Chapter 218: Sentry
What came through the Space Gate from outside the Secret Realm was not the Black Bear, but an even taller Long-armed Ape.
Its body was covered in black fur, and it wielded a massive tree as a weapon. The moment it entered the Secret Realm, it launched a ferocious attack at Duane.
The tree was clearly no ordinary plant; it seemed to be a special species native to the Secret Realm.
However, Duane hadn’t discovered it when he and Kaelon explored the Secret Realm last time.
The sudden appearance of this interloper forced Duane to a halt, his heart tightening in his chest.
He knew this was no coincidence.
This behemoth clearly hadn’t stumbled in by accident. It seemed to be coordinating with the Demon Beasts already inside, intending to trap him in a pincer attack.
Duane had no time to overthink it. His priority was to block this strike.
He swung his Long Spear, a massive amount of Fighting Qi condensing at its tip before being compressed to the absolute limit.
"Mountain Collapse!"
The Long Spear crashed into the massive tree with the force of a landslide.
At the very instant of collision, a tremendous force erupted from the tip of the spear, surging forth like a bursting dam.
The massive shockwave generated immense pressure, instantly shattering and destroying the tree. The two clashing energies then erupted into a terrifying storm!
Caught in the center of the storm, Duane hastily threw up a Magic Shield to withstand the impact. But the force was too powerful, and both combatants were sent stumbling backward.
’This Long-armed Ape isn’t a Level 5 Demon Beast... it’s more like Level 6!’
Just then, a deep and powerful roar echoed from behind him.
Duane’s expression changed as he thought, ’The real mastermind has finally shown up!’
It was obvious that today’s ambush had been orchestrated by that giant bear. It was the leader of the Secret Realm’s Demon Beasts.
But Duane didn’t understand. ’Why go to all this trouble to ambush me? Just to hunt down a single intruder?’
What he understood even less was how the Demon Beasts had timed everything so perfectly.
Though his mind was filled with questions, Duane had no time to ponder them now.
The priority was to escape.
Duane shifted his Long Spear to his left hand and drew his sword with his right.
"Sword Rain Storm!"
A massive barrage of Sword Auras, like a dense sheet of rain, tore through the energy storm and shot toward the Long-armed Ape.
The beast roared and slammed its palms downward. Dark green energy formed a giant hand that shattered the incoming rain of swords.
However, the power of the Sword Rain Storm was immense. It not only shattered the giant hand but also swept up the green energy and slammed it all into the ape’s body.
’Now!’
While the Long-armed Ape was reeling from the blast, Duane broke through the Demon Beasts’ encirclement at top speed and, in a flash, shot out through the Secret Realm Gate.
The Long-armed Ape, recovering its senses, furiously slammed the ground. It had failed to stop him, and its face was a mask of frustration.
The less intelligent Demon Beasts, now without a target, stood frozen in place, momentarily unsure of what to do.
Soon, the ground began to tremble, and a colossal figure appeared before the Secret Realm Gate.
If Duane had still been there, he would have noticed that the Black Bear seemed to have grown even taller.
When it saw that its quarry had escaped, it tilted its head back and roared at the sky in fury.
A massive paw slammed down, driving two unfortunate creatures standing nearby into the dirt. All of their bones were shattered; they were still alive, but they would never stand again.
Outside the Secret Realm, Duane ran for several hundred meters without stopping before turning to look back cautiously at the Secret Realm Gate.
The area was silent. There was no trace of any Demon Beasts.
’Looks like they didn’t chase after me. Do they think they can’t catch up, or is the Black Bear unwilling to leave?’
Recalling their last encounter, the Black Bear always seemed to have its underlings do the work, while it was extremely cautious about pursuing anyone itself.
’What a troublesome beast.’
Duane scanned his surroundings, found a clear spot, and sat down to rest.
’I need to raise the danger level of this Secret Realm and the threat it poses to my Territory by another notch!’
These Demon Beasts were already intelligent, and now, being commanded by an even more advanced Demon Beast, they had effectively formed their own faction.
Duane could no longer treat them as individuals fighting on their own, but as an organized force.
