When the Thought-Parasite Beast was consuming, Wei Huan did not wait for it. Instead, he continued walking forward. He encountered a Hidden Demon along the way and, after a brief contest of wits and strength, easily recruited it. He sent it back to the Undead Pasture along with the others recruited today; in a day's time, it would become a powerful Level 5 undead.
Furthermore, Wei Huan noticed that there were quite a few Thought-Parasite Beasts today—mostly the dull, "freshly dead" ones.
'Could it be that because of the recent war and the deaths of so many high-level Dark Beasts, my Great Tomb has been flooded with these weak spiritual consciousnesses?'
The more Wei Huan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone so long without seeing one only to encounter so many in a single day. In one breath, he summoned three more Thought-Parasite Beasts, feeding each one to the original one.
Just as Wei Huan felt that summoning more Thought-Parasite Beasts would not help his current situation and that he should focus on recruiting more Hidden Demons, the original beast—having successfully eaten its tenth kin—suddenly sent out an advancement signal.
Wei Huan's spirits lifted. Even if an ordinary undead only advances to the Elite rank, it is still an improvement. Moreover, he still knew little about this unit type, which was normal given how recently he had started recruiting them.
The Thought-Parasite Beast was advancing.
As before, the changes came from the soul threads covering its body. Their number increased, and Wei Huan noticed they had become tougher, seemingly imbued with an unknown power. The promotion to Elite was quick, finishing in about a minute.
Knowing he could only test its new abilities while it was in a possession state, Wei Huan left the Job Temple. He had some Underworld Power left, but it was better to keep a reserve for emergencies on the battlefield.
Returning to his physical body, Wei Huan summoned the Thought-Parasite Beast and had it possess him. He found that in this state, his basic attributes—which previously increased by 10 points each—now increased by 100 points.
'Hmm... a bit weak.'
With Wei Huan's current attributes exceeding 10,000, this tiny boost felt out of place for the current world level and beneath the beast's status as an 8-star Dark Beast. The only thing that caught his eye was that at the Elite rank, the beast didn't just increase basic attributes; it also added a 10% spirit recovery speed.
With this, Wei Huan's total spirit recovery speed reached 140%. This extended his combat endurance and allowed him to summon two more Hidden Demons per day. While such a change might not seem like much in a day or two, summoning two extra units every day would soon result in a formidable combat squad. For a Necromancer with a massive army, spirit recovery speed was just as vital as Underworld Power.
For that 10% boost alone, those ten Thought-Parasite Beasts were worth the feed.
Additionally, Wei Huan learned that for this Elite beast to reach the next rank—the Hero rank—it would need to consume 100 more Thought-Parasite Beasts. A hundredfold cultivation cost would surely bring a hundredfold return. At the next stage, his attributes would increase by 1,000 points, and spirit recovery would increase by another 10%. Bit by bit, the higher it was trained, the greater the harvest.
According to the standards: "Common," "Elite," "Common Hero," "Epic Hero," "Legendary Hero," "Pseudo-God Hero," and "Divine Hero."
There were seven ranks in total. He didn't know if there was anything beyond that, but the potential boost from a Legendary rank alone was terrifying to imagine. Even if it didn't add 100,000 points, 20,000 or 30,000 would be insane. Of course, training a high-level Hero would be difficult; it was a question whether the Dark Beast race even had enough Thought-Parasite Beasts. After all, the Burrow Beast Pasture was a prime example—they were low-star beasts with a massive population, yet they hadn't provided enough to make Dot Mom a Legendary Hero without external help.
8-star beasts were much rarer; reaching Epic rank might be the limit. But adding 10,000 points to his attributes was still significant. With this calculation, Wei Huan felt motivated. Besides, recruiting them expanded his vision, which in turn increased the range of his Divine Sense in reality. It was a worthwhile investment.
The road of cultivation is long, but one can eventually reach the peak. This time, he had more time and more composure.
In a good mood, Wei Huan dismissed the beast and left his cabin. A meeting was in progress outside. The moment he walked out, the room fell silent. Everyone looked over.
