Chapter 157: 157. Chapter 157: Spatial Storage (Requesting Monthly Votes)

157. Chapter 157: Spatial Storage (Requesting Monthly Votes)

"Do you think you can bring in alloy weapons with little technological content, relying on the Federation's space technology?"

"Wrong. Utterly wrong!"

"The essence of the Secret Realm is idealistic; even a rusty piece of scrap metal, once forged, can be regarded as a technological weapon!"

"You've forgotten your fundamental identity—you are cultivators!"

"During transmission into the Secret Realm, where is your martial will? Bring it forth to resist the Realm's rules, so you can carry more items—even a dagger!"

"The rules of this spatial bubble aren't particularly strong. I hope by the end of this special training, you can all bring in black powder weapons!"

Instructor John waved his hand: "Now... those without weapons, do weighted runs!"

He roared fiercely, his expression like a demon!

"Those with weapons—double your training! You must grow stronger! This isn't for anyone else—it's for your own lives!"

"In the military, coordination is paramount... especially when swinging your blade against stronger demonic cultists... if you have no trustworthy teammate to block their counterattack, death is the only outcome... compared to temporary squads, long-trained teams are far more reliable..."

One month later.

After the special training, Fang Xing roughly understood why the top names on the military merit board were all small squads.

"Boss..."

Song Song Jingang walked over: "Let's form a team... I've already named it: Chickens of the Eagle Squad. I've also recruited a senior sister..."

"Oh?"

Fang Xing looked up and saw a beautiful woman.

"Hello, I'm Xue Ting, a sixth-year student at Lanxing Public Security University!"

Xue Ting had eyes that seemed to speak: "I've long heard of your name on the combat leaderboard... I'm at the Outer Vision realm, trained in several healing techniques, and can handle reconnaissance—I won't slow you two down..."

"Boss... what do you say?"

Song Song Jingang looked at Fang Xing expectantly.

"Let me think about it..."

Fang Xing didn't decide immediately.

As an intern, autonomy is the most important!

After an alert, you can choose whether to respond; if too many apply, the Omniscient Brain assigns you.

And you only need to complete one mandatory mission per month.

If you lack confidence, you can simply return to university—even if punished, it's better than dying.

So he had no desire to join any large-scale Secret Realm warfare.

He preferred one-on-one; after all, at his current realm, encountering a high-ranking servant... wouldn't that be slaughter?

Even better, due to the Secret Realm's rules, acting alone meant he'd only encounter high-ranking servants—not likely cultist-level entities!

【I suppose Huang Mei's situation is the same... that kid's even harsher—he's stayed firmly at the Fourth Martial Realm, never crossed the boundary, and likely only faces low-ranking servants...】

【Therefore, for students whose strength vastly exceeds the norm, going solo might be safer and more covert... Any method used in the Secret Realm remains unknown to the outside world.】

Fang Xing, with these considerations, declined Song Song Jingang's request.

"I see... then I'll find someone else. Too many people in a squad isn't good either..."

Song Song Jingang sighed: "Looks like Boss plans to go solo. Unless something extraordinary happens, we won't fight side by side..."

The Numerical Space is a battlefield!

On a battlefield, everything changes in an instant—anything can happen!

If frontline forces suffer heavy losses, multiple Secret Realms descend simultaneously, or if a cultist undergoes mutation and ascends, even interns will be forcibly ordered into battle!

Metal Castle.

Mission Hall.

Fang Xing deliberately changed out of his nanosuit, wearing ordinary school uniform, carrying his Ghost-Head Blade, silently watching the constantly flashing screen.

Each flash of red light on the screen represented an incursion from the Numerical Space.

If interception fails, it means a repeat of what happened to him on Chickens Star!

【Gu Yun's father... his name was Gu Gu Renwang, right?】

【Without realizing it, he's been dead so many years... and now, I've finally gained enough strength to stand on this battlefield and protect humanity?】

【Alright, the responsibility of protecting humanity is too great—I can't bear it... but avenging those demonic cultists? That I must do.】

【C-Class Alert! Interested participants, confirm within three seconds!】

【Confirmation complete! 'Stormwind Squad' has been assigned the mission. Assemble in Spatial Storage #5 within ten seconds!】

The Omniscient Brain processed the request swiftly, and the veteran students moved with perfect coordination.

