The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 263. A Call for Help

Inside the Starfire Server’s VR world, day and night cycles seamlessly mimic reality. Students often find themselves enjoying the myriad entertainment facilities available, perfect for unwinding after rigorous academic schedules.

Tyler sat alone in a virtual cafeteria, his eyes fixed on a movie playing on a large screen. The ambiance was lively, but his table remained peaceful—until someone tapped his shoulder.

"Well, well... Look who it is—the richest guy in the virtual world!" Lily teased, grinning as she slid into the seat opposite him. Without hesitation, she grabbed a slice of cake from his table and took a bite.

"Even though this is a virtual world, the food tastes divine," Lily remarked between bites.

"Ugh, it’s just data," Darla chimed in, taking the seat beside Lily. "It can’t compare to real food." She folded her arms and pouted.

Astrid joined them, quietly taking a seat next to Lily. She nodded in greeting to Tyler but stayed silent.

"Looks like everyone’s on break," Tyler observed, glancing at the gathering of familiar faces.

"You forgot about me?" Mathilda’s voice came from behind as she playfully nudged him before sitting beside him.

"Thought you were busy with your experiments," Tyler replied vaguely, raising an eyebrow.

Clicking her tongue in mock annoyance, Mathilda said, "You seem to be adjusting to life on land pretty well. Don’t you miss the sea?"

"We’re leaving soon," Tyler replied. "Once we finish our studies, we’ll head further north."

"That’s great! I was worried you’d forgotten our original purpose," Mathilda said, grinning mischievously. "I’m planning to recruit some babes—I mean, new crew members—for the journey."

"Ah, Mathilda, I finally figured out what’s wrong with your brain," Lily quipped, shaking her head with an exaggerated sigh.

Mathilda leaned forward eagerly. "What is it, Lily onee-sama? Enlighten me!"

Lily smirked. "On the left side of your brain, there’s nothing right. And on the right side, there’s nothing left."

The group burst into laughter, with Mathilda rolling her eyes at Lily’s wordplay.

While the girls continued their lighthearted banter, Tyler sensed an unusual ripple in the air beside him. His eyes narrowed.

"A bug?" he murmured under his breath, his tone curious rather than alarmed.

A small black hole materialized next to him, and moments later, a young man’s head popped out.

"Tyler," the figure called out, his voice urgent.

The girls froze, their laughter giving way to wary silence.

"Huh... Adam?" Tyler’s surprise was evident. The VR world was heavily secured, and no one should have been able to breach it without proper authorization.

"Your friend?" Lily asked, her tone guarded.

"Kind of," Tyler replied, his gaze locked on the intruder. "How did you get here, Adam?"

Adam stepped fully out of the black hole, his expression harried. "That’s... complicated. I’ll explain later. Right now, there’s no time."

He glanced at the closing black hole behind him, his urgency growing.

"Help me," Adam said, his voice firm. "I’m trapped on one of the floors of the Abyss. I need someone to open it from the outside."

Tyler’s brow furrowed. "I can’t help you right now. It’ll be at least six months before I can leave this place."

Adam shook his head, a wry smile crossing his face. "You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll get trapped a year and three months from now."

The group stared at him, stunned.

"Again with your weird time paradox nonsense," Tyler muttered, exasperation creeping into his voice.

Ignoring the confusion on everyone’s faces, Adam continued, "You might not know yet. But Abyss Broke our in Northern side of the continent."

Tyler’s eyes narrowed. "how?"

Adam hesitated. "It’s because of me. I accidentally broke it out."

"What the heck did you do?" Tyler asked, clearly suprised.

Adam looked back at the Black hole behind him.

"Well never mind. I somehow synchronised the time with this and was able to talk to you. But it also consumes lot of energy. So I have no time to explain. just come and save me..." He said and disappeared.

"That’s a lot to take in," Mathilda said, crossing her arms. "And why should we trust this guy?"

Lily tilted her head. "He doesn’t seem like he’s lying, but this whole thing reeks of trouble."

Astrid, who had remained silent until now, finally broke her silence. Her voice carried a mixture of concern and curiosity. "How did he manage to break through the Abyss passage? That’s supposed to be impossible."

Tyler leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "From what I know, spatial rifts occasionally form between the Abyss and our world. When that happens, creatures from the Abyss sometimes cross over. Our Academy has protocols to deal with these events. If a rift opens in an area under the Academy’s protection, students are sent to handle it."

Lily chimed in, her tone more matter-of-fact. "But those spatial rifts are usually temporary. They appear and vanish in less than an hour. However, there are exceptions—some rifts can last for years. That’s what people call an Abyss Breakout. It’s a natural phenomenon, but extremely dangerous."

Astrid frowned, her delicate features clouded with worry. "The way that guy called Adam spoke... it’s as if he’s directly responsible for opening a rift. If that’s true, he is incredibly reckless."

"I don’t know," Tyler admitted, running a hand through his hair. "He didn’t exactly give us a lot of useful information. Just vague warnings about the Abyss. And from the way he talked, it sounds like he hasn’t even been trapped yet. It’s like he came here from the future. Heck, he didn’t even tell us about which floor he got trapped."

Lily leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Maybe as long as you went to that place, you will be able to find him?"

Tyler sighed, rubbing his temples. Despite the fact that they were in a VR world, he felt the weight of exhaustion creeping in. "You are smart as ever."

"Did I hit the nail?" She asked.

"Yeah... I have a way to sense them when they are nearby." Tyler said.

"Gay radar?" Mathilda murmured.

"Noo... You are Gay...." Tyler retorted.

"Yes , I am..." Mathilda nodded and corrected Tyler, "But If It is Woman X Woman then it is called Lesbian."

"How did you know that guy? How are you sure he is trustworthy?" Lily ignored Mathilda and asked Tyler. She was not convinced.

Tyler quickly told the story of how he met Adam and Dusk. freewēbnoveℓ.com

"Fine," Lily said with a shrug. "If we’re doing this, let’s do it right. But don’t expect me to play nice with that guy if he turns out to be trouble."

"Agreed," Mathilda said, her voice firm.

Tyler smirked,. "We’ll find out the truth—one way or another."

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

A Year and Three Months Later

Somewhere inside the Abyss...

"I’ve informed him," Adam said with a sly smile, his figure shrouded in darkness.

Suddenly, the seal on the cave shattered.

Tyler strode in, his body covered in crimson scales, his eyes blazing with fury. In his hand, he carried a lifeless Halfbred.

"It’s all because of you—she’s dead!" Tyler roared, his voice echoing with unrestrained rage. Without hesitation, he charged at Adam, his every step radiating wrath and despair.