If he wanted to make use of the resources in this Secret Realm, the first thing he had to do was clear out all the Demon Beasts.
And that included the Black Bear.
’Perhaps if I kill the Black Bear, this "Demon Beast Alliance" in the Secret Realm will fall apart on its own.’
’But the problem is, that thing is always surrounded by other Demon Beasts. It’s unrealistic to try and take it on alone.’
As he was analyzing the situation, Duane subconsciously glanced up at a large tree nearby. A gray bird, about the size of a duck, had landed on a branch and was staring at him without moving.
In an instant, goosebumps broke out all over Duane’s skin.
’Surveillance?’
He raised his hand. Purple Magic Power surged, and he rapidly fired off Multiple Arcane Missiles.
The gray bird reacted quickly. It dodged the first missile, but the second one struck it, and the third blew its body to pieces.
’An ordinary animal could never react that fast. At this range, it shouldn’t have been able to dodge even the first Arcane Missile.’
Duane walked over to take a look.
The bird wasn’t dead, and there was something wrong with its blood.
He activated his Celestial Python’s Eye to examine it and saw a faint, dark-green energy.
’It really is a scout!’
Duane’s expression darkened.
The Black Bear could command wild animals to act as scouts. That level of strategy and ability far surpassed the intelligence of a typical Level 6 Demon Beast.
No wonder that pack of Demon Beasts had attacked the instant he entered the Secret Realm.
The Demon Beasts inside must have known his location as soon as he approached the mountain.
Duane quickly looked around. In the leaves and up in the sky, he could see the fleeting shapes of birds from time to time.
’There are so many of them!’
He paused in thought for a moment, then grabbed his weapon and quickly left the area.
Duane wasn’t just trying to escape their surveillance. Every five or six hundred meters, he would use the Level 3 Magic, Wind of Inquiry, to check on the status of the birds.
The fluctuations in the wind told him that at least a dozen birds were shadowing his every move.
The surveillance only stopped after he had crossed three mountain peaks.
Some of the birds returned in the direction of the Secret Realm, while a few others continued to circle nearby.
’It seems their surveillance zone is limited to the area within these three mountains.’
It had taken him half a day to cross those mountains on his way in, which was more than enough time for the Demon Beasts to prepare.
If he wanted to enter the Secret Realm, he would have to find a reliable way to avoid their notice.
’The Demon Core I got from killing that Black Panther contains Stealth Magic. If I enter the Secret Realm while invisible, they’ll never find me.’
’Unfortunately, I can’t use it yet.’
Stealth was a Level 2 Magic of the Dark Element, and since Duane had no Attribute Affinity for that element, he naturally couldn’t master it.
’I’ll have to wait until I become a Level 4 Mage. Then I can use an Arcane Shaping Spell to cast the Stealth Spell, and I’ll come back to take on this Secret Realm then.’
The threat from the Mutated Demon Beasts in the Secret Realm was too great. If Duane brought a large force to exterminate them, he was bound to suffer heavy losses.
The slightest misstep could wipe out the foundation he had spent the past year building.
If he could sneak into the Secret Realm using Stealth and gradually clear it out without the Demon Beasts noticing, that would be a much safer approach.
As for killing the Black Bear, it was a bit too risky given Duane’s current level of strength.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t win, but rather that its abilities and full strength were unknown, leaving too much room for unexpected variables.
’Should I break through to the Shooting Star Level ahead of schedule?’
If his Warrior Level reached the Star Realm, his chances of success would be much higher.
Meanwhile, a bird flew through the Secret Realm Gate and landed before the Black Bear.
It chirped for a moment, relaying the news of Duane’s departure.
The Black Bear let out a low roar, its gaze fixed on the Secret Realm Gate.
It wanted very much to leave this place and see the world outside, but now was not the time.
"ROAR!"
The Black Bear roared at the other Demon Beasts as if giving a command, then turned and lumbered toward the depths of the Secret Realm.
The pack of Demon Beasts lingering at the Secret Realm’s entrance slowly dispersed, signaling the end of the siege.