Realm Walker

Zhang Yuanqing cracked his eyes open in a daze. Sunlight poured through the window, and with it came a wave of noise.

The outside world was all racket and clamor. The living room, though, was dead silent.

He stared at the ceiling, feeling lost for a few seconds. Why am I on the floor?

Then he shot upright. Oh crap, what time is it? There's a match today. Why didn't Grandma wake me? Doesn't she know her beloved grandson passed out cold on the floorboards?

He lunged for the bed, grabbed the phone off the nightstand, and froze on the spot.

It was 8:57 in the morning on Saturday.

Damn it, two minutes till the instance opens. Also, it's Saturday. No wonder Grandma didn't come get me. She knows I stay up gaming on weekends.

He tossed the phone aside and left his bedroom at a dead sprint, cutting across the living room and making a beeline for the bathroom. Without a word he whipped out his little brother and let it flow like a burst dam.

Ahh. He tipped his face up, his expression lying somewhere between agony and relief.

He could skip bringing the yin corpse into the dungeon, but going to the toilet was non-negotiable. The last thing he wanted was a scandal on the arena floor because he couldn't hold his bladder.

Faster, faster... He breathed deeply, tightened his gut, emptied his bladder fast, then wheeled around and bolted back to his room, snatching the little pill bottle off the nightstand and dumping the pills into the chest pocket of his pajamas.

He kicked off the cotton slippers, jammed both feet into the new running shoes his aunt had bought, left the laces loose, and rushed to the wardrobe. He threw the doors open and pressed a hand to the yin corpse's shoulder.

Just in time. The next second, the Spirit Realm chime sounded in his ear.

【Ding. Spirit Realm map loading. Entering in 30 seconds. Your Spirit Realm this time is "Ultimate Showdown," designation: 7119.】

【Difficulty: S】

【Type: Multiplayer (non-death type)】

【Main quest: Eliminate all opponents.】

【Note: Non-Spirit-Realm items cannot be brought in.】

【Dungeon 7119 overview: This Spirit Realm has three major stages. Each stage eliminates a set number of contestants until a champion is decided.】

He had thirty seconds to prepare. He glanced at the shirt and trousers hanging over his ergonomic chair, hesitated, and decided thirty seconds wasn't enough to change. So he let it go.

Pajamas it is. A genius has to be a little different anyway, he muttered inwardly. The world in front of him rippled.

***

The world sharpened back into focus. Zhang Yuanqing looked around. He was in a small conference room, maybe twenty square meters large. There was a long brown table at its center, surrounded by eight high-backed chairs.

At the moment, there were eleven at the table—eight contestants and three yin corpses.

Sun Miaomiao looked left and right. "Huh, a conference room? Is this the setting for the first stage? If so, this isn't a brawl. Is it a battle of wits?"

The others sized each other up, calm on the surface, but guarded underneath. After a brief hush, nothing happened. There was no chime or anything. The room stayed quiet.

The atmosphere's so stiff. Sun Miaomiao glanced around again and asked, "The official forum post said our match will be projected to the audience as a live feed, but there's no camera here. I wonder how the recording in this dungeon has been set up."

Huh? What feed? That's news to me... Zhang Yuanqing, who hadn't gotten around to reading the forum, kept his eyes down and his mouth shut.

Green Pine looked at the sweet, cute little Sun Miaomiao and smiled. "Among Lawful classes, the one who can create feeds like that is the Water Ghost. Among Evil classes, it's the Illusionist."

Sun Miaomiao nodded. "Ohh!"

She'd actually known that. She just brought it up because things had gone quiet.

At that very moment, the crowd of official Walkers was gathered at the venue from opening day: the ancient colosseum.

Down in the arena stood a round mirror the size of a washbasin, its rim wrapped in clear crystal. The mirror cast a pale blue beam of light into the air. The beam spread itself out and slowly settled into the image of the conference room.