Wei Huan's prestige grew daily. This battlefield had proven his fearsomeness. In this era, humans naturally admired the strong; even veterans like Captain Xue and Brother Chui looked at him with admiration. The younger members watched him with a light in their eyes bordering on fanaticism. They trusted him unconditionally; even if Wei Huan ordered them to their deaths, they believed their sacrifice would lead to a greater victory and were willing to die for him.
Wei Huan nodded to Mu Zhong and took the head seat. "Continue."
He didn't need to attend every meeting; small matters would only delay his cultivation. His strength was the backbone of this vehicle's cohesion and the pillar supporting Blue Star's civilization. He rarely appeared except for critical meetings. Now that he was sitting there, everyone hurriedly grabbed their documents and scanned their systems for priority items, thinking hard if today's routine meeting was actually a major strategic deployment.
Seeing everyone's sudden gravity, Wei Huan realized his sitting there was a bit hasty. Mu Zhong winked at him—they were in sync—signaling him to say something.
Wei Huan thought for a moment and said, "Captain Fang's fleet is about to arrive. We depart after the meeting. The undead army will move with you. Let the undead handle the suicide scouting. Do not be reckless; be prepared for the Dark Beast royals to lay more traps and make a comeback."
Everyone nodded. Everything was unknown; in the face of life and death, one could never be too cautious.
'The Boss is worried about us! He's afraid we'll be in danger! Oh, the feels!'
Wei Huan said a few more words and handed the floor back to Mu Zhong.
Mu Zhong cleared his throat. "Alright, the meeting continues. Although Captain Fang will take on the primary door-opening task, we must provide protection. Our deployment must be based on the standards of the last great battle. Prepare for even higher combat intensity. We are already standing here; one more step is the final victory of this battle. No matter what, we must do our best and maintain the fame of our Ever-Victorious Vehicle..."
Wei Huan listened without expression, though he already knew everything Mu Zhong was going to say. They were constantly on private chat; some arrangements they had discussed long ago, and others Mu Zhong had reported specifically before the meeting. At first, Wei Huan had been a bit uncomfortable with this "formal distance," but he now realized it was the most correct way to handle their complex relationship: public and private matters must be distinct. Otherwise, career issues might affect their feelings.
After listening for a while, Mu Zhong received a new message, and Wei Huan was pinged privately by Captain Fang.
Captain Fang said: "I'm here. I can see your undead army—truly majestic and impenetrable."
Wei Huan replied: "I've had them open a path. Just follow it in."
Captain Fang said: "I'm in. Also, I heard you want to form a Challenge World Pioneer Alliance?"
Wei Huan nodded. "Is it possible?"
"It has to be. The idea is sound; we must use resources effectively. More importantly, the channels for advancement are in your hands. Even if you didn't propose it, you'd still be the one in charge of the Challenge World. Someone would have proposed it sooner or later."
"Am I too early? Or should I not have proposed it myself?"
"Taking the initiative proves your proactiveness and determination. Personally, I hate people who are secretly overjoyed but act all reluctant and pushy. It's hypocritical."
Wei Huan smiled. When you are strong, the whole world sounds pleasant. Captain Fang was not a flatterer, but there were things he would only say once you reached a certain height. Immortals and mortals don't worry about the same things; how could they have a common language?
Wei Huan returned to his cabin to talk to Captain Fang. Outside, Mu Zhong accelerated the meeting. By the time Captain Fang arrived, the meeting was over and Mu Zhong walked in.
He entered with a bright smile. "Captain Fang is here. We are ready. Should he rest, or do we depart immediately?"
Captain Fang overheard and said, "I've already reorganized on the way. Let's head out."
"Good." Mu Zhong nodded and looked up.
The pervasive AI housekeeper immediately responded: "Understood, Vice-Commander Mu. Starting the vehicle to march in tandem with Captain Fang's vehicle... Notifying the entire crew of departure... Communication equipment check in progress... Check successful... Requesting connection with Captain Fang's fleet... Connection established..."
Wei Huan didn't pay much attention to the AI. After so many missions, there was a fixed pre-battle procedure he had heard many times. He was focused on his conversation with Mu Zhong and Captain Fang when his vision suddenly blurred. The world spun, and he felt himself land on something extremely hard.
