It was too cramped.
It felt like being in a packed bus during a festival, and Shen Ye could barely breathe.
With so many fully armed human soldiers around—
Did the undead lose the battle?
“Kill it!”
One of the soldiers barked sharply.
“Wait! I said I’m on your side!” Shen Ye quickly pulled off his faceplate, revealing his human face.
Another soldier raised a broadsword and shouted angrily, “Traitors who serve the undead—we’ve seen plenty of them!”
Various weapons pressed against Shen Ye, and a spear tip pierced through his damaged leather armor, grazing his skin.
Remaining calm, Shen Ye spoke in a low voice, “I am here hunting down a hidden undead commander.”
He drew the short sword carried by human scouts—Nightshade.
“This blade carries the enchantment of ‘Silent Sanctity.’ I hope you make a quick decision and leave here immediately so as not to interfere.”
His voice was steady and firm.
The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances.
“Commander!”
One soldier turned and called out.
Soon, an officer clad in full armor stepped into the passageway, stopping before Shen Ye. His eyes scanned the short sword in Shen Ye’s hand.
“This sword is genuine. Only a human scout whose soul remains untainted can wield it.”
“He’s one of us.”
The officer’s declaration made the soldiers lower their weapons.
“What’s going on? He’s one of ours?”
“Yeah, no wonder he didn’t attack earlier.”
“So young. I heard scouting is one of the toughest jobs.”
Shen Ye glanced at the officer, noticing the peculiar way the man was eyeing him.
“All right, everyone out! Quickly! Continue the hunt for any remaining undead!”
The officer shouted his orders, and the soldiers shuffled out of the passageway.
Now only the officer and Shen Ye remained.
“Brother, do you need any assistance from us?”
The officer placed a hand over his chest as though shielding his actions from view, then swiftly formed a strange gesture with his hand, curling his ring and middle fingers inward while extending his thumb, index, and pinky.
Shen Ye froze for a moment.
On Blue Star, that gesture meant “I love you.”
What the hell? Is the Nightmare World this freaky?
No.
That gesture must have a secret meaning here.
Following the officer’s gaze, Shen Ye looked down to see him examining the faceplate he had removed.
Got it.
This faceplate wasn’t just a disguise—it signified something important.
Damn it.
That lousy skeleton tricked me again.
It handed over an item with hidden implications just to mess with me.
When I return, I’m draining half the water from its fish tank.
“Speak freely. Don’t hold back,” the officer added, his gaze fixed on Shen Ye’s face as he awaited a response.
Shen Ye thought quickly and replied, “As you can see, my current situation is quite challenging. If you can provide any assistance, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
The officer seemed to understand. Pressing his lips together firmly, he raised his voice:
“I’ll leave you a single-soldier combat pack.”
A brown leather bag was tossed to the ground.
“Thank you. Could you tell me your name? I’ll make sure to repay the favor someday,” Shen Ye said.
“Roman,” the officer replied.
“Got it, Roman. Until next time,” Shen Ye said.
“Until next time.”
Roman nodded, leaving the combat pack behind before turning and exiting the passageway.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed from outside.
“Clear the way for the baron!”
Someone shouted.
Moments later, several men on heavily armored warhorses hurried in, dismounted, and rushed into the passageway.
At the center of the group was a man clad in full armor, who loudly demanded, “What’s going on here? Roman, you’ve been lingering too long. Are you deliberately delaying the campaign?”
“Not at all. I encountered one of our scouts in the passageway,” Roman explained.
“A scout? In the passageway?”
The baron sneered, roughly shoving Roman aside as he strode in to survey the scene.
The passageway was littered with skeletal remains.
Standing amidst the bones was a lone human scout, holding the Nightshade short sword.
“Seize that scout! I suspect he’s an undead spy!”
The baron barked.
Roman hastily interjected, “Wait! He holds the Nightshade blade, which means—”
“Silence! I know full well what the Nightshade blade signifies, but I want to know what his mission is,” the baron snapped.
Shen Ye couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “I was talking to Roman. Who are you to question my mission?”
The baron let out a harsh laugh and snarled, “I am Baron Warren of Southern Eagle Castle. You, a mere scout, dare demand my name?
I’ll strip you bare, whip you twenty times, and uncover every last secret you’re hiding.”
Shen Ye’s heart skipped a beat.
This guy is brutal—he’s into whips?
Ugh, this is all because of my good looks.
Wait. Upon closer analysis, it’s clear he’s just trying to undermine Roman. They must have some feud.
