The First Layer of the Abyss, the edge of the Scorched Wasteland.

  Originally a dead zone where not even a blade of grass grew and even the rocks emitted sulfurous toxic fumes, this place was now covered by a strange, industrial-punk style "Experimental Field."

  A massive energy barrier isolated this area from the harsh environment outside. Inside the barrier, dozens of "Fully Automated Seeding Machines" reprogrammed by Singularity (formerly some kind of demon chariot that only spat venom) were roaring back and forth.

  The Slayer, shouldering his super shotgun, strode across the ridge of the field like a general inspecting his position.

  His combat boots stepped on the newly tilled earth. The soil here was no longer dry black gravel but presented a dark red, moist sheen.

  That was because Singularity had mixed a large amount of "Special Fertilizer" into the soil—namely, the high-energy bone meal and plasma left over from the tens of thousands of demon corpses that had been crushed, fermented, and refined after the previous battle.

  "Great Hero, look!"

  Singularity's holographic projection hovered beside the field, pointing at the land where tender shoots had just emerged, his tone filled with the gratification of an old farmer.

  "This is the 'Ecological Cycle'! Demons die on the land, become nutrients, nutrients grow Spirit Grass, Spirit Grass produces spiritual energy, spiritual energy purifies the Abyss... and finally turns this place into our back garden!"

  The Slayer stopped and looked down at his feet.

  A seedling that had just broken through the soil was struggling to unfurl its purple-black leaves. But this was no greenhouse flower. The edges of this plant's leaves were covered with fine serrations, the stem was covered with barbs, and even when it sensed the Slayer approaching, it shivered vigilantly, its leaves opening and closing, emitting an extremely faint "hissing" sound.

  [Abyssal Spirit Grass · Mod]

  [Characteristics: Heat resistant, carnivorous, slightly aggressive.]

  The Slayer extended a finger covered in heavy armor.

  The seedling seemed to sense an aura billions of times more terrifying than itself, instantly shrinking into a ball, trembling, retracting even its thorns.

  The Slayer didn't destroy it.

  He just gently flicked the leaf with his finger, confirming that although this thing looked fierce, it was indeed a plant.

  Then, he straightened up and continued forward.

  Passing through the planting area, ahead was an area enclosed by a high-voltage electric fence.

  This was the "Animal Husbandry Experimental Ground" planned by Singularity.

  "Being vegetarian alone won't do; we need meat."

  Singularity's voice continued to nag in the headset.

  "Although most demonic beasts in the Abyss are toxic, after being fed with the Spirit Race's special 'Purification Feed,' their meat quality will change. For example, this kind..."

  The Slayer walked up to the fence.

  Inside the fence were dozens of round, pink-skinned creatures with no eyes and only a large mouth. These were the larvae or a subspecies of the Abyss-exclusive "Pinky Demon."

  They were fighting madly for food in the trough, making sounds like a herd of hungry pigs.

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  The Slayer's hand rested on the cold metal railing.

  His gaze passed through the electric fence and landed on a small beast in the corner, the smallest of the lot, squeezed aside by its peers.

  That small beast was snow-white all over (an extremely rare mutation in the Abyss), shrinking in the corner, hugging a red crystal shaped somewhat like a carrot that it had picked up from somewhere, gnawing on it.

  The Slayer's movements suddenly froze.

  *Crack.*

  The fingers gripping the railing suddenly tightened. The solid alloy steel pipe instantly deformed and twisted under his grip, emitting a painful metallic groan.

  He didn't move.

  He didn't draw his gun.

  Nor did he make any sound.

  He just stood there stiffly, his helmet deadlocked onto that corner.

  The atmosphere in the air instantly became heavy. Even the few Pinky Demons fighting for food sensed something was wrong, stopped eating in fright, and huddled together in terror.

  ...

  Netherworld, Control Center.

  Singularity was holding a teacup, watching this scene through the surveillance screen.