Wei Huan's expression was one of shock as he looked at the unfamiliar scenery. A sense of crisis, tight as a hair's breadth, washed over him. He didn't even have time to confirm where he was; his combat instincts took over, and he opened ten teleportation gates.
The gates snapped open behind him. Dot Mom and the Elite Thought-Parasite Beast were the first to emerge. Dot Mom came out at her normal 300-meter height, her slender white legs stepping out gracefully to shield Wei Huan beneath her.
On the other side, the Elite Thought-Parasite Beast drifted to Wei Huan's side, its countless soul threads turning into shadows that merged into his body from behind. With the possession successful, Wei Huan's attributes soared, his spirit recovery speed increased, and a ring of black flames erupted around him, half a meter high, making him look like a demon god.
Only then did Big Bear poke half his body out of the third gate. But before Big Bear could get into position, the threat that had been prickling Wei Huan's back finally appeared.
A streak of bloody red light flew from the direction of the pyramid, aiming straight for him. Simultaneously, magical energy surged above his head; a terrifying amount of energy brewed for a short moment and then struck down. The power was immense; Wei Huan could feel it distorting the magnetic field, causing a stinging sensation on his skin.
Then, the attack fell. It wasn't just one strike from the sky, but no fewer than ten. Like a long-brewing tribulation cloud, wind, fire, thunder, and lightning—red, yellow, blue, and green—all fell together. The attack area covered over a mile. He was at the very center; clearly, these were all aimed at him.
Wei Huan's first glance caught Mu Zhong nearby, as well as the combat members of their vehicle who were gathered around him—they were all here, all within the attack range.
Yes, it was as if everyone had been kicked out of their vehicles. The vehicles had vanished, and their feet were standing on those seamless, incredibly hard black floor tiles of the Dark Beast base.
Wei Huan reacted quickly, and so did the others. As he chanted "Grow, grow, grow!" in his mind, Xu Qingqiang had already transformed into his demon form, laughing "Jie jie jie" as he charged toward the tower.
Captain Xue stepped aside, blocking the oncoming bloody red light, clearly intending to tank the hit to protect them. Others, like Captain Wang Ming and Liu Xiaotian, immediately moved in front of Wei Huan and Mu Zhong to shield them.
At the same time, a sound like a deep drum echoed a hundred meters away. Glowing auras appeared on many people, and flickering light shields gathered together like a brilliant sun. This was Captain Fang's Aura ability. He and his team had also left their vehicles.
As a front-line combat team, everyone could make the correct judgment the moment battle arrived rather than waiting to prepare. Combat was instinct.
Captain Xue collided head-on with the red light. The massive impact sent him somersaulting backward. However, as someone who spent every day being knocked into various somersaults, Captain Xue had mastered the art of the "tumbler." He flew out violently, but in a blur, he was standing again, raising a defiant chin and howling: "Come on! Your grandpa is right here!"
The red light was successfully blocked, but the main force of this attack wasn't that distracting red light—it was the consecutive magical strikes from above.
"BOOM!"
A streak of purple lightning, like a world-cleaving blade, struck down with a roar. It was blocked by Dot Mom's hard shell. The impact made her shake, her eight legs scraping the ground and nearly crushing the people below. But in that moment of shaking, everyone noticed Dot Mom seemed bigger, taller, and her legs thicker.
Next came two metal-element attacks, like spears falling from the heavens. Their power, if not equal, was close to the damage of an [Angel's Spear]. The attacks hit Dot Mom's shell again. After the previous impacts, her eight long legs had found their most stable stance. Even under the heavy hammering, her body only sank slightly, her legs curving like bows, but she didn't waver again, enduring it stubbornly.
Keen observers noticed Dot Mom was indeed growing. Her legs, previously about two meters thick, suddenly became four meters thick, forcing those standing near her to move away.
Two more attacks fell. This time, Dot Mom's body didn't shake at all, only sinking slightly. By now, her legs were seven or eight meters thick, standing like towers. Looking up those legs, one saw only extreme height and magnitude.
"GROW! GROW! GROW!"
Facing the enemy's meticulously prepared trap, Wei Huan fought back calmly. Even knowing the enemy's long-brewing attack was powerful and aimed for an instant kill, what of it? He had great strength and many means; as long as he didn't panic, the Dark Beast Lords couldn't kill him.
As Wei Huan responded steadily alongside the other crew members, the Dark Beast ambush was neutralized. Both sides were stunned into silence by the terrifyingly enlarged Bone Burrow Beast Mother.
'How tall is that?'
'Am I seeing things?'
'This height is greater than a Dark Beast Lord's Primordial Spirit, isn't it? The thickness of those four legs alone exceeds ten meters. Those aren't legs; they are towers!'
Just then, at the top of the air dome—the "sky"—a massive red sphere began squeezing in, like an outer-space meteorite breaking through the atmosphere, surrounded by clouds and immense pressure.
Seeing the sphere, Wei Huan's first thought was that this wasn't from a Dark Beast royal or a Pseudo-God Hero. If it wasn't a God-level Hero, it was the Dark Beast King's doing.
However, the situation was too tense for investigation. Wei Huan had to focus entirely on the upcoming struggle. The Dark Beasts were at a dead end; this desperate, calculated strike would not be simple.
Actually, it wasn't hard to guess if he thought about it. Although he didn't know how they had forced them out of their vehicles and exposed them to danger, this was undoubtedly the easiest moment to kill them. If the attack couldn't kill them directly, there was another way: destroy the air dome.
Once the dome shattered, a massive volume of seawater would pour in. It might not kill them directly, but separating them would be effortless. At that point, the enemy would find opportunities to kill as many human powerhouses as possible—a trade-off of one for one. This logic was identical to Wei Huan's own.
Thus, he couldn't let that giant fireball in. If it broke the shield, things would be truly dangerous.
Wei Huan tried to summon his vehicle, but failed. The system replied: "There is a restriction here; I have lost contact with the main host."
Wei Huan could only mentally urge Dot Mom to grow faster. In this situation, he couldn't wait for the fireball to land before counterattacking; he had to stop it in mid-air.
The massive fireball pressed against the air dome, forcing it to cave inward, the shape distorting as if it would vanish the next second. Meanwhile, the white Burrow Beast Mother, having exceeded the size of a Dark Beast royal's spirit, showed no sign of stopping. It grew taller and larger, like a primordial titan, inspiring awe and fear.
Under the gaze of everyone, these two behemoths—one from above and one from below—finally collided.
A thunderous "BOOM" echoed; the fireball erupted, and thick smoke billowed as if it were the end of the world. The massive Burrow Beast Mother let out a piercing "YII!!" that penetrated the soul.
A stalemate! A confrontation!
Wei Huan's Underworld Power was depleting at an incredible rate—one thousand, two thousand... He was lucky he had come out today; otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted even a few seconds. He couldn't summon the vehicle or even access his storage tanks. His remaining Underworld Power could only last nine more seconds before Dot Mom's enlargement would dissipate.
Seconds ticked by. Dot Mom's body reached the edge of the air dome, wrestling with the fireball trying to break through, gradually neutralizing its momentum. He could clearly see the air dome being pushed back, slowly recovering its shape.
It seemed the fireball wasn't exceptionally powerful; against a Legendary Hero like Dot Mom, it didn't have overwhelming force. On the contrary...
'Not good!'
Wei Huan's pupils shrank. The protective shield couldn't take it!
In the struggle between the two forces, the shield was also bearing the impact—it was suffering the most damage. Without hesitation, Wei Huan turned and ran. But he wasn't running away from the battlefield; he charged toward Mu Zhong.
Under Mu Zhong's confused gaze, Wei Huan grabbed his hand and held it tight.
'Puff!'
There was almost no sound. Just as Wei Huan had imagined, the air dome cracked. Rushing seawater slammed down from the "sky," followed by the fireball which exploded simultaneously. Fire and water intertwined, erupting with terrifying force. For a moment, heaven and earth were overturned, and vision became chaotic.
Wei Huan only knew one thing: hold the person in his arms tight...
...
'Glug glug glug...'
'Glug glug glug...'
Bubbles rolled through the currents, making a series of sounds. The sea had regained its calm. A 300-meter tall Bone Burrow Beast Mother was swimming through the ocean like a jellyfish. On its hard shell stood a group of people.
Wei Huan stood at the very front in the most prominent position, looking ahead with a slight frown. Behind him, Mu Zhong was gathering the crew: "Everyone, prioritize gathering nearby to prevent a possible Dark Beast attack. Move toward me; don't panic. The undead army is right beside you; cooperate with them calmly..."
Without the vehicle, Wei Huan's personal system had become nearly useless, but Mu Zhong's "Iron Heart" remained powerful, quickly taking over the communications of all crew members. Those who received the order were converging on their position.
Additionally, Wei Huan had re-summoned the dead Dot Mom, keeping her at a basic size and releasing all Burrow Beasts and Facehuggers to search the area. The crew members were returning quickly, most of them clutching the shells of Facehuggers or being carried on the backs of Burrow Beasts.
Fortunately, for this opening war, the research personnel hadn't been assigned to the vehicle. Aside from the child Dou Lin and the head chef Liu Chengzhi, everyone else was a high-strength combatant. Even in these harsh conditions, most could return easily without relying on the undead.
More and more people returned. Dot Mom's shell could no longer hold everyone, so Wei Huan summoned Doggy. The simultaneous appearance of two 300-meter Burrow Beasts shocked the crew once again. Wei Huan was strong, but he could be even stronger, growing rapidly every moment. Such power was reassuring.
However, as he looked at those returning, Wei Huan—whose left eye was now burning with green flame—kept his brow furrowed. Dou Lin and Liu Chengzhi, the ones he worried about most, had not returned. At the moment he realized things were going south, he had thought of the danger to Liu Chengzhi, but his body had prioritized Mu Zhong, only arranging for undead to protect Liu Chengzhi.
In the end, during that crisis of the inflowing sea, both Liu Chengzhi and Dou Lin had vanished. Ten minutes passed. All vehicle crew members had returned, and even many of Captain Fang's crew had been rescued, yet there was no sign of those two.
As Wei Huan's aura grew colder, Mu Zhong approached with a grim face. "When the air dome broke, they said that besides the impact of the water, they felt a sort of uncontrollable suction coming from the direction of the tower."
Wei Huan looked back. They had been washed over ten miles away by the sea, but after gathering everyone, they were already heading back. They were currently behind the tower.
Wei Huan nodded. "Let's go."
Following his mental command, the two titan Burrow Beasts began to swim, protected by a large deployment of undead, heading toward the pyramid again. It was hard to say what other tricks the Dark Beast royals might have, but no matter the danger, they had to save their people. After being together for so long, they had bonds; even knowing he was risking himself, Wei Huan had to go.
Seeing Wei Huan head for the tower, Commander Xiong Yi stepped out with someone. Wei Huan looked over. Xiong Yi said, "This is the second-in-command of Captain Fang's vehicle. He says Captain Fang has been out of contact since just now, along with over two hundred others."
Mu Zhong was shocked. "Iron Heart has already helped you rebuild communications. Are you sure? Over two hundred people are missing?"
the second-in-command nodded. "Yes. Including Captain Fang, we have 270 people missing."
Wei Huan's gaze was cold as he looked toward the tower.
Commander Xiong Yi continued, "Also, those black floor tiles are strange. After restoring communications, I confirmed it—only the vehicles that entered the black tiles vanished. The vehicles behind them are still there. But everything happened too fast; I didn't have time to redeploy the fleet."
Wei Huan wasn't surprised by this news, as the system had informed him earlier that this was a "Forbidden Zone." Since it was information the system could confirm, it wasn't the Dark Beast royalty's doing, but a setup by the Challenge World. The "Forbidden Zone" ability had simply been perfectly utilized by the Dark Beast King, catching Wei Huan off guard.
Had he not been much stronger and possessed more means, there surely would have been losses this time. Dark Beast tactics were indeed unpredictable.
Xu Qingqiang pushed through the crowd. He was shaking a wet cigarette, looking frustrated that he couldn't light it, but he suppressed the urge and spoke: "The attack definitely came from inside the tower. I rushed over and only saw the back of a human female. But seeing her silver hair and pointed ears, she might not be human. Before I could chase her, the dome broke and the sea rushed in. I ran outward; there was suction from behind, but it couldn't hold me. Later, I looked back and saw Challengers being sucked in, but I didn't see the fat thief (Liu Chengzhi) or the kid. I didn't see Captain Fang either. Besides, that suction is strong, but it wouldn't trap someone of my or Captain Fang's level. Captain Fang shouldn't be inside."
Captain Fang's second-in-command replied, "If too many crew members were being sucked in and couldn't fight it, Captain Fang... he would have gone in voluntarily."
Silence followed. It wasn't just possible; it was certain. Captain Fang would do that. He was a knight, a born guardian. He guarded his family, his country, and Blue Star; naturally, he would guard every one of his crew members.
Wei Huan felt a pang of sadness but knew this wasn't the end. Whether it was Liu Chengzhi, Dou Lin, or Captain Fang, he believed they could avoid disaster and turn bad luck into good if they were together.
The undead carried Wei Huan and the others to the iron tower. It was now submerged in the sea, looking different. The black tower and black ground, distorted by the dark seawater, looked like some underwater ruins that had existed for tens of thousands of years, exuding a heavy sense of decay.
They went straight to the tunnel. The undead army, carrying Wei Huan's vision, had already explored the tunnel thoroughly. He could confirm that, just like last time, no Dark Beasts were visible—only the tightly shut door.
Mu Zhong wanted Wei Huan to stay while others explored. Wei Huan shook his head and refused. He was already caught in this; in such an environment, if he simply retreated and hid, he would lose the prestige he had accumulated. A qualified leader must know how to delegate, but also when to lead from the front. How to choose is the true test of a leader. Wei Huan didn't think he should stay behind now. They were already here, and their comrades were trapped inside; he had to follow his heart and find the truth.
Mu Zhong had no choice but to leave some people outside as sentries and have the main combat team go in together. The undead army led the way, with the Legendary-rank Big Bear in front—a meat shield even more durable than Captain Xue. Wei Huan followed closely behind on the back of the slightly shrunken Dot Mom. Behind him followed the similarly shrunken Doggy, with Mu Zhong sitting on its shell. Captain Xue voluntarily stayed at the rear for security; he believed that with his "taunting face," no attack should ever be fired at his commander from behind.
Thus, they swam quietly to the end of the tunnel, arriving once again before the black stone door. Wei Huan looked at the door and didn't waste any more time trying other methods. He jumped down from Dot Mom's shell, stepped onto the black stone floor, and placed his hand on the door.
Captain Fang had suggested this might be a door with biological identification capabilities. Since pure energy attacks and various professional skills had failed to open it, they had to try other ways. Pushing it by hand was likely one of the most probable methods.
"Wei Huan." Mu Zhong had moved to his side, wanting to stop this dangerous behavior.
Xu Qingqiang said, "Let me."
Wei Huan didn't speak, but black flames suddenly erupted from his body, swirling half a meter high. Simultaneously, he pushed forward with both hands!
Creak—
The stone door that couldn't be opened no matter how much it was bombarded opened easily with a push from Wei Huan's arms, without much effort at all.
As the door opened, a light appeared, growing larger and brighter until it was blinding. Wei Huan squinted, pushed the door completely open, and took a step out. It was hard to describe the feeling, but it was like passing through something, an unusual sensation spreading through his body.
When his other foot landed, the white light finally dimmed, but a voice from a different dimension echoed in his ears.
[Congratulations to the Blue Star Human Race for breaching the Dark Beast Base and winning the Opening War: Lost World!!]
[Congratulations to the Blue Star Human Race... Victory!!]
[Congratulations!!]
As the repeated notification echoed three times, Wei Huan froze, then turned back abruptly to find he had just crossed a Realm Gate!
In the past, he had always crossed Realm Gates inside a vehicle; this was his first time doing it directly. Thus, just like during the highway trial, the final result was revealed the moment he crossed.
He had won! The human race had won!!
[Congratulations to Wei Huan for being the first to pass through the Realm Gate on the Opening Battlefield, receiving one Pseudo-God Treasure Chest.]
[Congratulations to Mu Zhong for being the second... receiving one Diamond Treasure Chest.]
[Congratulations to Xu Qingqiang for being the third... receiving one Diamond Treasure Chest.]
[Congratulations to Chen Mo for being the fourth... receiving one Platinum Treasure Chest.]
