Amidst the wind and grit of the Scorched Earth, the Slayer sat perched atop the carcass of a massive demon, conducting a brief maintenance check.

  He had just wiped out that elite patrol squad.

  Corpses littered the ground around him, and the air was thick with the heavy metallic scent of blood.

  The Slayer raised his left arm and glanced at the communications terminal on his wrist gauntlet.

  [No Signal.]

  [Connection Lost.]

  Dead static. Snow on the screen.

  This was the Abyss. It was an alternate plane independent of the Netherworld, independent of the Mortal Realm, and even independent of his original universe.

  The spatial laws here were chaotic. Ordinary radio waves, quantum signals, and even the Netherworld's spiritual sound transmissions were twisted into junk code when trying to cross the planar barrier.

  The Slayer tapped the terminal. No reaction.

  He didn't care. He had always been a lone wolf. With or without backup, the mission remained the same: Rip and Tear.

  But just as he prepared to stand up and continue his march...

  Bzzt... Bzzzzzt...

  A harsh burst of electronic static suddenly pierced through his helmet speakers.

  Immediately following it, a familiar, slightly neurotic voice cut through, breaking up intermittently:

  "Hello... Hello? Great Warrior? Can you hear me? This is Singularity... bzzt... Damn it, why is the spatial constant here negative?"

  Netherworld, 1st Layer Control Center.

  Daoist Singularity was currently acting like a crazed octopus, manipulating a dozen homemade signal amplifiers at once. He had disassembled his beloved Dao Tablet and wired its core chip directly into the Portal's spatial stabilizer.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Boost the power! Paste the 'Plane-Penetration Talisman' on the antenna!" Singularity roared, sweat pouring down his face. "This is a cross-realm long-distance call! The roaming charges are expensive!"

  To contact the Slayer, Singularity had forcibly constructed a "Brute-Force Communication Line" between the Netherworld and the Abyss.

  He utilized the residual spatial fluctuations of the portal to drill the signal through the barrier like a bore.

  Interference vs. Connection.

  Finally, the signal stabilized.

  A crisp video window popped up on the Slayer's tactical visor.

  In the frame, Singularity's face, looking haggard from overwork, was shoved close to the camera lens.

  "Great Warrior! Thank goodness! We finally connected!"

  Singularity was so excited he looked ready to cry. "If you stayed silent any longer, King Yama was about to build you a cenotaph!"

  The Slayer didn't speak.

  He simply panned his view slightly, scanning the mountain of demon corpses surrounding him.

  The footage transmitted back to the Netherworld.

  The Great Hall fell instantly silent.

  King Yama stared at the screen filled with severed limbs and the heads of those arrogant Marauders. In his shock, he dropped his teacup.

  "Is... is this the Abyss?"

  Singularity, however, remained calm (he was used to it). He typed furiously on his keyboard.

  "Great Warrior, the signal here is unstable, but I will try my best to provide intelligence support."

  "Also..."

  Singularity pointed to a red button in the top right corner of the screen.

  "Could you please... turn on the 'First-Person Livestream'?"

  The Slayer paused.

  "Don't misunderstand!" Singularity hurriedly explained. "This isn't for entertainment! This is for... uh... Tactical Analysis! Yes, we need to collect combat data on Abyssal demons to... to formulate future support plans!"

  (In reality, it was because the ghosts of the Netherworld were now camping out in the plaza in front of the big screen every day, waiting for the new season of "The Slayer." The viewership ratings were through the roof.)

  The Slayer remained silent for two seconds.

  He disdained such flashy gimmicks, but if it would shut these logistics people up and stop them from interfering with static noise...

  Beep.

  The Slayer pressed the button.

  [LIVE]

  The red icon lit up.

  Netherworld, Fengdu Plaza.

  The massive 4K LED screen instantly roared to life.

  The image displayed a burning wasteland and the chainsaw in the Slayer's hand, still dripping with fresh blood.

  "WOOOOOOOOAHHH!!!"

  Tens of thousands of gathered ghosts erupted in thunderous cheers.

  "It's live! It's starting!"

  "Is that the Abyss? It looks intense!"

  "The Warrior is badass! I'm sending Rockets (gifts)!"

  The Slayer couldn't hear these cheers.

  He only heard Singularity's voice, now slightly clearer, through his headset:

  "Signal stabilized. Great Warrior, based on the footage analysis, there is a High-Energy Reaction Source three kilometers ahead. It could be some rare ore, or... a bigger monster."

  The Slayer stood up.

  A bigger monster?

  Good.

  He shouldered his shotgun and strode purposefully in the direction Singularity indicated.

  "Next Chapter: Abyss Ore. The Slayer finds a rock that can tank bullets. Singularity says: That's the good stuff."