The audience buzzed, chatter rising and falling on all sides.

"The first stage is a conference room? I hate battles of wits. Toss all eight into the arena for a free-for-all instead, that’s a show I’d watch!"

"Crude Fire Sage... that kind of fight is pointless and dull. Personally I'm looking forward to the conference room storyline."

"Just start already. I can't wait to watch the top eight match wits."

"Look, why's Yuanshi Tianzun in pajamas? Don't tell me he overslept."

Somewhere among the seats, a woman in a sheer chiffon dress watched Yuanshi Tianzun in the image and smiled elegantly. "So that's Yuanshi Tianzun, sweetie. What a handsome young man. If Mama were twenty years younger, I'd be calling him 'Bro' too."

Her voice was soft and gentle, the kind men fell for.

Xie Lingxi smiled sweetly. "Mom, you can't go around calling him 'Bro.' You're thirty-seven, your hairline's slowly receding, and you're growing a little belly. Your best fit is Dad. Isn't that right, my darling mother?"

It was absolutely not the case that Xie Lingxi had said this because her mother had sent Aunt Wang to snatch her invitation from her. She genuinely believed her parents were a match made in heaven.

The woman, who looked less like a mother and more like an older sister, covered her mouth and laughed softly. "When your dad was young, he was a looker, on par with any international superstar. Mama had him in his prime. Oh, right, I heard you pulled a lot of strings and spent a lot of money to get your invitation. Honestly, baby, if you wanted to watch the match, you should've just told Mama. Mama would never steal from her own daughter."

Both smiled radiantly, each looking utterly considerate of the other.

***

Just then World Ablaze dragged out a chair and dropped into it, grinning. "Eight chairs, and exactly eight of us. Sit down, everyone. Sitting triggers the quest, right, Yuanshi Tianzun?"

He looked over at Zhang Yuanqing, and the other six contestants turned their blank faces toward him as well. Zhang Yuanqing gave a small nod, pulled out a high-backed chair at random, and sat down. Seeing that, the rest finally relaxed and took their seats.

Once seated, Zhang Yuanqing swept his eyes across the seven other contestants.

Zhao Chenghuang, in black shirt and black trousers, had pushed his way into the head of the table. His face was cold and haughty, acting as if the seat had always been his.

To Zhao Chenghuang's left sat Sun Miaomiao. The girl was pretty, sure, but what really stopped you were those big, dark eyes. They were bright and innocent, the kind that made you forget the mortal world when you looked into them.

Next was World Ablaze. He was not quite thirty yet, with plain features, and was dressed in a black tank top and loose black trousers. He looked tough without being reckless, solidly built without looking overly bulky, with excellent proportions.

Tone Deaf on the other hand was a delicate, fair-skinned young man with clean features and neatly-styled hair. He had a silver stud in one earlobe, and his wrists were ringed with an assortment of bracelets. He very much had the look of a guy in the pop music scene.

Green Pine had regular features and a mild air, with a bit of the Demon Eye Heavenly King’s style to him. Sunny and easygoing. Zhang Yuanqing noticed, though, that the man kept stealing glances at Sun Miaomiao.

Once everyone sat, no one spoke. The tension went up a notch. This was their first time entering an S-rank dungeon.

Yuan Ting, plain featured but carrying a noble bearing, looked Zhang Yuanqing up and down. "Yuanshi, why are you in pajamas? Did you oversleep?"

Zhang Yuanqing frowned inwardly. Why are you staring at my pajamas? Gossip hounds really do see the world differently...

He laughed lightly. "Why not wear pajamas? For me, an S-rank dungeon is as easy as having a meal. Once the match wraps up, I'm going back for a nap."

Yuan Ting blinked, then said in a tone of admiration, "You really are confident."

He's got a lot of confidence. The same thought was shared by the rest seated around the table. A chill ran through them, and they quietly raised their guard.

Finally, the chime of a Spirit Realm notification sounded in their ears.

