Genius Noble With System
Chapter 176: The Mysterious Key

Chapter 176: The Mysterious Key

The leader couldn’t believe what had just happened. Apollo had suppressed him so quickly, capturing him alive with nothing but brute force. Though he was a saint, even a newly ascended one with insufficient foundation, he was still a saint. Yet, in front of Apollo, he felt like a child being punished by his father for disobedience. The overwhelming difference in power left him stunned.

The other robbers found themselves in similar situations. They were leagues below Kaleb and the others in strength and were effortlessly thrashed into submission within seconds. The sheer efficiency and ease of their defeat left them all utterly powerless and humiliated.

Kaleb sheathed his sword, glancing over at Apollo. "They weren’t even worth the trouble," he said, shaking his head. "This place is crawling with desperate fools. If we had to stop for every one of them, it would be troublesome."

Alyona, who had been methodically knocking out the last of the robbers, wiped her hands and coldly said. "They were desperate, but that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down. The Abyssal Scar attracts all kinds. Next time, we might not be so lucky."

"Okay now, then tell us everything you know, who is strongest and most dangerous within the Abyssal Scar," Apollo asked the robber leader with cold and killing intent, as the answers would decide his and his subordinate’s fate.

The robber leader’s face paled as he felt the weight of Apollo’s killing intent, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew there was no escaping this interrogation, and his very life depended on the answers he gave. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice.

"I’ll tell you everything, I swear!" He stammered, his eyes wide with fear. "The Abyssal Scar... It’s home to all kinds of horrors, but the most dangerous ones aren’t the creatures; it’s the people—those who’ve survived here for years. They’re the real monsters."

He paused, trembling under Apollo’s gaze before continuing. "The strongest group is led by someone called Blood King. No one knows his real name, but he’s a Half-god at least, maybe stronger. Some say he’s mastered an ancient blood technique that makes him almost impossible to kill. He controls most of the deeper parts of the Abyssal Scar, and anyone who tries to challenge him either disappears or gets turned into one of his followers. His men are fanatics—they live for blood and slaughter."

In addition to that, there are Mysteries Void Witch with spatial magic and Demon King of Power, who are also very strong, not much weaker than Blood King’s power. With these, there are many small forces made up of various bloodthirsty criminals and others who also roam this land.

Kaleb, listening nearby, frowned deeply. "Sounds like trouble."

Apollo’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the Void Witch, his mind turning. "And the creatures? Anything more dangerous than the typical abominations?"

The leader hesitated, clearly shaken. "There are things... things we don’t even have names for. In the deepest parts of the Abyssal Scar, there are rumours of Shadow Beasts—creatures that don’t belong to this world. Their very presence warps reality around them. Even saints avoid that region."

"Some say the energy there isn’t just blood and despair; it’s something older, more evil. The creatures there are twisted, corrupted beyond recognition."

Alyona crossed her arms, her expression still calm and cold as she asked the man. "And what about the treasures? Why do so many come here?"

The leader shifted nervously. "There’s talk of ancient relics buried deep in the Abyssal Scar. Artifacts of gods or civilizations long forgotten. But no one’s ever returned to confirm it. Those who venture too deep either never come back, or if they do, they’re no longer sane. But the lure of those treasures keeps people coming, thinking they’ll be the ones to succeed."

"I can help you all; I know most of the places and hidden dangers within Abyssal Scar, so please don’t kill me."

Apollo let the silence linger momentarily, weighing the robber’s words. His cold gaze never left the leader, and the man scrunched under pressure, knowing that any wrong answer could seal his fate.

After a tense moment, Apollo finally spoke, his voice as cold as before. "You’re useful... for now. But understand this: if I find out you’re lying, you won’t live to regret it."

The leader nodded frantically, relief mixing with fear. "I swear! I’ve told you everything I know!"

Apollo glanced at Kaleb and the others. "Let’s move. We’ve wasted enough time here."

