Absolute Safe Zone

Chapter Five: Absolute Safe Zone

The last trace of sunset completely sank behind the distant mountains. Night fell over the Primordial World like a massive sheet of black velvet, swiftly shrouding everything. The light in the valley rapidly dimmed. The lush trees that had seemed vibrant by day now turned into looming ghostly shadows, their rustling leaves unsettling in the rising night wind.

Chen An stood at the entrance of the thatched shed, gripping the newly repaired hatchet. The rough wooden splinters on its handle dug into his palm, bringing him a negligible sense of reality. One last time, he surveyed the outline of the Small Courtyard—the mottled stone walls, the half-rotten wooden door, the silent well, and the plot of land he had turned over that afternoon, still giving off the scent of fresh soil.

This was his only hiding place.

He retreated into the shed and used a heavy stone slab to barely block the entrance, leaving only a narrow gap for observation and ventilation. Then he curled up in a corner covered with straw, laying the hatchet across his knees. He did not light a fire, afraid that its glow would become a beacon drawing danger through the thick darkness.

Darkness swallowed everything whole.

Unlike yesterday evening, when there had still been daylight, the true night of the Primordial Wilderness revealed its vicious fangs. Outside the courtyard, all kinds of indescribable roars, shrieks, scraping sounds, and chewing noises... surged in from every direction like a tide, instantly surrounding the Small Courtyard. The density and terror of the sounds far exceeded Chen An's imagination.

Some sounds were like muffled thunder, making the ground tremble faintly as if giant beasts were trampling nearby. Others were sharp and piercing, easily penetrating his eardrums and reaching the depths of his soul, causing a physical discomfort. Still others were deep hums that seemed to come from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, making Chen An's heart involuntarily lose its rhythm.

He could even clearly hear, not far beyond the courtyard wall, the teeth-grinding sound of sharp teeth gnawing through bones, along with the brief, desperate cries of prey in its final moments. A thick, rusty scent of blood drifted into the shed in waves with the night wind, making him nauseous.

Fear coiled around his neck like a cold venomous snake, tightening little by little. His entire body stiffened, and even his breathing became extremely faint. He was afraid that the slightest movement would break some fragile balance and draw the terrifying beings outside the wall over.

He felt as though he had been thrown into an arena where primordial beasts fought, while he was the only tender morsel in the ring. The stone walls and wooden door seemed so flimsy before the terrifying waves of sound and invisible pressure, as if they could be torn to pieces at any moment.

Time stretched endlessly amid the extreme fear. Every minute and every second was torture. Cold sweat seeped from Chen An's forehead. The clothes on his back had long since been soaked through, clinging tightly to his skin and bringing wave after wave of chill. His eyes remained fixed on the gap at the shed's entrance, his pupils dilated in the darkness as he tried to catch any shadow that might be approaching.

Just then, an indescribable, soul-deep pressure descended with a thunderous crash, like a tangible mountain! It was not directed at him. It was more as if some supreme existence happened to pass by, and the aura it naturally radiated was already enough to make all living beings tremble.

Chen An let out a muffled groan. It felt as though an invisible giant hand had slammed him to the ground, displacing his organs and nearly freezing his thoughts. The roars of beasts and cries of insects outside the courtyard abruptly ceased! All sounds vanished. The deathly silence was even more terrifying than the earlier clamor!

It was an absolute, despair-inducing silence, as if the entire world were holding its breath beneath the feet of some existence.

Chen An's heart nearly stopped beating. He understood that something unimaginable, something of an extremely high level, was nearby! Perhaps an ancient species—or perhaps... one of the Primordial mighty figures spoken of in legend?

He could not even summon the thought of praying. All that remained was the most primitive sense of smallness and helplessness before a natural disaster. He closed his eyes and waited for the unknown fate. Perhaps in the next second, the entire valley, along with an insignificant mortal like him, would be reduced to ashes.

Yet the destruction he expected never came.

The terrifying pressure withdrew as abruptly as it had appeared, quietly receding like a tide. It came quickly and left just as quickly.

But the instant the pressure vanished, the deathly silence outside the courtyard shattered. Even more frenzied and chaotic roars erupted, as if all the Demonic Beasts had recovered from their earlier terror and fallen into a hysterical state. The sounds of fighting and predation became several times more intense than before.

