"Enough!"
Miller’s roar echoed through the canyon:
"If you keep talking like this, I’ll gouge out your other eye too!"
But even Miller himself could not completely dispel the gloom in his heart.
He knew the cruelty of the Abyss too well; those seemingly powerful explorers often died more pitiably here than ordinary people.
Amid this oppressive atmosphere, a tiny light appeared in the distant sky.
At first, no one noticed this inconspicuous change.
But as the light gradually approached, it began to emit a gentle silver glow, standing out conspicuously in the gloomy environment of the Abyss.
"Wait... what is that?"
Camilla was the first to notice the anomaly, her voice filled with tension and hope:
"Something is flying toward us!"
All three immediately stood up, all fatigue and frustration replaced by tension.
In the Abyss, any approaching unidentified object could mean a deadly threat.
Miller raised the monocular telescope in his hand, a special device made with Abyss Crystal that could provide a clear view in chaotic energy environments.
When he saw the true appearance of the approaching object, he was stunned.
It was a semi-transparent bubble with energy patterns flowing like a beautiful aurora.
Inside the bubble, a familiar figure was slowly descending.
"It’s Wizard Ralph!"
Miller shouted excitedly, "He’s back! And... my goodness, he looks unharmed!"
Blake and Camilla immediately rushed to Miller’s side, the three squeezing together to observe through the telescope.
Ron inside the bubble indeed had no visible injuries, his clothes were neat, and his expression calm.
"How is this possible..."
Blake muttered to himself, his artificial eye spinning wildly in its socket:
"Facing an Apostle-level threat alone, and being able to return unscathed... this is simply..."
"A miracle." Camilla added, her voice full of disbelief, "This is absolutely a miracle."
The bubble gently landed on the plain of the canyon, and when it completely dissipated, Ron’s figure appeared whole in front of the three.
His appearance indeed showed no obvious changes, except for the weariness in his eyes.
"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."
Ron’s voice remained calm, but the confidence within was deeper than before:
"It seems I returned just in time."
The three exchanged looks, seeing the same shock in each other’s eyes.
In the history of Abyss exploration, records of returning safely after solo contact with an Apostle could be counted on one hand.
"Wizard Ralph..."
Miller’s voice was a bit shaky, filled with the joy of seeing a companion return safely, and the confusion at this ’impossibility’:
"You... you truly weren’t injured? Not polluted? Not... possessed?"
In his exploration experiences in the Abyss, Miller had seen too many explorers who seemed to return safely but were actually deeply polluted and eroded.
Those individuals appeared normal on the outside, but internally had undergone irreparable changes.
Some had their souls replaced by the consciousness of Abyssal Creatures, some became hosts to alien parasites.
Still, others maintained a human appearance, but their minds had completely transformed, viewing companions as prey.
"I completely understand your concerns."
Ron nodded slowly, a look of understanding on his face:
"In this environment, caution is the only rule for survival. You have detection equipment, feel free to use it."
This attitude of accepting checks frankly eased the trio’s vigilance somewhat.
If truly polluted or controlled, rarely would someone actively request a check.
Blake immediately took out a complexly shaped detection device from the Storage Bag.
As the detection beam scanned Ron’s body, the device began to emit a low hum.
The three watched the display nervously, waiting for the final result.
A moment later, the device emitted a steady green light.
"Pollution Index: 0.2, entirely within safe range."
Blake looked at the data on the display, his voice filled with confusion:
"How is this possible? Staying 72 hours in the Abyss Fourth Layer, the Pollution Index is actually lower than when you entered?"
Under normal circumstances, even the most experienced explorers would see a sharp rise in their Pollution Index after a few hours in the Abyss Fourth Layer.
Yet Ron not only wasn’t polluted but showed even higher purity.
Camilla also took out a Spirit State Detector, a device capable of detecting the target’s mental clarity and consciousness stability.
The results were equally shocking:
"Spirit Stability: 99.1, Mental Clarity: 99.5..."
She looked up at Ron, eyes full of disbelief:
"Wizard Ralph, these data are simply... too perfect.
Even in the most ideal laboratory environment, it’s difficult to maintain such a high mental state."
Miller silently observed all this, his doubts and shock wrestling fiercely in his heart.
As the most experienced leader, he knew better than anyone what such results implied.
Either Ron had mastered some unprecedented Abyss adaptation technology, or his encounter was far more special than imagined.
"Are there any other detection items?"
Ron patiently inquired while taking out two things from the Storage Bag:
"These should be able to prove my identity."
The first was the Eyes of Time given by Cassandra, its surface’s complex runes emitted energy fluctuations unique to Otherworld civilizations.
These fluctuations were impossible to forge, as they involved completely different physical laws.
The second was Uther’s Emergency Communication Badge, still radiating the silver light of Void Power.
The runes on the badge were pulsating slowly, proving the energy within was still active.
Seeing these two unforgeable items, the trio’s doubts were basically dispelled.
"Well then..."
Miller let out a long breath, the tension on his face finally easing:
"It seems our worries were indeed unnecessary. It’s wonderful to return safely."
But his eyes still sparkled with curiosity.
"If you’re willing to share..."
Miller tentatively began, but stopped halfway.
In the circle of Abyss exploration, there is an unwritten rule: never force a companion to share experiences involving life-and-death secrets.
"The specifics involve some... sensitive information."
Ron’s response was as expected, his tone still calm but with clear boundaries:
"I’ll report in detail to Professor Yutel once we return to the Observation Station."