My Abyss Survival Diary

Chapter 65 Full-Layer Hunt

Without hesitation, Simon took off his heavy backpack, hung the birdcage on a tree branch, stuck the harpoon in the mud at his feet, and pulled out a dagger from his waist.

"Wait."

He walked a few steps into the woods and found a large tree with a thick trunk, rough bark, and low branches, which was suitable for climbing.

He gripped the cracks in the bark with both hands, using his feet to push against the trunk as he climbed up section by section. When he reached the first thick branch, he squatted down, pressed his body against the trunk, and looked down through the gaps in the leaves.

On the forest path, a figure was bending over, walking along the edge of the ferns.

He wore a pair of broken round-framed glasses, a tattered gray coat with frayed cuffs, and torn brown trousers, with a nail gun tucked into his waistband.

Simon recognized the young face.

That night, when Theodore led his men to besiege the camp, a young sinner lay trembling on the spot pretending to be a corpse. Simon didn't kill him, and before leaving, he even picked up the broken glasses for him and put them on for him himself.

Simon did not disturb him.

He crouched on a branch, watching the young man slowly approach. When he was less than ten meters away, he let go, fell from the tree, and landed lightly, almost without making a sound. Then he grabbed the young man.

The young man's body stiffened abruptly. His fingers instinctively reached for the nail gun at his waist, but Simon didn't give him the chance. He grabbed the young man's wrist with his left hand, forcibly prying his fingers off the gun handle, while his right hand held a dagger to the young man's throat.

The knife tip pressed against the skin, not cutting in, but the chill was enough to make one afraid to move.

The young man's glasses were askew, hanging on the bridge of his nose, and behind the lenses were a pair of wide-open eyes, his lips trembling.

Simon loosened his grip on his wrist, pulled the nail gun from his waist, and tossed it into the nearby bushes.

"What are you doing here? I spared your life, and you still come here to die?"

"That's all I had. I used it for self-defense, and now it's lying in the bushes." His voice was still trembling, but he tried to steady himself. "I meant no harm. I... I followed you to repay a debt of gratitude. I came to deliver a message!"

Simon released his grip and looked at the trembling young man before him.

"Continue..."

The young man swallowed hard and carefully straightened his crooked glasses.

"My name is Witt. I used to be a scholar, working in the Second Archives of the Imperial Inquisition..."

"Get straight to the point!" Simon interrupted him, but still frowned slightly when he heard the name "Inquisition."

"Alright, alright, you're quite famous now, Simon. You should be more careful," Witt said, trying to find the right words. "There are too many of you, and the footprints in the mud are too dense, so I was able to track you down."

Simon nodded, and the young man named Witt offered a rather good suggestion.

But he suddenly realized something was wrong: how did this guy know his name?

Seeing Simon's sudden change in expression, Witt quickly began to explain:

"I... I didn't know your name at first, but these past few days all the sinners who have just entered the abyss have been looking for you. They know your name and your portrait. The old priest offered a high price. As long as you can bring back information about you, where you are, where you are going, and who you are with, you can exchange it for a large number of indulgences."

Simon wasn't too surprised. Now that things had come to this, they would be hunted down by various forces. Sinners were the best hunting dogs—cheap. He could just use indulgences to lure them into working, and he wouldn't feel sorry for them if they died.

He wasn't worried about the criminals hunting him down; after all, even if an entire floor of criminals were brought over, they might not be a match for him.

What he was worried about was the leak of information. If a sinner were to pass on the information that they were moving away from the Great Void to Andrei, he would immediately send people to surround and intercept them. At that time, Simon would not only have to face Andrei, but also the Impure Doctor and the Holy Hammer Sister.

He glanced in the direction of the woods to make sure no one else was following.

"Why don't you use my whereabouts to exchange for indulgences?"

This was a test; he was observing Victor's expression to determine if he was lying.

"That night, you let me leave and even picked up my glasses for me." He looked up, and behind the broken, dirty lenses, his eyes held a clear, pure light. "I didn't come to harm you; I came to repay a debt of gratitude."

Simon stared at him for a few seconds. His eyes did not flinch, his pupils did not dilate, and his lips did not tremble.

This young man is no ordinary person.

"Are there any camps of sinners around here?" he asked Witt.

"There are several small, scattered camps. They set up camps here specifically because they are afraid of Theodore. However, they are all rather timid and will not participate in the hunt for you... What you should worry about are the sinners who have just entered the abyss. They are bloodthirsty hounds. They do not hunt the fungal corpses or collect food. They do nothing but gather information about you and prepare to exchange your head for indulgences."

Simon nodded. The more destitute a sinner is, the more likely he is to gamble everything for something ephemeral. If a sinner were to see them, he would have to kill him to prevent the information from being leaked.

He looked at the young man in front of him, opened his backpack, took out a handful of indulgences from his money bag, and handed them to him.

"Do me a favor, Witt. You know a lot of sinners, don't you?"

"Yes, I know a lot of cowardly guys, and some ruthless bastards too..."

"Pass on a message for me." He patted Witt on the shoulder. "Tell him I'm going to the Great Hollow. Anyone who doesn't want to die should stay away."

Witt paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

The quick-witted young man didn't ask why or who he was supposed to relay the message to. He picked up his nail gun, which he used to save his life, and turned back the way he came.

"Simon," his voice came from the front, muffled, "Take care."

Witt disappeared behind the fern leaves.

Simon returned to his companions and informed them of the situation.

Now, not only Andrei, but everyone on the first floor will be chasing and intercepting them.

Klein asked Simon, "Do you believe him?"

"Trust him this time." Simon pulled the harpoon out of the mud. "The sinners will search for us extensively. As soon as one of them sees us, Andrei will know where we are. We don't have much time left."

He glanced at Brienne instinctively. Night was about to fall, yet they had already used up their most precious opportunity for reconnaissance.

From this moment on, they must not let any criminal they encounter escape, for they will reveal their location, and once this attracts the attention of the Imperial forces, their efforts will be in vain.

This night is going to be quite tough.