[Congratulations...]
The next second, the rewards were distributed. His crew members were quick-witted; realizing they could get rewards for crossing, they rushed in one by one. The reward announcements continued down to the tenth person, who received a Gold Treasure Chest. From Pseudo-God to Gold, the rewards were incredibly rich. Although the subsequent arrivals didn't get global announcements, they likely received personal notifications and were celebrating with each other.
Even mosquito legs are meat. These were their spoils of war; they could be handed in for DKP or sold privately. It was an unexpected windfall. Wei Huan managed the vehicle's resources collectively, but he wouldn't strip them of personal rewards like these.
Once all one hundred people had entered, a new round of broadcasts began.
[Congratulations to Daxia for making the greatest contribution in this opening war. You will receive massive rewards: 10 million square kilometers of land area, 3 Super Rare Resources, 9 Rare Resources, and 90 Common Resources.]
[Congratulations to Alsam for making a partial contribution... rewards: 1 million square kilometers of land area, 2 Rare Resources, and 12 Common Resources.]
[Congratulations to Great Bear Nation...]
As the rewards were announced, Wei Huan could imagine how happy the people of Daxia would be. Leaving aside the 10 million square kilometers of land—larger than Daxia's current territory—the three Super Rare Resources alone would bring an unimaginable boost to Daxia's military strength. Humans could likely use these resources on Blue Star to manufacture weapons, equipment, and even vehicles.
Thanks to the efforts of human scientists and the cooperation of the Driver sequence, many technologies from the Challenge World had long been deciphered, but couldn't be manufactured due to a lack of raw materials. These technologies required special resources that had no substitutes on Blue Star. Even inferior knockoffs couldn't be made. But now, with these resources—and those 90 common ones—one could only imagine how advanced Blue Star's technology would become under Daxia's leadership.
Wei Huan suppressed his excitement, not forgetting to observe a door he had been very concerned about. This was a spatial door that looked out of place against the ruin-style tower, carrying a somewhat futuristic, modern style. Above the silver-white metal frame, a pair of human hands held up an electronic clock.
Yes, a common human electronic clock. The time displayed was 587:31:01.
As Wei Huan watched, the last digit of the countdown hit "0 seconds," then became "59 seconds," and the minutes changed to "30."
What did this countdown represent? What did 587 mean?
"In terms of time, it should be 24 days and 12 hours," Mu Zhong said, having calculated the answer. But the answer left everyone puzzled.
Mu Zhong continued, "We breached the Dark Beast base and entered this place. After that, everyone outside received a notice that the war ended and they should return to Blue Star. We didn't. I just confirmed it—only the hundred of us did not receive the return notice."
Wei Huan looked at the people behind him: Xu Qingqiang, Captain Xue, Chui Ge, Captain Wang Ming, Liu Xiaotian, Yake, Mu Zirui... most of his main combat force was here. Among them were Commander Xiong Yi and Captain Fang's second-in-command, Wu Ning, who had been following him, along with one of Wu Ning's adjutants. Commander Xiong Yi and Wu Ning had each received a Gold Chest, and the adjutant a Silver Chest.
Including himself, exactly one hundred people were gathered on this side of the Realm Gate, in a small area between the Realm Gate and the spatial door displaying the time. On the other side of the Realm Gate, no one was visible; they must have been teleported out after the war ended.
Humanity had won a resounding victory. They had only taken five days to breach the Dark Beast base and win undeniably...
Thinking of this, Wei Huan froze and turned to Mu Zhong. "Does this countdown represent the time this battlefield was supposed to end? We only took five days to get here; can we do something with the remaining time?"
"You mean?" Mu Zhong looked at the countdown door, his voice tinged with excitement. But then he turned back with worry. "It's too dangerous. It might not be what we think. You know what might be on the other side?"
"We are already here; we can only move forward. Besides, our comrades—and Captain Fang and the others—might be over there waiting for rescue."
Mu Zhong looked up and nodded. "Yes. Some things must be done; there is no reason to retreat."
"Yeah," Wei Huan nodded.
"What are you guys talking about?" Xu Qingqiang said irritably, twisting his wet cigarette. "The Realm Gate is sealed and we can't leave. Hurry up and find a way; why the riddles?"
