Chapter 153: Charge In
Japan, Miyamoto Dojo.
On a 70-inch LCD television, a video was playing:
On the screen, a student unleashed a quintuple fire-thunder strike, instantly killing a skeletal sorcerer;
Then, wielding twin fire-thunder swords, he plunged them into the chests of two skeletal archers, detonating them, before charging into a gaping red rift;
A voice-over came through the speakers: “An S-rank Evolution Orb is very likely inside this spatial rift. Zhang Shengmo, let’s go—break in and secure it!”
The footage abruptly cut off.
A twenty-five-year-old young man knelt on the wooden floor of the dojo. Beside him lay a wooden sword. This was Miyamoto Yoshiteru, eldest son of the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. Facing him were twenty high-ranking family elders. He spoke solemnly, “You’ve all seen the video. An S-rank Evolution Orb has appeared in the Chinese region. Father is currently in Egypt and cannot return. Most of the strong warriors from the Chinese region are also in Egypt, so what you saw were merely students. We must prevent the Chinese from entering this Evolution Orb!”
“Young master! I volunteer to lead the dojo’s elite to battle!” one called out.
Yoshiteru nodded. “You will take a squad of death-bound warriors and depart immediately. Meanwhile, I have contacted our informant embedded in the Chinese region; he will find a way to delay them.”
...
Kyoto, outside the Evolution Bureau headquarters.
After a grueling forty-eight-hour interrogation, Wang Sicong was finally released.
“Damn you, Demon Lord! You stole my name and got me locked up! I swear I’ll tear you apart!” he shouted.
A dozen sports cars lined up outside the Evolution Bureau, all driven by Wang’s friends coming to pick him up.
Having been confined for two days, Wang Sicong looked as if he was about to wither away. “Tonight, I’m treating! We’re heading to Imperial KTV. Call all the princesses—I need a proper venting session!”
Suddenly, a jeep screeched to a halt. A woman in tight combat gear stepped down. She was Wang Sicong’s personal bodyguard, assigned by his father Wang Zhonglun, one of China’s top ten billionaires. She was also a formidable Evolver.
The female bodyguard said coldly, “Young Master Wang, you cannot go out to play.”
Wang Sicong pulled her into a hug with one arm, while his other hand grabbed her shapely rear. “What, jealous? Want me to play with you instead?”
Her expression remained unchanged. “An S-rank Evolution Orb has appeared near Star City. Your father has arranged for you to join Nian Zhanyao’s unit. They will reserve a spot for you.”
What?! An S-rank Evolution Orb!
Though a playboy accustomed to extravagant indulgence, Wang Sicong took business seriously.
Without hesitation, he climbed into the jeep with his bodyguard. “Take me to my GI Club! Summon all Evolvers! I’m diving into this mess headfirst!”
Wang Sicong’s GI Club was ostensibly an e-sports arena, but its true purpose was to seek out talented youths and supply them with vast Evolution resources to become powerful Evolvers. They formed a legal private Evolution Guard, a privilege reserved for ultra-rich magnates.
...
Shadow Legion headquarters.
Nian Zhanyao was gearing up with ten thousand elite Shadow warriors, preparing to board military transports bound for Star City.
“Beep beep beep,” Nian Zhanyao’s phone rang. After hearing the orders, he scowled. “I protest! Why does that rich kid get to come with us? This is nonsense!”
White Cloud Canine headquarters.
Cold Qian issued an emergency summon. The White Cloud Canines were typically more autonomous, unlike the Shadow Legion which stood ready at all times. They needed time to assemble.
...
Inside the spatial rift.
A buzzing sound filled the air.
Chen Mo felt his body plummet suddenly. A flash of red light, and he found himself inside a dilapidated grand cathedral.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Four skeletal executioners, each wielding massive axes, leapt at him from four directions. Their axes erupted with fierce purple light, slashing downward.
“Energy burst!” Chen Mo shouted, unleashing a concentrated explosion.
Fortunately, he had anticipated danger at the rift’s entrance and preemptively activated the energy burst.
Boom!
The explosion radiated a ten-meter blaze, turning the four skeletal executioners into a cloud of bone dust.
Chen Mo opened his smart brain map. The cathedral was enormous—nearly a hundred football fields in size—with a labyrinthine layout filled with long corridors.
From the decor, it resembled a Western European medieval Catholic cathedral: altars, stone pillars, oil paintings, stained glass windows, and an organ—all evoking a time forgotten, rich with religious art and mysticism.
Chen Mo guessed this was essentially a dungeon instance, but unlike typical ones, it linked directly to reality.
The smart brain map showed dozens of exits around the cathedral’s perimeter—those were where the skeleton monsters emerged. At the cathedral’s center, a black orb was marked prominently.
Chen Mo suspected this was the Orb of Destruction, the dungeon’s energy core. Only by destroying it could the cathedral be destroyed and the monster spawns cease.
There were also a dozen green dots on the map, representing teammates—likely students, instructors, and Shadow warriors who had been teleported in at different locations. The smart brain automatically marked them as allies.
Despite his moral ambiguity, Chen Mo would never betray and attack his teammates here—that would make him unworthy even to be called human.
But with such a vast map, he had no time to babysit others. The priority was to fight to the center and destroy the Orb of Destruction to end this nightmare.
“Flaming Blood Claws!”
With no one nearby, Chen Mo dropped the disguise and unleashed the Demon Lord’s skill, merging the Vampire Claw and Phoenix Claw abilities into a fiery blooded onslaught.
A blazing crimson shadow swept forward, obliterating a dozen skeletons into scattered bones.
Ding~ Ding~ Ding~ Ding~
Several pleasant chimes rang out. Crystals burst forth from the ground.
Among them was a purple piece of equipment. Chen Mo picked it up: a magical round shield once wielded by the Skeleton Blade-Shield Hand, a B-rank item.
【Skeleton Magical Round Shield】
【Grade: B】
【Effect: 15% chance to block all magical and physical damage】
A lucky piece of gear—Chen Mo happily stashed it away.
His suspicions confirmed: this truly was a dungeon, albeit one without elves, quest prompts, or limited attempts—just like reality.
“Tenfold Fire Thunder!”
Confirming no one else was nearby, Chen Mo unleashed magic recklessly. With the Demon Lord mode active and the Phoenix two-piece set bonus, his magical damage soared to over 4,000!
What did that mean? Even a small fireball would deal 1.5 times damage—6,000 magical damage (ignoring any magic defense).
The Tenfold Fire Thunder’s damage was off the charts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Skeletons exploded one by one with satisfying “crack” sounds, white bones littering the floor.
Chen Mo’s mind triggered, and all crystals and gear flew directly into his body.
“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!” came a terrifying low growl.
As Chen Mo reveled in the slaughter, the stone pillars around him suddenly shattered. From within emerged four skeletons bathed in golden light!
Damn! Nearly scared me to death! Die, all of you!
“Tenfold Fire Thunder!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Chen Mo fired ten consecutive blasts at the four radiant skeletons like a magical cannon.
-0 HP!
-0 HP!
...
0 HP!
What?! Magic immunity?!
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal chains rang out. The four skeletons were linked together by a chain burning with black flames, charging swiftly toward Chen Mo!