Chapter 16

Qin Lang and Perila quickly located the pollution source.

Perila lightly tapped his staff against what seemed like a cliff face made of tangled vines. White briar rose vines erupted from within the vine wall, the thorns gripping tightly around each thick, gnarled vine until they carved a doorway of roses into the wall.

When the roses withered, their white petals drifting softly down, the dried brown vines also rustled down like gray snowflakes. The rose doorway transformed into a hole in the wall, revealing the Secret Realm protected by the menacing vine barrier.

Long accustomed to cleansing pollution sources, Perila simply stepped into the opening. Qin Lang followed closely behind.

The vine wall was thick, tunnel-like, resembling a genuine cliffside.

Perila’s roses emitted a faint white glow within the “cave.” Whenever one light extinguished, a new one bloomed further ahead, until the natural light from outside illuminated the dark tunnel.

Emerging from the “cave,” Qin Lang set foot in his first ever Secret Realm, born of a pollution source.

Tender green grass was dotted with colorful, star-shaped wildflowers. In the meadow’s heart, crystalline stream water sparkled as fish leaped. Low shrubs along both banks were laden with deep red and bright orange berries. Gentle, fluffy little animals munched on tender leaves before the shrubbery…

Qin Lang was stunned.

“I was surprised the first time I saw a pollution source too,” Perila said. “A pollution source is like the eye of a storm; ironically, it’s where the divine power is calmest. The few docile animals in the forest take refuge here. But to cleanse this pollution, we must destroy this place first.”

Qin Lang wasn’t as sentimental as Perila.

Expanding cities, building roads, clearing farmland—all of it required clearing and tilling the land before the next step. Once the pollution was cleansed, the ordinary animals barely clinging to life here could roam freely across a much wider territory—or end up on humanity’s dinner tables.

It was just that this area looked strangely familiar.

Though Fantasy Realms had already entered the “Doomsday Era” upon launch, the game’s environment wasn’t somber and ruined.

A long-running MMORPG differed from a one-time purchase single-player game; it needed a broader aesthetic appeal.

A bleak, desolate apocalyptic landscape might work for a single-player title, but it couldn’t keep players invested long-term.

The Dream World’s “Apocalypse” stemmed from the breakdown of fundamental rules. Original landscapes and life were twisted, but the distorted results could still possess gorgeous or heartwarming colors—they just defied common sense.

Amidst this illogical “dreamscape,” the occasional islands of normalcy—cities, villages, and natural scenery—served as monster-free safe zones, and were the typical material-gathering spots for Life-Skills Players.

The Apocalypse’s “green oases” were actually pollution sources that needed cleansing before the rules became warped?

Qin Lang shared this information, along with landscape screenshots, to Xia Xifeng.

Xia Xifeng: [Even “pollution” follows this world’s rules. Residual power from the Divine War is hard to destroy with foreign power, just like the foreign power causing the Apocalypse. This is basic logic. We cleanse the pollution, then build solid Defense Towers—that can withstand the Apocalypse’s invasion too. Otherwise, how would the normal NPCs in the Doomsday Era survive? Don’t overthink it. Just destroy it.]

Qin Lang hadn’t known these bits of lore unrelated to quests and monster grinding, nor had he wanted to discuss them with Xia Xifeng: [Check if there are any materials you need. If there are, I won’t touch this place yet.]

It was only then Xia Xifeng remembered Qin Lang couldn’t gather materials for him.

His game system had been stripped of Combat Skills, and Qin Lang’s had been stripped of Life Skills. While Qin Lang could physically pull weeds, dig dirt, and pick up rocks like any normal person, he wouldn’t be as efficient as Xia Xifeng, and might even damage materials through improper handling and storage.

Xia Xifeng hastily replied: [Don’t touch anything! Wait until I come tomorrow and strip the ground three feet deep, then we cleanse it!]

Perila was still standing there, lost in sentimental reverie.

Qin Lang cut in. “Let’s head back. Tomorrow, we bring Xia Xifeng and Leo to cleanse it together.”

Perila’s face flushed red. “I-I didn’t mean… of course the pollution source needs cleansing. Only then can more places become like this. I just…”

Qin Lang cut him off again. “Xia Xifeng says he’ll dig one meter deep, gather every single material first, and then we cleanse it.”

Perila’s mouth fell slightly open. “Ah?”

After a moment, he closed his mouth, remained silent for a bit, then opened it again. “By the time he finishes digging, the pollution source will definitely be triggered. We’ll only need to deal with the twisted monsters then.”

“That’s the idea,” Qin Lang agreed.

Perila was at a loss for words for a moment.

He rubbed his nose, sheepish. “Let’s head back. Tomorrow, let Feng dig… Pfft, does he really plan to dig one meter deep?”

Perila was amused, his earlier melancholy completely obliterated by the sheer absurdity of Xia Xifeng’s plan.

“If the soil is useful, he will,” Qin Lang said.

Perila was genuinely looking forward to watching Xia Xifeng dig tomorrow.

Upon leaving, he sealed the “cave” entrance with vines, preventing any corrupted beasts from wandering in and prematurely agitating the pollution source.

At the yet-unnamed initial base of their Knight’s Domain, the Halflings from Sunflower Valley had already set up decorations, lit the bonfires, and were ready to start the banquet.

