Chapter 3: The Secret Realm, Poison Moon Forest

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Michen returned to his residence, a cramped room cluttered with exercise equipment. He powered on his computer and logged into the Hunter website, where various secret realm commissions and material purchase listings were displayed.

Since Michen was only a one-star hunter, the site showed only tasks matching his level.

“Core of the Earth Grem, purchase price 70,000.”

“Collect three withered demon grasses, reward 30,000.”

“Gather ghost moss, reward 50,000.”

“Exterminate the pack of demon wolves on the outskirts of the Old City, reward 120,000.”

...The list of commissions was overwhelming.

Michen’s gaze fixed on one particular task:

A commission posted by Qianyuan Metallurgy Workshop—“Exterminate the fire elementals deep within the Cave of Sorrows,” offering a reward of 200,000, with a completion deadline of five days after acceptance.

“Two hundred thousand... that’s quite a high price for a one-star commission,” he thought.

He clicked on the commission to view details.

The task had been posted for two months, with sixteen records of acceptance.

Given the time elapsed and the number of attempts, there was no doubt that all had failed.

Comments left on the commission confirmed this.

“The cave’s terrain is too complex; conventional tactical squads are no match for the fire elementals.”

“Our team encountered the fire elementals, but they easily shattered our purified water barrier—this is far beyond the combat power expected of a level-two monster.”

“The fire elementals’ movements are unpredictable. One of our members was injured, so we had to abandon the mission...”

The reasons all boiled down to the cave’s treacherous geography and the fire elementals’ formidable strength.

Many hunters began to question the commission itself, believing the difficulty exceeded one-star level.

Michen pondered whether or not to accept this assignment.

The high reward was tempting, but reputation was the real key.

A hunter’s reputation was like a brand.

With a strong enough name, resources would naturally come knocking.

On the Hunter website, when clicking on personal information, one could clearly see:

Combat specialties,

Number of commissions completed,

Overall rating,

and other detailed statistics.

Achievements were displayed at a glance.

Because Michen had just become a hunter, all these fields were blank.

In other words, he was a rookie.

Though experienced as a porter, as a hunter he was just starting out.

No reputation, no guild recruitment, no resources coming his way.

A hunter’s profile was certified by the Hunter Administration Bureau, making falsification nearly impossible.

This system was designed to help hunters understand one another.

When entering secret realms, hunters typically formed small agile squads of three to five members.

Basic data like this was an important reference when selecting teammates.

If your stats were low, others wouldn’t want you on their team.

The hunter world was this pragmatic.

Michen knew the Cave of Sorrows well from his days as a porter, having ventured deep inside multiple times and understood its internal structure.

But to hunt fire elementals, teamwork was essential; venturing alone was too dangerous.

Yet, as a novice hunter, who would accept him into their squad?

So he had no choice but to initiate recruitment himself.

Recruiting a squad was simple.

Just click on the relevant commission on the website, set the number of members and qualifications, and launch the call.

However, since hunting fire elementals was extremely difficult, after two full hours of posting, there was no response.

He immediately realized that such high-level commissions were typically taken by fixed squads.

These teams had established chemistry, making their combat and execution capabilities far superior to hastily assembled squads.

Michen felt a touch of helplessness.

Clearly, he was not yet qualified to take on this mission.

But for a newcomer like him, finding the right team was no easy matter.

After some searching, Michen began to consider starting with simpler commissions, preferably solo tasks, to build strength and reputation first.

Just then, a notification popped up on the website.

The Moonlight Shrine had posted a commission: “Exterminate the Moonlight Hunter, submit the Taki Jade Sprout, reward 150,000, location: Poison Moon Forest.”

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“Poison Moon Forest?”

Michen’s interest was instantly piqued.

The secret realms surrounding Junyang City were divided mainly into three regions: the Ruined City, the Mining District, and the Forest Zone.

Poison Moon Forest lay on the outskirts of the Forest Zone, classified as a D-rank secret realm.

Though a low-level realm, its peculiar trait was that entrants were randomly teleported to different areas at intervals.

Because of this unpredictable mechanism, team operations were nearly impossible.

Poison Moon Forest was one of the rare secret realms suited only for solo challenges.

Solo exploration was extremely difficult, requiring not only solid combat ability but relentless vigilance and strong mental fortitude.

This commission was undoubtedly an opportunity.

Risks and rewards intertwined.

If completed successfully, it would bring him fame, smoothing his future hunting career.

There was a saying in the hunter community: achievements were the best reputation.

Still, Michen hesitated slightly.

Rumors said some hunters had encountered monsters in Poison Moon Forest with danger levels above eight, possessing terrifying magical power that could even disable escape stones.

Secret realm levels were generally determined by scale, magical radiation, and monster threat levels.

As a D-rank realm, Poison Moon Forest’s monsters should not exceed level three in danger.

Hunter levels generally corresponded to monster threat levels.

A one-star hunter’s combat power equaled a level one monster.

But hunters had the advantage of teamwork; with good coordination, a one-star squad could hunt down level-two monsters.

This explained why level-two fire elementals appeared in one-star commissions.

After much deliberation, Michen decided to accept the commission.

The Moonlight Hunter was a level-one apex monster, but with proper preparation, a solo hunt was not impossible.

