"Alert, alert! Intruders detected in Sector F. Activating automatic defense systems!"
Before Shi Feng could even celebrate, that booming announcement doused him with a bucket of ice water. He hadn't expected them to pull a trick like this.
The moment he reached the corridor's exit, he found that every passage leading to other sectors had been sealed shut—one after another, with no way in or out. Meanwhile, the water pool below was rising steadily. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the entire area was submerged.
Without a second thought, Shi Feng pulled out an Underwater Breathing Potion and drank it down. It would allow a player to breathe underwater for twenty minutes. Then he dove straight into the pool and began swimming deeper and deeper.
After more than ten minutes of swimming, Shi Feng finally spotted a dark, narrow passage ahead. But the current there was ferocious—getting close was far from easy. It took considerable effort, and a second Underwater Breathing Potion, before he managed to drag himself to the passage's entrance.
Immediately, the rushing water swept him away. His body was entirely at the mercy of the current, unable to move as he was carried along the tunnel. After several minutes of drifting with the flow, Shi Feng was flung out of the passage together with the water and landed in yet another large pool.
Along the walls of the pool, a staircase led upward. If he followed it, he would reach the Core Zone.
Shi Feng swam to the base of the staircase and checked the time. It was nearly eight in the morning. Finding the Heart of the Titan was no short-term task, so he opened the system interface and logged off.
The first thing he did upon waking was exercise—something that had been deeply ingrained in him long ago.
Yet today his body felt distinctly different from yesterday. There was none of the usual stiffness. Instead, he felt refreshed and energized, light in a way he couldn't quite describe. The Grade-C nutrient solution he had drunk was clearly doing its work, gradually improving his physical condition.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Shi Feng got up and started his workout—sit-ups, push-ups, and every other muscle-strengthening exercise he could think of. After more than an hour, he wasn't exhausted at all. On the contrary, warmth spread through his entire body, and he felt like he had energy to spare.
But he didn't push further. Instead, he headed downstairs to eat. Exercise wasn't about pushing yourself to the limit; it had to be moderate. Overdoing it would only backfire.
Thanks to a night's worth of effort, combined with the gold coins he had sold and the money earned through Bai Qingxue, his bank account now held over two hundred thousand Credit Points. One night of work had earned him the equivalent of a senior executive's two-month salary. That was the staggering power of how the Divine Realm drove the virtual economy. Getting rich overnight inside the Divine Realm would not be uncommon a year from now.
Unfortunately, most companies hadn't realized this yet. By the time they did, they would already be far behind those who had entered early.
After breakfast, Shi Feng went to the bank and withdrew thirty thousand Credit Points, intending to settle the payment for the virtual helmet. If he kept putting it off, he might forget entirely. And if he wanted to get it sorted while playing the Divine Realm, he would have to wait until the next workday. Right now was the early-stage sprint phase of the game—falling behind even a single day would be hard to make up.
It would also be a good chance to call Hei Zi out for a stroll. The kid had been cooped up in his dorm for far too long—his health would start to suffer.
In the early morning, the university streets were nearly empty. Only a handful of sports clubs were out for their morning jog, warming up for the day's training. Watching those energetic, vibrant university students, Shi Feng felt a strange sense of unreality—as if the ten years he had spent fighting in the Divine Realm were nothing more than a dream bubble, ready to burst at the slightest touch.
As he walked toward Hei Zi's dorm, Shi Feng took in the campus scenery along the way, savoring the views he had never paid attention to in his previous life.
Just as he was about to enter Hei Zi's dorm building, he heard bursts of laughter coming from inside.
"Hei Zi, you're really not doing well, are you? Weren't you so confident about getting into the Shadow studio? I've been waiting for you there for days, and I never saw you show up."
"Wu Yi, I already told you—I joined a different studio, so I didn't go to Shadow's tryouts."
"You're pulling my leg, Hei Zi. There's no other studio at Jinhai University. What's it called? How many people? Who started it? Can you tell me? If the benefits are good, maybe I'd join too."
Caught off guard by the questions, Hei Zi suddenly realized that Shi Feng had never told him the studio's name. As for the number of members—counting everyone, there were exactly six people. They didn't even have a proper studio for playing the Divine Realm. They were completely broke, drowning in debt.
"Hei Zi, stop being stubborn. I know you didn't pass Shadow's tryouts. If it really doesn't work out, have Brother Wu put in a good word for you. He's a full member now—maybe you could at least become an outer member. That way you'd be able to keep playing the Divine Realm and earn two thousand Credit Points a month, no problem. Don't forget, the trial helmets only have a ten-day trial period. After that, you're out of the game," sneered a dormmate.
"No way—what kind of studio doesn't even have a proper virtual helmet? That's just pathetic." Wu Yi feigned shock, then patted Hei Zi on the shoulder with a theatrical sigh. "Even Shadow's outer members get a standard helmet, and full members are equipped with high-end helmets worth twenty thousand. Your studio is getting ripped off. Who started it? I'll go demand justice for you."
"Why don't you just come join me instead? I guarantee you'll get a proper helmet. Once I become a core member of Shadow, you'll be living the good life. You know Shadow has been backed by Young Master Lan's five-million-point investment, and I hear he's put in another two million since then. Getting into Shadow means a bright future ahead."
"I already told you, Wu Yi—I'm not going. I'm doing just fine where I am," Hei Zi refused flatly.
"Think about it, Hei Zi. Opportunities like this don't come along often. Shadow is the best studio at Jinhai University. If it weren't for the fact that you've already hit level five and we're classmates, I wouldn't even bother coming to you." Wu Yi pressed on earnestly. "You keep saying you joined some other studio, but you can't even say the name? Lying to an old classmate—how low is that?"
"Wait—don't tell me your studio doesn't even have a name?"
"And even if it doesn't have a name, at least you know who started it, right? Any random person can set up a studio these days. You'd better not get scammed. Shadow has a proper business license and formal contracts. At the very least, they won't let you starve."
Wu Yi heaped praise upon Shadow, making it sound like joining their studio would turn you into an Elite of society—someone to be envied.
But Hei Zi had long since seen through Shadow. He had zero goodwill left toward them. He only had himself to blame for running his mouth, boasting to others about hitting level five, which had reached Shadow's ears. That was why they had sent his classmate Wu Yi over to recruit him.
But how could he ever betray Shi Feng and join Shadow? Everything he had achieved was thanks to Shi Feng. Even if things were tough right now, he firmly believed that Shi Feng would lead him to success.
At this stage, any player who had reached level five was an expert. For Shadow, which was desperately short on talent, Hei Zi was a prize catch—they naturally wanted to snap him up as quickly as possible and make him their own.
Just then, the door opened, and Shi Feng walked in.
"I'm the nobody who started that studio. Got any objections?" Shi Feng looked at the broad, muscular Wu Yi and said coldly.