“Warren? I’ll remember that name.”
Shen Ye casually swung his short sword as he spoke.
Warren froze for a moment, then flew into a rage.
A mere scout dares to threaten me?
“Guards, seize—”
Before he could finish, Shen Ye abruptly grabbed the combat pack and disappeared into the ground before everyone’s eyes.
Gone?
How is that possible?
“Quick, investigate!”
Baron Warren and his men stormed into the passageway, weapons drawn.
They reached the spot where Shen Ye had stood.
There was nothing there.
One soldier jabbed his spear fiercely into the ground.
The spear plunged deeply into the ground with a muffled thud.
The soldier holding the spear gave a slight tremor of his hand and quickly understood the situation.
He raised his head and reported, “Baron, the ground beneath is solid earth. There’s no sign of traps or hidden tunnels.”
“I don’t believe it!”
Baron Warren snatched a halberd from one of his subordinates and struck the ground with all his might.
With a loud whoosh, dirt scattered everywhere like a miniature whirlwind, falling further down the narrow pathway.
But beneath the surface, there was nothing—just solid ground.
Still, how could that scout vanish without a trace?
Suddenly, a voice cut through the tense air:
“I’ve heard some rumors that certain hidden assassins have joined this battle.”
Baron Warren turned sharply to see Roman standing with arms crossed, a smug, almost mocking tone in his voice.
“They are experts at staying concealed in the shadows, masters of assassination missions. Warren, I must commend your bravery—actually announcing your name to such a figure.”
Baron Warren’s face turned pale.
He knew what Roman was implying.
A mere scout wasn’t much of a threat.
But if that person had been a top-tier assassin on a secret mission, and Warren had just humiliated him in public… What if, after the war, the assassin came for revenge?
How could he possibly live in constant vigilance, never knowing when the blade would fall?
Dammit.
He had only wanted to spite Roman—why did he end up provoking such a potential nightmare?
Then again…
Wasn’t a battlefield the most convenient place for an assassin to strike?
What if this shadowy figure decided to eliminate him during the chaos?
The thought made Warren’s heart tighten. He no longer cared to bother with Roman and shouted urgently, “We’re leaving!”
With that, he and his men retreated hastily, mounted their warhorses, and rode off in a cloud of dust.
Elsewhere.
The primary world.
Shen Ye landed on the ground amidst a cloud of bone fragments and dust.
“Disperse!”
Without bothering to stand up, he silently commanded in his mind.
The portal hovering mid-air immediately vanished.
Earlier, with no time to spare, he had activated the Door ability at his feet, kicked it open with a burst of force, and escaped back to the primary world in the nick of time.
Damn it.
Warren, Baron or not, what’s your deal? Why target me out of nowhere?
Fine. You’ve made it to my list.
“Hey, help me clean this up. These remnants can’t stay in my world,” Shen Ye said without looking up.
“Got it,” replied the big skeleton.
A faint ripple emanated from the ring, and all the bone fragments and dust were swept away in an instant.
“You bastard! That helmet you gave me was trouble! Didn’t you see that guy signalling with hand gestures?” Shen Ye snapped.
“You can’t blame me! How was I supposed to know the tricks and nuances of human armies? Besides, you made it back safe and sound, didn’t you?” the big skeleton retorted defensively.
“Hmph.”
Ignoring the skeleton’s excuses, Shen Ye turned his gaze upward.
White particles of light began to merge in the air, forming small glowing words that detailed his latest evaluation:
“This time’s evaluation entry obtained:”
“Comrade.”
“Green entry (Excellent).”
Shen Ye blinked in surprise.
Again? Another green entry, Comrade?
As more text appeared below, his eyes scanned the words:
“Evaluation: As an ordinary human, the highest-level entry you could typically obtain would be white. However, in an environment where you stood no chance against anyone, you leveraged external forces to resolve the crisis and escape unharmed. This exceptional achievement is why you’ve received this entry beyond your usual limits.”
“Entry effect: Details Excluded.”
“You may retain this entry for future upgrades or consume it to gain basic attribute points.”
“Notice!”
“This is the second time you’ve been awarded this entry beyond the usual standards.”
“Special event activated:”
“If you obtain the green entry comrade for a third time, you will unlock the honorary title: A Normal Human Who Broke the Limit Three Times with the Same entry.”
“This honorary title will trigger a powerful resonance effect, summoning a hidden ability to manifest.”
“You will have one and only one chance to acquire this hidden ability.”
“Proceed with caution.”
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