[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-monsters-are-coming":3,"chapter-the-monsters-are-coming-the-monsters-are-coming-chapter-1":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Monsters Are Coming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":18,"prevChapterSlug":19,"totalChapters":20,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":12,"translator":16,"content_hash":17},2221505,4069,"Chapter 1: This is the official version!","the-monsters-are-coming-chapter-1",1,"\u003Cp>In the sky, hurricanes roared, pulling the red clouds into a surge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a clap of thunder, black lightning crawled across the firmament like a spiderweb, disappearing into nothingness seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ground, continuous volcanic eruptions spewed forth, and the winding red fire snakes swallowed all life in their path. The air was filled with the scent of sulfur and scorched earth. The highest mountain ridge glowed with blood-red light under the dark red crescent moon, like a jagged flame saw-sword hacking toward the sky, as if to pierce the thick firmament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless terrifying monsters roamed the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Evil Qi, with eighteen heads and a height comparable to a mountain; the Frost Giant Beast, whose breath could freeze ten thousand miles; the Red-Winged Ming, whose wings could span ten thousand miles... Besides these creatures at the top of the food chain, there were countless terrifying monsters whose mouths could swallow mountains and rivers, and whose stomps could change the landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an ecosystem composed of countless terrifying creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The view shifted to the ground, descending and zooming in rapidly, finally settling on a dilapidated village, before the screen was shrouded by the darkness spreading from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the darkness dissipated, Li Zheng found himself floating in front of a towering blue crystal wall, and a prompt sounded in his mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Welcome, Challenger, to the Monster World. Please begin creating your initial character.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Monster World? Isn't the newbie village for 'Dark Lands' supposed to be Dark City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without dwelling on the question, he assumed the Moon-Eclipse Race had changed the game settings exposed years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bird's-eye view from just now, and the current character creation environment, made him realize he had truly downloaded a cracked version of \"Dark Lands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His inner excitement was beyond words. Others had to pay 128,888 to get the game, but he had obtained it after just one hour of downloading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Welfare Worker really provides welfare!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer doubted the authenticity of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No scammer would spend a fortune to create a game with such high realism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the previous CG experience was meant to be deceptive, the cost of this prank was far too high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the name input field, he typed the five characters \"Game Grinder\" using the virtual keyboard. After pressing confirm, the massive grid-like crystal wall in front of him zoomed in rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the cells on the wall were empty, with only the 1-3 cells at the very bottom holding ugly, ferocious monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cell 1 held a humanoid stone statue with bat ears, squatting on a half-meter-high stone pedestal. Its body was finely carved, and its large pupils glowed with a faint blood-red light, revealing white, sharp fangs in its open mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cell 2 held a creature with fire-red wings, resembling an owl, whose sharp claws were constantly chiseling at the crystal wall of the containment cell, creating a harsh, grating sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cell 3 held a large snake covered in black scales, coiled in the containment cell, flicking its tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Please select your initial state.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zheng’s gaze turned to the first monster, and its detailed information appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Gargoyle]:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initial Level 1:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initial Attributes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Physical Fitness: 7 (Determined by comprehensive physical values such as strength, stamina, endurance, explosive power, etc.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mental Strength: 5 (Affects mental recovery, casting speed, spell intensity)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elemental Resistance: 5 (Affects the final judgment of elemental damage)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Origin Ability: Petrification (Active)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ability Introduction: After using the ability, enter a petrified state where you cannot move, significantly reducing damage from any form of attack. The specific effect is influenced by physical fitness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted to the owl-headed monster and the large snake beside the gargoyle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Owl-Headed Demon]:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initial Level 1:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initial Attributes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Physical Fitness: 3, Mental Strength: 8, Elemental Resistance: 4\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Origin Ability: Grudge Chant (Active)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ability Introduction: Activate sensory perspective to warn of nearby dangers (killing intent, hostility, aura, fluctuations). The duration and warning range are influenced by mental strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Black-Armored Snake]:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initial Level 1:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initial Attributes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Physical Fitness: 12, Mental Strength: 1, Elemental Resistance: 2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ability: Venom (Passive)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ability Introduction: Any form of physical damage carries a poisoning effect, causing continuous damage to the target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to choose? Li Zheng fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the three initial ability options, the Gargoyle and Owl-Headed Demon abilities require active triggering and consume mental energy continuously. In comparison, the Black-Armored Snake's ability can be triggered by any form of physical damage, clearly making it more suitable for a newbie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a firm idea in his mind, the figures of the monsters in cells 1 and 2 dissipated, and the Black-Armored Snake in cell 3 rapidly enlarged before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump! Thump! Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of his heart beating violently became clearer in his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the Black-Armored Snake in the screen suddenly raised its head and lunged straight at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zheng was startled and subconsciously raised his hands to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no pain appeared. When he opened his eyes, he found the scene had changed, and he was wearing a black cloth garment provided by the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, he was in the dilapidated village that appeared at the end of the CG.