The entire suit of armor hummed as its internal machinery powered up, releasing a torrent of energy that surged from Wang Chen's heart.
He gazed at the Shield Warrior, who was now within striking range, and without hesitation, unleashed a fierce punch that tore through the air with a deafening roar.
Bang!
The bronze shield instantly caved in, its metal groaning under the immense pressure, as an overwhelming force erupted.
The Shield Warrior's eyes widened in terror, and he could barely believe what was happening. "How could this be? How could this kid have such terrifying strength?"
He was a Shield Warrior, after all—one of the most resilient classes in the game!
Before he could react, the shield, now horribly dented, slammed into his chest with crushing force.
Bang!
A muffled sound echoed as the man's ribs shattered, and he was sent hurtling backward, slamming into a large stone with an almost cinematic crash.
Boom!
The moss-covered rock trembled with the impact, and the earth itself seemed to shake. The man's battered shield clattered to the ground with a heavy clang, revealing his bloodied face, which was frozen in an expression of disbelief and terror.
He slumped against the stone, his chest caved in, blood dripping down his chin. His wide-eyed face was a final testament to his fear before his life faded away.
Witnessing this brutal display, the Sword Warrior nearby froze, his face drained of color, as his entire body trembled in disbelief. He had never expected this level 5 rookie to completely obliterate a seasoned Shield Warrior—one of the best tanking classes in the game!
It was shocking.
Impossible.
The Sword Warrior's mind raced with regret. If I had known it would be like this, I would have never crossed this guy's path.
"You—!" he began to shout, but before he could finish, his eyes caught sight of a fist rocketing toward him at an unimaginable speed.
The punch was so fast that he didn't even have time to react.
Bang!
Wang Chen's fist crashed into the Sword Warrior's face with a sickening crack, shattering his skull in an instant.
"Die!" Wang Chen shouted, transforming his punch into a claw.
His hand shot forward, grabbing the man by the head and charging at full speed toward a nearby tree.
Boom!
The tree shook violently as the man's lifeless body collided with it, and a burst of blood erupted into the air, coating the leaves with a deep crimson hue.
As Wang Chen released his grip, the headless corpse slumped to the ground, falling against the tree. Blood continued to spurt from the severed neck, staining the trunk and pooling into the earth beneath.
Wang Chen didn't even flinch. He wiped the blood off his Super Mech Armor and looked at the two lifeless bodies in front of him.
"I thought these guys would put up more of a fight," he muttered, feeling an almost eerie calm as he took the bronze token from the woman's lifeless body.
He searched her body further, finding several bank cards and identification documents.
"Name: Liu Xue... What's this?" Wang Chen raised an eyebrow, picking up her phone and unlocking it.
The phone displayed a message from someone named "Liu Xue's brother"—a young boy in third grade, asking her to be careful and not risk too much for money. He was more concerned about his illness, but he wanted her to stay safe above all.
Wang Chen couldn't help but sigh. It wasn't out of sympathy for her, but he understood now why she had been so desperate. She had been giving everything for her brother's medical bills.
I don't feel guilty, Wang Chen thought, staring at her body. She had tried to use him for her own benefit, not caring if he died in the process.
It was a harsh world, and he didn't feel bad about the choices he had made.
Survival of the fittest.
Wang Chen crushed the phone underfoot, then began tearing the woman's clothes off, thoroughly checking her body for anything useful. She was left exposed, and once he confirmed there was nothing of value, he moved on to the two men.
One damaged shield was useless, though it might fetch a small price if sold.
The greatsword, however, was a valuable bronze-tier weapon, easily worth several thousand in the market. He also found some pest-repellent powder and a few thousand in cash.
"Not bad. This will fetch a good sum," Wang Chen muttered as he slung the greatsword over his back.
His eyes lingered on the bronze token he had taken from the woman's body. What's this? he thought.
He activated his Super Mech Armor's connectivity feature and accessed the world's internet with a single thought.
Information flooded his vision as he learned about the token.
"A Secret Realm Key... and it's for a Secret Realm?" Wang Chen felt a surge of excitement.
In this world, there were not only wild monster zones but also dungeons, fixed locations where monsters respawned. These dungeons were static—few in number and barely changed over the years. Though players could repeatedly farm them, the loot and experience were limited.
But Secret Realms were a different story.
These special zones were temporary and highly coveted, offering rare materials, treasures, gear, and vast amounts of experience. The real prize, however, was the treasure that dropped inside.
There were four difficulty levels for Secret Realms: Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and Hell. Each time a realm was completed, it would vanish—only to reappear under certain conditions.
The excitement surrounding these Realms was intense, with major families and guilds purchasing Secret Realm Keys to let their members level up.
The Secret Realm of Death's Forest was no exception. Wang Chen had just stumbled upon an extremely valuable key.
He looked at the details:
[Secret Realm]: Death's Forest
[Difficulty]: Hard
[Level Requirement]: LV5-LV20
[Key Quantity]: Three Keys
A new realm for level 5 players, perfect for leveling up quickly—this was a huge opportunity.
"Looks like my luck is on fire today," Wang Chen grinned. His fingers quickly triggered the key's activation sequence.
He pulled off his head and arm armor, then, following the instructions he found online, bit his finger and dripped a drop of blood onto the key.
Suddenly, a map materialized in front of him, and the portal to the Death's Forest opened.
This was his big chance. Wang Chen wasted no time. He was going in to take full advantage of this opportunity before anyone else could.
"Got to move fast. I can't let anyone else beat me to it," he thought as he raced toward the clearing marked on the map.
Not long after, Wang Chen reached a strange grove where twisted trees had formed an archway.
He looked around to make sure no one else was around, then bolted forward into the light.
Whoosh!
In a flash, he was transported to another space.
At that same moment, far away, a young woman with blue hair stood watching the Death's Forest spider carcasses. She spotted a glint from a bronze token among the remains.
"Ah! A Secret Realm Key?"
Her face lit up with delight, a flush of excitement spreading across her features, her breath quickening.
But there was something oddly unsettling about the intensity of her reaction.
Meanwhile, far away, in a certain auction hall in Luo Hai City, Ren Yinian and his companions watched a presenter explain the significance of the bronze token.
"Regardless of the cost, I'm getting my hands on that Death's Forest Secret Realm Key!" Ren Yinian said, eyes burning with greed.
And so, the race for the Secret Realm Key began...