Chapter 92: Abyss

However, before Aiden could say anything else, Luna suddenly seemed to remember something.

She lowered her head and began searching through the small storage bag beside her. After a moment, she retrieved a palm-sized piece of smooth, unfamiliar black wood that she had collected during their earlier exploration. She examined it briefly before taking out the delicate dagger Aiden had given her for self-defense.

The faintly glowing [Enhancs Sharpness] rune remained engraved along the blade.

Silas noticed what she was doing and raised an eyebrow. Aiden also turned his attention toward her, quietly observing without interrupting.

Luna took a slow breath before placing the piece of black wood securely in her lap. Her expression became unusually focused as she circulated her faint spiritual power. A thin layer of energy gathered around the dagger’s blade, and she carefully lowered its tip onto the surface of the wood.

The carving began.

Her movements were slow because she was clearly trying to ensure that every line was placed correctly. The dagger scraped gently against the wood as she worked, leaving behind narrow grooves. She occasionally stopped to inspect her progress before continuing. Although her carving technique was far from that of a professional craftsman, she treated the task with an almost solemn seriousness.

What gradually appeared on the wood was a simple but highly symbolic design.

At the top were three downward-curving arcs that resembled enormous fangs. They represented devouring and destruction, the image suggesting a monstrous creature preparing to swallow everything before it. Beneath them was a region of dense cross-hatching that created the impression of endless darkness, as though the space beneath the fangs contained no bottom at all.

Together, the two elements formed the image of a gigantic maw descending into an immeasurable void.

It was the Maw of the Abyss.

Once Luna finished the carving, she carefully examined the result. After determining that she was satisfied, she reached into her storage bag again and retrieved a tiny amount of the remaining [Elemental Dust] from their earlier alchemy experiment.

Even the small quantity still emitted a faint and beautiful glow.

Luna carefully placed the dust into the grooves she had carved. As the particles settled into the pattern, faint light began to flow through the engraved lines. The previously ordinary piece of black wood gradually transformed into something far more striking. The carved Maw of the Abyss seemed almost alive beneath the faint glow, its enormous fangs and bottomless darkness producing an eerie impression that contrasted sharply with the small size of the badge.

Luna held the finished piece in both hands and turned toward Aiden.

Her small face carried an unusually solemn expression, as though she had just completed an important mission. However, there was also a hint of shyness in her eyes as she held the badge out toward him.

"Sir Aiden..." she said softly. "This is the squad badge I made for our Abyss squad."

She hesitated before lowering her voice even further.

"M-Maybe it doesn’t look very good..."

Aiden reached out and accepted the badge.

The piece of wood was still warm from Luna’s hands. Although it was small and relatively simple, it possessed a peculiar weight that made Aiden instinctively study it more carefully. The dark pattern seemed to possess an almost hypnotic quality, especially when the faint light from the Elemental Dust moved through its grooves. More importantly, Aiden could clearly sense the effort Luna had invested in creating it.

She had not simply carved a random emblem.

She had understood the meaning behind the name he had chosen and had attempted to turn that meaning into a symbol.

Aiden remained silent for several seconds before giving his answer.

"No." His voice was firm enough to immediately erase Luna’s uncertainty. "It looks very good."

He examined the badge once more before adding, "More importantly, it fits the name."

The relief that appeared in Luna’s eyes was subtle but unmistakable.

Aiden then handed the badge to Silas.

Silas took it with curiosity and turned it around several times, carefully inspecting the carving from different angles. The eerie glow reflected faintly in his eyes, and his grin widened.

"Luna, your craftsmanship is impressive."

He tilted the badge toward the light.

"This thing actually looks terrifying." He laughed before handing it back. "From now on, we should show this symbol wherever we go. Let’s see who still dares to mess with the Abyss after seeing it."

Aiden took the badge from him.

He did not simply put it into his storage space.

Instead, he solemnly pinned it to the left side of his [Tough Combat Suit].

The dark Maw of the Abyss immediately stood out against the armor. The faint glow from the Elemental Dust gave the emblem an almost supernatural appearance, while the black wood complemented Aiden’s cold and stern temperament perfectly. For a brief moment, the figure standing at the edge of the ruined tower looked less like an ordinary survivor and more like someone who had stepped directly out of the darkness represented by the emblem itself.

Aiden looked at the badge for a moment before turning toward his companions.

"Then, from this moment onward, we aren’t simply three people traveling together."

His gaze swept across Silas and Luna.

"We are the Abyss." His voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it. "I, Aiden Cross, codenamed Reaper, am the Lord of the Abyss."

His gaze shifted toward Silas. "Silas Kane, codenamed Silas the Bulwark, is the Shield of the Abyss."

Finally, his eyes settled on Luna. "Luna Everhart, codenamed Purple Lily, is the Eye of the Abyss..."

A brief pause followed before he added, "And the Luck of the Abyss."

The moment the final words left his mouth, a familiar mechanical notification suddenly sounded in their minds.

[Ding! Your squad has been officially named: "Abyss"!]

[Squad Reputation System activated!]

[Squad Members: Reaper (Aiden Cross), Silas the Bulwark (Silas Kane), Purple Lily (Luna Everhart)!]

The system notification arrived at almost the perfect moment, as though the world itself had acknowledged the formation of the newly named squad.

A strange feeling settled over the three of them.

Something had changed.

They were no longer merely companions brought together by circumstance, kindness, or mutual benefit. They now possessed an identity that belonged to all three of them. They had a common name, a common symbol, and a path that would inevitably force them to rely upon one another again and again.

Silas slowly straightened his back.

For perhaps the first time, he truly felt the weight associated with belonging to something larger than himself. The name Abyss was not merely a cool title. It represented responsibility. If someone attacked one member of the squad, the others would be dragged into the conflict. If one member failed, the reputation of the entire squad could be affected.

Yet alongside that responsibility came something else.

Pride.

Silas had spent much of his life relying on his own strength and his tower shield. Now, however, he had something worth protecting beyond himself.

Luna’s attention remained fixed on the badge attached to Aiden’s chest. She had carved it herself, filled the grooves with the last of their precious Elemental Dust, and watched as the simple piece of wood became the symbol of their new squad. Seeing it displayed so proudly on Aiden’s armor filled her with a warm sense of belonging.

For someone like Luna, who had spent so much of her life surrounded by uncertainty, that feeling was more precious than she could easily express.

Aiden experienced something different.

As he looked at Silas and Luna, he felt a deep satisfaction rising within his chest. It was not the satisfaction he experienced after increasing his personal strength or obtaining a powerful treasure. Those things were important, but this feeling was fundamentally different.

He had spent his previous life walking alone through a world filled with betrayal.

He had known what it meant to place his trust in someone and have that trust repaid with a blade in his back.

This time, however, things were different.

He had personally forged the sharp blade and sturdy shield that would accompany him on the road ahead. Silas possessed the strength and determination to stand at the front line, while Luna possessed abilities and potential that could not yet be fully measured. More importantly, both had already demonstrated that they were willing to stand beside him when danger appeared.

They had become his companions.

His people.

His squad.

And now they had a name.

Aiden turned his gaze toward the endless ruins stretching beneath the gray sky. The ruined city remained silent except for the distant sounds of monsters and the occasional crackle of unstable data streams. Somewhere beyond the horizon, countless survivors were struggling to remain alive, countless factions were beginning to form, and countless powerful individuals had yet to reveal themselves.

None of them knew the name Abyss yet. None of them had any reason to fear it. But that would not last forever.

The Abyss had emerged. And sooner or later, everything that stood in its path would learn exactly what it meant to descend into darkness.