The blood moon rose and then faded, lasting only half a minute, yet it made many people uneasy. Many residents of Crimson No.2 clamored to leave.

This gave Wu Zechuan a headache because even some Hunters wanted to retreat and no longer live as Hunters.

"The worst-case scenario is reality becoming like the Abyss; as Hunters who can survive in the Abyss, are you so afraid of it?"

After much thought, Wu Zechuan spoke to the Hunters.

After hearing Wu Zechuan's words, the Hunters quieted down.

Exactly, even if things get worse, it's just reality becoming like the Abyss.

They could survive in the Abyss, so there's no way that once reality becomes like the Abyss, they wouldn't be able to live here, right?

Crimson No.2 is a military stronghold. Though it doesn't show on the surface, the town has many underground shelters that can defend against nuclear attacks and mutated creatures that operate underground.

Compared to other places, perhaps Crimson No.2 is safer.

Of course, what truly reassured the Hunters was Wu Zechuan's public display of eight Engravings.

Wu Zechuan had become a Second Rank, a power that could be called a 'disaster'.

With such a powerful figure stationed, Crimson No.2 would not fall.

After appeasing the Hunters, Wu Zechuan assigned them tasks, making them his spokespeople to persuade Crimson No.2's residents of his strength.

Typically, only exploratory towns have Second Rank Hunters, and at least the closest city, Lingquan City, doesn't have a Second Rank Engraver stationed there. It only has conventional firepower, and if a fight breaks out, the Second Rank Engraver, akin to a human-shaped nuclear bomb, is way stronger.

This was enough to dissuade people from the idea of leaving Crimson No.2.

Ultimately, the thought of leaving Crimson No.2 stemmed from experiencing mutation, causing a bit of panic.

Once calm, people realized that moving elsewhere wasn't a good idea.

Their jobs and relationships were in Crimson No.2, and moving meant finding new places to live and work, possibly living worse than in Crimson No.2.

So it didn't take long for the uproar in Crimson No.2 to settle, with the majority not thinking about leaving, although a few still believed that Crimson No.2—or any exploratory town—should not be stayed in for long.

The departure of these individuals did not cause waves in Crimson No.2, as the locals were long accustomed to living alongside the Abyss, experiencing a magical surge every few years. One couldn't live in Crimson No.2 without a strong heart.

It was just a mutation, after all, without causing them any harm, plus there was a Second Rank Hunter stationed at Crimson No.2; what was there to worry about?

Wu Zechuan revealed he had become Second Rank, and the mutation in Crimson No.2 immediately attracted many journalists.

There aren't many Second Rank experts on Blue Star, not enough for each exploratory town to have one. Most cities lack a Second Rank expert stationed, showing how rare Second Rank Engravers are.

The emergence of even one Second Rank Engraver is newsworthy, not to mention the unprecedented mutation in Crimson No.2.

—Yes, this Abyss mutation only occurred in Crimson No.2.

Some fanciful individuals even linked the Crimson No.2 mutation with Yan Luo, suggesting that Yan Luo caused the Abyss mutation.

Fortunately, most people were rational and did not believe Yan Luo could induce an Abyss mutation.

Those were unintended words that sparked thoughts, and seeing that speculation, Sasa couldn't help but wonder if Yan Luo had opened a space channel to the Elf World, causing the Abyss here on Blue Star to feel the presence of the Elf World Abyss, thereby triggering such a mutation.

But if such a thing were true, why did it happen at this particular time?

With these doubts, Sasa decided to enter the Abyss again to see Yan Luo.

Just as Sasa was preparing to enter the Abyss to meet Yan Luo, she received a task from Li Jiongming.

"Sasa, for now, don't go anywhere and temporarily set aside research on Yan Luo's physique. Lingquan University Abyss Academy has been established, and we need to prepare a campus to house the students and faculty about to move."

Upon receiving the task, Sasa was stunned, "Huh?"

Did the mutation not happen just yesterday? Everyone knows how dangerous Crimson No.2 is now, so why suddenly establish the Abyss Academy, which has never been set up before, and decide to move the entire academy to Crimson No.2?

Next, the students and teachers dispatched by Lingquan University began preparing for the establishment of the campus, and even students like Sasa received tasks.

Knowing her familiarity with the Hunters in Crimson No.2, Li Jiongming asked her to contact the Hunter's Guild to bring them to the negotiating table.

With the Abyss Academy moving to Crimson No.2, interaction with the Hunter's Guild would be inevitable. They might even regularly hire Hunters to accompany researchers into the Abyss for research, so it's best to discuss such matters in advance to avoid future conflicts.

With many questions in mind, Sasa contacted Wu Zechuan and informed him of the academy's request.

After hearing what Sasa had to say, Wu Zechuan immediately understood what was going on.

[In fact, this matter is quite simple—Sasa, you might not be aware, but now all university students are considered 'reserve soldiers'. In a wartime system, you'd have to obey commands from above to complete various tasks, though most are logistics tasks and wouldn't directly put you on the battlefield. The Abyss mutation in Crimson Abyss alerted the United Government, believing Blue Star might soon be at war with the Abyss, hence the urgent establishment of the Abyss Academy.]

[Currently, the United Government seems to plan to use the Abyss Academy as scouts. They need you to uncover the truth behind the Abyss mutation, and if the Abyss indeed poses a threat of war with Blue Star, you'll become a front-line research center, providing guidance to Hunters and the military. That's why the Abyss Academy was urgently established and relocated.]

[If my guess is correct, in principle, the current Abyss Academy doesn't allow withdrawal or transfer because you've already been deployed as reserve soldiers in this potential war. Once you withdraw, you'll be equivalent to a deserter. The United Government's penalties for deserters are severe; you'd face a military court, potentially lose many rights, and might not even be able to spend money.]

After hearing Wu Zechuan's explanation, Sasa belatedly realized what had happened.

—The war had begun!

The war between Blue Star and the Abyss had been ongoing but was mere skirmishes before now.

Now that the Abyss had begun invading Blue Star, it alarmed the upper echelons of the United Government, making them think the Abyss might start a war with Blue Star.

After explaining to Sasa, Wu Zechuan couldn't help but sigh: [Next, the United Government will likely send people to investigate the situation in Crimson Abyss. If they discover a potential worsening in the Abyss situation, they will promptly launch a campaign to destroy it completely.]

If the Crimson Abyss were destroyed, wouldn't that mean they couldn't travel to the Elf World anymore?

Or could they travel to the Elf World through another Abyss?

[Sasa, just follow Professor Li's instructions and focus on your tasks. Leave everything else to us.]

As Wu Zechuan suggested, Sasa had to set aside her Abyss journey, obediently following Li Jiongming's orders.

With modern productivity, creating a campus doesn't take long; however, the current space within Crimson No.2's walls is fully utilized, leaving no empty land to accommodate a campus. They had to seek government advice to extend the town's walls a bit to fit a campus.

Perhaps due to orders from above, the Crimson No.2 government quickly approved the request, agreeing to widen the walls.

Meanwhile, trucks from Lingquan City had already driven into the Abyss according to the original plan, unaffected.

After all, truck drivers are all retired Hunters, accustomed to maintaining a good mindset and a strong heart.

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