Chapter 20: Life in the Abyss
'300 demons, huh? This is going to be annoying.'
Two months had passed since Shin was stuck in the Abyss.
After the Fifth Wave, he was able to clear the Sixth, but it took him the entire two months.
The Seventh Wave had just started, and Shin was scouting out the area.
The strategy he used for the Sixth was akin to a speedy assassination.
He would assimilate with Noctis, and swiftly take out as many Demons as he can until he had two minutes left in the timer.
Once he hits the final two minutes, he would make a hasty retreat back to the cave, where he would slump down, exhausted from Assimilating.
He decided not to employ Full Assimilation as it would knock him out for two days straight.
It was a waste of time.
Compared to Full Assimilation, where he would only have five minutes total in the timer, normal Assimilation would allow him to access half of Noctis' powers for ten minutes.
It was the better choice, as he could do this method twice in a day.
On average he could kill three to five demons per assimilation, depending on circumstances.
'Assimilate.'
Blue-blazing embers surged up within Shin, coating his arms.
He clenched Yamato tightly and clad it with the embers.
Fwooo!
Shin threw a stone that he'd carve into the shape of a nail, piercing through the Demon's flesh.
'Rewarp.'
Instantly, Shin swapped positions with the stone, appearing before the Demon.
Slash! Splurt!
Shin spun around in top speed like a tornado, his blade ripping through anything it could cut in its surroundings.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to kill the Demon, as it simply endured Shin's attack.
Shin rewarped back to his initial position before the Demon could claw him.
They were mindless beasts, as they were unable to track where Shin was coming from.
Once again, Shin repeated the process.
Slash! Splurt!
Again.
And again..
And again…
Until the Demon finally fell.
Shin had managed to kill two demons in six minutes under Assimilation.
He had two minutes left until his limited timer.
Again.
And again..
And again…
He had no other choice if he wanted to stay unscathed.
Shin had medical supplies, but they were limited.
Shin couldn't just consume them everyday. It wasn't cost effective.
If he wanted to really survive this place, then he had to endure this long process.
By calculations, he could finish this wave in three months and ten days. Or ninety days at best, depending on how lucky he'd get.
***
Returning to the cave, Shin slumped down, mana core exhausted.
He channeled the last bit of his mana left to open his Nexus ring, grabbing a packed meal.
"Only one month left of food, damn it."
Shin had come well prepared. But he didn't expect to be stuck in the Abyss for more than three days.
Regardless, Shin prepared three months worth of food and water.
"It's better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret."
Though, his preparations weren't enough.
Who knew he'd most likely be stuck here for two years, maybe even four?
"If push comes to shove, then I have no choice."
He'd have to eat a Demon.
Shin was disgusted just thinking about it.
"Beggars can't be choosers."
[Seems like you're about to lose it, talking to yourself and all that.]
"Shut up, Noct. Good for you for not needing to eat."
[Hey, it's not my fault I'm not a human.]
"Heh… shut up."
[Whatever.]
Shin was glad he had a companion to talk to.
The two months he'd spent were already bad, enough to make a normal person go crazy.
The first time Shin woke up after Fully Assimilating, he was severely dehydrated and starving.
It was so bad that he'd consume a whole week of food supply in one go.
"Haa… I wonder how long until I can keep this up."
[Don't worry Shin, I'll make sure you stay sane.]
"I'm already about to go insane just talking to you."
[Woah, woah, calm down.]
Shin let out a chuckle.
***
Five months had passed since then.
Shin had made it to the Eight Wave.
Slash! Splurt!
After breaking through the Second Star, the amount of tries it took him to kill a Demon was reduced to half.
He only needed to repeat his strategy thrice.
His Assimilation timer had increased from ten minutes to thirteen minutes, giving him a total of eleven minutes until the two minute countdown.
Reaching Second Star at thirteen-years-old was an incredible feat, even for the Nocturns.
Per Assimilation, Shin could now kill five to eight Demons.
But, the risks were greatly increased.
After running out of food supply, Shin had resorted to eating the Demons.
Whenever he reached the two minute countdown, Shin would rewarp and bring a body with him, carrying it to the cave.
Surprisingly, Demons were edible if they were cooked right.
But they tasted horrible, just like a dead rat.
At first, Shin couldn't bear the taste, gagging at every bite.
But he had to endure it if he wanted to survive.
Of course, the Demonic miasma that they emitted was hazardous if they weren't cleaned and cooked thoroughly.
After consuming a Demon, they had the kind of nutrients that would greatly boost ones' mana core.
Which is why Shin was able to increase his mana count at a rapid pace, allowing for more time to Assimilate.
Not only that, but the water in the Abyss was filled with mana nutrients as well.
Again it was also hazardous, but all Shin needed to do was boil it in a pot.
The Abyss was a surprisingly convenient environment if you needed to boost your strength rapidly.
But you'd have to be a masochist if you were to do that.
'Then again, I have no choice. Haa…'
Slash! Splurt!
Shin made quick work of the demons, dispatching six of them in a single Assimilation phase.
Rewarping, Shin returned to the tree branch, where he was hiding.
Despite how fast Shin was growing in strength, he could feel his sanity slowly slipping away.
He felt like he would go crazy any time soon.
"Fuck, that Demon cut through my hair tie."
Channeling his mana into the Nexus Ring, Shin retrieved a piece of cloth.
Cutting it into a thin strap, Shin combed his hair with his fingers and tied the back into a ponytail.
[Don't you think you should cut your hair?]
"Nah, I like it, it's kind of cool,"
This wasn't how Shin spoke in the past, but he didn't care.
He didn't have the leisure to compose his previous stoic demeanor.
And despite how calm he sounded, Shin could admit…
Being stuck in the Abyss was a traumatic experience, even for the former King.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone