Novel Bin
Chapter 37-Crimson Realm
Chapter 37-Crimson Realm
John's vision blurred momentarily, and when he reopened his eyes, he found himself inside the secret realm. Twelve blood suns shone high in the sky, a breeze stirred the wild grass, and the air was surprisingly fresh. At a glance, John could see dense forests in the distance and the towering blood-colored peak that reached the clouds.
The scene was similar to what he had observed from outside the secret realm, yet it seemed far more expansive here, stretching beyond sight. This secret realm was likely much larger than anyone had anticipated.
Upon entering, three blood-red alerts appeared before John's eyes:
[Warning! You have entered the 60-70 level hell-level secret realm "Crimson Realm"!]
[Warning! You have entered "Corpse Plains"!]
[Warning! Your level is too low, please leave promptly!]
John wasn't particularly concerned about the alerts, though he was somewhat surprised to find the "Crimson Realm" was a hell-level difficulty secret realm. Likely, any monster here could wipe out his HP with a single touch. However, John was reassured to see not only Old Dog and Gold Flash nearby but also Victor, Baron, Alexander, Eldritch, and others who had entered the dungeon.
Clearly, this secret realm did not randomly assign locations. If it had, like the Phantom Ruins, randomly respawned locations, he might indeed have faced immediate death.
Victor, from the sky, glanced over the group, his gaze finally resting on John, and said, He had already infiltrated their ranks; he would just see how things unfolded from here. "This area and the edge of the forest ahead should be the low-level area of the Crimson Realm. I haven't detected any strong presences here; the monsters' levels are probably around 15-30, which should be sufficient for you to level up. Stay in this area and wait for our return."
John dutifully nodded. He had already infiltrated their ranks; he would just see how things unfolded from here. After all, with the Crimson Key in his possession, they couldn't open the Crimson Demon's treasure, so John wasn't in a hurry.
Old Dog and Gold Flash, along with their companions, gave John a nod before quickly heading towards the forest ahead. They needed to stay alert to the movements of the major forces and couldn't afford to delay.
Most who entered didn't linger either, swiftly racing towards the distinct blood-colored peak, their true destination.
Soon, the plains nearby were almost deserted. Baron's slots were allocated to significant forces, so there were hardly any individuals with low levels.
To John's surprise, Seraphina and Alex had also entered. However, they didn't stay in this area but followed their elders deeper into the forest. Clearly, their guardians didn't trust the advanced secret realm for leveling up and likely just brought them along for the experience.
Unexpectedly, as Seraphina brushed past John, she suddenly winked at him. This wouldn't normally be significant, as they were somewhat acquainted, but her father Theodore was right beside her, catching her subtle gesture.
Theodore then turned his head and looked at John thoughtfully, as if trying to see through him. That look from Theodore made John's scalp tingle.
Was she trying to get him killed, flirting at a time like this?!
John could only pretend not to notice, acting as if he was busy adjusting his equipment. Fortunately, Theodore only spared him a glance and didn't linger, taking Seraphina away in a streak of azure light, allowing John to breathe a sigh of relief.
Catching up to the departing Victor, Theodore chuckled and asked, "That young fellow just now wasn't bad. Victor, where did you find him?"
Victor responded nonchalantly, "Just picked him up along the way. Why, interested?"
Theodore smiled lightly, "Not me, but rather..." He trailed off, choosing not to finish his sentence as he noticed Seraphina glaring at him with indignant embarrassment in her eyes.
Seeing this, a hint of amusement appeared on Victor's face, but he said no more. Young people, after all, should be just like this...
...
After everyone had left, John didn't idle around, recognizing that it wasn't his time to act yet. Instead, he commenced his own leveling-up plan.
Wandering around the Corpse Plains for a short while, John encountered his first monster. Interestingly, it was another red rabbit, albeit somewhat different from those he had met in the Phantom Ruins.
[Name: Bloodthirsty Bunny (Common)]
[Level: lv17]
[HP: 28000]
[Strength: 176]
[Spirit: 56]
[Defense: 89]
[Speed: 155]
[Skills: Bite, Claw Strike, Charge…]
This creature was significantly larger than the blood rabbits John had previously encountered, about the size of a wolf. It was covered in red fur, and its claws were exceptionally sharp, emitting a subtle chilling light, clearly not comparable to the smaller beings from the Phantom Ruins.