After enduring another raucously lively feast, an overexcited, sleepless Xia Xifeng and an utterly exhausted Qin Lang spent their first night in their own Knight’s Domain.

The next day, the two went with Leo and Perila to “strip the ground three feet deep” and, along the way, learn how to cleanse a pollution source.

For safety, Leo and Perila deliberately released several layers of their Power Suppression Runes.

Not only did Xia Xifeng have no chance to steal kills, even Qin Lang couldn’t interfere. They could only stand at the side and passively soak up experience.

Using only fifty or sixty percent of their power, Leo and Perila took just half an hour to uproot this small pollution source.

Qin Lang and Xia Xifeng shot up to Level 27.

If it weren’t for the rule that after cleansing one source, the next couldn’t be cleansed for at least a month—lest the overstimulated pollution sources cause a chain reaction and prematurely trigger a Devil Beast tide—having Leo and Perila carry them through pollution source cleansing would be an incredibly efficient leveling method.

If this were the game, already at Level 27, Qin Lang wouldn’t log off without hitting Level 30.

In reality, filling those three levels’ worth of experience by grinding scattered monsters in the forest would take him several more days.

Although he could let Leo and Perila lead him deep into the forest to find powerful demonic beasts, raw experience without skill practice was useless. Qin Lang wasn’t in a rush.

“Are there devil beasts in the desert too? I haven’t seen those yet.” Xia Xifeng, tired of the forest scenery, wanted a change of scenery.

“Desert monsters are very cunning, but the meat from a big scorpion’s pincers is delicious.” Leo’s mouth watered. He dragged Perila, who absolutely didn’t want to eat sand and suffer under the desert sun, off to grind scorpions.

Scorpions weren’t high level, but they burrowed into the ground and were poisonous, making them a pain to grind.

Perila was about to use their lack of antidote as an excuse to refuse, but upon hearing that scorpion claw meat was tasty, Xia Xifeng instantly summoned a Workbench out of thin air and hand-crafted them some Antidotes.

For low-level scorpion venom, low-level Antidotes were sufficient. Xia Xifeng’s Antidotes could even be taken in advance as a direct Poison Resistance Buff.

The materials gathered from the Divine-Tainted Secret Realm were plentiful; Xia Xifeng could brew enough Antidote to drown them in it.

Leo hooked his arm around the gloomy-faced Perila’s neck, laughing uproariously. “With a universal support like Feng, let’s see you make any more excuses! Come on, let’s catch some scorpions!”

Xia Xifeng pressed his palms together in a pleading gesture. “Sorry, Perila, but I really want to eat them.”

Perila drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

Xia Xifeng: “Teehee.”

Leo: “HAHAHAHAHA.”

Qin Lang silently adjusted his bowstring and crafted bait traps.

The scorpions in the novice zones were easy to catch; they just spawned too slowly, making them unsuitable for grinding levels. He hadn’t hunted many before and needed to refresh his muscle memory.

…

“Run!” The Dwarf, his beard braided into three neat strands, swung his massive hammer, fiercely slamming it against the writhing shadow before him.

A Dwarf girl in overalls, her mouth wide open in a tearless wail, scrambled up the barren desert cliff.

“Papa!” Her scream was raw as she climbed.

Just as she reached the cliff wall, she stepped onto a rotating, sinking sandpit. A faint red glow flickered over her small body before she was instantly swallowed by the sand.

The twisting shadow spread up the cliff wall, circling the now-settled sandpit for a moment. Sensing no life aura, it slithered back down the cliff.

The shadow churned, enveloping the Dwarf lying on the ground, his fate unknown.

The fallen Dwarf tottered to his feet. The bloody wounds on his body sprouted fleshy tendrils that writhed and pulled together.

“He” stretched “his” head and limbs, then stiffly ambled toward the scattered caravan.

One step, two steps, three steps… Their gait grew increasingly brisk, their expressions increasingly natural.

Scattered goods were retrieved. The draft animals opened their eyes. The caravan regrouped and set course for Green Sand City.

The Dwarves changed out of their blood-soaked clothes, washed the grime from their bodies, and sat high in the wagons, laughing merrily.

They unclipped the leather flasks at their waists and cheerfully poured ale down their throats.

“We’re definitely gonna make a fortune this trip to Green Sand City!”

“Once I earn my money, I’m heading home to get married!”

“Congratulations, congratulations.”

“Jim, why the long face and furrowed brow?”

The Dwarf with the three-strand beard shook his head. “I feel like I’ve forgotten something. But I just can’t remember what.”

“If you can’t remember, it couldn’t have been important!”

“Come, drink up! If you still can’t remember after some ale, then it was definitely not important.”

The Dwarf with the three-strand beard relaxed his brow. “You’re right.”

He, too, unclipped his flask and took a hearty swig of ale.

…

“Wow, this scorpion is really huge.” Xia Xifeng eagerly pulled out his carving knife.

A System notification indicated a special drop inside the scorpion’s abdomen. Xia Xifeng carefully sliced open the creature’s belly.

“Let me see what big treasure we have here… ARGH! How is this a person?!” Xia Xifeng yelped, stumbling backward and landing on the sand.

Inside the dissected scorpion’s belly lay a small Dwarf girl, her body curled up.

Her chest faintly rose and fell. A Ruby Brooch pinned to her chest emitted a weak red glow, struggling to envelop her small body in its light.