Realm Walker

Queen shot to her feet with the notification chime still ringing in her ears, wild joy blossoming on her radiant face. Her excitement sent her bolting upright so fast she nearly stumbled.

"We won? We won! Yuanshi killed Li Xianzong! We actually won!"

Li Chunfeng clenched his fist and pumped it several times, then let loose a pointed curse to release the pressure that had been crushing his chest. Only then did he manage to speak.

"This was the most dangerous dungeon I've ever been in. Pulling off this sort of a comeback in such a hopeless situation... I could never have done it. He really does deserve his reputation as the genius who cleared two S-rank dungeons. Yuanshi Tianzun is the real deal."

The joy on Grass Upon the Plains' face finally overpowered his usual melancholy. "The teammates I've had before don't even compare. He's truly incredible."

Yin Yang Town was the hardest dungeon he had ever experienced, completely different from any other dungeons he'd been in previously. And his other teammates were just as extraordinary. Li Chunfeng, cool and calculating. Guan Ya, a deadeye shot whose depths he still couldn't fathom. Queen and Fire Virtue, both formidable in their own right. Every one of them far surpassed the Spirit Realm Walkers he had previously worked with.

And then there was Yuanshi, a figure on an entirely different level.

The enemies on the Evil team had been equally terrifying. They were all elites, high-tier combatants at the Transcendent stage.

He let relief wash over him. I survived. That alone feels like a miracle. Li Xianzong, killed inside a dungeon...

Guan Ya leaned back against the wall, the tension draining from her body all at once. A faint, unconscious smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Once we return to reality, the shockwaves will reach every corner of the Walker world. Honestly, that man can't help making headlines. His bounty ranking is going to climb again...

Lotus Eater felt like he was dreaming. Had they actually won? Had he actually managed to clear such a terrifying dungeon? As someone who was honest and earnest by nature, he couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt. He hadn't really contributed much, and he'd even had that... incident... with Widow Xu. He hardly deserved to get through.

Just then, Queen's breathing hitched sharply. "Oh... Oh my god, the rewards. These rewards are insane! I think I'm falling in love with Yuanshi Tianzun."

Everyone focused up and checked their mission settlement screens, while Guan Ya spared the other woman an extra glance.

***

【Calculating rewards...】

【Items/Equipment obtained: Guild Token】

【Experience awarded: 28%】

【Main quest rewards complete.】

【Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden mission. Calculating bonus rewards...】

【Items/Equipment obtained: Yin Yang Spell Robe】

【Experience awarded: 30%】

【Hidden mission rewards complete.】

【Ding! Congratulations, you have advanced to Level 3 Nocturnal Specter.】

【Ding! Character Card reward activated. Bonus item: Endurance Spray.】

【All rewards received! Exiting Spirit Realm in ten minutes.】

Zhang Yuanqing was elated. The Guild Token actually dropped! I can build my own squad now.

The Guild Token had a low drop rate and required a Walker to reach a certain hidden score threshold to trigger it. Clearly, the fierce battle between two teams, the constant reversals, his leadership and his clutch plays had all earned him recognition from the Spirit Realm.

The Demon Lord Character Card unlocked another reward. It was another item, as expected, though something in the name sounded a little off.

He didn't have time to inspect his items, though. Once the messages stopped appearing, a searing heat erupted between his brows as the black crescent moon mark flared to life. A surging tide of the Power of the Dark Moon poured out from the mark, flooding into his body with almost brutal force, rewriting his genes and restructuring his biology. Blinding pain and scorching heat tore through every nerve.

His body convulsed involuntarily. Instinct made him look down, and he jolted with surprise. His physical body stood motionless below him. Did my soul separate from my body again?

The last time such a thing had happened was right after clearing Sheling Tunnel, when he first became a Level 1 Nocturnal Specter.

Roughly three minutes later, his spirit rejoined his flesh. The rampaging Power of the Dark Moon subsided, and Zhang Yuanqing took stock of the changes rippling through his body while pulling up his status panel.

