Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Looking at Akara, who was now leisurely sipping a potion of clarity, it seemed as if what she had just spoken of was merely a story rather than the blood-soaked history of the Dark Continent. The hatred, anger, pain, and sorrow that had been evident on her face seemed to have been just for the sake of acting.

I guessed that Akara no longer wanted to continue. She had said what needed to be said, and what shouldn't be said, she wouldn't tell me. The doubts in my heart could only be resolved by myself. And subconsciously, I didn't want to know too much. I had said many times that my wish was simply to find a virtuous and beautiful wife and live out my days in peace. The more I knew, the greater the chance of getting entangled in this quagmire. While I still hadn't developed too much affection for this Dark Continent, I should find a woman and go into seclusion as soon as possible!

However, there was still one question. I believed Akara wouldn't be stingy about telling me, and it probably wasn't a secret. It was just that my "lazy and runaway master" hadn't told me.

"Madam Akara, you just said that the forces of Hell haven't occupied the Third World yet. If we are in the First World now, why are there so many monsters from Hell here? And why do powerful demons like Andariel appear and keep resurrecting?"

Akara glanced at me and shook her head, probably sighing at my ignorance.

"To be precise, the monsters that appear here are not the armies of Hell, but they can't be said to be not from Hell either."

"What do you mean by that?"

I was confused. If they weren't from Hell, but couldn't be said to not be from Hell, then what exactly were they? Don't give me such a logic-twisting riddle, please.

"Young man, you don't understand the power of the Hell monsters."

"In fact, the three similar worlds of our Dark Continent are closely linked. To put it simply, it's like the telepathic connection between twins. When one is hurt, the other feels the pain as well."

"Look at the Blood Moor where our Rogue Encampment is located. Why is it called the Blood Moor?"

"Um, because it's covered in the blood of warriors... I suppose," I said uncertainly.

"Indeed."

Akara nodded, paused, and slowly took a sip before continuing.

"The fundamental reason is that the original Sin War's battlefield was in the Blood Moor of the Third World. It was such a brutal battle that countless lives were buried there, and the blood stained the entire land red. That's why it's called the Blood Moor."

"But wasn't that something that happened in the Third World?"

Yes, the war broke out in the Third World, and the blood was spilled on the wasteland of the Third World. However, as I mentioned earlier, the three worlds are interconnected, like triplets. So when the wasteland of the Third World was stained with blood, it directly led to the appearance of the Blood Moor in the other two worlds as well.

"Why is that?" I murmured. This was simply anti-scientific, anti-humanistic, and anti-common sense.

Akara shook her head: "No one can explain this clearly. Perhaps only the God who created everything here knows."

"I've said it before, the power of demons far exceeds your imagination. In the Third World, even the lowest-level Fallen One probably has the strength of a 60-level Transformed."

"Uh~~"

I showed a look of shock on the surface, but in my heart, I was quite calm. I had already anticipated this. Didn't expect that, did you? Hmph, don't underestimate me. I grew up playing Dark Souls, and I've beaten the five bosses of the Hell stage countless times.

"Therefore, due to the overwhelming power of the demons and the fact that they are ultimately foreign entities, they cannot be fully integrated into the Dark Continent. Their power also directly affects the Second and First Worlds."

Akara continued.

"To put it simply, the monsters that appear in the First World are just projections of their power, while the monsters in the Second World have strength similar to their avatars. The Third World is where their true forms reside."

"Exactly, that's why we can't completely eliminate the monsters in the First and Second Worlds. No matter how many times we kill them, they can always resurrect," I realized, making a logical deduction.

Yes, that's right. Akara looked at me with approval: "Only by killing the monsters in the Third World can they truly be eliminated from all three worlds."

"However, it's fortunate that these projections and avatars exist, or our Dark Continent would have already fallen. It's all a matter of perspective."

"Why?"

From Deckard, I learned that the so-called projections of the Third World have caused immense casualties among the civilians here. The suffering is no less severe than in the Third World. Just look at the significant number of orphans and widows in the Rogue Encampment to understand the gravity of the situation.

"You only know one side of the story," Akara smiled.

"Although the projections of these monsters have caused us great casualties, they have also trained countless warriors. Because of their existence, we have a steady supply of elite warriors sent to the Third World. Otherwise, the Third World would have already been conquered by the Hell army."

"You mean..."

"Yes, take our Rogue Encampment in the First World, for example. With our strength, we could easily gather some brave warriors from Harrogath or the Demon's Forge and reclaim the Monastery from Andariel's projection. But what would be the point? As long as the real Andariel remains alive, its projection will keep resurrecting. Should those brave warriors stay here to guard this land? That would not only waste talent but also be detrimental to the training of new warriors. That's why we have been holding our ground in the Rogue Encampment, allowing those monsters to roam outside. Our new brave warriors, like you, are trained in this way."

Akara patted my shoulder and smiled. I saw this small gesture clearly. Hmph, I'm sure Akara was thinking of that idiot poet's poem about the Fallen Ones when she said that. I can guarantee it, because... because I thought of it too...

"You must accept the challenge, defeat these monsters, and ultimately eliminate Andariel to proceed to another city and eventually reach Harrogath. After defeating the projection of the Great Demon Baal, you will gain the资格 to be teleported to the Second World. Only then can you be considered a qualified Transformed."

Uh~~ No way. I was still basking in the glory of being a Transformed a few days ago, but I didn't expect it to be like this. It turns out I'm just a substitute among substitutes.

Akara sensed the young man's disappointment and frustration but didn't say anything. She believed that this level of setback would instead ignite the young man's fighting spirit.

But unfortunately, it seems she would be disappointed. The person in front of her was a waste of talent from another world, planning to find a wife and live in seclusion in the mountains. Although Akara's words did hit me hard—falling from the superiority of a dragon to the insignificance of a worm, it felt like that—but unfortunately, it didn't ignite the hidden fighting spirit in my heart (if there was any at all). I, Wu Fan, am not someone who can be easily provoked by such simple tactics.

Seeing that I didn't immediately declare my grand ambitions, Akara was clearly a bit disappointed but continued.

"Then, in the Second World, because it is closer to the Third World, the monsters there are even more powerful, no longer just projections but avatars. Qualified warriors will undergo similar training in the Second World until they defeat Baal's avatar and gain the资格 to enter the Third World. Only then can they be called elites, heroes standing on the front line to resist the forces of Hell."

What a rigorous step-by-step advancement system! After listening to Akara's explanation, I thought about it and found it strangely familiar—how similar it was to the leveling system in the games of my original world. God, if you didn't become a game designer, you really are a waste of talent.

Unconsciously, I had already accepted the reality of this world and no longer saw it as a game. That's why the appearance of a game-like advancement system surprised me so much.

However, this is truly explosive news. To train warriors, the monsters are allowed to harm civilians. From a broader perspective, it might be necessary, but I don't think the civilians who have lost loved ones can maintain such a clear perspective. If this news were to be released, the civilians would surely be outraged, staging mass street protests, sit-ins, and other forms of peaceful resistance.