How to Feed an Abyss!

Chapter 54.1 – Waltz and Communication Tower

Shi Yuan was having dinner with Edward’s family.

There were only three chairs, so Edward brought a cube robot, kicked away a pile of clutter under his feet, and put the robot next to the table.

“Sit on Edward’s robot!” he said.

The robot was too short, only as high as a human’s knee. Shi Yuan sat on it, exposing only his face on the table, and it would be a struggle to pick food.

There was a mountain of cans piled up in the corner of the room, which Edward collected from who knows where. He rummaged in the pile for a long time, picking and choosing, and found 4 cans of corn. He hummed while using a can opener and put one of the cans in front of Shi Yuan: “Edward invites you to eat corn!”

“Thank you,” Shi Yuan said.

Edward put two more cans in front of Joanna and Mike.

Shi Yuan asked, “Have you been giving them something to eat?”

Edward: “Of course, they are family!”

Shi Yuan said: “It’s better not to give them too much, food is very precious. And I don’t think they… have a good appetite.”

“They are family, family should eat together!”

“Okay.”

Then, Shi Yuan watched Edward finish eating the canned food, waved his hand, took the canned food of the cardboard people, poured it into his mouth, and ate it all.

Shi Yuan: ?

Shi Yuan said, “Didn’t you give them this?”

Edward said: “Family must share food!” He burped.

Shi Yuan: “……”

This was also a day when it was impossible to understand humans.

He glanced at the canned food, which had the military logo of the Alliance on it, expired three years ago. But seeing that Edward ate so cleanly and the corn didn’t smell strange, he still ate it all.

‘I shouldn’t die from this,’ he thought. ‘Otherwise, I will be the first abyss to die after eating expired corn.’

After dinner, Edward showed him the house enthusiastically again.

There were mostly firearms and knives, all kinds of bombs, and even a rocket launcher, followed by a bunch of weird parts, robots with only half a face left, car engines, car tires, matchboxes, flashlights, toolboxes, maps, notebooks, binoculars, nails, pencils, rulers… Shi Yuan even saw two wigs, and wondered if they were for Joanna to wear.

There were spikes and machine gun muzzles on the outside of the tower, and roadblocks were placed at the bottom of the tower. The windows were reinforced with layers of iron sheets, only letting in half of the light, and rainwater collectors outside the windows, installed pollution filters, and window seams coated with odor masking agents.

Edward was like a hard-working ant, moving everything he could find back to his home, and turning this small watchtower into an iron wall.

Shi Yuan also saw two old photos.

The first photo showed the young Edward being awarded the medal, with General Su Enqi shaking hands with him. A line next to it read [208, Abyss Watcher Commendation Ceremony, Edward Walker awarded the rank of Sergeant]

The second photo was a family portrait. Edward, wearing a military uniform, was holding his wife and child. Behind him was a passing blue bus and the high walls of Iron City.

The photo was crumpled in the photo frame, mixed with grease, not knowing how many times it had been folded.

Shi Yuan asked, “You used to be a Watcher?”

Edward: “Yes, Edward has stared into Abyss No. 3! Number 3!” He gestured with his hands and feet. “It represents ‘White Bones’! ‘White Bones’!”

Now, Shi Yuan understood why Edward could live in Iron City.

Monsters like to follow humans and were not interested in dead things. Large-scale cities were more likely to attract them than individuals.

This was the reason why Watchers could live by the abyss for a long time.

Watchers live in watchtowers, often in teams of less than 10 people, equipped with weapons and necessities of life, as well as aircraft for evacuation. They acted low-key and minimized their sense of existence, so the monster tide always ignored them and ran straight to the city.

—These were all what Lu Tinghan told Shi Yuan.

Shi Yuan had just returned from the theater, wearing a cypress pullover, and asked him, “If it’s safer to be separated, why do we still live in the city?”