【Name: Yuanshi Tianzun】

【Race: Human】

【Class: Nocturnal Specter】

【Level: 3】

【Skills: Night Wandering, Soul Devouring, Spirit of the Dark Moon, Moon Howl, Charm, Spirit Talisman, Astral Projection】

【Experience: 8%】

【Morality: 140】

【Reputation: 40】

【Spirit Talisman (Active): A spirit script exclusive to Nocturnal Specters. Can inscribe talismans and formations.

【Note: Now complete. Can inscribe and craft corpse-refining formations.】

【Astral Projection: Cast the primordial spirit out of the physical body. Duration: twenty minutes.】

So the Nocturnal Specter really does get an out-of-body ability, he mused thoughtfully. It makes sense, given the class. I just didn't expect it to be unlocked at Level 3. That means I've finally learned every Nocturnal Specter skill now.

His moment of reflection was cut short by a faint clack-clack-clacking. The red dancing shoes, their color faded and dull, came stumbling toward him, lurching left and right like a drunk, looking none too bright about it.

Is it still trying to make me dance even now?

Clearly, the curse effect hadn't fully worn off. Zhang Yuanqing exploited the glitch and quickly stashed the shoes back into his inventory. He then retrieved the Eye of the Observer and his other active items one by one, returning them all to his inventory before finally settling in to examine his new acquisitions.

【Name: Guild Token (Inactive)】

【Type: Token】

【Function: Establish a guild (upgradeable)】

【Description: Level 1 Guild Token. Allows the formation of a six-person squad. Can create guild-exclusive dungeons. Grants bonus experience rewards (Guild Leader receives double the experience of regular members). Can invite members of the same tier to participate in dungeons. Unlocks the guild warehouse.】

【Note 1: Guild-exclusive dungeons unlock when squad membership reaches six.】

【Note 2: Guild warehouse (locked)】

【Note 3: The Guild Token ignores alignment. Members of the opposing alignment may be recruited.】

【Note 4: Guild members cannot betray one another or engage in infighting.】

Zhang Yuanqing was stunned as he read the messages. Holy crap, this thing is way more valuable than any item. Anyone with ambition and ability who gets their hands on a Guild Token could absolutely become a major power player given enough time. Someone like, say... me.

I'll use it to build my own squad, ideally an independent team separate from the official organizations, focused on freelance Walkers. That way, I can expand my network without overlapping contacts. That means Five Elements Alliance people are out.

Zhang Yuanqing summoned the Guild Token. It materialized as a triangular bronze medallion with the characters for "Guild" carved into its face. The moment his fingers closed over it, a translucent blue interface popped up. He traced his finger across the screen like a pen, entering the first name that came to mind.

【Explaining the Way】

【This guild name has already been claimed. Please choose a different name.】

【Return of the King】

【This guild name has already been claimed. Please choose a different name.】

【Return of the Dead】

【Ding! Name registered successfully. Guild Token activated. Guild warehouse unlocked.

【Note: The guild warehouse is separate from your personal inventory and is bound to the Guild Token. All members can view items in the guild warehouse, but only the Guild Leader can authorize withdrawals.】

Zhang Yuanqing immediately checked his status panel and found a new line of information.

【Guild: Return of the Dead (Leader)】

With a thought, he opened the guild warehouse. There were twenty storage slots, even more than his personal inventory.

The warehouse is bound to the token, not the Character Card, he realized. That means I can toss the Straw Doll in there. That way it technically won't be my personal item any longer, so the side effects get neutralized. I can keep it in the warehouse as a perk for guild members, and I can still use it whenever I want. Isn't that way better than handing it over to the organization?

His eyes lit up as the implications clicked into place. The Straw Doll was a powerful curse item, devastatingly effective for crippling opponents in combat, but its cost was a gradual shift in aesthetic preferences toward sows. At first glance, it didn't seem particularly lethal or dangerous, but over time, the user's sexual orientation would become irreversibly warped, and even the Demon-subduing Awl's purification power couldn't fix it.

Life's sole remaining purpose would be admiring a sow's rear end. Absolutely horrifying.

Finally, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out the Character Card reward, the Endurance Spray. It looked similar to a can of pepper spray. After a few seconds, its item description materialized.

