Magnus collected Atticus's space storage, leaving him to ponder how he would spend his time in the chasm.
Currently, he still wasn't sure about the environment within the chasm, and it would seem Magnus wasn't planning on telling him.
"You are to spend at least one month before you come out. I will place a mark on you now, consider it a dormant lightning bolt in your body. It will only activate once it is exactly two months, forcibly bringing you out of the chasm."
'At least he's just not throwing me in without a backup plan,'
Atticus breathed a sigh of relief. He needed a little bit of that reassurance.
"However, it will only activate after two months. Other than that, your survival will rest solely on you."
He nodded seriously. He understood what Magnus was trying to convey. The lightning was simply to bring him out after two months; whether he was dead or alive, it didn't matter.
"Atticus," Magnus stood in front of Atticus, placing a hand on his shoulder while looking him straight in the eye.
"The reason I'm sending you in here isn't only to gain life-and-death experience. There's one more report we received from those who went in. I'll let you figure it out yourself, but it's in the air. Make sure you use it wisely."
"Now, always remain alert, never let your guard down, and don't do more than you can handle. It's better to run and live to fight another day than die a stupid death. Your survival depends on your skills and wits. Trust your instincts."
Atticus met Magnus's gaze. He could feel the seriousness coming from his words. The man was about to send his grandson into a dangerous place; while it was necessary, it didn't change the fact that his life could end.
Atticus's gaze turned firm before nodding to Magnus. He had no intention of dying.
After that was done, Atticus said his goodbyes to the crew members along with Dario and Yotad. Dario still tried to subtly convince Atticus not to go and Yotad expressed his desire to follow his master.
However, both desires were ignored. The mood on the airship as Atticus made his way to the ship's dock was solemn, no one saying anything.
To an outsider, it was as though they were sending him to his death.
"Open the hatch,"
Magnus's authoritative voice snapped them out of their thoughts, and they immediately listened.
Atticus soon reached the open door. He walked and stood at the edge of the airship, the wind whipping around him as he peered down into the gaping maw of the Abyssal Chasm.
He took in a deep breath, steeling himself for the plunge.
'Your survival depends on your skills and wits. Trust your instincts.'
With those words echoing in his mind, Atticus gave a final nod to the crew and others watching him on the display and leaped from the airship.
The rush of wind roared past his ears as he plummeted into the chasm.
From afar, Atticus looked like an insignificant ant falling down into an enormous hole.
The winds became more intense as Atticus descended closer to the chasm. The oppressive aura of the place seemed to reach up and claw at him.
The walls of the chasm narrowed around him, and the light from above quickly faded, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness.
Atticus connected with the air molecules, slowing down his descent and using them to guide his fall.
'I just crossed a barrier,'
It had been subtle, but Atticus had felt an abrupt change in the air as though he had crossed a barrier.
'Is this what Grandfather was talking about… it's in the air,'
The mana in the air wasn't just pure; it was bountiful. Way more than he had ever seen before. The mana of the advanced training room didn't even hold a candle to it.
'This is too much! And it's everywhere?'
If it had been concentrated at a particular place, it would have been more understandable. However, it would seem as though the bountiful mana was everywhere; it was simply the norm.
Atticus's descent lasted for a while, but never once did he let his guard down, one hand gripping his katana tightly, and the other ready to unleash any elemental devastation depending on the situation.
Soon enough, he landed softly on the rocky floor, the impact cushioned by a burst of air.
The darkness enveloped him, thick and suffocating, but it only served to strengthen his darkness element.
The air was heavy with mana, making each breath feel like he was inhaling syrup.
Atticus chose to use his darkness element to see instead of creating fire. He had no intention of becoming a beacon.
The ground was uneven and covered in strange, glowing fungi that pulsed with an eerie light.
Atticus took a moment to observe his surroundings. He had dropped down straight into a pit and in front of him was an open cave, the only path forward.
Atticus turned his gaze up and noted that he couldn't see a shred of light. It was as if he was in another world.
'I guess this is it,'
Atticus' heart was beating fast. Even he was finding it hard to understand if he was scared or excited.
'Trust your instincts,'
He repeated Magnus' words in his head and began moving towards the open cave.
Reaching the mouth of the cave, Atticus used his mana to draw the Ravenstein insignia by the side before entering.
Atticus was on full alert and made sure to mask his footsteps and blend into the darkness just like he had learned in the darkness sanctum.
The cave was expansive and eerily quiet. The soft glowing fungi he had noticed before increased in number inside the cave. However, it was weirdly only on the floor; the walls and ceiling were pitch black.
Despite how much he looked, Atticus couldn't sense any creature in the area. But…
'Something's not right,'
Atticus had a bad feeling.