Chapter 48: Into the Secret Realm: Alone Among Enemies
Ash watches the teleportation gate, and a few minutes later, the gate begins to hum with power. Light pulses through its core. Mina steps out from the gate, her face calm and determined. Simultaneously, other young people start emerging from the teleportation gate. From Ash's perspective, these people look like warriors—focused, sharp-eyed, and strong-minded.
He says, "Hello," to Mina. Afterward, he offers her a house to rest in, but she shakes her head gently. "Ten minutes is enough," she says. "Then we'll go explore the relic sites." He nods silently. Just before Ash leaves the house, Mina hands him an item. He accepts it with a quiet "Thanks," feeling a flicker of curiosity.
He opens the system window to examine the object.
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Name: Dodge Badge (Item – one-time use)
Requirement: Use by altar territory only from city owner or its subordinate
Quantity: 1
Status: Good
Ability: Allows city to avoid attack from monster plane for one day.
Description: Good for dodging the attack from monster plane, but simultaneous use only possible for 15 days
Grade: Low-grade
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Surprise flickers across Ash's face as he reads the description. A slight smile forms at the corner of his lips. He decides to use this item only when he is outside the city for a day. For now, he holds onto it. The system's message echoes in his mind—he can activate the badge from anywhere, but only before evening.
After thinking it through, Ash decides to take Ram and some other soldiers with him for the exploration of the relic site.
Ten minutes later,
He and Mina leave the city, moving in the direction of the relic site. During the journey, a few wild monsters attempt to ambush them, but Mina's group deals with them swiftly, their coordination smooth and deadly. Ash watches in awe. The strength and speed of these young warriors are incredible. He thinks, Elites of the human race should be this strong if we're considered mid-grade power in this world.
At the relic site,
Ash immediately senses it—mana density here is several times stronger than before. The air feels heavier, charged with invisible energy. Then he hears Mina murmur, "Perfect," a soft smile blooming on her face.
A few seconds later, she says, "Get ready for exploration of the relic."
Ash grips his swords tightly. He glances around and sees the others checking their supplies and weapons one last time. Moments later, Mina kneels and places a few strange devices into the soil. Minutes pass. Then, right before Ash's eyes, a mid-sized space gate opens with a low hum. It's just large enough for people to enter one by one.
He watches Mina. A slight smile plays on her lips. "Get in and explore the secret realm," she says. "Try to stay alive. There, you might meet the indigenous. If you're an altar owner, you can recruit them—but only if they're of your race and willing to leave the realm. Try to survive. Grab anything you find. Help each other as much as possible. You have limited time inside."
A moment later,
Ash sees the others stepping into the space gate. A few minutes pass. Then Ash and his soldiers also walk into the shimmering entrance.
Time slips.
Ash groans, clutching his head. A pounding headache wracks his skull. His brain feels like it's on fire. He blinks through the pain, then realizes he's lying on a soft bed of soil and grass. He slowly rises to his feet, feeling the dirt beneath his boots. He's alone—his soldiers are nowhere to be seen. A surge of anxiety tightens in his chest, but he clenches his fists and forces the feeling down. He has to move. He has to find his people. Maybe even find something useful for Nexus City.
From the surroundings, Ash senses he's in a forested part of the secret realm. Towering trees surround him, their trunks thick, their leaves dense. Tall grasses sway in the wind.
A moment later, Ash encounters a wild beast. He narrows his eyes and quickly calls up the system window.
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Big Bear
Rank: F-rank
Level: 0
Description: A big bear with oversized fangs capable of chewing through wood, leather, and even weak armor—but prefers to eat soil and rock. It lives alone near mountains, using its bulk and strength to overwhelm prey.
Abilities: None
Fast Reproduction – Mid reproduction capability compared to other monsters.
Gnawing Instinct – Can chew through doors, weak barriers, or ropes to escape traps.
Aggressive – In nature, but cautious
Weakness: Weak to water and blunt attacks. Easily irritated by loud noises.
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Ash draws his flame sword and, with one precise strike, cuts down the bear. The body collapses with a heavy thud. He extracts the mana core from the beast and carefully continues his journey through the forest.
Minutes pass. Ash discovers a tree that catches his eye—something glistens on the trunk. After examining it for a while, Ash thinks it might be honey. He opens the system window again.
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Name: Mana Honey (Consumable Resource)
Status: Good
Quantity: 16
Ability: Provides essential energy and slightly increases mana of living beings
Description: Very tasty, hard to find. Eat with caution and slowly, or you'll miss the taste for life.
Grade: White
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He stares at the screen, surprised by the grade. A slow smile spreads across his face. This is valuable. Powerful. Without hesitation, he decides to consume the mana honey all by himself—it will boost his power, and he needs that.
A moment passes. Ash sits under the tree and eats the mana honey slowly, cautiously, always watching the forest around him. Some small monsters show up during his meal, but they flee after sensing the strength of his life energy. He continues to consume the mana honey, trusting this place won't make it harder for him to survive.
Once done, he feels it. A subtle shift in his body. His thoughts are clearer. His brain feels sharper—faster.
Refreshed, he resumes exploring the forest. A few minutes later, he spots familiar faces—but not his soldiers. He freezes. They see him too, and tension crackles in the air. They exchange a quiet "Hello," but their eyes remain alert, hands clenched tightly around weapons. With strained smiles, they wordlessly part ways, heading in different directions.
Once they're gone, Ash thinks, Killing others in the secret realm… it's real. I have to stay alert. If someone ambushes me, I can't hesitate. Even familiar faces could kill for treasure. I must be ready.
Suddenly, a deep boom echoes from the forest. Another follows. And another. The sound grows louder—it's coming closer. Ash's heart pounds. Something big is heading this way. Without wasting time, he flees in a different direction.
But soon, he runs into a pair of monsters. He quickly opens the system window.
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Name: Fist Monkey
Grade: Mid-grade Beast
Quantity: 2
Level: 1
Description: A powerful beast in the low-rank monster hierarchy. Very good at killing small prey that is alone. Its eyes can see clearly in the dark. Its fists are deadly weapons in a fight.
Abilities: None
Weakness: Attacked by sharp weapons, fire, fists
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Ash narrows his eyes. This fight… it's really going to be tough.