【Ding! All contestants are in position. Please listen carefully to the following.

【 Professor Li of Capital University was brutally murdered yesterday. The suspect is a friend who had come to the capital to visit. After the incident, the public security oficer who received the report arrived swiftly and took the suspect into custody.】

【The Public Security Bureau has commissioned the Detective Squad to handle this case with full authority. Today, the Detective Squad intends to execute the suspect and deliver justice for the deceased.】

【All eight contestants must vote to choose one among you to be the suspect and execute him. If no one is voted as the suspect is within ten minutes, everyone loses ten points.】

【Once a suspect has been chosen by voting, you will formally enter the Spirit Realm scenario. The suspect may prove his innocence within the scenario and clear his name. Success earns 30 points; failure means immediate elimination.】

【If the suspect is executed, everyone on the Detective Squad will gain 10 points. Otherwise, they lose 10 points.】

【Note 1: Each contestant starts with 20 points. Hit zero, and you're eliminated.】

【Note 2: Before the ultimate showdown, the contestant with the highest score receives one powerful item (cannot be taken out of the Spirit Realm).】

As they listened to the Spirit Realm's explanations, the expressions of the eight contestants slowly shifted.

***

The same voice was projected across the colosseum for the audience to hear. They listened, slack-jawed, then broke out into a tide of noise.

"Oh, that's the dungeon's prompt. World Ablaze thinks fast, huh? He figured out in one go that all eight had to sit before the quest would trigger. Wait, hold on, what did I just hear?"

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Publicly vote for one contestant to be the suspect? So, it's going to be one against seven? That's a little thrilling."

"Sure, there's a chance to clear yourself inside the scenario, but whoever gets voted as the suspect basically starts in hell. Zhao Chenghuang's done for. If I were the others, I'd vote for him on the spot."

"Haha, look at Zhao Chenghuang's face. Interesting. So interesting."

Compared to a straight fight, this test of wits was far more entertaining. The contestants would compete on brawn and brains both. This spectacle was on a whole other level.

The audience's excitement surged in an instant.

***

A dialog box popped up in each contestant's field of view, listing eight IDs, one for each of the eight at the table.

【Voting has begun!】

The room fell into a short silence. The eight contestants stared at the boxes in front of them. No one spoke. Everyone had their own schemes.

Zhang Yuanqing watched their faces, his mind racing. Whoever wrote this rule has a nasty streak. The person who gets picked as the suspect is basically half-eliminated already. This rule targets the strongest player—either the strongest fighter or the best at clearing dungeons. They'll definitely grab the chance to vote out the strongest one. Barring surprises, it's between me or Zhao Chenghuang.

On that point, at least, he had a pretty solid read.

Yuan Ting and Sun Miaomiao are Taiyi Sect, so they won't vote for Zhao Chenghuang. Of the remaining four, the Earth God's friendly toward me, he'll follow my lead for sure. As for Green Pine, World Ablaze, and Tone Deaf, their motivations are unclear. I need to find a way to win them over.

Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang spoke almost at once.

"Everyone, follow me. Vote for Zhao Chenghuang!"

"Everyone, follow me. Vote for Yuanshi Tianzun!"

Their eyes met across the table, and there was a faint crackle of sparks between them.

The six other contestants said nothing. Their faces were calm, with no sense of panic. Clearly they'd all worked out who this rule was built to hit.

World Ablaze chuckled. "Say something, you two. Drum up some support for yourselves."

Zhang Yuanqing lowered his voice. "You all know how strong Zhao Chenghuang is in a fight. Eliminating him this way benefits everyone. None of you are confident you can beat him, right? I'm different. I'm a rookie. Everyone here is a big shot. When it comes to fighting, I'm no standout."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and tapped Zhao Chenghuang's name.

The Earth God, in leather jacket and leather trousers, chuckled. "I vote for Zhao Chenghuang."