  "What's wrong with the Great Hero? Is there a problem with that little white pig?"

  Singularity frowned in confusion. He subconsciously looked at the [Mirror of Retribution · Tactical Analysis Edition] beside him, which had just been upgraded and was analyzing frontline data in real-time.

  This mirror could not only see through demons' weaknesses but also trace back their causal chains by capturing the target's mental fluctuations.

  At this moment, the mirror did not display the monster's attributes.

  Instead, because of the Slayer's mental fluctuation that was so violent it almost caused stagnation in that instant, the [Causal Retrospection] mechanism was automatically triggered.

  *Hum——*

  Ripples appeared on the mirror surface.

  Singularity saw an image.

  It wasn't the Abyss, nor the Netherworld.

  It was a world full of sunshine, green grass, and no smoke of gunpowder.

  In the image, a rabbit with long ears, fluffy fur, and cuteness that broke the rules was locked in a cage, looking at the lens with innocent big eyes.

  Immediately after, the image flashed.

  That rabbit's head was impaled on a spike, with a burning city and grinning demons in the background.

  Finally, the image turned into endless blood red, and a man's soul roaring as he completely broke down in that moment, then reassembled into the embodiment of "Destruction."

  [Key Data Captured: Daisy.]

  [Associated Emotion: Absolute Wrath.]

  "Pfft——!"

  Singularity spat his tea all over the screen.

  His eyes widened, looking at the man on the screen who wouldn't change his expression even when facing thousands of troops, yet stopped in his tracks because of a mob that looked like a rabbit.

  "So that's it... so that's it..."

  Singularity's hand trembled slightly. He finally understood why the Slayer had such undying hatred for demons. That wasn't just a sense of justice; that was the mad vengeance after losing a loved one (even if it was a rabbit).

  "This is that... switch."

  Singularity quickly recorded this entry in his top-secret file:

  [Top Secret: The Slayer's Taboo.]

  [Content: Rabbits.]

  [Note: Absolutely do not harm anything that looks like a rabbit in front of him, unless you want to experience consequences scarier than Hell.]

  On the other side of the screen.

  The Slayer's stiffness lasted only three seconds.

  He slowly released his grip on the railing. Deep finger indentations were left on that steel pipe.

  He didn't look at that small white beast a second time.

  He turned around, his back to the fence, and strode away.

  But the frequency of his steps became faster.

  The shotgun in his hand was gripped tighter.

  From the crevices of his Demon Dragon armor, red steam that was hotter and more violent than before spewed out.

  That anger was ignited.

  Even seeing a similar shadow would remind him of the reason why he must kill all demons.

  Singularity watched that retreating figure and silently closed the retrospective image on the Mirror of Retribution. He tactfully didn't say a single word in the comms channel, nor did he mention what he had just seen.

  Some scars cannot be uncovered.

  Some anger can only be extinguished with the blood of enemies.

  The Slayer walked to the end of the experimental field.

  There, several Spirit craftsmen were erecting a new boundary marker.

  The Slayer didn't stop; he crossed directly over the boundary marker, walking toward the further darkness.

  There were monsters there.

  There were things to kill there.

  That was enough.

  ...

  Singularity took a deep breath to calm himself down.

  He watched that lonely and furious figure disappear from view, then turned to look at the next construction project displayed on the screen.

  "Phew... agriculture and animal husbandry are off to a start. Although the process was a bit... stimulating."

  Singularity picked up a pen and circled an area on the [Netherworld · Abyss Branch Plan].

  "Since we have the material foundation, spiritual construction can't be left behind."

  "I see these Spirits seem to have nothing to do, actually secretly engaging in some artistic creation over there?"

  Singularity pointed to a corner of the surveillance feed, where several Spirits were sneakily carving something on a giant rock.

  *Next Chapter: The Statue of the Slayer. To express their gratitude, the Spirits secretly sculpted a statue for the Great Hero. But I think... the Great Hero probably won't be too happy seeing this.*