The group turned, leaving the battered robbers behind, but the leader couldn’t shake the feeling that he had narrowly escaped a worse fate.

As they ventured deeper into the Abyssal Scar, the atmosphere grew darker and the energy more oppressive.

"Nearby is a base of a group of robbers, and we might meet them." The leader robber quickly said.

"How is their strength?" Apollo asked.

"Similar to us." He quickly replied.

"Then it’s alright." With that group continued to move ahead, not caring for the group of robbers. But by luck, they really met the robbers, but this time it was a bloodbath, as these robbers were a bit disgusting as they seemed to take many humans as slaves, whether men or women and torture them physically and sexually.

So they naturally didn’t give them a chance to live and slaughtered them.

They, with taking care of this small trouble, continue to move deeper into the abyssal scar. They met many such robbers and even some deformed monsters in their way, but they weren’t that strong, and they took care of it with their strength.

During just a few hours of their journey, they quickly understood how dangerous the Abyssal Scar truly was. While it might have seemed easy for them to slaughter their way through, that was only because they weren’t weak.

Had a single grandmaster or even a group of them attempted to traverse this place, most would have likely perished due to the countless threats they encountered. The environment itself, as well as the vicious creatures and numerous bloody killers and robbers lurking within, posed far more trouble than any ordinary warriors could handle.

With the robber leader guiding them, they managed to avoid unnecessary confrontations as they ventured deeper into the Abyssal Scar.

However, the oppressive aura surrounding them grew increasingly malevolent, suffocating even those with strong wills. It became so intense that even fourth-rank Grandmasters with weaker spirits would have found it difficult to maintain their composure.

"Lord, are we going to continue to go deeper? Lord, I know you are strong, but the deeper you are, the more dangerous it becomes, and we are already quite deep within. If we continue to go deeper, we might not be able to come back alive."

The robber leader couldn’t help but say in a crying voice that he really didn’t want to die.

"Don’t worry about that, and just quickly lead us."

As they ventured deeper into the Abyssal Scar, visibility diminished, and an oppressive darkness enveloped them. The air grew thick with a bloody aura of slaughter, seeping into their minds and clouding their thoughts.

Even the most disciplined among them began to feel the weight of the malevolent energy as it twisted their senses and threatened to unravel their mental fortitude. The further they pressed on, the more chaotic their thoughts became, making it increasingly difficult to maintain focus and composure in the relentless abyss.

"Haaaa, haaaa!"

One robber seemed to have lost his mind, and his eyes became red. He was ready to attack, but from behind came a hand, and a bitch slapped him.

Clap!

Which knocked him out instantly.

"Look, it already started." The robber leader stopped and interrupted the group, who remained silent, as although they could still maintain their sanity, they were also starting to feel uncomfortable.

But just as they were thinking all this, Apollo felt something and was shocked. The space ring on his seemed to be trembling as something wanted to come out of it.

He quickly retrieved the key, just in time to prevent it from tearing through his space ring. The old key floated ahead, glowing brilliantly, as it dispersed the oppressive aura of blood and slaughter that had enveloped them.

The group was visibly relieved as the heavy atmosphere cleared. All eyes turned to the floating key, now illuminating a path with an almost otherworldly glow. Curiosity filled their faces as they marvelled at the mysterious item.

Apollo, equally surprised, stared at the key. It was unmistakably the one given to him by City Lord Rex. He hadn’t expected it to reveal its magical properties so suddenly.

"Brother Apollo, what kind of key is this?" Kaleb, after being surprised, asked, looking at the floating key.

"Sigh, I also don’t know. If I had known I would have taken out early, why wait?" Apollo said, looking at the mysterious floating key and thinking about City Lord Rex and his reason.

"Ah!"

At that moment, the key’s glow intensified, casting a brilliant light around them. Before they could react, it began to move on its own, floating steadily forward as if drawn by an unseen force.

The group exchanged quick glances, then followed the key, understanding that it was guiding them toward something.

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