He lifted a hand, and tapped the air in front of him, casting his vote for Zhao Chenghuang.

Zhao Chenghuang took his time. First he cast his vote for Yuanshi Tianzun, then tipped up his chin and said flatly, "This is an S-rank dungeon. You all know in your gut who's the biggest threat."

Sun Miaomiao raised her hand next. "I vote for Yuanshi Tianzun."

Two to two.

Seeing this, Yuan Ting could only give Zhang Yuanqing an apologetic look as he raised his hand. "I vote for Yuanshi Tianzun."

There was no way he was going to vote against his own sect member.

Two to three, I'm behind. Zhang Yuanqing turned quickly to Tone Deaf and the other two.

"It might seem like there are five of us here from the Five Elements Alliance compared to the Taiyi Sect's three, but that's not really the case," he said. "They each have a yin corpse, so that makes it six, and that's not even counting Spirit servants. Eliminating a top fighter now works in our favor."

He had no relationship with any of these three, so he tried to manufacture a Five Elements Alliance versus Taiyi Sect divide. We're one organization, he was telling them.

Green Pine's eyes drifted between the two men for a moment, then he smiled. "I vote for Zhao Chenghuang. Much as I hate to admit it, this guy's strong enough to make me despair. If we take him out in the first stage, everyone can breathe easier."

Things were tied again.

All eyes swung to World Ablaze and Tone Deaf. Their choices would decide who would be the suspect, and the suspect would likely be the first one out.

Tone Deaf looked torn as he tried to weigh up who really was the biggest threat.

As long as one of these two votes for Zhao Chenghuang, the other will follow, Zhang Yuanqing realized. Nobody wants a tie.

"There are three here from the Taiyi Sect. The Nocturnal Specters are too big a threat. There's nothing to hesitate over. Vote Zhao Chenghuang."

"I vote for Yuanshi Tianzun!"

The room went still. Everyone turned toward the speaker, stunned. It was World Ablaze.

Me? Zhang Yuanqing's face twitched. He'd never dreamed that World Ablaze, a Five Elements Alliance member, would cast his vote against him.

World Ablaze shrugged and laid out his reasoning. "You can tell from the way this stage is set up that an S-rank dungeon won't be a test of pure brawn. Which means Zhao Chenghuang's edge shrinks and Yuanshi Tianzun's edge grows."

"Even so, you didn't have to pick Yuanshi Tianzun," Earth God said quietly.

World Ablaze shook his head. "No. You've got it wrong, old-timer. Remember the second note? The contestant with the highest score before the final showdown gets a powerful item. I'm good at clearing dungeons. If Zhao Chenghuang is the one left standing, I'm confident I can grab that item and have a real shot at taking him out. But if it's Yuanshi Tianzun who's left, I have no guarantee I can beat him when it comes to clearing the dungeon. Put yourself in my seat, old man. How would you choose?"

The Earth God went quiet. Everyone turned at once to Tone Deaf. The pressure landed squarely on the musician.

Zhao Chenghuang looked at Tone Deaf and said flatly, "There are eight of us. Vote for me and it's four to four, a tie. The vote will have no outcome, and after ten minutes, everyone loses ten points. Vote for Yuanshi Tianzun and he'll be the suspect, while you lose nothing. Once we're in the scenario, we execute him together, and everyone walks away with ten points."

Then he turned his gaze to Yuanshi Tianzun, and one corner of his mouth curled upward. "You've lost."

Hurt everyone, or hurt one man to save yourself? It went without saying which way Tone Deaf would lean.

The clean-featured, fair-skinned Tone Deaf smiled and shook his head. "Looks like I've got no choice, then."

Without hesitation he tapped on "Yuanshi Tianzun."

【Ding! Voting complete. The suspect is "Yuanshi Tianzun." Entering the scene in three seconds.】

Damn it! Just wait!

Zhang Yuanqing's vision went black as the world in front of him rippled.