Guan Yi was a good kid.
In the eyes of the neighbors, Guan Yi was sensible, obedient, and filial to his parents. At such a young age, he could already cook wonderfully, and he even took the initiative to handle chores at home. No one knew how many generations of virtue the Guan family had accumulated for Heaven to grant Father Guan and Mother Guan such an excellent son.
In the eyes of his teachers, Guan Yi was smart and hardworking, with outstanding grades and harmonious relationships with all his classmates. Although he had played pranks on female classmates and gotten into scuffles with delinquent boys before, that was the kind of thing bad students should be punished for. As for good students… well, boys going through puberty—it was normal. Completely normal youthful impulses.
Liu Dangmo had been a homeroom teacher for twenty years, and rarely did he encounter such a worry-free student. But more than twenty days after the college entrance exam ended, he called the already-graduated Guan Yi—who had returned to school to retrieve his personal documents—into the office. He slammed his hand heavily on the desk, face full of fury and disappointment.
"Guan Yi! Look at the mess you made! If I hadn't found it strange that your admission notice from the National University of Defense Science and Technology hadn't arrived, and gone to ask about it, I wouldn't have known you secretly signed up as a volunteer for Mystic Realm Exploration. What are you trying to do? Trying to anger me to death— cough cough— to anger your teacher to death?! Cough…"
"Teacher, teacher, slow down. Don't get angry, don't get angry. Here, have some tea…"
"Wipe that smirk off your face!"
Liu Dangmo blew on his tea mug, took a sip, then spat out a bit of leaf foam. He took a deep breath, his tone finally easing slightly.
"Tell me honestly—what were you thinking?"
"To serve the nation, to honor glory, to contribute to the field of Mystic Realm Exploration, and to do my part in annihilating the Demonfolk. It is the duty and code of every citizen!" Guan Yi replied righteously.
"Get out!"
"Alright then, goodbye, teacher."
"…Come back!"
Liu Dangmo was so angry that tea sprayed from his nostrils. He slammed the mug onto the desk. He wanted to yell, but instead, his voice weakened.
The National University of Defense Science and Technology is one of the top five universities in our country. Mystic Realm Management and Ecology is the number-one program within the entire school. With your scores, you would have been a guaranteed admit.
I know young people like you admire strength, dream of flying through the skies, and of being omnipotent. But why throw away such a bright future just to take risks?"
"…Forget it. What's done is done. The military has already recorded your name; no one can change it now. Otherwise, you'd be treated as a deserter. You enter the Mystic Realm tomorrow… You're a clever kid. I hope I hear good news from you." He waved tiredly. "At least… come back alive."
Guan Yi bowed slightly. "Teacher, I'm sorry. I've let you down."
Seeing that Guan Yi had stopped joking, Liu Dangmo felt both comforted and heartbroken. When Guan Yi reached the door, the teacher suddenly remembered something.
"Wait—how did your parents agree to this? They—"
Guan Yi quickened his pace.
"…Hm? Come back!"
"Guan Yi! Come back here!"
Guan Yi started running.
…
After running out of the office building and exiting the campus, he saw two people waiting for him at the gate.
A lanky boy, who resembled a giant macaque, walked over grinning. "So, Guan Yi—got chewed out by Old Demon Liu? Serves you right!"
"Mr. Liu must be furious. Guan Yi is his favorite student," the pretty girl beside him added. "Even I don't understand—why would you throw away such a good university?"
Guan Yi sighed softly, gazing into the distance.
"For dreams… and for the vast unknown."
"…Don't forget to take your medicine for brain damage," the girl muttered.
"Hahaha! That's how a man should be! Guan Yi, if you'd told me earlier, I'd have gone with you!" the macaque-like boy laughed. "It's fine. If anything happens to you inside the Mystic Realm, I'll wipe that whole realm clean one day!"
"Tan Long, what nonsense are you spewing!" the girl snapped, punching him.
"Ah—Cui Cui! Ow! Why so serious?!"
The three of them laughed and chatted as they headed into the subway station. Guan Yi could tell his two childhood friends were genuinely worried about him, and he felt a tug in his chest.
He had crossed over—or rather, reincarnated—into this world eighteen full years ago. He was long accustomed to this life and had fully embraced his new existence.
This world differed greatly from the one in his previous life. The planet beneath his feet was called Fog Star, with only two continents: East and West. And humans were not the only intelligent species—there were also the Demonfolk.
According to legend, the Demonfolk were adept at disguising themselves and could take human form, but in truth, they were brutal and bloodthirsty, even feeding on humans. They possessed innate physical power far beyond humans and were inherently malicious. Over the past thousand years, the two races had already fought six massive wars, with countless covert clashes in between.
As an ordinary person, Guan Yi had never seen a Demonfolk. After all, the last great war had been a hundred years ago—back in Teacher Liu Dangmo's grandfather's generation.
The Demonfolk lived mainly on the Western Continent, while humans resided in the Eastern Continent. But most of both continents were shrouded year-round in thick fog. Strange and dangerous beasts roamed within it, making those areas uninhabitable. This constant fog was likely the reason for the planet's name: Fog Star.
Within that dense fog existed the Mystic Realms.