After paying a 10,000 deposit, the website confirmed the commission was accepted.

Shortly after, the comment section exploded.

“Someone actually dares to take this commission? Crazy!”

“That guy looks like a newbie!”

“This kid’s dead meat.”

“Tsk tsk, foolish...”

The comments were almost entirely derisive and scornful.

Michen was unfazed.

He closed the site and settled down to prepare for the secret realm expedition.

Once he decided on something, he was determined to see it through, no matter the cost.

The next morning, after a ten-kilometer run, Michen returned home.

At his doorstep lay a large box: weapons and supplies he had ordered online had arrived.

He unpacked it.

A deep gray enchanted long blade forged from Deep Profound Steel.

Magical inscriptions on the blade granted it the attributes of “Durability” and “Sharpness.”

The pommel bore the character “Sen,” marking it as a standard issue from Great Sen Industries, the largest weapons manufacturer in the Eastern Huang Kingdom.

Known for quality and durability, Great Sen was favored by hunters.

The dark-gray blade shimmered with a cold, razor-sharp gleam.

“Good blade!” Michen murmured appreciatively.

Compared to swords, he was more skilled with a fierce, decisive blade, having trained with knives since childhood.

For safety, he also purchased a large-caliber Viper pistol.

Though ordinary firearms inflicted limited damage on monsters, if used skillfully, they could be remarkably effective.

Depending on the bullets loaded, they retained considerable lethality.

In the Eastern Huang Kingdom, guns were strictly regulated; each weapon had a special safety lock that only disengaged inside secret realms.

For now, Michen could only weigh the pistol in his hand, feeling its balance.

Besides weapons, he bought two bottles of trauma elixir, three antidote potions, and a nutritional supplement.

These potions were concocted from secret realm materials and came at a steep price.

He hadn’t even started his first mission yet, but these items alone had cost over 60,000.

Including the deposit, Michen had spent nearly all his savings accumulated over several years.

Though painful, it was worth it.

If he lost his life, no amount of money would matter.

Better to bet everything and give it his all.

Over the next two days, Michen trained intensely and gathered intelligence on Poison Moon Forest.

Before he knew it, three days had passed.

All was ready; it was time to depart.

Packing his gear, Michen mounted an old motorcycle he had salvaged from a scrap yard, started the engine, and left the city.

On the deserted road, the engine roared as he quickly reached the Forest Zone.

An uneven iron fence surrounded the forest, with red warning signs reading: “Dangerous Monsters!”

Due to the secret realm’s influence, the environment here had undergone various mutations.

Following the map’s guidance, Michen finally arrived at the entrance to Poison Moon Forest.

The entrance was inside an abandoned amusement park.

He pushed open the iron gate; the hinges groaned sharply, startling a flock of crows into flight.

The carousel’s colors had long faded, its weathered cartoon sculptures missing noses and eyes, evoking a desolate, eerie atmosphere.

Not far off, a towering Ferris wheel stood alone, its iron frame stained dark red with rust.

Dead branches and vines entwined the roller coaster tracks, with dilapidated cars hanging precariously, swaying in the wind.

As Michen stepped into the park, a short, stout, bald man wearing a filthy orange-and-white uniform reeking of alcohol approached.

“Hey, hey, hey! You must be the one challenging Poison Moon Forest, right?”

He pulled a crumpled cap from his pocket and placed it on his head.

Michen showed his hunter license.

The man barely glanced at it, waving dismissively while scrutinizing Michen.

“For a newbie like you, challenging Poison Moon Forest is just suicidal.”

“Well, you won’t know unless you try.”

“Try? Ha!”

The man sneered mockingly.

“Haven’t you heard the rumors about Poison Moon Forest?”

“I know—the mysterious monsters wandering inside are over level eight in danger, and escape stones don’t work there.”

“Humph.”

The man snorted, saying no more.

He grabbed a bottle and downed it in one gulp.

“Well, I warned you. If you die out there, I’ll burn a couple extra sheets of paper for you.”

Michen smiled faintly.

“Appreciate it. If I make it back alive, I’ll bring you a couple bottles of good wine.”

“Heh, you’re an interesting one. What’s your name?”

“Michen.”

“You’re crazy. Call me ‘Drunkard Li.’”

Under Drunkard Li’s guidance, Michen arrived at a warehouse.

“The last time we opened this secret realm was three months ago,” Li said, opening the door.

A surge of potent magical energy swept over them.

Before them appeared a dimensional rift, shimmering with kaleidoscopic colors.

Its edges flickered with strange energy waves, faint electric sparks crackling here and there, exuding an unsettling instability.

“This is for you.”

Li tossed Michen a compass.

“What’s this?”

“A Crisis Compass,” Li explained. “When dangerous monsters appear nearby, the needle swings wildly.”

This was quite a useful tool, usually costly.

“I’m lending it to you out of respect for the wine. Don’t lose it.”

Michen chuckled.

“Got it.”

As soon as he stepped into the rift, a strong suction force yanked him in completely.

A flash of white light.

When Michen opened his eyes again, daylight had faded into night.

Insect calls, moonlight, rustling wind—all surrounded by towering trees casting countless shadows, harboring deep, subtle malice and danger.

He looked behind him. The entrance was gone, replaced by a broken stone statue.