Falling into the Abyss

The Forbidden City was originally an island standing in the middle of an endless wasteland. There was no one within a hundred miles of the city.

Today’s Earth was no longer the beautiful and rich blue planet of more than a decade ago. First, the overexploitation of resources resulted in a series of serious pollution problems due to the population explosion. Then, the Fifth World War, the nuclear war, almost destroyed all of Earth’s civilization. Large areas of heavily radiated no man’s lands began to appear. Even the vast seawater of the Pacific Ocean was polluted. The plants and crops on the land died in large patches, and fertile land decreased. In addition, there was a sharp decrease in population, and many newborns were deformed or even died prematurely due to their mother’s exposure to radiation. New epidemics that may have been related to nuclear radiation spread in densely populated areas. The speed of vaccine research and development was far slower than the spread of the virus.

That apocalyptic history was sealed in the confidential archives of the Earth Alliance. Only a few words about it were written into the textbooks, threatening generation after generation of children with the devastating consequences of excessive freedom, telling them that humans are a race in need of control and order and that independence will only lead to extreme evil. The most elite scholars of mankind formed the early government of the Earth Union and began to build space stations orbiting near the major planets of the solar systems and began to transport large numbers of people to the space stations. The moral value system and the Court of Ethics were set up, and the robot policemen were put into use. There were no longer national differences on Earth. All humans were under the jurisdiction of the Earth Union’s government, which evolved into its modern form.

Although Earth still appeared blue from a distance, the polluted soil on the desolate land was unable to grow anything, and the sea was also full of strange, mutated fish. The radioactive elements in the sea forced the government to abandon all coastal cities. A small number of people who were still on Earth lived in several major cities in the Eurasian continent. In addition, there were vast, uninhabited wildernesses between cities.

Ethan walked out of the subway station that had been half-buried under the yellow sand, which had also engulfed most of the city debris outside. Only the broken bodies of the skyscrapers were left in the yellow sand, revealing the rusty black skeleton of the city. The wind blew their faces, and their mouths were filled with the taste of sand, while the glare from the sun made them unable to open their eyes. They could only squint at the wreckage of the abandoned city.

The three of them trudged until sunset descended, and they slept in a building that seemed to be a school. The first and second floors of the building had been buried, but there were still some desks and chairs left in the classroom on the third floor. There was a thick layer of ash on those desks. If you wiped them, you could still vaguely see the pattern of a treasure hunt picture drawn by a student with a carving knife. Before they left the underground tunnel, Tanisiel exchanged his gold coins for some food and water, which they now used. Tanisiel divided the rations into three parts for three days, and the three ate silently in the dark. They did not dare to start a fire for fear of being discovered by potential pursuers.

Ethan was hungry and tired, but he had no appetite. He didn’t feel like eating, especially after looking at the compressed sandwich bread.

He wanted to eat some delicious and juicy meat, preferably something raw and bloody.

It was really strange. He always wanted his steak to be cooked at least 70% done, and he didn’t even like to eat Japanese sashimi usually. What was with this craving?

Seeing that he didn’t eat much, Tanisiel said in a warm voice, “Eat a little. We still have a way to go tomorrow.”

Ethan knew that he was a burden and shouldn’t cause any more trouble, so he nodded, stuffing the bread into his mouth and forcing himself to chew.

“How far is it from the nearest city? What’s our next plan?” Samuel took a sip and asked.

“If it goes well, then we can get to the nearest settlement, R city, tomorrow. I’ll buy some supplies there, and, of course, an aircraft. I have a spaceship in A city, so as long as I can get a spaceship, we can go to A city and escape,” Tanisiel explained, “The problem now is that there’s no network signal around here. We don’t know if we’re wanted. If we are, then it’s very risky to rush into the city.”

“Then, wouldn’t it be easy if you just don’t enter the city.” Samuel patted the crumbs off his hands and said, “You don’t have to buy anything. Just rob it.”