Occasionally, a spatial storage opened to reveal squads drenched in blood, either roaring to the heavens or being rushed to the infirmary.

Fang Xing observed all day, noticing most alerts were C- and D-class, with occasional B-class missions.

As for A-class missions? They exceeded the capacity of this internship camp, so they were never broadcast—but they certainly existed in real military camps.

"Logically, I should pick a D-class mission—to kill low-ranking servants... but I'm now at Outer Vision. If the Secret Realm spawns low-ranking servants, I can't even enter. So I need at least a C-class mission. If I choose B-class, I'll likely be forced into joint operations, assigned teammates, and forced to obey the officer with the highest rank—annoying..."

After a month of special training and research, Fang Xing had figured out the system's mechanics.

At that moment, another spatial storage opened.

Two figures stepped out.

"Huh?"

Fang Xing realized these were familiar faces.

Hu Yan Huyan Qiushui and An Xing weren't his friends, but he'd faced them many times on the virtual combat arena.

"Senior!"

He approached and saw Hu Yan Huyan Qiushui and An Xing's faces were grim, tinged with sorrow.

"It's the Top Three Squad... one of them died?!"

"Someone was injured?"

"Bad news—it's Luo Kai from our school. He was once the top student..."

The scene erupted into chaos.

"Sorry, junior, I have many matters to handle."

Hu Yan Huyan Qiushui gave Fang Xing an apologetic smile and hurried off with An Xing for treatment and questioning.

After all, Luo Kai was an elite of Holy Armor University—his death here demanded investigation.

【This is a battlefield... anyone can die.】

Fang Xing, witnessing this, silently sighed within.

If he knew the Top Three Squad had seriously considered inviting him, he'd have sighed even deeper.

At that moment, another blinding alert flashed.

【C-Class Alert! Sign up within five seconds!】

"C-class—perfect for me."

Fang Xing activated his intent and immediately signed up. The Omniscient Brain even warned: 【Confirm: Solo missions receive no reinforcements. Danger level is extremely high. Failure means your death and increased burden on secondary interception forces.】

"Confirmed!"

He had no fear. 【Ding! You've accepted the mission. Report to Spatial Storage #3 within five seconds. Weapon depot access granted—choose any weapon...】

The Omniscient Brain's message arrived instantly.

【So the Omniscient Brain is truly intelligent—almost infallible... knows I'm strong in solo combat, ranked #1 on the leaderboard, and has high mission success rate?】

【That's why it picked me among all applicants?】

Fang Xing smiled inwardly and didn't go to the weapon depot.

Even if he did, he'd only get an alloy battle knife—nothing compares to his own Ghost-Head Blade.

Spatial Storage #3.

Fang Xing walked in alone, Ghost-Head Blade on his back.

"Another soloist!"

Some veteran students glanced over, their eyes unsure whether in admiration or seeing a madman.

CLANG!

The metal door slammed shut.

The once-empty hall now held only Fang Xing, standing alone, radiating a strange aura.

"Is it finally coming? The Secret Realm battlefield..."

"I've learned everything I needed—from high school until now..."

"Everything I needed to review, John drilled into me for a month."

"Now, only real combat!"

Fang Xing's eyes hardened.

A flash of silver light—and his figure vanished.

A forest.

The trees towered, pitch-black and twisted, like skeletal arms reaching skyward.

Crack!

Fang Xing stepped into the forest, his foot crushing a dry branch that snapped with a crisp sound.

He drew his right hand, and the Ghost-Head Blade materialized in his grip, radiating terrifying blade qi.

"So this is… the Secret Realm?"

Fang Xing sighed; though he had traversed it several times before, those were all Federation-made artificial space bubbles—different from slipping into a Secret Realm.

The greatest difference was that during transit, he had truly felt the world's resistance!

Had he not swiftly wielded his own martial will to resist, he might have lost even his undergarments…

He glanced at himself and realized his high-tech gear—including his phone—had been left behind in the storage chamber; he'd have to retrieve them upon returning.