Chen An collapsed onto the straw pile, gasping heavily as if he had just been dragged back from the brink of drowning. In that moment, he had truly touched the aura of death.

"No... I can't stay here!" A fierce thought exploded in his mind. The thatched shed could not give him any sense of safety at all! Outside, danger capable of crushing him effortlessly might exist every second. He needed sturdier shelter!

His instinct to survive overwhelmed everything else. He abruptly shoved aside the stone slab blocking the door and rushed out of the thatched shed bent over like a startled rabbit, heading straight for the main house, which was dilapidated but at least built of stone!

He slammed his shoulder into the half-closed door and stumbled inside. Then he turned around and used all his strength to shut the wooden door firmly! Leaning against the cold door panel, he slid to the ground, his heart pounding as if it might burst from his chest.

Yet the instant he entered the stone house and the wooden door closed behind him—

It was as if an invisible membrane, gentle yet incredibly resilient, brushed lightly over his entire body.

The world fell silent.

Not the deathly silence from before, but a kind of... tranquility after being completely "isolated."

The countless terrifying sounds outside the courtyard, loud enough to shake the heavens and pierce the soul, vanished. The ever-present, suffocating savagery of the wilderness vanished. Even the thick, stinging scent of blood vanished.

It was as if someone had pressed a mute button, completely isolating him from that terrifying Primordial World.

Inside the stone house, there was only the sound of his own heavy, hurried breathing and the buzzing of blood rushing to his head. The air became extraordinarily fresh and gentle, carrying a faint fragrance like rain-soaked earth mixed with grass. When he inhaled it, he felt an astonishing sense of comfort, as if it were cleansing both body and soul.

Chen An froze, his mind blank.

He raised his head in disbelief and looked around. The house was still dilapidated. Through the hole in the roof was a profound night sky dotted with several enormous stars he had never seen before, their starlight falling in tranquil silence. Everything was the same as during the day, except... the sounds and sensations were completely different.

Trembling, he carefully rose to his feet and pressed his ear against the wooden door.

Complete silence.

This was not silence that could be explained by good soundproofing. It was absolute silence, as if the world outside the door no longer existed.

Hesitantly, he reached out and gently pushed the wooden door open a crack.

The scene outside remained the same: sinister tree shadows and a pitch-black night sky. But the sounds had truly vanished completely. He could even see flashes of spell light in the distant mountain forests and enormous black shadows sweeping over the treetops, yet all these sights were like a silent film with the sound turned off. Not a single noise reached him.

At the same time, a strange stream of warm, clear information naturally flowed into his mind like a trickling stream, without causing him the slightest discomfort:

[Suitable host detected. Absolute Safe Zone System activating... Binding in progress...]

[Binding successful!]

[Area: The space within the courtyard, bounded by the courtyard walls.]

[Rule One: Within the Safe Zone, the host is immune to all external malicious attacks and harm.]

[Rule Two: Within the Safe Zone, the environment remains constant and is unaffected by extreme weather outside.]

[Rule Three: The Safe Zone cannot be moved or upgraded.]

[We wish you a pleasant life.]

The stream of information ended, and Chen An stood frozen in place as if immobilized by a spell.

Absolute... Safe Zone?

Immune to all attacks? A constant environment?

This... this was... the Golden Finger?!

An immense, unbelievable joy erupted like a volcano, instantly sweeping away all the fear, despair, and exhaustion he had accumulated over the past several days! His body trembled faintly with excitement, and his eyes even grew moist.

He was not dreaming! In this terrifying Primordial World, he had truly gained a place to stand! An absolutely safe shelter!

He abruptly pushed the door fully open and strode into the courtyard. He looked up at the sky. The stars remained, but the pressure originating from his soul had vanished without a trace. He took a deep breath, and the fresh, pleasant air within the courtyard invigorated him.

He walked to the courtyard wall and reached out to touch the rough, cold stone. It was this seemingly ordinary circle of stone walls that had isolated him from a mad world.

He had survived the desperate situation!

Chen An could no longer suppress his emotions. He raised his head and wanted to laugh out loud, but in the end it became a long, choked sigh. He turned around and looked at this small, dilapidated world that now seemed incomparably lovely, his heart filled with indescribable gratitude and relief.

He could finally survive.

(End of Chapter Five)