"Foggy Void Realm... What is that?" Shen Xing asked, confused.
"You don’t know?"
The three of them shook their heads. They had only been playing this game for a few days, so how could they know so much?
"Uh..." Zhou Zheng thought for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "To put it simply, it’s a large-scale leak of Mist Energy from the game world, which forms a special foggy domain in the real world."
"It’s filled with traps and monsters, but also a great deal of treasure."
"Recently, a One-Star ’Foggy Void Realm’ appeared right here in Jiang City, at Bright Moon Bay Park."
"Inside are plenty of treasures that allow Soldier Types to break through to Tier Two, and there are even special Soldier Types, buildings, Gemstones, and the like."
"For all Pioneers, it’s a rare opportunity."
"It’s been sealed off for now. In a month, the top newcomers in Jiang City will be sent in."
"As for how many resources you can get, that’ll depend on your own skills."
When Zhou Zheng finished, the three of them nodded in realization. They had a basic understanding now.
In simple terms, this so-called "Foggy Void Realm" was just a large-scale, multiplayer dungeon.
The only difference was that this dungeon wasn’t in the game but in the real world, and it was filled with resources from the game.
Just as they were about to ask something else, they suddenly felt a sharp pain in their heads, as if they had been struck by a hammer.
At the same time, the figure of Hellish Roar before them began to grow faint.
"Your Levels are too low. Your Spiritual Power isn’t enough to maintain a manifested Soldier Type for too long," Zhou Zheng reminded them. "Hurry and cut the connection, or it will drain you dry."
Hearing this, the three of them quickly severed the connection between their consciousness and the Fog Flower.
Hellish Roar and Bayonetta vanished completely, and the dizzy sensation gradually faded.
"Alright, you all go back and rest for now. I’ll handle things here." Zhou Zheng’s tone became calm again.
Shen Xing and the others nodded. Without saying much, they walked toward the elevator entrance.
They were just exhausted. Manifesting Soldier Types in the real world was incredibly draining.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Zhou Zheng added, "Oh, right. During this time, improve your strength as much as possible."
"If your performance in the Foggy Void Realm ranks in the top ten, you’ll receive a special reward from the Bureau."
"Also, I can find a way to take you to other cities to challenge higher-star Foggy Void Realms."
BEEP. The elevator doors closed completely.
After Shen Xing and the others left, Zhou Zheng slowly walked over to his Soldier Type.
The Minotaur extended a hand as large as a cattail fan, uncurling its fingers to reveal a bright Soul.
Zhou Zheng nodded in satisfaction and pocketed the Soul.
"Captain Zhou."
The young woman in the black uniform walked out from the corner. "Did you not tell them that there’s a monetary reward for heroic acts like this?"
"Why mention it?" Zhou Zheng waved his hand dismissively. "It’s just tens of thousands. Those kids wouldn’t be interested. Just consider it my fee for arranging their slots."
The woman was stunned for a moment. Then she gave him a flat look and silently picked up her pen.
"Min, don’t write that part down."
...
...
A silver Lexus sped down the road.
The three sat in the car, gazing at the scenery outside, their minds still replaying everything that had happened at the mall.
"Shen Xing, Jiayi, should we go in a month?"
Qin Lang asked from behind the wheel. "This Foggy Void Realm sounds like a pretty good place."
"Let’s not rush. We’ll look up some information on the Foggy Void Realm when we get back, then decide whether to go," Shen Xing replied calmly.
"True," Qin Lang nodded. "We should learn more about it first. Besides, we’re just starting out and are still very weak."
Next, they drove to a riverside apartment complex in Jiang City and dropped off Xu Jiayi.
Qin Lang continued driving, dropping Shen Xing back at his rental in the suburbs.
He didn’t leave until he had seen Shen Xing upstairs.
Back inside his room, Shen Xing closed the door.
Shen Xing leaned back in his wheelchair, took out his phone, and searched for "Foggy Void Realm" on the forums.
It was more or less as Zhou Zheng had described—a place of opportunity with many treasures, and a rare chance for players.
But there was one thing he didn’t mention: the competition in the Foggy Void Realm was fierce. Players needed to compete for rankings to get rewards from different tiers.
Getting into the top three even came with exclusive rewards.