"But… there's a sense of freedom, like escaping a cage."

"After all, this is the domain of the Outer Demonic Gods—the Federation can't monitor here… which means I can do whatever I want?"

Fang Xing touched his third eye: "The connection to the Gates of All Realms still holds… meaning I can cross over anytime, or summon my cultivation avatar as a surprise force…"

"Regardless, having a secure escape route is always good for me."

He tapped the ground with his toe and vanished like a wisp of wind, appearing atop the twisted, black trees.

From afar, the Secret Realm battlefield was vast, seemingly encompassing this forest and a distant, hazy village.

Beyond that, only endless black mist stretched into the distance.

"Generally, the stronger the Familiar, the larger the Secret Realm…"

"Even, a Secret Realm carrying a 'Divine Child' can be nearly a true miniature world, complete with an entire civilization…"

"According to combat analysis and subsequent simulations, the alien civilization carried by the Secret Realm may serve as nourishment and sustenance for the Divine Child's growth…"

"Of course, such Secret Realms are extravagant—only top-tier Familiars can possibly possess them…"

"Later, the Federation speculated… these Secret Realms might be fragments of space sheared off from reality by the Outer Demonic Gods…"

Fang Xing recalled his textbook knowledge, then moved swiftly toward the hazy village.

The village was built of massive stones, its doorframes towering over three meters high, with a unique style resembling the dwellings of tiny giants.

Yet the entire settlement lay in eerie silence—as if not a single living thing remained within.

"Anyone here? If not, I'm coming in."

Fang Xing's Ghost-Head Blade flashed, splitting open a colossal stone door.

Inside, the furnishings were crude: bows, axes… and several unknown animal hides, as if this were a hunter's hut.

Fang Xing's gaze swept the room and spotted a strange, thick metal syringe atop what appeared to be a stone desk.

Though countless ages had passed, the syringe showed not a trace of rust—especially the needle, gleaming with cold light.

"It feels utterly incongruous… barbarism and technology…"

"Yet the civilizations that worship Demonic Gods always seem this contradictory—still drinking blood and eating raw meat, yet mastering interstellar travel? You believe that?"

Fang Xing prodded the syringe with his blade tip, then entered the next stone house.

This house was larger, its interior equally crude—but it held two syringes.

He even spotted a strange device resembling a giant stethoscope.

"Hmm?"

Fang Xing spread his domain, and immediately detected something.

A flash of blade light.

A wall collapsed with a crash, revealing beneath the rubble a notebook with a pitch-black cover.

The notebook was enormous—so large a normal person could barely grip it with one hand. Its cover was black, but the pages inside glowed with an eerie crimson.

Fang Xing willed it open, and a gentle breeze turned its pages.

Inside were strange symbols—like the claw marks of wild beasts, radiating wild, primal energy.

"The script of the Outer Demonic Gods' Familiars… I've never studied this. Requires decryption."

"Any artifact tied to Demonic Gods must undergo review—procedures are extremely tedious."

This was to protect students and soldiers.

As for reading it here directly?

It was nearly impossible—not only due to the language barrier, but even if Fang Xing could read these strange glyphs, translating an entire Demonic God scripture would take considerable time.

A single page of this notebook might contain countless layers of meaning.

Worse, it couldn't be copied—only personal spiritual strength could slowly unravel its secrets…

"Perhaps… this holds the secret to why this village is utterly empty."

Fang Xing's mind stirred—he planned to later send this secret scripture to the cultivation world.

He'd always been curious about the Outer Demonic Gods, especially after being haunted by the "Flower of the Great Sun Buddha"—even avoiding them was impossible now.

"Maybe it contains knowledge about that Void Gate…"

Just as Fang Xing prepared to continue searching, his ears twitched. Under the Dance Through Air technique, his figure vanished instantly.

Boom!

Dust exploded upward as a colossal claw descended from above, crushing the house into rubble.

Fang Xing hovered midair, staring at the "monster" that had attacked him.

Its form was grotesque and terrifying—a massive ball of flesh, with a giant humanoid silhouette formed from countless fused giants, sprouting bizarre feet and claws.

Merely seeing it for the first time brought a wave of horrific spiritual corruption.