“You should look innocent and act pitiful. They should stop their vehicles for you.” Samuel thought about it and then patted Ethan on the back. “Take him with you. He looks sick, which will make it more credible.”

Ethan stared at him. “Do you really want to commit theft?”

Samuel had an “of course” expression. He coughed and said, “As soon as they get out of the vehicle, I’ll beat them all down. Don’t you Eve priests have some kind of mental strength to hypnotize us? Make them forget the faces of the three of us. Don’t we have everything? It’s not far from R city. They can just walk back, and their lives won’t be at risk.”

Ethan opened his mouth slightly and turned to look at Tanisiel. Unexpectedly, the priest was solemnly considering it.

“You wouldn’t……” Before he finished speaking, the priest suddenly clapped his hands and said, “It’s feasible!” After speaking, he pulled Ethan up onto his shoulders. No matter how much the Beta struggled and yelled at him, he still rushed towards the main road under the hill.

By the side of the road, Tanisiel set Ethan down and whispered in his ear, “You don’t have to talk. Just lie on the ground for a while.”

Ethan nervously looked at the fast-approaching vehicle in the distance and grabbed Tanisiel’s arm. “That’s an ordinary citizen of Earth. Will it cause a ruckus!”

“You’ve already turned the Forbidden City upside down. What are you afraid of?” The priest winked his right eye at him. Then, he straightened up, wiped dust on his face, and deliberately pulled his collar open to reveal his white and solid chest and deep and beautiful clavicle. Even though he was worn out by the journey, the young priest was still handsome and attractive, and Ethan was afraid that even other Alphas would gasp at his appearance.

Ethan lay on the ground obediently, like a corpse. At present, his lips were dry, his skin was pale, and his body was shriveled, so he didn’t have to work hard to act. He looked like a thirsty desert traveler.

Tanisiel waved his hands, and the vehicle slowly stopped. The priest trotted forward with a bright and sincere smile.

Sitting in the car was a charming female Alpha about 50 years old and a young Omega about 20 years old, probably a mother and son. Obviously, Tanisiel’s smile held a strong attraction to the both of them, as could be seen from the faint excitement in their eyes.

“Young man, are you facing any problems?” the female Alpha asked, smiling at Tanisiel.

Tanisiel anxiously pointed to Ethan lying on the roadside not far away. “We met a robber, and our vehicle was stolen, and my friend grew ill. Can you take us to R city?”

The Alpha hesitated for a moment, but the Omega next to her gently advised, “Mom, give them a ride. You can see, the man lying down seems to be very sick.”

Tanisiel also gave them a flattering and lovely smile in a timely manner. With both of his hands clasped together, he begged, “Please, please!”

The female Alpha looked around for a while but did not see any suspicious people, so she also showed a generous smile and said, “Sure.”

The following events happened very quickly. The moment the door opened, Samuel suddenly rushed out of the back of the car and grabbed the door. The Omega screamed, and the female Alpha also exchanged several blows with Samuel, but she was not the champion’s opponent at all. She was hit in the back of her neck twice and grew confused, while the Omega was mercilessly pulled out of the car by Samuel.

Seeing that Samuel did not hesitate and even acted aggressively, worry surfaced in Ethan’s heart.

Had Schneider’s death affected Samuel more than he expected?

“Hypnotize them quickly. The Alpha should wake up in a moment,” Samuel urged impatiently.

Tanisiel knelt in front of the Omega, who was crying in fear. He gently reached out and stroked the other’s cheek, his simple eyes full of fear now. Ethan seemed to see the previous him in that Omega.

He had also been kind-hearted and helped someone, yet he ended up like that. He was afraid the Omega would never do a good deed again.

In the end, Ethan was reduced to scum who took advantage of the kindness of others and deceived others.

Tanisiel’s gentle movements and the compassionate look in his eyes were his standard professional expression when he preached. If Ethan hadn’t seen Tanisiel in all sorts of ways, he would have looked like the Omega, completely trusting and respecting him. The young man seemed to forget that it was this man who lied to him.