Mu Zhong chuckled and pointed to the Door of Time. "The way out is over there."
"Then let's go."
"Qiang Ge, wait. Wei Huan, you too." Mu Zhong pulled back the two men who were about to head forward, amused. "We have warriors; there's no reason for a Summoner to lead the way. If I'm not mistaken, the environment over there is perilous. Captain Xue should go first."
Captain Xue hurried forward. "I'll go. As long as the healing keeps up..."
But looking around, they realized there wasn't a single healer nearby. In the rush to save people earlier, the line had been stretched thin, and mostly main combatants had followed Wei Huan in. They had inadvertently left the healers behind. Among these hundred people, not one could "heal."
But Captain Xue didn't back down. He patted his chest and said, "No problem. I can take it. Let me go first; you must not snatch my position again."
Mu Zhong coaxed Wei Huan: "Let Captain Xue go. He's in full Diamond gear; even if three Dark Beast Primordial Spirits kicked him like a ball, he wouldn't die for a while. We'll follow behind."
"Hey," Captain Xue muttered helplessly. What kind of talk is that? You're the ball!
Wei Huan didn't actually insist on going first. Earlier, when he didn't let others push the stone door, it was because he vaguely guessed what would happen, and he couldn't pass up the rankings and rewards. Now it was time to fight; what role could a Summoner play at the absolute front? He would just be a hindrance. He hadn't intended to go in first.
But everyone's reaction warmed his heart. He said, "Be careful. No matter how you arrange the front, I will enter as the fifth person and immediately summon the undead. Whatever happens, remember to group up with the undead immediately."
After waiting three more minutes, when the countdown hit 27 minutes, Captain Xue stood before the Door of Time. Behind him, it wasn't Xu Qingqiang, but Brother Chui. Brother Chui had a low profile but was a god of slaughter on Wei Huan's vehicle; sometimes he could use offense as defense, helping teammates better than the cackling Xu Qingqiang.
"I'm going in," Captain Xue said, looking a bit nervous under everyone's gaze. His full-body armor covered his head, and combined with his naturally brawny build, he looked like a steel giant. His height had exceeded two meters, and his presence was intimidating.
He walked into the door held by human arms, letting the white light wash over him, and stood still. The next second, a voice—neither male nor female—echoed throughout the space, like a broadcast from the Challenge World.
[Congratulations to the 100 warriors for unlocking the "Brave's Challenge" and gaining the qualification to travel to the Dark Beast Dimension. You will challenge for survival for 587 hours and 26 minutes in a world teeming with enemies.]
[Please note: This is a dangerous challenge. You will not have access to the welfare resources of the current Blue Star Human Civilization. You must face the enemy's pursuit and encirclement without your vehicles.]
[The difficulty of this challenge is extremely high. Do you accept?]
[To accept, press 'Yes'; you will be transported to the Dark Beast Dimension. To refuse, press 'No'; you will be transported back to Blue Star.]
[This is a one-time choice that cannot be repeated. Please choose within ten seconds.]
Wei Huan and Mu Zhong said simultaneously, "Yes."
Captain Xue didn't ask a single redundant question; he raised his hand and pressed "Yes."
It wasn't surprising; they had already guessed that this Door of Time led to the Dark Beast Dimension. Since they had reached the Dark Beast base, one more step forward would naturally be their home dimension. Furthermore, they had used five and a half days to get here, ending the opening war 24 days early, thus gaining 24 days to enter the Dark Beast Dimension.
They had even guessed that vehicles wouldn't be able to enter the other side's dimension. When they reached the base and stepped on those black tiles, no technological items could be carried; they were left with only their own abilities.
Most of the information in the notification had already been analyzed by them. Facing the system's notice, they chose "Yes" without hesitation. They had to go. They had to save their people.
Moreover, entering the enemy dimension had always been something humans wanted to do. In the previous life, humans tried to enter through the spatial tunnels scattered across Blue Star, but likely because they were "stowaways," even the strongest Challengers couldn't adapt to the environment or even see the world clearly, as it was always shrouded in darkness.
As for now, since it said they had gained "qualification," Wei Huan wanted to see what kind of different qualification this would bring them.
Captain Xue chose "Yes."