Chapter 29 – Demon Realm Gate

Volume 1: Apocalypse Beginning

"Challenge begins, Stage Five: one Level 1 Intermediate Zombie."

Wen Yu looked completely at ease. So-called "Intermediate" only meant its physical attributes were at the mid-range of Level 1-just 5 to 9 points.

A flash of white light, and a thin figure appeared. Before anyone could get a good look at this grade of Zombie, Wen Yu rushed forward and struck again with his blade.

This time, Wen Yu didn't show off with a vertical slash, but instead delivered a standard horizontal cut to the Zombie's neck.

The freshly spawned Zombie hadn't even had a chance to take in this world before its head was severed. Its mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

This Zombie's constitution was not high.

"Challenge successful. Reward: two Level 1 Magic Crystals of any attribute. Would you like to challenge the next stage?"

"Continue."

Looking at the Magic Crystals in his hand, Wen Yu knew that Level 1 Magic Crystals were now useless for himself or his Soul Beast, but in the Apocalypse, these things were as good as currency. Naturally, Wen Yu wouldn't just throw them away like trash.

Three flashes of white light appeared on the stage. At the same time, the prompt sounded belatedly.

"Challenge begins, Stage Six: three Level 1 Intermediate Zombies."

The three Zombies landed and roared as they lunged at Wen Yu.

Their speed was nearly identical; all three had physical attributes of 9 points.

What kind of effect does 9 points in physical attributes bring?

The three Zombies appeared only ten meters from Wen Yu.

Within a single second, Wen Yu and the three Zombies were already engaged.

Their movements were so fast that the four people below could only see afterimages.

"Holy crap, who is this guy? How can he be so strong? This has to be cheating, right? This is definitely cheating!" Lin Li shouted loudly from below the stage.

Before his words had even faded, the outcome on stage was already decided.

First, one Zombie was kicked flying, the tremendous force snapping its body at the waist, spilling intestines and organs all over the ground.

Humans and Zombies both have inherently low defenses.

The Zombie felt no pain at all, and its hands quickly crawled toward Wen Yu. Then Wen Yu stomped and crushed its head.

A flash of the blade, and Wen Yu beheaded another Zombie. The last one had just stretched its foul mouth toward him when Wen Yu slapped its face, sending its teeth flying. The Zombie staggered, and Wen Yu drove his blade through its head, killing it instantly.

Wen Yu glanced at Lin Li; he'd heard Lin Li's earlier comment. Lin Li shuddered under Wen Yu's gaze. Although Wen Yu's eyes showed no emotion, Lin Li couldn't shake the feeling that a monster had set its sights on him.

"Challenge successful. Reward: one F-Rank Protective Jade. Would you like to continue the challenge?"

This time, Wen Yu didn't answer immediately, but first examined the reward in his hand.

F-Rank Protective Jade: Can block 100 full-power attacks from Level 1 creatures, 10 from Level 2 creatures, and 1 from Level 3 creatures. Consumable item.

"Not a bad little thing," Wen Yu smiled with satisfaction. For a Level 1 Class Holder, this was a life-saving artifact. The Treasure Land was finally offering some decent rewards.

"Continue the challenge." After the previous battle, Wen Yu couldn't help but feel a bit excited.

In his previous life, he'd been stuck at Peak Level 1 for a long time, but now Wen Yu had found that familiar feeling again.

"Challenge begins, Stage Seven: one Level 1 Peak Zombie. Good luck, challenger! The final reward awaits you!"

Wen Yu was a bit surprised by the prompt-he hadn't expected the Treasure Land's system to cheer him on. What was the logic behind that?

Before Wen Yu could think further, the Zombie opposite him lunged at lightning speed.

Both had identical attributes, and Wen Yu had no skills in his normal state.

Although Zombies were inherently handicapped, at this level their bodies had become much more agile. During the previous challenge, Wen Yu had almost been bitten by the last Zombie. If he got injured early on, it would only make the later challenges more difficult.

Wen Yu immediately entered Combat State.

With a physical attribute as high as 20 points, the Steel Blade he swung turned into a dazzling flash of silver. As the Zombie lunged at him, it was instantly swept up by the blade's light.

When the silver light faded, the Zombie had already fallen to the ground, four wounds neatly slicing it into five pieces.

"Challenge successful. Reward: one Spatial Movement Scroll. Eighth stage: three Level 1 Peak Zombies. Challenge… begins!"

Before Wen Yu could react, the Treasure Land challenge suddenly unfolded.

"What's going on?" The rules of the Treasure Land were clearly displayed on the Stone Pillar, yet this time, the Treasure Land didn't ask whether to continue and instead started directly.

Moreover, the tone of the notification was becoming increasingly confusing to Wen Yu, as it clearly carried curiosity, anticipation, and even a hint of schadenfreude.

The Zombies opposite Wen Yu didn't care what he was thinking. They bared their fangs and claws, charging at him at full speed.

In Combat State, Wen Yu naturally had no fear of such a challenge. Not to mention the terrifying skill Soul Strike, just his physical attribute alone, which was double that of his opponents, allowed Wen Yu to completely crush the enemy.

The three Zombies were killed in succession. Looking at the ground covered in foul blood and broken corpses, Wen Yu grew increasingly curious about this Treasure Land. It was as if someone was manipulating it from behind the scenes.

"Challenge successful. Reward: one F-Rank Spatial Ring. Powerful challenger, the final stage awaits. This is both an opportunity and a crisis. The life-and-death battle begins now."

The originally crisp and clear electronic voice had become completely distorted, filled with excitement and fervor, making Wen Yu's blood boil.

Twenty meters directly in front of Wen Yu, the original teleportation white light of the Treasure Land vanished, replaced by a black door densely covered in glowing purple patterns.

"Demon Realm Gate!!!" Wen Yu exclaimed in shock the moment he saw the door.

"That's impossible. How could the Demon Realm Gate appear at this time?"

The door before him was exactly the same as the Demon Realm Gate from his previous life, only hundreds of times smaller, appearing just large enough for one person.

"Oh? You know this is the Demon Realm Gate? Where have you seen it before!" Wen Yu was still reeling from the shock of seeing the Demon Realm Gate when a childish voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

"Who is it?" Wen Yu instinctively swung his War Blade behind him.

But behind him, there was no one.

Only Guan Tao and the other three below the Arena looked at him with envy, wariness, and even fear.

Wen Yu quickly scanned his surroundings.

"Stop looking, kid. I'm the Guardian of this Treasure Land. You won't find me. The entire Treasure Land is my backyard, wahahaha."

"Who exactly are you?"

Wen Yu felt a great sense of fear toward this unknown presence.

He couldn't see this person at all, and although the person claimed to be the Guardian of the Treasure Land, Wen Yu had never heard of any such Guardian in his previous life.

Moreover, judging by the expressions of Guan Tao and the others just now, it was clear they hadn't heard the same voice he did.

"You're quite interesting, kid. You even know about the Demon Realm Gate. Hmm, could it be…"

"Forget it, never mind. Little one, right now you shouldn't be worrying about who I am, but rather about the Demon Realm Gate in front of you. Since you know what it is, you should also know what kind of opponent you'll face in this final stage. Survive first, and if you make it, Yours Truly wouldn't mind having a chat with you!"