Besides that, it was also very dangerous inside, with frequent incidents of player casualties.
After a brief search, Shen Xing collected his thoughts. ’I’ll worry about this Foggy Void Realm later. The most important thing right now is to increase my territory’s strength.’
He put on his glasses, and the scene before his eyes changed once again.
WHOOSH...
Orange flames burned brightly, illuminating the entire small village and washing over him in waves of warmth.
The thick Fog churned all around, surrounding the village like ocean waves, but it was unable to breach the range of the firelight.
Shen Xing’s gaze swept across his surroundings.
In the center of the territory, Hellish Roar was directing eight Beastmen, who were lined up for combat training.
"Beastmen are born with Power that surpasses other Races. At the same time, they also have more volatile tempers and are prone to entering a berserk state in battle."
"But we must learn to control our anger and obey commands."
"Those controlled by Power are mere beasts. Only those who can control Power can be called Beastmen."
Hellish Roar’s deep voice rang out continuously, while the other Beastmen were in a daze, not understanding his words but feeling they were profound.
He didn’t try to make them understand. Instead, he brought over massive stones and had them practice carving on their surfaces.
It seemed he wanted to use this delicate work to hone their patience.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Shen Xing quietly watched Hellish Roar’s back, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
’This commander of mine is a bit different from other Beastmen.’
’He’s more level-headed and calmer in battle, not one to solve problems with brute force alone.’
’Moreover, he seems to have the natural air of a leader.’
’Before, due to his lack of strength, it wasn’t particularly noticeable.’
’Now, as his Potential has increased, it’s gradually starting to show.’
This made Shen Xing eager to see what Hellish Roar would become in the future.
At that moment, the Beastman spotted his Lord and immediately strode over.
"Lord, you’ve returned."
Hellish Roar’s tone was a bit confused. "What just happened? I feel like I was dreaming. I saw you in the dream, and I even fought a monster."
Shen Xing smiled and explained things to him.
Hellish Roar nodded in understanding, now realizing what had occurred.
"Report on last night’s situation. Did anything unusual happen?" Shen Xing asked.
Hellish Roar gathered his thoughts and replied, "There were two or three waves of monster attacks last night. One of the waves included a stealthy Elite Level monster."
"But the Arrow Tower spotted it, exposing its position, and then it was slain by us."
"Oh, right. Here is the loot."
With that, he took a coarse cloth pouch from his waist and handed it over.
[Obtained: Soul Stone x45]
[Obtained: Vinar Silver Coins x37]
[Obtained: Broken Dim Soul x24]
[Obtained: Shattered Elite Soul x6]
[Obtained: Complete Elite Soul x1]
...
Seeing the last line of loot, Shen Xing’s eyes lit up.
’I can’t believe we got a Complete Elite Soul last night.’
Counting Sacrificial Evolution, he now had two chances today to raise an Elite’s star-level.
"Not bad. You’ve all worked hard guarding the territory."
Shen Xing offered a word of praise, then asked, "Where’s Blood Roar?"
"Boss, I’m here!"
Following the rough voice, the door of a nearby wooden house opened, and a massive figure emerged.
Blood Roar came out, riding a gray Warg and looking full of vigor.
The Warg, however, had its head lowered, looking listless.
After Blood Roar’s repeated "lessons," the beast was now completely obedient.
"Boss, are you taking Blood Roar out to fight?" he asked, raising his War Axe, his fighting spirit soaring. "I’m ready!"
Shen Xing shook his head, then handed over the Complete Elite Soul. "No rush to go out. Absorb this Soul first."
Gazing at the bright Soul in his hand, not only Blood Roar, but even the Warg beneath him showed a look of desire in its eyes.
"Yes, Boss! I will definitely succeed!"
A look of fanatical loyalty on his face, Blood Roar pressed the complete Soul into his chest.
A familiar red light burst forth from within his body. His form began to change at a visible rate, and his aura climbed steadily.
Miraculously, as the red light spread, it actually enveloped the Warg beneath him as well.
A familiar prompt appeared.
[Please select ’Blood Roar’s’ advancement path]
[1: Beastman Warrior (High burst damage, powerful front-line combat capabilities)]
[2: Wolf Cavalry (Hidden branch, high mobility, high burst damage, powerful charge capabilities)]
...