Chapter Thirty-Four: The Shattered World of Runes (Please Keep Reading!)

The birthplace of shattered runes is usually located around a certain secret realm within the library. Yi Shen’s first destination was precisely there, which meant that his journey would overlap significantly with theirs.

He mused that, had it not been for the accident that befell his parents, he would likely have joined the Peach Blossom Cottage guild just like them, found teammates of his own, and not become the lone wanderer he was now.

Aside from this small party, most of the others in the vehicle traveled in groups. Even those who, like Yi Shen, journeyed alone bore guild insignias, likely heading to rendezvous with their fellow members.

After a drive of about an hour, Yi Shen arrived at the Dimensional Gate in the southern district.

This Dimensional Gate differed quite a bit from those he had seen before—whereas the one at the Bone-Burial Snowfield resembled a gate, this one was set near the ruins of a broken school and manifested as a rift.

Around the rift, there were some fortifications, presumably built to fend off nearby monsters in the early days. Now, however, the area had become a small commercial district, marking humanity’s development of this secret realm.

A brief dizziness swept over him as he entered the Knowledge Interstice.

Once the sensation faded, Yi Shen found himself in a new world, greeted first by a sky tinged with gloom.

Unlike the white-dominated backdrop of the Bone-Burial Snowfield, this world resembled a grand indoor library, steeped in an ancient and shadowy atmosphere.

The monsters here were not beasts or plants in the usual sense, but rather unique elemental creatures—rune beasts, so to speak.

Their entire being was constructed around a small, peculiar token, the composition of which was unknown, resembling a condensed stone. Through these tokens, a multitude of monsters were formed.

Killing them would yield these tokens, which could be used as the lowest-grade materials for enchanting and alchemy.

The ground beneath his feet was made of strange wooden planks, extremely hard, resisting even fierce attacks and seldom suffering serious damage. Remarkably, they would even restore themselves after some time.

The main structures scattered throughout were large stone pedestals and towering bookshelves. Some pedestals and shelves had hollow compartments or layers within, often containing monsters or resources.

This world was somewhat smaller than the snowfield desert—estimated to cover about the size of a single province. Over thirty years, explorers had charted just over half its map, with major landmarks being these peculiar stone pedestals and bookshelves, some reaching dozens of meters in height.

The traffic here was markedly more hurried than in the snowfield desert. Shops and buildings established within the otherworld were more orderly—after all, at level twenty and above, explorers were seasoned veterans. The snowfield desert felt more like a novice village, whereas this realm was truly a battleground, with no kindly elder sisters to accompany newcomers.

Because of the rugged terrain, there were no land vehicle rentals—only special motorcycles.

Yi Shen secured one and headed off in the direction marked on his map. Not long after leaving the safe zone, he encountered four or five yellow rune monsters roaming about.

Aside from their central token, their forms varied widely. According to forum descriptions, yellow monsters were level 10 to 15, but possessed extremely high defenses.

Yi Shen cast a scouting spell.

Yellow Rune Spirit

Level: 14

HP: 431/431

...

Monsters outside the secret realm were generally much weaker than those inside, so much so that upon seeing their stats, Yi Shen couldn’t help but sigh—these creatures were little more than free experience.

“Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!”

He didn’t even bother with other skills, simply cast a few scattered fireballs, and wiped them out completely.

Each monster granted him seven or eight experience points—a modest gain, but better than nothing.

After this test run, Yi Shen pressed onward to his destination. The first secret realm was only a half-hour’s journey from the safe zone, much closer than its counterpart in the snowfield desert.

After bypassing a dozen or so stone pedestals and bookshelves, Yi Shen spotted a large hollowed-out stone pedestal, bathed in a massive pale pink glow.

This secret realm was called the “Chief God’s Bookcase,” a name shrouded in mystery. It once sparked a craze—if the entire abnormality was somehow related to the legendary “Chief God.”

Yi Shen’s lips curled into a faint smile, feeling a touch of familiarity.

He was not a newcomer to this place; he had visited once before with his parents.

In fact, long ago, his father had acquired a shield warrior skill book from this very secret realm—a turning point in the Yi family’s fortunes, making this place a site of some significance.

As he approached the pink glow, memories surged within Yi Shen. With the proximity, he found a designated garage to park his motorcycle, then prepared to venture into the secret realm.

“Hm?”

Yet, as he drew near, Yi Shen discovered the area was not as he remembered.

The last time, he had come with his parents, and several parties waited in scattered groups at the entrance for the realm to refresh. This secret realm produced many class-change certificates, making it a favorite among explorers.

But this time, as Yi Shen approached, he found a checkpoint had been set up at the entrance, with people maintaining order, and several parties quarreling nearby.

Yi Shen also recognized the Peach Blossom Cottage team he had seen earlier on the vehicle.

“What’s going on? Wasn’t this secret realm just discovered by our Peach Blossom Cottage? Why are we being charged ourselves?”

“Seriously? How can Jingbei Industries treat people like this? How did the ownership of this secret realm transfer to you? We haven’t received any notification!”

“Exactly! This place was free before. You’re even charging for low-level realms—this is outrageous!”

It wasn’t just one team; several others gathered at the entrance demanding answers.

The checkpoint was manned by seven or eight people—a small squad. They had set up tents, with a few resting, and a portly man in a black suit addressing the crowd.

“The exploration rights for this secret realm were transferred to Jingbei Industries just yesterday.”

“This has been officially reported. Registration now requires a fee of ten contribution points per person.”

“To be honest, I’m just following orders from above, and it’s not easy for me either. But this is how it’s been arranged.”

“Please don’t make things difficult for me—I’m only here to collect the fees…”