The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 278. Abnormal Readings

Flames flickered and crackled, consuming the overgrown vines that had overtaken the ruins of Crustle City. A group of mages worked diligently, their concentrated spells clearing the path toward the famous Mayor’s "Good Boy" Statue, a once-pristine symbol of the city’s pride.

Warriors stood on high alert, scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger, while the mages continued their task. The air was heavy with tension and the faint, oppressive hum of Abyss Mists swirling in the distance. Once the area was cleared, the mages placed glowing barricades around the statue, their energy shields flickering to life. These shields served as a temporary barrier, ensuring the Abyss Mists couldn’t encroach further into the safe zone.

Tyler and the other Engineers moved swiftly, their hands deftly assembling pieces of equipment. They hurried inside a nearby building that had been repurposed as their temporary operations hub, the remnants of shattered glass and twisted metal crunching under their boots. Tyler set to work on building a series of interconnected arrays, the hum of prana-infused machinery filling the air.

As the Engineers worked, a girl in a white lab coat strode in with an air of authority, her eyes glued to the screen of her communication device. It was Sandra, a renowned researcher who often appeared aloof yet commanded respect with her sharp intellect. Without acknowledging the Engineers, she approached the central monitor in the room, her expression growing more serious with each passing second.

Tyler, carrying a pillar-like piece of equipment, noticed Sandra’s intense focus as she studied the readings on her device. Intrigued, he placed the pillar near the monitor and walked closer to her. Before he could speak, Sandra grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.

"What are y—?" Tyler began, startled by her abrupt action.

"Shush," Sandra interrupted, her sharp gaze never leaving the monitor.

She studied the data intently, her fingers hovering over the controls as if afraid one wrong move would set off a catastrophe. Tyler, now curious, leaned over to glimpse the readings. His eyes widened.

"The Abyss Energy level is at 5.1?" he muttered under his breath, barely able to contain his shock.

Abyss Energy levels were measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with anything above 5 considered dangerously high.

Rabbit Kyla entered the room, carrying another device in her hands. She froze in her tracks when she saw Sandra holding onto Tyler. Her first instinct was to scold Sandra, as there was still much work to be done, but something about the woman’s intense focus made her pause.

Rabbit Kyla’s eyes darted to the monitor, and her face mirrored Tyler’s earlier shock.

"A reading of 5.1 Abyss Energy? Is this feedback from the center of the Breakout?" she asked, her voice loud and filled with alarm.

Sandra’s focus broke at Rabbit Kyla’s words. She let go of Tyler abruptly, as if realizing only then that she had been holding him.

"When did you come?" Sandra asked, her tone casual despite the gravity of the situation. She pushed past Tyler and answered Rabbit Kyla’s question, "This is an anomaly we detected in Crustle City. Probably..."

"An entrance," Tyler finished her sentence grimly.

Sandra nodded. "Yup. An Abyss Entrance might have appeared nearby. Readings above 5.1 are already catastrophic in our world. If it reaches 6, we could be facing the second Breakout."

Her voice was calm but laced with tension, the implications of her words hanging heavy in the air.

Rabbit Kyla frowned, her expression mirroring the concern on Tyler’s face. "What are you going to do about it?" she asked.

Sandra didn’t answer immediately. Her sharp eyes flicked between the readings on the monitor and the field report in her device. After a long pause, she finally replied, "I’ll think about it."

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Tyler and Rabbit Kyla behind, their unease only growing as the oppressive hum of the Abyss Mists seemed to intensify in the distance.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Brolin was sitting on a crate, happily munching on some snacks, when Tyler strolled over to him. Not far away, a group of mages from Moonhaven Academy caught sight of Tyler and immediately scattered, running as though they’d seen an Abyss monster.

"Am I really that scary?" Tyler asked, raising an eyebrow at the retreating mages.

Brolin chuckled, his mouth still full of food. "You don’t remember? They’re Moonhaven Academy students. You totally destroyed their 5-star Master Level mage during that sparring match."

"Ah," Tyler replied, clearly uninterested. His gaze wandered for a moment before shifting to something else. "Speaking of mages, I haven’t seen any warriors among them. What’s that about?"