【Name: Endurance Spray】

【Type: Health supplement】

【Function: Extends duration】

【Description: Created by a certain alchemist. In his youth, the alchemist made quick money by selling virility enhancers to wealthy nobles and officials, earning rave reviews. Demand was so high that customers wore out his doorstep. Struck by inspiration, he developed a way to put it into a convenient spray. A single application extends performance by two hours. According to long term users, consistent use yields permanent gains.】

【Note: You know how hard it is to quit, right? Yes you do. So be a decent person and use responsibly.】

Oh. My. God. What am I looking at? Zhang Yuanqing stared at the item description for a long, speechless moment. Only one thought echoed through his mind. I just struck gold. Again.

This was a godsend for middle-aged men everywhere. Charging ten thousand yuan per spray wouldn't be unreasonable at all, right?

The side effect for long-term use was probably addiction.

He was still turning the possibilities over when he heard rapid footsteps approaching from behind. He turned to find Guan Ya and the others heading his way.

About three minutes remained before they would exit the Spirit Realm.

As the group drew near, Zhang Yuanqing swept his gaze across their beaming faces and grinned. "Looks like you all did pretty well."

Li Chunfeng's smile was so wide he couldn't contain it. "Thanks to you! I've reached 90% experience. I might be able to enter the midyear slaughter dungeon and push for the Saint tier. Plus, I picked up a decent item that covers my lack of offensive power."

Queen flashed a brilliant smile. "I got an item too, and my experience is now at 87%. That puts me in the upper echelons even among Level 3 Walkers. I want to enter the midyear slaughter dungeon as well. Oh, Yuanshi, you must be close to Level 3 by now, right?"

Guan Ya's gaze snapped toward him.

"I already hit Level 3. I'm eligible for the midyear slaughter dungeon," Zhang Yuanqing said with a laugh. "What about you, Sis Ya?"

"I'm Level 3 too," Guan Ya replied robotically, her expression blank.

What is even going on with this guy? Three dungeons, and three consecutive level-ups? That was an absurd rate of advancement. Ordinary Spirit Realm Walkers needed three or four dungeons to gain a single level, sometimes even more.

This kind of progression rivaled that little witch from the noble family.

Queen's lips parted in disbelief as well. "You've only been a Spirit Realm Walker for about a month, right? Which means this should be your third or fourth dungeon?"

Instead of answering, Zhang Yuanqing directed his attention to Fire Virtue. "How come he still hasn't woken up yet?"

"He's probably regained consciousness, but the toxins have paralyzed his nervous system," Grass Upon the Plains explained. "His mind is awake, but his body isn't. A few days of rest after we return to reality should fix him."

Zhang Yuanqing turned back to Guan Ya. "Sis Ya, how are your injuries?"

Wounds did not heal when one leveled up. At most, it strengthened one's constitution and reduced the damage somewhat. He still felt drained and exhausted, wanting nothing more than to collapse into sleep.

He only remembers to ask about my injuries now? Guan Ya huffed internally and roundly ignored him.

Huh? What's up with her? Zhang Yuanqing gave her a few puzzled looks.

Queen glanced at the countdown timer on her panel and spoke up quickly. "Everyone, let's exchange contact info! Surviving something like this together is fate."

For official Walkers, dungeons were the primary way to develop contact networks and recruit informants. Generally speaking, in competitive dungeons like this one, clearing the instance together forged a certain degree of trust and camaraderie. The odds of staying in touch afterward were high.

Some Spirit Realm Walkers had even found love this way, becoming couples or spouses.

The group finished exchanging contact information just as the countdown reached zero.

The scene in front of them twisted and warped.

***

The world blurred, then sharpened into focus.

Zhang Yuanqing found himself staring at his familiar bedroom and its rumpled sheets. The digital alarm clock on the nightstand read 5:20.

It was May, and dawn had already broken. Birdsong drifted in through the window, clear and crisp, mingled with the distant murmur of early rising grandparents chatting in the residential compound below.

It was peaceful. Serene.

Zhang Yuanqing stood by the window, breathing in the cool, damp morning air. Every time he returned from the Spirit Realm, he felt as though he had crossed between worlds.

