Chapter Thirty-Five: The Supreme God's Bookshelf

“Alright, alright, it’s just ten contribution points. I won’t argue with you, but your approach really isn’t right.”
“Exactly! This Peach Blossom Hollow has been free for so many years, and now you claim to have taken over—it’s a bit much.”
“I’ll go ask what’s going on. Jingbei Industries, why aren’t you out exploring new frontiers, and instead come here?”
Perhaps this dispute had already been brewing for some time, for there were at least forty or fifty people lingering near the secret realm. Some new teams chose simply to pay the fee and enter directly. Ten contribution points was hardly a significant sum. Yet others felt the sudden charge for this secret realm was too abrupt, surprised that the Peach Blossom Hollow Guild, which had long managed the place, could be replaced so easily, and so they adopted a wait-and-see attitude, wanting to understand the situation before proceeding.

As for the fee to access the secret realm, it was actually a longstanding tradition. In the early days, to fortify city defenses and to explore the anomalies more deeply, the authorities encouraged everyone to venture into other worlds to gather more information. Agreements were reached with many guilds: if a guild discovered a valuable secret realm or an area rich in resources, the first to discover and clear it would be entitled to collect a fee from those who came after.

Later, people realized that merely clearing the secret realm was not enough; facilities needed to be established nearby, such as fuel stations or shops selling and buying equipment, and the security of the entire area had to be ensured. Thus, a modest maintenance fee was eventually charged near the secret realms, symbolizing the guild’s guardianship over the site.

Guilds would collect these fees as a token, covering some manpower costs and expanding their influence. Secret realms in the lowest-level maps were generally public and free to enter, but even then, management fees might be collected in other ways. For instance, the land vehicles Eas Shen had previously rented were owned by Jingbei Industries, and refueling near the secret realm came at a high price—another significant expenditure.

The secret realm before Eas Shen had originally been developed and conquered by Peach Blossom Hollow. His father, through those battles, had gradually risen to a senior position in the guild, and it had always been members of Peach Blossom Hollow who maintained and cleared the facilities.

Eas Shen looked at the checkpoint set up by the members of Jingbei Industries Guild, his brows knitting slightly.

He wasn’t puzzled by the sudden management fee at the entrance; rather, he was perplexed by the timing—why was Jingbei Industries now involved in Peach Blossom Hollow’s affairs, even starting to acquire their assets? As those people said, ten contribution points per person was equivalent to a few monsters in the secret realm and meant little to explorers above level twenty. But Jingbei Industries’ conspicuous involvement made Eas Shen feel that the situation was far more complicated than it appeared.

After all, the Jingmen Safe Zone was essentially defended by three major guilds: Jingbei Industries at the forefront, supported by Peach Blossom Hollow and River Guild, and more recently, the newly risen Blood Slaughter Guild. Jingbei Industries, from its name to its official backing and ties to Jingmen’s premier martial arts school, was undeniably a giant among the guilds.

A conflict between Blood Slaughter Guild and Peach Blossom Hollow might be called a struggle for resources between guilds. But with Jingbei Industries stepping in, many would perceive deeper implications, even affecting their future decisions.

“Is Peach Blossom Hollow really about to be swallowed up?”
Such a thought arose in Eas Shen’s mind. Based on the information he’d gathered recently and the posts Zhu You had helped monitor, Eas Shen increasingly sensed an invisible hand attempting to reshape the order of the Jingmen Safe Zone. In this process, he and his parents might well become victims or obstacles to this transformation.

Eas Shen knew that, upon returning, he would need to closely watch the actions of the major guilds. Having grown up in Peach Blossom Hollow, he was emotionally attached to it and certainly did not want his parents’ guild to be dismantled. The timing was too short now, and Eas Shen felt his strength insufficient. Otherwise, no matter who was behind this, the matter had already seriously affected him and his family, and he would eventually demand an explanation. His unique status made this inevitable.

Eas Shen did not choose to interfere in their dispute, but instead straightforwardly paid the ten-point management fee. Yet, he mentally noted this debt to Jingbei Industries, intending to reclaim it many times over in the future.

The quarrels outside continued.
Eas Shen walked slowly into the secret realm.
As he entered, the registrar glanced at him again; Eas Shen had paid for a single admission. Despite the mask and hat he wore, it was clear he was quite young. A lone young man daring to challenge a secret realm—regardless of his skill, his courage was undeniable. Of course, the registrar didn’t expect Eas Shen to last long, assuming he was the type to kill a few monsters at the entrance, test his luck, and retreat.

...

[Ding. You have entered the secret realm: The Bookshelf of the Lord God. Current party size: 1. Current clear record: none. Highest clear record in this realm: 7 minutes 19 seconds.]

Upon entering, the world grew darker still; overhead was no longer the sky but instead a peculiar violet void radiating a shimmering glow.

The secret realm was named “The Bookshelf of the Lord God.” From its name, it was clearly a special space. Explorers had found that this so-called bookshelf indeed comprised six layers, with the monsters on each floor gradually increasing in level. The lowest were level 21, while the highest reached level 32.

The monsters within the realm were broadly divided into three categories. The first were elemental creatures, similar to those outside but stronger and with higher elemental content. The second were bizarre books, highly aggressive and capable of casting ranged magical spells, raising the realm’s difficulty well above that of beginner realms. The third category consisted of peculiar implements, suspected to be the otherworld’s version of stationery, each possessing unique functions.

Additionally, every two floors featured an elite monster guarding the stairs. These elites possessed greater strength and attributes, posing the greatest threat to a team’s survival. All these monsters together formed the entirety of the secret realm, aptly called [The Bookshelf of the Lord God].