Chapter 25: Secret Realm Key, Place of Fortune

Looking at Fang Shi’s intimidating gaze, Xiao Xi felt a shiver run through him.

Fang Shi’s performance today had proven he knew this apocalypse well; Xiao Xi hoped to draw out some topics so he could reveal more information.

Who knew Fang Shi would react so strongly.

“Xiao Xi, how come I never heard about this?” Zhai Yan exclaimed.

“You never asked me,” Xiao Xi glared at Zhai Yan, then turned back to Fang Shi. “Feng Ren told me—he has some connection with Hong Yuankai.”

So Xiao Xi recounted Hong Yuankai’s story to Fang Shi.

After listening for a while, Fang Shi finally understood.

Xiao Xi had a sycophant named Feng Ren, but because he was plain-looking, Xiao Xi disliked him greatly.

One day, the sycophant discovered a secret treasure vault and was about to strike it rich—he came to tell Xiao Xi.

Like in those TV dramas where the hero returns victorious to marry his beloved.

Of course, this was merely Fang Shi’s interpretation of Xiao Xi’s words; the original wasn’t phrased that way.

Still, Fang Shi gained crucial information: Hong Yuankai’s group definitely possessed one of the keys.

As a reincarnator, Fang Shi knew of many keys.

But based on Hong Yuankai’s actions, he roughly deduced that the key they obtained was a Secret Realm Key.

In short, a Secret Realm was a dungeon.

After the apocalypse, with attribute panels came monster-killing and item drops.

But the drop rate was extremely low—about as rare as winning the lottery.

Not to mention the king of drop items: the Secret Realm Key.

Though the apocalypse rewards those who move fast, with first-time bonuses even a pig could soar.

Yet latecomers still had a chance to catch up.

The first method was grinding monsters to level up—a honest approach, viable early on with large organizations, but nearly impossible later.

If your strength was already inferior, why compete with others in monster grinding? That was pure fantasy.

The second method was relying on fortune: after the apocalypse, countless opportunities arose, and the chosen could ascend in a single step.

Even becoming a legendary deity wasn’t out of the question.

The Secret Realm Key was one such opportunity—dungeon monsters granted high experience and high drop rates, practically legendary treasure spots.

No wonder Fang Shi took notice.

In fact, if used well, the Secret Realm Key had another powerful function.

That was to evade the coming crisis.

The first shock was imminent, and Fang Shi had no place left to level up—better to enter a Secret Realm, farm a full set of divine gear, then emerge to slaughter like cutting melons.

The more Fang Shi thought about it, the more excited he became; his gaze toward Xiao Xi grew increasingly eager.

Xiao Xi’s scalp prickled under Fang Shi’s stare—damn, this demon isn’t eyeing me, is he?

He’s so powerful—what if he forces me?

Looks like I’ll have to submit, or my life is over. Too bad for Zhai Yan.

Fang Shi didn’t know Xiao Xi’s wild thoughts, and even if he did, he wouldn’t care.

In the apocalypse, strange people and strange events were everywhere—some bowed respectfully while secretly plotting your death, and that was normal.

“Where did they die? Take me there right away.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.”

Eventually, under Xiao Xi’s gaze, Zhai Yan reluctantly abandoned his food and led Fang Shi to the crime scene.

…

At the crime scene, Zhai Yan held a torch made of cooking oil, standing to light the way for Fang Shi.

Because it was daytime, and after Fang Shi’s massacre,

the streets held not a single corpse-walker—empty and eerily safe.

As for the powerful night king, the Firewing Bird, Fang Shi actually hoped more would appear.

He needed 6,000 experience points to level from 3 to 4—he was far from it.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Fang Shi sifted through the debris on the ground,

searching for any possible remnants of the key.

A Secret Realm Key, if not used to complete the dungeon, would remain indefinitely and possessed extreme durability, impervious to ordinary attacks.

Based on Xiao Xi’s account, Fang Shi quickly concluded Hong Yuankai’s group had definitely not cleared the dungeon.

Otherwise, the scene wouldn’t be this gruesome—if they couldn’t win, they’d at least have fought back.

Where did it go? Fang Shi wondered. The key must be brought out of the dungeon.

This was mandatory—not because the living must carry it out even in death, but because of the key’s own mechanism.

Fang Shi believed that once outside the dungeon, the key would drop, and no one would ever abandon such a precious item.

Moreover, you entered from one place and exited from the same place; the survivors were first spotted by Xiao Xi and Zhai Yan right here.

He didn’t believe these people, knowing the dangers of night, would trek all the way back to this building.

This wasn’t some treasure spot—why not just hide nearby? There were so many empty houses now, with most people turned to corpses.

Of course, another key reason: Fang Shi understood Firewing Birds—these otherworldly creatures would never let survivors escape so far.

Unfortunately, the corpses were too clean—only fragments of clothing and indigestible bones remained, not a trace of flesh or blood.

Could it be?

A flash of sharp light passed through Fang Shi’s eyes; he signaled Zhai Yan to turn back.

