John Stone, an Adventurer from Blackstone Town, had grown up hearing tales from the elders. They spoke of a bizarre catastrophe that changed the world forever: stars ceased to move, water became tainted, crops struggled to grow, and a once-glorious civilization crumbled overnight. The survivors had to rely on Underground Cities for most of their essential resources.
As a result, becoming an Adventurer was the most sought-after profession.
One day, John discovered a new city named "Miracle City," which had developed a Secret Realm called "Doomsday Frenzy."
Though Blackstone Town was just a small town, it boasted around five hundred Underground City holdings. Most lasted less than three months, either because poorly made Secret Realms ran at a loss and closed or conflicts with dark creatures and territorial wars destroyed them.
There were so many Underground Cities that new ones seldom drew attention from Adventurers. Moreover, cities without renown struggled to create valuable Secret Realms.
John became an Adventurer not solely for fame or fortune but for the sheer joy of exploration. He loved reviewing the latest Secret Realms in various Underground Cities.
Doomsday Frenzy? Such an intriguing name!
John decided to give it a shot and teleported to Miracle City using a crystal.
Miracle City, a typical new Underground City, lacked supporting facilities and resembled a crude camp. At its center stood the Secret Realm Lobby, containing just one Secret Realm crystal.
"Oh, fellow travelers! You must be here to experience the Foreign Lands Chronicle too!" John greeted two other Adventurers. "I'm Stone Hammer King. What are your names?"
Adventurers often used aliases instead of their real names. Stone Hammer King was John's Adventurer alias.
A petite, adorable girl with a ponytail, almond eyes, and rosy cheeks introduced herself as "Mandy Bright." A burly, scruffy-bearded man laughed and said, "I'm Lone Blade. Just call me Old Blade!"
Though all three hailed from Blackstone Town, they hadn't heard of each other, unsurprising given the town's nearly hundred thousand Adventurers.
"Welcome to Miracle City!" exclaimed Lord Jack, who personally greeted them warmly. As a new lord without citizens, he couldn't afford to be aloof.
Adventurers were typically free individuals, relatively equal to lords, except for the most powerful and influential top-tier lords.
Mandy immediately asked, "Lord, what makes this Secret Realm special? As your first supporters, can you give us some hints?"
"Doomsday Frenzy is unique. You'll need wisdom, courage, and effort to survive and find a safe house. The more monsters you defeat, the higher your evaluation and rewards at settlement."
"That's it?"
"That's all I can say. Experience it for yourselves; I promise you won't be disappointed."
The three exchanged skeptical glances.
That didn't sound very original. Probably just another reskinned maze! This lord's design skills seemed lacking. This Underground City probably wouldn't last long!
Lone Blade asked, "Who wants to go first?"
Mandy volunteered, "I'll go first. I have other Underground Cities scheduled, so I can't waste too much time here!"
She activated the Secret Realm crystal and vanished into the Secret Realm.
The Secret Realm crystal was the gateway, usable by one Adventurer at a time. When a territory earned enough soul crystals, it could create more crystals to increase the Secret Realm's capacity.
As Adventurers entered, their actions were displayed on the crystal, allowing others to observe and communicate through it, much like watching someone play a game at an internet café.
Mandy had low expectations and wanted to finish quickly. But upon opening her eyes, she was astounded.
She found herself in a city with an unprecedented art style, like a jungle of reinforced concrete. On a sealed rooftop, surrounded by steel bars and netting, there was only one door. Before her lay an axe, a pistol, and a medical kit.
"This Secret Realm has some substance! This unique scene alone makes you want to explore!"
Not only was Mandy inside the Secret Realm shocked, but Stone Hammer King and Lone Blade, watching through the crystal, were also intrigued by the novel and strange elements.
Mandy grabbed the pistol, axe, and medical kit. She had never seen a weapon like a pistol but instantly understood its basic use upon touching it.
This was a "P226 Pistol" with a magazine capacity of 15 rounds. But there was no infinite ammunition; she only had one magazine.
"This weapon is quite interesting!"
Mandy slung the axe over her back and held the P226 pistol, pushing open the door to the corridor. The ground was a mess, and the walls bore gruesome bloodstains. Ahead, a figure with its back turned caught her eye.
Someone? An NPC?
Some Secret Realms included neutral or friendly characters to guide Adventurers.
Mandy cautiously approached, noticing the figure squatting and devouring something. An ominous feeling made her stop and not get too close.
"Hey, hello, excuse me..."
The figure turned, revealing a pale face with decaying vein patterns, cloudy, bulging eyes, and a mouth still chewing flesh. With a growl, it rushed at her.
This was a deliberate jump scare by Jack, a nod to the 'smile back' in Resident Evil.
In this dim corridor, within a strange city, with no psychological preparation, Mandy's reaction was predictable.
"Oh my god!"
Even Stone Hammer King and Lone Blade watching outside were startled.
What was going on? This small Underground City was so intense?
The zombie moved as agilely as a normal human, closing in swiftly. Mandy fired three bullets, hitting its chest, one even piercing its heart, but nothing stopped the frenzied monster. In the next moment, she was tackled.
[Adventurer "Mandy Bright" has died. Soul crystal +1!]
Not bad! Business opened so quickly!
Jack was thrilled.
"What happened? Why couldn't I kill that demon?"
Mandy exited the Secret Realm, her face pale with horror and lingering fear.
Lone Blade advised, "That monster seems like an undead living corpse, but more crazed. Next time, aim for the head."
"My turn!" Stone Hammer King entered the game as Lone Blade nervously watched.
Mandy, who had planned to leave early, stayed, eager to unravel the Secret Realm's mystery. Could that crazed monster be defeated?
After selecting his character, Stone Hammer King appeared on the rooftop, gathering the pistol, axe, and medical kit.
"The Secret Realm's scenery is so detailed! This unique scenery alone makes it worth playing!"
Stone Hammer King marveled at the visuals before entering the stairwell. He encountered the 'smile back' zombie again and fired directly at the back of its head.
Bang!
A precise shot, and the zombie was down.
"Haha, this living corpse looks scary but isn't strong at all!"
Stone Hammer King admired the weapon in his hand, comparing it favorably to a crossbow: "This pistol is like a crossbow but ten or a hundred times more refined, much more convenient than a crossbow."
Moving on, he encountered two more zombies, firing six bullets. Four missed or didn't hit vital points, but two resulted in headshot kills.
"Awesome! Killed two more! With such powerful weapons, even my grandmother could probably take down these living corpses!"
He exclaimed with exhilaration. But before he could gloat, five zombies rushed from a corner. In a panic, he fired quickly but only managed to kill three before running out of bullets.
"Oh no!" Stone Hammer King panicked.
Lone Blade reminded him, "Use the axe!"
Right! The axe!
Stone Hammer King quickly swung the fire axe, striking a zombie's head and getting splattered with foul-smelling black blood. Before he could withdraw the axe, another zombie tackled him.
[Adventurer "Stone Hammer King" has died. Mental Power +1, Soul crystal +1!]
Another one down!
Not only did he gain a soul crystal, but he also earned a precious point of Mental Power!