Brolin swallowed his food and shrugged. "That’s because Moonhaven Academy only takes mages. Not only Moonhaven Academy, all academy only accepts Mages. Our academy is the only one that accepts warriors. Haven’t you heard? Sects are for warriors, academies are for mages, and guilds are open to everyone. It’s just how things are. Our academy really don’t care whether Mage or Warrior as long as people seeks knowledge."

Before Tyler could respond, Rabbit Kyla joined them, biting into a sandwich with quick, deliberate munches.

"Huh. Don’t you have to install a few more observation devices?" Tyler asked, eyeing her lazily.

Rabbit Kyla froze mid-bite, her cheeks puffed like a squirrel’s. "Quick lunch break," she mumbled, her words muffled by the sandwich.

Brolin, watching her panic, smiled and offered his own sandwich. "Here, take mine."

She grabbed it without hesitation, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and dashed off with her prizes.

Brolin sat there, beaming like an idiot, his expression dreamy.

Tyler rolled his eyes at the lovestruck warrior. "You’re hopeless."

"Hey, Tyler bro," Brolin said suddenly, snapping out of his daze. "Help me write a love letter."

Tyler blinked, staring at him like he’d just spoken in tongues. "A love letter? Dude, that’s ancient."

Brolin scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but Kyla’s into that old-fashioned stuff. What about a poem? Think you can come up with something for me?"

"Still old," Tyler said, leaning against the crate, "but let’s see what I can do."

Brolin quickly whipped out a pen and paper, ready to jot down Tyler’s words.

Tyler gawked. "Seriously?"

"Seriously... " Brolin wrote that.

"No no no... That’s not the poem. Strike it off."

Tyler groaned and thought for a moment before smirking. "Alright, here’s one."

Brolin poised his pen over the paper.

"Roses are red,

The sun gives off heat,

If you are ever tired,

Use my face as your seat."

Brolin furrowed his brow as he scribbled the words down. "Is this even a poem? Will this even work?"

"Let’s test it," Tyler said, snatching the paper and passing it to Human Kyla, who had just walked into the room.

Human Kyla accepted the note with a curious expression. Her eyes scanned the words, and her face turned beet red before she burst out laughing. Shaking her head, she nodded at Tyler and left the room, still chuckling.

"It worked?" Brolin asked, bewildered. Then he grinned mischievously. "What are you planning, Tyler? Trying to get lucky tonight?"

Tyler crossed his arms, smirking. "Lucky? Nah, I’m aiming to get suffocated tonight."

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

The next morning, Tyler and Human Kyla walked out of the same room, their expressions nonchalant. However, as they turned the corner, they spotted Rabbit Kyla and Brolin exiting another room nearby.

Both pairs froze in place, their gazes locking awkwardly. After a tense moment, they exchanged stiff smiles and quickly went their separate ways without saying a word.

A short while later, everyone gathered for a meeting in one of the camp’s larger rooms. Sandra stood at the front, addressing the group with a grim expression.

"The Abyss Energy reading has risen to 5.3 within just a day," she began. "That’s an increase of 0.2, which is significant. To address this, we’re forming three expedition teams to investigate the area showing abnormal readings. Once we locate the source, we will work to mend the Abyss Spatial Crack causing this instability."

A hand shot up in the crowd. "What if the readings are coming from an Abyss Monster?"

Sandra nodded, anticipating the question. "That’s why each team will include an alchemist, engineers, combat warriors, and mages. This way, we’ll have a balanced group prepared for any scenario."

She glanced around the room, her tone growing firm. "Team assignments will be randomized. You’ll receive a message shortly."

A Few Hours Later

Brolin approached Tyler with Rabbit Kyla and Human Kyla in tow. Their expressions ranged from neutral to mildly amused.

"We three got assigned to the same team," Rabbit Kyla said, her voice tinged with excitement. "It’s going to be fun working together!"

Tyler glanced at his communication device and sighed heavily.

"What’s with the sigh?" Human Kyla asked, smirking as she nudged him. "Sad you’re not with us?"

Wordlessly, Tyler tilted the screen toward them. The device displayed the team assignments: Team A, Team B, and Team C. Tyler’s name was listed under Team C, alongside a familiar name in the leader’s column: Maxwell—the very person he had humiliated during the sparring match.

"Talk about luck," Brolin muttered under his breath, wincing on Tyler’s behalf.

Tyler sighed again.