So-called Mystic Realms were essentially other worlds—each Realm containing its own civilization: technology, magic, battle qi, fantastical systems…
Humanity had learned advanced technology from them and gained powerful abilities. After an exploration concluded, explorers would receive a Mystic Blessing based on their contributions and findings within the realm, granting them a mark called a Mystic Mark.
Mystic Marks allowed people to break human physical limits, gaining the strength to shatter stone—or even fly through the skies—becoming Mystic Mark Warriors.
To Guan Yi, exploring Mystic Realms was like running dungeon raids in games. Beat the levels, gain rewards. Except… everyone only had one life, and every time one entered a new Realm, they had to "create a new account."
No matter how many Mystic Realms you had cleared, no matter what power you possessed in reality, a new Realm always reset you to zero. Only your experience carried over.
Even a sky-soaring War God would have to start from scratch in a new Realm.
Because of this, when a new Mystic Realm was first discovered, the early exploration rounds were extremely dangerous—even War Gods often died.
Thus emerged the Exploration Volunteers.
Are you dissatisfied with your current life?
Do you yearn for supernatural martial power?
Do you dream of expanding human territory and annihilating the Demonfolk?
If you are at least 18, not over 50, healthy and whole—
Welcome to the Mystic Realm Exploration Volunteer Corps.
A world of the unknown awaits your discovery and development!
It sounded like a shameless way of recruiting cannon fodder, but in truth, it was the core mechanism keeping society stable. With enormous gaps in power—and even life levels—between ordinary people and Mystic Mark Warriors, society naturally divided into tiers.
But if everyone could volunteer for Mystic Realm exploration, then ordinary people at least had a chance—however slim—to stake their lives for a massive leap upward. And most importantly… the compensation for death was extremely generous—enough for the family to live comfortably for a lifetime.
"Guan Yi…" Cui Cui had been quietly watching him the whole ride. When the subway was about to reach her stop, she finally couldn't hold back. "Did you… Or your parents… run into some kind of trouble? If someone's bullying your family, you have to tell me, okay? My dad can help!"
"Yeah, Guan Yi," Tan Long nodded. "If there's trouble, tell us—we'll figure something out."
Guan Yi sighed. "The two of you… You're really making your dad worry about whether you'll keep up in university. I'm someone who could get into the National University of Defense Science and Technology—future management of Mystic Mark Warriors, okay? Who would dare bully my family?"
Cui Cui raised a fist. "You little—!"
"We're worried about you, and you call us stupid? Doesn't your conscience hurt?!"
Guan Yi laughed. "Alright, alright. The train's here. I'm heading home. Next time you see me, I'll be a high-flying Mystic Mark Warrior. You two weaklings—wait for my good news."
"…Guan Yi, be careful."
"Yeah, don't die. Even if you come back disabled, we'll take care of you for the rest of your life!"
"Tan Long! What crap are you spouting?!"
Guan Yi got off the train, waved casually behind him without turning around, and disappeared into the crowd.
That casual confidence lasted… right up until he reached his front door.
Facing the door, he hesitated for a long moment before finally taking out his key and opening it.
The fragrant aroma of stewed fish drifted out. His mother, busy in the kitchen, heard the door and came out—her expression slightly displeased.
Guan Yi's heart leapt. All his confidence from earlier vanished. He braced himself for the storm.
Instead, Mrs. Mo Lin said, "The admission notice from the National University of Defense Science and Technology came way too suddenly. What school notifies you in the evening and makes you start military training tomorrow morning? It's even earlier than all the other universities! You didn't even have time to buy daily necessities! Dinner's almost ready. After you eat, I'll help you pack your things."
Guan Yi froze.
The military's volunteer notice should've arrived already…
So why is she talking about the university's military training?
I didn't even apply there…
His father, Guan Shanhai, walked out of the study. "It's a military academy; of course, it's stricter. And they'll provide all the daily supplies. No need for us to worry. You should be thinking about how we'll survive without your cooking for several months."
"Guan Shanhai, if you don't like it, you don't have to eat!"
Mo Lin glared at him and returned to the kitchen to continue perfecting her grape-braised fish.
Guan Shanhai came over and placed a heavy hand on Guan Yi's shoulder. His voice was earnest.
"Son… you've grown strong without me noticing.
Don't worry—I lied to your mom. Otherwise, she wouldn't sleep tonight. We'll keep it from her as long as we can.
I won't ask why you gave up a top university to become a Mystic Realm volunteer. You've always been sensible and decisive. Dad trusts you. Just remember: be careful. Before doing anything risky, think of your mom."
"…Dad."
Understanding dawned on Guan Yi.
The military's volunteer notice had arrived. His father simply hid it.
A father's love was like a mountain—silent, heavy, unspoken.
To know he had given up his studies, abandoned his bright and stable future, and chosen danger—
His teacher was heartbroken,
his friends thought he was in trouble,
but only his father asked nothing and silently supported him.
Guan Yi's emotions tangled. For the first time, he even felt a faint sense of regret.
Such a peaceful life.
Such a warm family.
Such a bright future.
Why hadn't he cherished it more?
If only I hadn't discovered that secret letter…
The one that proved my father was secretly communicating with the Demonfolk…