Doomsday Frenzy

(PS: This is Chapter Two. Sometimes it glitches and ends up on the first page; just return to Chapter One from the table of contents.)

Wang Chui.

Black Stone Town Adventurer.

Ever since he was young, he had heard old folks say that.

This world had once suffered a bizarre cataclysm.

Since then, the stars no longer moved, water sources had become polluted, crops struggled to grow, and the glorious ancient civilization had been reduced to ruins. Survivors could only obtain most of the supplies they needed for daily life by developing Dungeons.

Thus, adventurer had become the most popular profession.

That day.

He discovered a new city called "Miracle City."

And this city had developed a Secret Realm called "Doomsday Frenzy."

Although Black Stone Town was only a small town, it maintained around five hundred Dungeons year-round. Most did not stay in business for more than three months; either their Secret Realms were too poorly made to turn a profit and they went bankrupt, or they were destroyed in conflicts involving dark creatures or territorial wars.

There were too many Dungeons.

It was difficult for a new Dungeon to attract adventurers' attention.

And a Dungeon without a reputation found it difficult to create valuable Secret Realms.

Wang Chui had not become an adventurer entirely for fame and profit. Adventure itself brought endless joy, so he was passionate about exploring all kinds of Dungeons and reviewing every newly released Secret Realm.

Doomsday Frenzy?

What a special name!

Wang Chui decided to give it a try.

He immediately used a teleportation crystal to arrive at the Dungeon.

Miracle City was a typical new Dungeon. Its supporting facilities were practically nonexistent, and at first glance, it looked like a crude camp. At its center stood the Secret Realm Lobby, which contained only one Secret Realm Crystal.

"Eh, there are fellow enthusiasts here too. You're here to experience the new Secret Realm as well, right?"

Wang Chui noticed two other adventurers present. "I'm Black Stone Hammer King. May I know what you two are called?"

Adventurers did not use their real names, only codenames.

Black Stone Hammer King was Wang Chui's adventurer codename.

A petite, adorable ponytailed Maiden with almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks said, "My name is Cat MeowMeow!"

The other was a burly, bearded middle-aged man who laughed and said, "I'm Lonely Swordsman. Just call me Old Blade!"

The three were all Black Stone Town Adventurers, and none had heard of the others. This was hardly surprising, considering Black Stone Town had nearly a hundred thousand adventurers.

"Welcome to Miracle City!"

Boss Qi personally came out to greet them warmly.

A new lord without even a single citizen could not put on airs.

Most adventurers were free agents, so they were relatively equal to lords—except for the powerful, influential top-tier lords, of course.

The Maiden adventurer Cat MeowMeow immediately asked, "Lord, what makes this Secret Realm special? As the first batch to come support you, you should at least give us some information and tips!"

"Doomsday Frenzy is a different kind of Secret Realm. You will need to rely on wisdom and courage to survive and find the Safe House. The more monsters you kill during this process, the higher your final evaluation and rewards will be."

"That's it?"

"That's all I can say. Please experience it for yourselves. You definitely won't be disappointed."

The three silently complained to themselves.

This didn't sound very original.

It was probably another reskinned maze!

The design standards of this generation of lords were pretty poor!

This Dungeon probably would not stay open for long!

Lonely Swordsman asked, "Who's going first?"

Cat MeowMeow volunteered herself. "I'll go first. I have appointments at other Dungeons too, so I can't waste too much time here!"

She activated the Secret Realm Crystal and immediately vanished from where she stood, entering the Secret Realm.

The Secret Realm Crystal was the entry point to a Secret Realm. Each Secret Realm Crystal could only be used by one adventurer at a time. Once a territory earned enough Soul Crystals, it could create more Secret Realm Crystals to increase the capacity of its Secret Realm instances.

When an adventurer entered a Secret Realm.

Every move they made would be displayed on the crystal.

Other adventurers could observe the crystal to learn about its progress and contents.

They could also communicate with the adventurer currently exploring inside the crystal. It was like someone playing a game at an internet café while others watched from beside them.

Cat MeowMeow had not held out much hope.

She only wanted to finish the experience quickly and leave.

But the moment she opened her eyes, the sight before her stunned her.

This was a city unlike anything she had ever seen, like a jungle made of steel and concrete.

She stood on an enclosed rooftop, surrounded by steel fencing. There was only one door leading out. On the workbench before her lay an axe, a pistol, and a Medical Kit.

"Eh, this Secret Realm seems to have some real substance. The setting alone is unlike anything else—it makes me want to explore!"

At that moment, it was not only Cat MeowMeow inside the Secret Realm who was stunned.

Black Stone Hammer King and Lonely Swordsman saw the scene through the Secret Realm Crystal, and their eyes also lit up. They felt that every element of this Secret Realm differed from anything they had seen before. It was incredibly fresh and unusual.