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area outside the village was shrouded in thick black fog, as if blocked by some mysterious power, unable to seep into the village, yet he could clearly hear strange sounds coming from within the fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cries of night hawks, the crunching of bones, hoarse whispers... all sorts of eerie sounds echoed over the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning his head, Li Zheng was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found a phantom of a Black-Armored Snake, over a meter long, floating behind him. When he took two steps to the right, the phantom followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focusing his gaze, a massive amount of information flooded his mind, followed by an internal view of his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the view, he could clearly see his spine had turned into a vein as brilliant as the Milky Way. At the very top of his spine was his real-world image, and in the first slot below it was an embedded glowing black sphere containing the form of the Black-Armored Snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Challenger Name: Game Grinder]:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Main Form: Human\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Body Tempering Level: 0 (Inherited Soul Attribute: 0)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Hint: For every Body Tempering level gained, you can perfectly inherit all attributes of one monster form in human form.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star Vein Embedding (Level: 1):\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slot 1, Black-Armored Snake Soul Lv1 (Trait: Venom)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Hint: You can freely switch monster forms via the Star Vein function. In monster form, you gain a 100% attribute bonus. Increasing the Star Vein level increases the number of monster souls you can embed.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Star Vein switching?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With curiosity, Li Zheng used his consciousness to touch the first embedding slot of the Star Vein.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a strong tingling sensation surged from his spine to his limbs, and his body twisted and changed under the surge of this power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision dropped rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down, he was surprised to find he had turned into the Black-Armored Snake that had been floating behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he could clearly feel his physical fitness had been boosted, and even his vision had become clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game... is a bit perverted, but I like it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Switching back to human form, Li Zheng, having understood the game's initial settings, looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Driven by curiosity, he began to test the game's realism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pinching his face, shaking his hands, pinching his arms... the feedback, which was no different from reality, left Li Zheng amazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he squatted down, picked up a pebble from the ground, slowly crushed it with his fingers, and felt the powder slip from his fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Holy crap, this game is too awesome!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple test, and the perfect realistic feedback left no room for criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what puzzled Li Zheng was why there were no other players in the game; he seemed to be the only one in the entire village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, \"Dark Lands\" was released globally, and judging by the sales heat, the newbie village should be packed with players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that different players were separated into different game channels? Was he just in a newly opened channel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Zheng was pondering how to explore the game, the space beside him distorted, and a pale blue water ball appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing ripples on the surface of the water ball, it revealed a serious expression, looked at him, and said in a heavy tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Evil spirits are rampant, fear descends. The Monster World under the rule of Di Zhao has been invaded by a terrifying black tide. You, who have gained power bestowed by Di Zhao, must shoulder the heavy responsibility of saving the world. Please immediately go to the Monster World to hunt for the lost Origin Power of Di Zhao and contribute to reshaping Di Zhao's true form.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it spoke, the pale blue water ball morphed into a right arm and reached toward him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I am your newbie guide in the Monster World. You can call me Guide.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A somewhat bewildered Li Zheng reached out and shook the palm morphed by the water ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We’re buddies from now on. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Zheng grabbed the Guide in his hand, rubbed, kneaded, and squeezed it, then exclaimed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The texture is great!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Great your grandpa! Do that again and I’m going on strike!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A newbie guide can go on strike? Shouldn't you be an AI slave driven by players?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Your whole family is an AI slave! If I’m not happy, I’m going on strike!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing that annoying the newbie guide would mean losing an important auxiliary tool during the newbie period, Li Zheng immediately let go, let the Guide water ball fly to the side, and then decisively apologized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, I was wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Kneel and apologize.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the arrogant Guide water ball, Li Zheng looked helpless:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't understand why the Moon-Eclipse Race would design such a human-like newbie guide.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While complaining, he suddenly thought of his suffering brothers waiting for his feedback outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately looked at the Guide water ball and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guide, how do I exit the game?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Very simple. Call out 'Function Panel' in your heart, and there is a teleportation function on it that can help you return to the real world. This process requires a 30-second wait, during which you cannot take damage, or the teleportation will be interrupted.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the Guide's instructions, the scene before his eyes gradually became shrouded in darkness as the teleportation countdown ticked down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong sense of weightlessness hit him, and Li Zheng shouted excitedly in his heart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good brothers, this time we’ve really got some meat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 3 =====\u003C\u002Fp>",1794,"2026-06-17T18:40:33.513Z","Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","5fec9f35b37f1924a3a8a9cd7fcda94626def60d82b517833e86e537724f60b8","the-monsters-are-coming-chapter-2",null,373,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmonsters-are-coming-cover.jpg"]