Without hesitation, John drew his Necrostaff, a streak of icy blue light flashing through his hand.
"Ice Spear!"
An ice spear, exuding a chilling aura and measuring over a dozen meters in length, instantly formed!
"Whoosh!"
With a mere thought from John, the massive ice spear, carrying the sound of tearing through the air, shot towards the bloodthirsty bunny!
The bunny had no time to dodge and was impaled on the spot by the ice spear.
In an instant, a huge damage number rose above the bloodthirsty bunny's head!
"-33167!"
The lv17 bloodthirsty bunny stood no chance against John and was instantly vanquished. Simultaneously, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[You have slain a lv17 "Bloodthirsty Bunny," earning 17,400 experience points!]
[Current Level]: lv10
[Experience]: 17,000 / 180,000
John was quite pleased with the progression of his experience bar; indeed, leveling up through defeating higher-level monsters was more efficient. At this rate, just about 10 more bloodthirsty bunnies would suffice to advance him to lv11.
However, before John could revel in his victory for long, he sensed something amiss. After the demise of the bloodthirsty bunny, he noticed that the previously verdant Corpse Plains were now dotted with numerous red figures. On closer inspection, they were all bloodthirsty bunnies with blood-red eyes, numbering over twenty!
These creatures were evidently social animals!
John was tempted to curse but found himself with no time for complaints. As soon as he spotted them, the eyes of the bloodthirsty bunnies gleamed with a bloodthirsty glow. They propelled themselves forward with a powerful thrust of their hind legs, transforming into streaks of red, their mouths agape with fine, sharp fangs, and lunged at John.
Facing the gaping maws, John had no doubt that he would not stand a chance against them if caught; he would not suffice for even one of their meals.
Without a moment's hesitation, John quickly cast Zephyr Shield and Rock Mail on himself and then swiftly dodged. Fortunately, thanks to his quick reflexes and agility, the claws and fangs of the bloodthirsty bunnies merely grazed his body. Despite his efforts, John still sustained a couple of hits.
Two white figures rose above John's head:
"-2130!"
"-1889!"
Fortunately, John was prepared and had shielded himself with two protective spells; otherwise, just those two hits from the bloodthirsty bunnies could have sent him to his demise.
Seeing the horde of bloodthirsty bunnies ready to pounce again, John naturally wouldn't give them another chance. With a light step, mana surged around him, and a pitch-black radiance spread out from John as the center, turning the vicinity of about a dozen meters into a black marsh in the blink of an eye.
"Dark Marsh!"
All the bloodthirsty bunnies were ensnared by the Dark Marsh, as if gripped by skeletal hands formed from the black mire, their struggles futile against the ensnaring force. Their speed was halved, and red numbers for damage started appearing above their heads.
"-1489!"
"-1430!"
"-1447!"
...
John stood on the Corpse Plains, seizing the moment to conjure a green glow in his hands. The plains, previously brushed by gentle breezes, were suddenly swept by a fierce storm.
"Storm Blade!"
A tornado, over twenty meters tall, materialized out of nowhere, engulfing all the bloodthirsty bunnies within, their bodies slashed by the relentless wind blades. A series of damage numbers rose again.
"-3258!"
"-3392!" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"-3498!"
...
Dense damage numbers floated in the air. Although the Storm Blade lasted for less than 10 seconds, it inflicted over twenty thousand damage on each bloodthirsty bunny. The twenty-odd bunnies, already low on HP, were all turned into John's experience under the might of the Storm Blade.
[You have slain a lv17 "Bloodthirsty Bunny," earning 18,200 experience points!]
[You have slain a lv17 "Bloodthirsty Bunny," earning 16,700 experience points!]
[You have slain a lv17 "Bloodthirsty Bunny," earning 16,500 experience points!]
...
A massive influx of experience surged into John's body, rapidly increasing his experience. In no time, two flashes of white light illuminated John almost simultaneously.
"Swish!"
[You have advanced to level 11, gaining 15 random attribute points!]
...
[You have advanced to level 12, gaining 15 random attribute points!]