Cat MeowMeow immediately picked up the pistol, axe, and Medical Kit.

She had never seen a weapon like a pistol, but the instant she touched it, she received the relevant information and understood its basic method of use.

This was a shooting weapon called the "P226 Pistol," with a magazine capacity of fifteen rounds.

Of course, it did not have Infinite Ammunition. She started with only one magazine.

"This weapon is pretty interesting!"

Cat MeowMeow slung the axe over her back, held the P226 Pistol in hand, pushed open the door before her, and followed the stairs down to the corridor. The floor was a complete mess, the walls bore several savage bloodstains, and a human figure with its back to her appeared ahead.

Someone?

A guide character?

Some Secret Realms created neutral or friendly characters to guide adventurers.

Cat MeowMeow gripped her pistol and cautiously approached. She noticed that the person was squatting on the ground and stuffing his face, and a sense of foreboding rose within her. She stopped warily instead of getting closer.

"Hello, excuse me..."

The person abruptly turned at the sound. His deathly pale face was covered in decayed vein-like patterns, his cloudy eyeballs bulged grotesquely, more than half his face had completely rotted away into an indistinct mess, and his bloody maw was still chewing flesh.

He let out a crazed, beastlike growl and charged at her hysterically.

This was the opening kill Qi Ji had deliberately placed here.

A tribute to Resident Evil's Turning Head Smile.

In such a dim corridor, in a strange and unfamiliar city, with a fully immersive experience and no mental preparation whatsoever, Cat MeowMeow's reaction was easy to imagine.

"Mommy!"

Forget the adventurer experiencing it firsthand.

Even Black Stone Hammer King and Lonely Swordsman outside were startled.

What was going on?

This little Dungeon was going all out?

This Zombie moved remarkably quickly, no weaker than a normal human. It reached her in the blink of an eye.

Cat MeowMeow frantically fired three bullets, all striking its chest. One even hit its heart, yet she was completely unable to stop the crazed monster.

The next moment, it pounced on her.

Adventurer "Cat MeowMeow" has died. Soul Crystal +1!

Not bad!

Business had opened so quickly!

Qi Ji was absolutely delighted.

"What's going on? Why can't this monster be killed?!"

Cat MeowMeow automatically exited the Secret Realm, her face full of shock and lingering fear.

Lonely Swordsman said, "Judging from its appearance, this monster is somewhat like an undead Living Corpse, only more crazed and brutal. Try attacking its head next time."

"My turn!"

It was Black Stone Hammer King's turn to enter the game.

Lonely Swordsman continued to watch tensely in front of the crystal.

Cat MeowMeow, who had planned to leave as soon as she finished, stayed behind as well.

She really wanted to know.

What exactly was going on in this Secret Realm.

And whether that crazed monster could actually be killed.

After selecting his character, Black Stone Hammer King likewise arrived on the rooftop where they had first appeared. He immediately took the pistol, axe, and Medical Kit.

"The Secret Realm's setting is so detailed!"

"This unique setting alone makes it worth playing!"

Black Stone Hammer King first marveled at the visuals, then entered the stairwell with his pistol. He encountered the Turning Head Smile Zombie again and fired directly at the back of its head.

Bang!

A perfect hit.

The Zombie was killed by a headshot.

"Haha, this Living Corpse looks scary, but it's actually not strong at all!"

Black Stone Hammer King looked at the weapon in his hand and clicked his tongue in wonder. "This pistol is like a crossbow, only ten or a hundred times more refined. It's far more convenient than a crossbow."

After saying that.

He encountered two more Zombies.

Black Stone Hammer King raised his pistol and fired. He shot six bullets in total; four either missed entirely or failed to hit vital points, while only two achieved headshot kills.

"Awesome!"

"Got two more!"

"With such a powerful weapon in hand, even my cane-using grandmother could come here and blow these Living Corpses apart!"

Black Stone Hammer King shouted in delight.

But before he could feel proud for more than a few seconds, five Zombies suddenly rushed out from around the corner. Panicking, he hurriedly fired, but even after emptying his magazine, he had only taken down three.

"Damn it!"

Black Stone Hammer King panicked.

Lonely Swordsman quickly reminded him, "Use the axe!"

Right!

He still had the axe!

Black Stone Hammer King hurriedly picked up the Fire Axe and chopped one Zombie in the head. Black, foul-smelling blood splashed all over him in an instant. Before he could pull the axe free from its skull, another Zombie pounced him to the ground.

Adventurer "Black Stone Hammer King" has died. Mental Strength +1, Soul Crystal +1!

Another one died!

Not only had he obtained a Soul Crystal.

He had also gained 1 point of Mental Strength, which was even more precious than a Soul Crystal!