“Only cities can guarantee large-scale production,” Lu Tinghan said, “From weapons to food, to the maintenance and overhaul of ordnance, to the research and analysis of the abyss, and the supply of electricity, urban buildings are needed. The reason why Abyss Watchers exist is that they are supported by urban resources. If we lived separately, we would not have the power we have today, and we would be wiped out as individuals.”

He touched Shi Yuan’s demon horn very smoothly, and then said: “Only when we are united, we are the strongest.”

Iron City had already fallen, leaving behind a lot of resources, and Edward’s experience as a watcher allowed him to survive.

Edward was crazy, but he didn’t forget everything he should remember, including shooting skills, arranging defenses, keeping his voice down all the time, he even suppressed his screams.

Shi Yuan asked him, “Do you want to go to Fengyang City? When I finish doing things, we can go back together, so it’s safer.”

“Fengyang City? No, no, no—” Edward shook his head again and again. “That place is not good, it’s all wind and sun, it’s not fun at all.” He pointed to the street. “Iron City? Great! Edward likes it here! Joanna and Mike like it here too, they won’t leave!”

“Okay, you have to be careful.” Shi Yuan stopped forcing, he thought for a while, “Thank you for the canned corn, but I’m leaving. I still have things to do.”

“Edward likes friends!” Edward said, “Mike likes friends too!”

Shi Yuan looked back, Mike’s head was still on the table, showing them a small smile.

Shi Yuan said tactfully: “Mike may be a little unwell, he has to go to bed early.”

Edward shouted: “We all like friends! My friend, stay!”

“No,” Shi Yuan said, “I don’t have much time, so I have to find the communication tower. I really, really have to go, so let’s meet again when we have a chance.”

As he was about to walk to the door, Edward grabbed his wrist tightly.

Edward stared at him with his bloodshot eyes and said word for word: “…where are you going? Say it again, where are you going?”

“Communication tower,” Shi Yuan said, “I’m going to find something.”

Edward still caught him: “Edward also wants to go to the communication tower, Edward, Joanna, and Mike all want to go! But they can’t do it with only the three of them. Your tail is very interesting and can help them!”

Shi Yuan was a little surprised: “Why are you going there, are you looking for something too?”

“Edward, they want to watch the sunset!” Edward shouted, “The most famous scenery in Iron City – the sunset on the top of the communication tower! Edward is familiar with the communication tower, Edward can help you find something!”

Shi Yuan had never heard of any sunsets.

But Edward seemed to really want to go, so excited that his face and neck were red.

He said, “Then you guys go with me. I, I can’t guarantee your safety, but I will try my best, it must be better than you going alone.” He thought for a while, “By the way, I want to find the data of the ‘Overview’ plan. Do you know where it is?”

“Edward doesn’t know, but Edward knows where they put the server!” Edward gestured, “Service-servers – black, big boxes.”

“What a coincidence, I know what the server looks like.” Shi Yuan couldn’t help but think of Alice. Until yesterday, she was tirelessly sending him files, “That’s great, let’s go together.”

Edward shook his head abruptly: “No, no, no, it’s too dangerous at night, Edward said, we have to wait until tomorrow morning.”

By now the night was deep, and Shi Yuan heard the murmur of monsters on the street, as well as the fluttering of unknown creatures. The special infected creature called “Rock Snake” was active, and the snakes were moving wildly, causing the surrounding monsters to be restless.

Of course, Shi Yuan was not afraid, the wasteland was much more sinister than here.

But bringing Edward was different. Shi Yuan didn’t dare to kill the monsters, he could only intimidate them, but they were instinctively trying to get closer to him while being scared due to the appeal of ascension.

In case something happens…

In order to protect Edward, he had to infect monsters, but it would be a problem.

Shi Yuan was torn for a while, he felt that the Level I warning would not end so soon, so he could delay it for a night.

He said, “Okay, I’ll listen to you, then let’s go out together tomorrow morning.”

Edward clapped his hands and smiled: “Edward’s family, very happy! My friend, very happy!”

So Shi Yuan spent the night with the happy Edward family.