Chapter 784: Inside the Secret Realm
Inside the Secret Realm
The entrance to the secret realm was just a few hundred meters away, deep within the forest. The area around the entrance was bustling with activity. There were not only merchants buying up secret realm materials, but also stalls selling weapons and armor, and even a few small food stands cooking up snacks on the spot.
Lin Ye and Eura pushed through the crowd, approaching the entrance. It was a purple light gate; passing through it would take them into the heart of the secret realm.
The vendors and adventurers didn't seem to notice them at all, even though they looked highly conspicuous.
As they passed by the food stalls, each stall owner would prepare food and hand it to them.
Lin Ye tasted the novel snacks. Although these foods had limited nutritional value, they contained ingredients he had never seen before.
"Are you really a phantom beast deity?"
Eura took a skewer of dark-red grilled meat and took a bite.
"I have no reason to lie to you."
Lin Ye kept eating while moving the Dinosaur Body. This puppet form had completed its basic reinforcement, and all its injuries had fully healed.
According to the information Little Guardian had gathered, this secret realm seemed to contain traces left behind by phantom beasts, along with a lot of nutrient-rich food.
"Then let's go in quickly. I want to advance as soon as possible."
Eura had already decided which combat system she wanted to choose.
"Alright."
Lin Ye swallowed the snacks in his hand, then led Eura through the purple light gate.
……………………………………
"Cough, cough... Where is this place?"
Lin Ye climbed out of bed. His entire body felt unusually heavy, and his mind was sluggish, like a computer whose components had been swapped out.
He had experienced this feeling recently, inside that amusement park.
Lin Ye looked around. He was wearing a set of dark blue fleece pajamas, sitting on a single bed. This appeared to be a bedroom.
A picture frame stood on the cabinet, containing a photo of him and Eura.
It was a photo of his true body.
The body he was using now was not the Dinosaur Body, but an ordinary body that resembled his true appearance.
'What's going on here... Is this what a secret realm is supposed to be like...'
This was completely different from the information Little Guardian had gathered.
Before he could figure out the situation, a piercing air raid siren suddenly blared outside.
Woo——Woo——Woo——
Lin Ye quickly pulled open the curtains and glanced outside.
Plastered against the window was a massive eyeball that filled the entire pane, covered in dense black pupils.
The moment Lin Ye pulled open the curtains, all those unfocused pupils simultaneously stared through the window at Lin Ye inside.
Lin Ye yanked the curtains shut. He had no idea what that thing was, nor what was happening, but one thing was clear: he needed to find a way to survive.
"Phantom beast deity? Are you there?"
Eura pushed open the bedroom door, just in time to see Lin Ye closing the curtains.
"I'm another form of the phantom beast deity. No time for nonsense, follow me."
Lin Ye grabbed Eura and ran out of the room, then locked the bedroom door behind them. As he shut the door, he noticed a cluster of tiny red eyeballs on the pristine white wall.
"This should be the inside of the secret realm. I don't know why it turned out like this. We need to gather some useful supplies and find a place to hide."
While Lin Ye was speaking, the air raid siren outside never stopped.
"This is a secret realm? It's nothing like the secret realms I know! And how did I become an ordinary person? My equipment is gone too."
Eura helped Lin Ye pack supplies while secretly observing his expression.
"I don't know either."
Lin Ye quickly packed some essential items. Just then, he heard a knock at the door.
"Lin Ye, it's me. Let me in."
It was Little Guardian's voice.
At that moment, the television in the living room suddenly turned on by itself, broadcasting relevant information.
"Do not go outside."
"Close all doors and windows. Stay indoors and wait for rescue."
"Do not open the door, even if it's your family member outside."
"Remain quiet."
...
Lin Ye ignored the voice outside and directly pulled open the metal door to the basement, leading Eura and the supplies down into it.
If it had really been Little Guardian outside, she wouldn't have needed Lin Ye to remind her; she would have found a way to prove her identity.
After locking the metal door to the basement, Lin Ye breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"What's happening outside?"
Eura was still confused about the situation.
"Who knows? Maybe some kind of disaster. We're both ordinary people now. Even a minor disaster could kill us."
Lin Ye planned to wait until things outside stabilized a bit before going out to investigate.
"...This might be my fault. Those people said I was the Witch of Destruction. They claimed only by offering my life could the world be saved from destruction. Maybe it's because I entered the secret realm that this change happened."
Eura felt deeply dejected. She had thought those rumors were all lies, but now it seemed she might truly be the cause of the world's destruction.
"Don't you think it's more likely that I'm the cause?"
Lin Ye felt that possibility was greater.
"...That could be true."
Eura seemed to convince herself and quickly perked up again.
"Alright, let's eat something first. You must be hungry too."
Lin Ye opened the duffel bag of supplies, which contained some long-lasting food.
The owner of this place seemed to have anticipated this situation and made ample preparations in advance, like this sturdy basement and a large stock of food and water.
Two rows of shelves lined the basement, stocked with many supplies. Relying on these, barring any accidents, they could survive here for at least three months.
Lin Ye opened a can of meat, picked up a spoon, and took a bite.
Gluttony activated, but it only accelerated his digestion; it couldn't directly enhance his physical condition.
Eura also opened a can. She looked at the murky, greasy broth inside and took a tiny sip.
"So disgusting..."
It was the first time Eura had ever eaten such terrible food.
"You can have some biscuits and canned fruit instead. Those should be better."
Lin Ye didn't like the taste of the canned meat either, but he could adapt to it.
Suddenly, a strange noise sounded from above—like the static of some electrical appliance, mixed with a bizarre, creepy laughter.
The lights in the basement flickered on and off. After about half an hour, this phenomenon gradually stopped.
Lin Ye aimed a hunting shotgun at the metal door above. It was the only firearm in the basement.
On the shelves sat over a dozen boxes of large lead shot, but unfortunately, the shotgun could only load four shells at a time.
"We'd better stay quiet."
Lin Ye wasn't sure if the shotgun could handle whatever was out there.