The journey of Violet and her companions went smoothly. After leaving the borders of the Nobos Iron-Blood Empire, the delegation headed southeast, passing through another country that had friendly relations with the Human United Kingdom and bordered the former.
This was the final stretch of the journey. Once completed, they would directly reach the legendary Abyss at the southernmost end of the world. The Azure Sky Kingdom, with its territory not inferior to that of the Human United Kingdom, and comprising a hundred thousand floating islands scattered across the southern region of the world, was right there.
Half a month later, the delegation arrived safely at their destination.
This long journey, lasting for more than two months, had finally reached its end, marking a new beginning.
Ahead lay the Abyss.
Of course, the delegation couldn’t go all the way to the edge of the real Abyss before stopping. They were currently stationed in the nearest city, awaiting guidance from the Azure Sky Kingdom.
However, the curious Miss Priestess, after informing Felina, took a few companions and ran off on her own.
The medium-sized frontier city was less than ten kilometers from the real Abyss, so they didn’t need to fly. With the strength of at least legendary level among them, they quickly arrived.
The term “Abyss” was more like an adjective, but in reality, the scenery here was slightly different from what Violet had imagined.
Outside the city, there were no signs of human activity. The barren land made Violet feel like she had entered another world on the brink of doomsday.
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They advanced another hundred steps, passing numerous warning signs and symbols.
Then, at a certain point, the earth was abruptly severed.
“Wow~”
“So this is... the Abyss?”
Apart from the winged sisters who had lived here for decades, Edwina and Violet couldn’t help but exclaim sincerely. Even the usually aloof Miss Dragon couldn’t help but show a hint of astonishment.
In the distant sky, countless towering shadows floated, while in front, the ground plummeted at an angle of nearly 60 degrees, disappearing into the deepest darkness.
Profound and vast, truly worthy of the name “Abyss.”
The Abyss was boundless, and its border with the world couldn’t possibly be completely flat. It was said that the area where Violet was located was not actually the farthest point of the southern land.
On the contrary, this area was more like a concave area, the first intersection point of the Abyss and the Earth in the north-south direction.
The sunken Abyss, almost circular in shape, was surrounded by surrounding land, with only a narrow opening to the south.
It was as if the ground had been forcibly dug away by some majestic force.
This region, covering an area of about thirty thousand square kilometers, was called the “Abyssal Well” due to its unique geographical location.
This was not mere speculation.
It had long been believed that the hundred thousand floating islands of the Azure Sky Kingdom were once part of the Earth, but for some reason, they ascended to the sky.
The shapes of those floating islands, especially the 【Spryce Island】 directly above this area, astonishingly matched the area of the 【Abyssal Well】.
However, the specific reasons and principles behind this phenomenon remained unclear. The most widely accepted belief was that it might be related to the deity worshiped by the winged people—the Goddess of Sky and Freedom.
Moreover, strictly speaking, this area already belonged to the territory of the Azure Sky Kingdom. Including the city where the delegation was currently stationed, although nominally belonging to the local country, it was actually built and managed entirely by the winged people.
Unlike the barren land outside the city when they arrived, the edge of the 【Abyssal Well】 was now covered with various densely intertwined vines and low vegetation, stretching all the way down to the dark depths of the abyss.
Violet didn’t quite understand what this represented, but at least one thing she could be sure of was that if anyone accidentally fell into it, these plants might act as a cushion, preventing them from falling directly to the bottom of the abyss and giving them a chance of survival.
Were these plants naturally grown over the years, or were they intentionally planted by the locals?
If it was the latter, it would be quite an astonishing feat.
Other than that, there wasn’t much else.
Violet and the others wandered around the edge of the 【Abyssal Well】 for quite some time, but they didn’t see anything coming out from inside, which was somewhat disappointing.
She had wanted to descend to the bottom of the abyss to see what exactly was in the supposedly “no-return” Abyss, but...
What if it was truly impossible, or very difficult, to come back?
For example, as Violet speculated, if beneath the abyss was actually connected to another world, the priestess, who had very little experience with spatial magic, couldn’t guarantee one hundred percent that she could safely return.
Even if that wasn’t the case, venturing into the unknown without any preparation would be extremely reckless and foolish. Violet didn’t think it was necessary for her to rush into such a risk to uncover secrets.
After all, the purpose of this expedition was simply for observation.
After a brief exchange of opinions, the group returned to the city where the embassy was stationed.
When Miss Felina, the head of the embassy, was found, she was in discussion with several rather formally and luxuriously dressed avians, whose style noticeably differed from that of humans. Behind her were two or three members of the embassy, such as record keepers and advisors.
These winged people were evidently the officials sent by the Azure Sky Kingdom for the handover.
There were five in total, with the young woman in her early twenties at the forefront being a White Feather avian, while the other four were Red Feathers.
“Well, Miss Felina, how busy have you been?” the priestess casually greeted.
“Well, just about finishing up. Since Miss Violet has returned, we are preparing to depart. The Azure Sky Kingdom will be responsible for transporting us to the nearest 【Spryce Island】, and from there, we will proceed directly to the capital, Sky City. Timing-wise, we should be able to make it on time,” Felina replied, putting the thick documents back on the table and stepping aside to introduce the young lady behind her, a White Feather avian.
“Let me introduce you. This is Lady Hilda Kulk, belonging to the Wings of Freedom and one of the Four Wings of the Feathered Emperor. She is a renowned legendary powerhouse, and she is specifically responsible for coordinating with our country’s embassy,” Felina explained.
Lady Hilda, with her long white hair tied in a bundle, smiled and greeted Violet and the others from the Azure Sky Kingdom who had suddenly appeared.
“Hello, may the Goddess of Sky and Freedom bless you all. I am Hilda.”
Upon first glance, it is evident that she is a noblewoman of extremely high upbringing and quality, with impeccable manners and elegance. Her smile is sincere and gentle, and her every movement exudes an aura of warmth akin to a gentle spring breeze, naturally instilling trust and reliance in those around her.
Indeed, she seems well-suited for diplomatic endeavors.
“Lady Hilda, this is Miss Violet, the individual previously mentioned to you, who eradicated the escaped Abyssal Beast. Additionally, she is a close friend and formidable ally personally acknowledged by our Majesty, highly dependable. As both top-tier individuals, perhaps you could find time for mutual exchange and discourse.”
The decision to inform the Azure Sky Kingdom about Violet’s elimination of the Abyssal Beast was naturally made after consultation between her and Felina.
The Avians, particularly the White Feathered Avians, place great value on prowess, as evidenced by their tradition of competing for the Feathered Emperor regardless of race, and the “Trial of Adulthood” as described by Leila.
For Violet to establish contact expediently, she requires a suitable but not overly conspicuous pretext. “South Calamity” would certainly not suffice, but the Abyssal Beast pursued by the Azure Sky Kingdom happens to be a fitting choice.