Apocalypse: Everyone Levels Up, I Return to the Time Before the Server Opened-Chapter 49 - Preparing for the Decisive Battle Against the Split Demon

Chapter 49: Preparing for the Decisive Battle Against the Split Demon

At this moment Inside the Novice Village.

Ding!

[You have completed the “Physician’s Quest” and received the following rewards: +200 EXP, +20 Gold.]

Ding!

[You have completed the “Pawnbroker’s Quest” and received the following rewards: +200 EXP, +10 Fixed Attribute Points.]

Ding!

[You have completed the “Tutor’s Quest” and received the following rewards: +500 EXP, +100 Skill Attribute Points.]

Ding!

[You have completed the “Cook Zhang Aguai’s Quest” and received the following rewards: +1000 EXP, +100 Gold, +10 Roasted Meats.]

...

Ye Qiu tirelessly handed in all the quest items to the designated NPCs.

Then, his experience bar skyrocketed!

Until…

Ding!

[You have leveled up! Your HP has increased, attributes have improved, and you have received additional fixed attribute points.]

“About damn time!” Ye Qiu couldn’t help but complain.

In his past life, these quests alone could take a Level 0 player straight to Level 10!

But now, they barely got his Level 11 self to Level 12!

And only just barely at that!

If he had missed even one quest, he wouldn’t have leveled up!

“Level 12 now... and I got quite a few attribute points.” Ye Qiu took a deep breath. “Time to face the Split Demon!”

Being under Level 15 made no difference in front of a demon.

Whether Level 12 or Level 15, it was all the same!

Hell, even a Level 20 player would still be nothing more than a snack in the eyes of a demon!

Because Demons weren’t just monsters!

Some of them were even more intelligent than humans!

Ye Qiu pulled out the Secret Realm Map.

[Secret Realm Map (Legendary): Leads directly to the secret realm inside the Novice Village.]

He crushed it.

Whoosh!

A brilliant light enveloped him.

The space around him began to distort.

Ye Qiu’s vision turned black, and then, he knew nothing.

His body vanished from the spot!

Not long after he disappeared, several figures appeared at the location where he once stood.

The village chief, Elder Xu. The blacksmith, Zhang Tie. The Herbalist Shopowner, the cook Zhang Aguai, and several others.

“I wonder if he’ll succeed this time...” The village chief, Elder Xu, murmured before taking a swig from his wine flask.

A scholarly NPC sighed pessimistically, “That thing is an Outer Demon! How many young talents have we trained over the years? And yet... they all perished, never returning from the inner secret realm!”

No one argued because it was the truth.

And demons grow stronger over time!

A few years ago, that Split Demon was already Level 15!

And now?

Its level could only be higher!

“A mere Level 12 Undying executing this mission? This is a joke!” Cook Zhang Aguai snorted in dissatisfaction.

“Level 12 isn’t the problem! Back then, when Brother Xu cleaved the sky with a single strike, he was only Level 5!” A younger NPC rebutted.

“You’re twisting the facts! Brother Xu had only dropped to Level 5 because of an injury! His realm was still intact! That’s completely different from this Undying!” Zhang Aguai corrected.

The “Brother Xu” they referred to was none other than the village chief, Elder Xu!

The Herbalist Shopkeeper swayed her enchanting figure as she snatched the flask from Elder Xu, frowning. “You were the one who gave my disciple the map. Shouldn’t you say something now?”

Elder Xu was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. “You actually took him as your disciple? What are you trying to use him for?”

The Herbalist Shopkeeper was instantly annoyed. “Use him?! Do you think I’m that kind of person?! I took him in as my apprentice fair and square! There’s no ‘using’ involved!”

The other NPCs exchanged looks, they clearly didn’t believe her.

They seemed to know her all too well.

Elder Xu, however, grinned and said, “This time, I believe you. After all, this Undying boy has incredible luck. He even obtained the equipment left behind by that person, ‘The Coward’s Cloak.’

“Perhaps... choosing him is fate’s will.”

Zhang Aguai was stunned. “Brother Xu, you actually have that much faith in this Undying kid?”

Elder Xu neither nodded nor shook his head.

He simply said, “We have... no other options left. If fate has chosen that blue planet, then we must follow fate’s will and continue selecting accordingly. Perhaps... there’s a sliver of hope.”

Silence fell.

Yes, they were at a dead end.

With time, the Outer Demons within the inner secret realm had grown to the point where the talents they nurtured couldn’t even stand before them!

Let alone defeat them!

Now, this was their last chance!

Elder Xu sighed.

“Among the 3,000 villages on the Eastern Continent, only this Undying boy named ‘One Leaf Knows Autumn’ meets the requirements. The others... are far too lacking.

“This... is why I chose him.”

But just as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed!

CRACK!

His wine flask shattered into pieces!

Wine splattered everywhere.

The others were equally shocked.

“T-The Heaven’s Fate Gourd broke?!” Someone exclaimed.

Elder Xu’s face turned grim.

He hurriedly performed a divination.

A few moments later, Elder Xu coughed up a mouthful of blood!

His body aged visibly.

“Brother Xu!”

“Elder Xu!”

“Master!”

The NPCs panicked, rushing to support him.

Elder Xu steadied himself. Then, his face darkened.

“Great Misfortune!”

The others froze.

Then, he spoke again. “The Outer Demon... has consumed human blood and evolved!”

As soon as the words fell, some NPCs started crying.

It was over!

Completely over!

They had sent people to kill the demon only for them to become its food!

A demon that could scheme?!

That was the most terrifying thing of all!

—

Novice Village, Inner Secret Realm.

The dizziness faded. Ye Qiu gradually regained consciousness.

The world stopped spinning.

Looking around, he found himself in a paradise.

Lush forests. Leaves drifting with the wind. Fresh air. Warm sunlight filtering through the trees.

“A place like this... has demons?”

Ding!

[You have discovered the ‘Inner Secret Realm of the Novice Village’. +100 Fame.]

Ye Qiu took out his compass.

He chose a direction and started walking.

If he reached a dead end, he’d pick another.

Until…

“This is the way!” Ye Qiu continued north.

At last, he emerged from the forest.

The scenery changed instantly.

The sky darkened. Drizzling rain began to fall. In the distance, a massive stone fortress loomed!

It had only one arched gate.

Ye Qiu approached.

A terrifying aura began to press down on him. Without hesitation, he put on bulletproof armor, an insulating suit, a lightning rod, a helmet...

Equipping himself fully!

Finally, he pulled out a bottle with a cloth strip hanging from the opening and inside was a half a bottle of liquid.

A Molotov cocktail.

Fwoosh!

Bang!

Ye Qiu kicked the wooden gate It crashed open!

A musty, rotten stench filled the air!

As he stepped inside, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared.

It looked fifteen or sixteen years old.

Pale. Lifeless eyes.

“HOLY SH*T! A GHOST?!” Ye Qiu nearly threw the Molotov!

The phantom quickly spoke. “I am human, not the Split Demon...”