyss seemed assured of success.
At that moment, Yan Luo’s alarm went off, prompting him to stand up and walk out of the Hunter’s Guild.
It was eight fifty in the morning, and Yan Luo saw the instructor at the guild entrance.
The instructor spotted Yan Luo leaving the Hunter’s Guild and smiled approvingly, praising, "Not bad."
Hunters always gather before entering the Abyss; it’s an unspoken rule.
They need to fill in gaps and discuss any overlooked preparations. Sometimes, neglecting a minor issue could lead to disaster.
Reserving ten to twenty minutes gives hunters enough time to fill these gaps and check all equipment thoroughly.
With both Yan Luo and the instructor present, only Li Xinyue was missing before they could head into the Abyss.
The two stood at the guild entrance, and as each minute passed, the instructor’s expression grew more displeased.
With five minutes remaining until nine, Li Xinyue finally arrived.
She was initially confident about the upcoming exam but was startled by the instructor’s somber face.
"Remember to arrive earlier next time!" the instructor warned Li Xinyue and informed her of the unspoken rule for hunters.
Li Xinyue remained silent.
Though she was a master’s student specializing in Abyss hunting, she realized she wasn’t on par with Yan Luo in any aspect.
Fortunately, universities, while not teaching unspoken rules, did impart necessary knowledge for hunters.
Even if it was her first day entering the Abyss, Li Xinyue had made full preparations.
She brought freshwater, dry food, and waste collection bags.
The instructor finally gave a nod of recognition to Li Xinyue.
The Hunter’s Guild is usually located as close to the Abyss as possible, and Crimson No.2 is no exception.
The instructor wore a set of heavy exoskeleton armor with a German-style two-handed sword on his back and, like Yan Luo, carried a short-barreled shotgun at his waist. Outside, the exoskeleton’s legs were equipped with thrusters.
Upon seeing the two-handed sword, Yan Luo couldn’t help but admire it enviously.
It wasn’t a simple cold weapon but a Hot Melt Sword.
Standard energy can’t support the consumption of hot melt weapons. To use them, one must be equipped with atomic energy cells, making hot melt weapons extremely expensive.
Without family wealth backing, only hunters of at least Sequence Three could afford to use hot melt weapons.
The instructor registered their identities at the Abyss entry checkpoint and then led Yan Luo and Li Xinyue into the Abyss.
Yan Luo gazed beyond the checkpoint’s rising barrier at the vaguely red-glowing open ground, took a deep breath, drew out his long shotgun, and followed inside.
Li Xinyue followed closely, crossing the spatial membrane with Yan Luo to enter the Crimson Abyss.
A crimson full moon hung high in the sky, casting a hazy light over the towering ancient trees and lush forest.
The moonlight threaded quietly through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the forest floor as the branches and leaves swayed gently, rustling in the wind.
Yan Luo gazed up. Every branch here was far from the ground, the oval leaves clustered densely on the branches, eager to absorb every bit of nutrients.
The leaves swayed with the wind, constantly shifting gaps, allowing the moonlight to flow through the dark treetops like countless blinking eyes peering down at everything on the ground.
Li Xinyue shivered involuntarily.
No wonder it was called the ’Abyss’; just looking at it was unsettling.
The instructor’s voice drew Yan Luo and Li Xinyue’s attention back.
With arms crossed, the instructor looked at Yan Luo and Li Xinyue, saying, "You decide who will take the exam first. Once decided, I’ll provide you with a list. The demons on it are at the dangerous level; the higher the rank, the stronger the demon. If you successfully hunt, the score is higher. Don’t think successfully hunting one dangerous-level demon will guarantee passing, so the score isn’t important. On the contrary, this exam’s score is very important!
"As newcomers, you’ll need a team. The higher your score on this exam, the stronger my recommendation will be for you to join a team within the guild. Therefore, you must take this exam seriously, assess your strength, and choose a suitable enemy—remember, demon hunting isn’t the only source of scores in this exam. I’ll also assess your tactical thinking and hunting skills. Understood?"
"Understood!" Yan Luo and Li Xinyue immediately replied.
The instructor nodded with satisfaction and then let Yan Luo and Li Xinyue decide on their own.
Li Xinyue hesitated for a moment, looked at Yan Luo, and asked, "Can I do the hunting first?"
Yan Luo was excellent, and except for being unable to engrave, he was a perfect hunter. Li Xinyue worried that watching his hunt might affect her confidence.
"Sure." Yan Luo nodded.
He didn’t care who went first as long as he could become a hunter.
Li Xinyue sighed in relief, looking at Yan Luo with a complicated expression, "Thank you."
Thus, the exam began.