He had thought of a possibility: had the Firewing Bird accidentally swallowed the key while feeding?

…

On the pitch-black, empty street, Zhai Yan wandered helplessly by the roadside, on the verge of tears.

June nights were scorching hot, yet his heart was icy cold.

When Fang Shi realized the key might be inside a Firewing Bird’s stomach, he immediately turned back inside, swiftly slashing with his sword to search the creature’s digestive system.

Unfortunately, none of the three had it—not even the likely 4th-level Firewing Bird.

Fang Shi was unwilling to give up, so he devised a plan.

He’d kill every Firewing Bird nearby and search them all—then he’d know for sure.

Whether Firewing Birds excreted, and whether the key might be expelled into another world—

these possibilities existed, but Fang Shi had to try anyway.

A Secret Realm Key was too precious to abandon lightly.

Besides, even if he didn’t find the key, grinding experience was still worthwhile.

Fang Shi realized his own strength was too great—he still carried the lingering aura of dead Firewing Birds, causing aggro to fail.

He decided to find a new bait to replace himself.

Thus, unfortunate Zhai Yan was chosen again—he didn’t want to go.

But under pressure from Fang Shi and Xiao Xi, and with Fang Shi’s promise of rewards, he had no choice but to comply.

“F***, why isn’t it here yet? I’m bored to death.”

Zhai Yan shouted loudly, venting his frustration—as Fang Shi had demanded.

But his voice echoed too loudly down the street, startling himself.

It also triggered the moans of locked-up corpse-walkers inside nearby buildings and drew dumbfounded stares from some survivors.

Though Fang Shi’s earlier rampage had drawn much attention from survivors,

precisely because it was so violent, they realized Fang Shi was terrifyingly strong and dared not emerge to ask for help.

After all, corpse-walkers had no eyes—if Fang Shi was followed by a trail of corpses, and one of them caught up to someone who stepped out, what then?

As the joke went: when facing a tiger, you only need to run faster than the others.

Still, some tried to communicate by shouting.

Fang Shi ignored them all—those lacking the courage to even step out had no potential.

They were no better than the dead Hong Yuankai and his group.

Saving them would cost too much effort, and in the end, they’d only become burdens—hardly worth the time wasted.

If he’d truly saved them, he’d probably still be below level 3.

“Shhh!”

A crimson trail suddenly streaked across the sky; Zhai Yan’s heart leapt—my ancestors, you’re finally here.

But now wasn’t the time to run—Fang Shi had clearly instructed him to flee only when the Firewing Bird dove toward him.

At his speed, he’d have five or six seconds to escape.

Those five or six seconds were Zhai Yan’s only chance.

As long as he lured the attacking Firewing Bird to Fang Shi’s ambush spot, the rest was up to Fang Shi.

The crimson glow did not disappoint Zhai Yan.

The Firewing Bird, with its night vision, instantly spotted Zhai Yan—a strange anomaly wandering the street—and became ecstatic, diving straight down without hesitation.

As it dove, it let out a shrill, joyful cry.

These humans were too cunning, always hiding inside buildings—making it impossible for it to harness the power of the law.

At last, another fool has appeared—I can feast again.

Here it comes!

Zhai Yan spun around and ran, daring not to look back, terrified that even a second’s delay would mean death beneath the bird’s beak.

Seeing its prey flee, the Firewing Bird grew even more excited.

As a flying creature, it had never feared any being in speed.

Even creatures stronger than it could not claim superiority in speed—especially during a dive.

This slow human couldn’t even warm it up properly.

In the night, its wingspan nearly six meters, body glowing red, the Firewing Bird resembled a massive fireball, ready to embrace Zhai Yan.

Zhai Yan was drenched in sweat—not from exertion, not from heat, but from terror.

His stamina drained rapidly; after just fifty meters, he was gasping for breath.

Yet his overwhelming will to survive kept him moving forward until he reached the gap between two buildings.

“Shhh!”

A blade of light erupted from the alleyway, like a streak of lightning.

Crack—the Firewing Bird’s cervical vertebrae snapped, its head separating from its body.

A geyser of blood spurted from the severed neck, drenching Zhai Yan, scalding his skin like hot water.

Zhai Yan paid no mind to this—he immediately followed Fang Shi’s instructions, ignoring his injuries, and threw himself flat to the ground.

His knees and palms slammed hard, likely breaking the skin.

But Zhai Yan pressed his face tightly against the gritty pavement, daring not to rise.

The bird’s remaining head, propelled by inertia, sliced past his skull and flew thirty meters away like a cannonball.

The beak struck the cement ground, leaving a small crater.

The corpse was deftly redirected by Fang Shi’s technique, crashing into a nearby shop, shattering its glass door into a thousand pieces.

“Piercing Attack activated.”

“Target received fatal damage.”

“You dealt 48.5 damage to the target.”

“Target deceased.”

“Extracting target’s soul energy. You gain 120 experience points, 12 survival points.”