Ethan looked at the way Tanisiel whispered in the young man’s ear, and suddenly he felt a little uncomfortable.

The priest straightened up slowly, opened his third eye completely, and said the suggestive command with a poem-like cadence. Even though Ethan and Samuel were staying at a safe distance and deliberately did not listen to Tanisiel’s words, it was obvious the priest’s hypnosis had worked from Omega’s gradually relaxing expression and the Alpha’s temporarily stunned look.

Ethan remembered that the last time he was on Pales, the priest could make so many Earth Union soldiers turn a blind eye to him. The Eves were a terrifying race…… It was no wonder the Earth Union didn’t care about any other planetary states with the exception of the Eves. They didn’t want to be enemies with them.

When the Omega’s expression grew empty, Tanisiel stood up and gave Ethan a relaxed smile. “It’s done.” He smiled so hard he revealed his white teeth, and Ethan could not help but curve the corners of his mouth up.

Before they left, Tanisiel left a bag of gold coins under the Omega’s coat. Although it may not make up for anything, they didn’t care so much as they needed to escape.

They switched on aircraft mode, and the car immediately changed shape, with two wings extending from both sides of the body. Samuel drove in the front while Ethan and Tanisiel were checking the pair’s luggage in the backseat. Among the items, there were many feminine or Omega-style clothes and cosmetics, and even three or four wigs of different colors and lengths. Tanisiel picked up a jacket and skirt that looked very business-like and shook them in front of Ethan. “When we get to A city, dress up as a woman.”

Ethan grabbed the clothes from his hand and threw them back on his head, saying, “It’s clearly your face that looks more like a woman.”

Samuel, who was in front, also laughed and said, “I agree with that.”

After a safe journey to the city, the aircraft landed in the largest parking lot in A city. The three men emerged from the aircraft one by one, all wearing women’s clothes.

Samuel had a darkened complexion and a shoulder-length silver wig on his head. His strong body was forced into a loose-fitting sweater, but he moved stiffly. His jeans also made him uncomfortable when he walked. Ethan wore a long light chestnut wig, which was tied into two plaits, and wore some foundation on his face, making his skin appear paler. He wore the Omega’s clean shirt and a pair of trousers, as well as a pair of decorative large rimmed glasses. He looked like a malnourished but very tall female student.

Finally, Tanisiel came out of the aircraft, attracting a lot of whistles. The priest wore a long wavy golden wig to cover his ears, while the bangs covered the eye on his forehead. He actually wore the black business suit. His body carried a tinge of abstinence and also a trace of sultriness. He had stuffed two pieces of bread in his chest, and he could move freely in his high heels. Using makeup, the sharp edges of the beautiful face were softened, which made him look more feminine. The full and lustrous red lips possessed a tempting charm.

Even if Tanisiel’s father saw him, Ethan was afraid he wouldn’t recognize who Tanisiel was.

Ethan looked at the priest, who had completely integrated with the role he was acting in. He intentionally gave a “charming” smile to the male Alphas who were staring at him on the roadside. He rolled his eyes and murmured, “Pompous……”

However, after a while, the trio could no longer laugh.

Obviously, he and Samuel had been listed as extremely dangerous fugitives. Their photos and detailed personal information had spread to every domain of the Earth Union. Even in the large screen projections within A city, they could see news warning every citizen to pay attention to this and report any information they have of them. The photos of him and Samuel were put on the screens that were as big as a basketball court, and photos of Tanisiel appeared, claiming that they abducted the alien priest.

Ethan looked at the priest, who was happily chatting with a male Omega who worked for the spaceship management registry and saw sparks flying in all directions. He really wanted to ask who exactly abducted him……

T/N: Thank you, VBaby, for your kofis! The bonus chapter will be posted soon.

Everyone, thank you so much for supporting ABYSS! If anyone is interested in more bonus chapters, consider participating in CG 10k’s Discord Celebration Event, and pick 2 bonus ABYSS chapters as the prize. There’s one more month before the contest closes to prepare any fanart or fanwork, if anyone is interested! :3