It's already morning. I'm so tired... So sleepy...

His eyelids were leaden. Every cell in his body sighed with exhaustion, begging him to collapse into bed and recharge. He walked back to his desk, tore off a sheet of paper, and scrawled a note: No classes today. Stayed up all night gaming. Skipping breakfast. Do not disturb (＾ω＾)

He stuck the note on his door, locked it, fired off a quick message to Li Dongze letting him know he was out of the dungeon, and crashed.

***

The next morning, in a high end residential complex near the Public Security Bureau, Li Dongze woke to the blare of his alarm.

His first instinct was to grab his phone and check for missed calls or messages. Sure enough, they were there: two unread messages, one from Yuanshi Tianzun, one from Guan Ya.

He opened Yuanshi Tianzun's message first, sent at five-thirty in the morning: "Squad Leader, I'm out of the dungeon. Pretty tired. Going to rest first."

Li Dongze exhaled, the weight he'd been carrying lifting at last. He's finally out! Honestly, every time he goes into a dungeon, my nerves are worse than when I go in myself...

Compared to the previous two dungeons, his anxiety over Yin Yang Town had been slightly more manageable. And sure enough, Yuanshi hadn't let him down.

Li Dongze slipped into his habitual analytical mode. His tone is pretty casual. And it seems Guan Ya is out too. Clearing the dungeon took about five hours, which is about the standard duration. Yin Yang Town's difficulty is considered in the mid to upper range for an A-rank dungeon, mainly due to the PvP element. Since Yuanshi and Guan Ya were both Level 2, the opponents they faced shouldn't have been exceptionally strong.

While he was still processing his thoughts, he closed Yuanshi's chat window and opened Guan Ya's message. Hers had arrived just a few minutes ago.

"Squad Leader, Yuanshi and I are out. The enemy we faced in the dungeon was Li Xianzong. I sustained minor injuries and I'm tired. Going to rest. Don't call me unless it's important."

The moment he saw the name Li Xianzong, Li Dongze's blood ran cold. His gut reaction was instant: This is bad. Yuanshi and Guan Ya are dead for sure!

Reality took a moment to catch up. This was an after action report, and they were both out of the dungeon. Which meant the one who had fallen was Li Xianzong.

Li Dongze stared at his phone screen, stupefied. What in the world happened?

What kind of teammates had those two found inside? If it was someone who could actually kill Li Xianzong... The number of Transcendent-tier fighters that strong could be counted on one hand. Was it someone from the Taiyi Sect? An official Walker? Or some hidden master from the freelance community?

Li Dongze was wide awake. Forget sleep. Get up and write reports!

He was eagerly anticipating their debriefing.

***

Meanwhile, in a villa in the Fu Family Bay, Fu Qingyang and Ling Jun were enjoying breakfast at a large wooden dining table, attended to by a host of bunny girls.

One of the bunny girls entered the dining room carrying a vintage-looking phone. "Young Master, a call from Miss Guan Ya."

Ling Jun smiled cheerfully over his glass of milk. "Oh, she's out."

He hadn't been particularly worried about Guan Ya and Yuanshi. One was a combat prodigy, and the other had a sharp mind and an arsenal of items. A dungeon like Yin Yang Town probably couldn't stop them.

Fu Qingyang's expression eased a fraction. He set down his knife and fork and took the phone.

"So, you're out?" His tone was calm, as if it were a matter of no consequence.

—Yes. I've written up a report. Take a look and decide whether to submit it to the database. That's your call. I'm tired. Don't call me, whether you have something or not.

Given the contents of her report, it did not seem appropriate to hand it directly to Li Dongze. Beyond that, it also contained certain assessments of Yuanshi Tianzun that were meant for her family's eyes only.

Fu Qingyang gave a slight nod. "Understood."

After hanging up, he returned the phone to the bunny girl and said, "Bring me my laptop."

Ling Jun set down his knife and fork, his casual demeanor giving way to focused attention. "What did Guan Ya mean by all that?"

"Read the report and you'll know," Fu Qingyang answered mildly.