Under Baxter's lead, the eight of them stepped one after another into the Hidden Realm's teleportation array.
Waves of violet light surged up around them like a tide, wrapping their bodies as a deep, resonant hum filled their ears. In the next instant, the ground beneath their feet shifted completely—
It was Jansen's first time setting foot inside a Hidden Realm, and curiosity stirred in his chest. He lifted his gaze, taking in the scene in detail.
This was a pocket world sealed by power. At its edges rose a dome of translucent violet-red light, cutting off every trace of the outside world. The enclosed space was no more than ten kilometers across, yet it lay shrouded in an eternal night without sun or moon.
The air was thick with a faint purple mist, carrying a sweet, rotten stench. Visibility was less than a hundred meters, and anything beyond that was little more than a shadowy outline—the low shapes of houses, splintered fences, and a collapsed windmill.
They stood at the very edge of the realm, and in the distance, Jansen could make out the vague silhouette of a dead village.
Amid the darkness and haze, the houses lay in ruin—doors and windows shattered, no light within, as if the hollow eye sockets of the dead were staring straight at the intruders.
At that moment, everyone's quest interface lit up at once, new information flashing before their eyes:
Hidden Realm of Opportunity – Village of Despair (Hard Mode)
Minimum Entry Requirement: 8 players
Recommended Level: 20
Clear Condition: Eliminate all zombies within the Village of Despair (Progress: 0/1200)
Background: Three hundred years ago, a mysterious plague swept through this village. The dead piled high by the lakeshore, left to rot.
But on the third day, the corpses vanished without a trace. That night, the survivors heard knocking at their doors—
The ones who broke in wore the faces they knew… yet carried the stench of death.
Since then, blood, fear, and despair have shrouded this land…
"…A Level 20 Hard-Mode Hidden Realm." Baxter's brows furrowed deeply.
Hidden Realms were ranked in difficulty from lowest to highest: Easy, Normal, Hard, Fear, Nightmare. The higher the difficulty, the greater the rewards—but also the deadlier the risk.
Baxter had originally assumed that any realm spawning in the Rocky Plains would be around Level 15. With their party's average level near twenty, clearing it shouldn't have been a challenge.
But a Level 20 Hard-Mode realm… even ten elite Level 20 class changers would need to approach it with caution.
While he himself was a Level 28 Swordsman and could guarantee his own safety, their party also had two fresh class changers—Jansen and Fiona—at Levels 13 and 14. That gap in strength was an undeniable weakness.
"My lady…" Baxter's gaze was grave as he looked to Fiona.
Fiona bit her lip, thinking for a moment before lifting her chin.
"Since we're here, there's no reason to back down. A Level 20 Hard-Mode realm isn't necessarily unbeatable. Have you forgotten? I'm a Holy Light Mage—naturally strong against dark-attribute monsters."
Her eyes swept toward the depths of the purple mist.
"Judging by the atmosphere, our enemies here are dark-attribute. My combat power will be on par with any Level 20 mage."
Baxter considered that, then nodded.
"Alright. We proceed as planned."
He turned to the group, voice low and commanding.
"Stay sharp. This realm is more dangerous than I expected. Protect the young lady—and Alex."
That small gesture of goodwill lifted Jansen's opinion of the team considerably.
In short order, the party arranged themselves according to their class roles and began advancing toward the Village of Despair.
They had barely advanced two hundred meters when a low, urgent shhh-shhh sound rippled through the fog, accompanied by a faint tremor underfoot—like countless feet trampling over wet soil at once.
Baxter raised his greatsword, voice cutting through the haze.
"Monsters incoming!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, the mist ahead churned violently. With a chorus of ear-piercing shrieks, dozens of shadowy figures lunged out from the darkness.
They staggered forward, and as they drew near, their forms came into grim clarity—skin mottled with purplish-black decay, wounds split open and oozing foul-smelling black ichor.
Jansen lifted his hand, casting [Appraisal]. A flood of information filled his vision:
Rotting Zombie (Elite · Aggressive Type)
Level: 15
Strength: 45
Agility: 47
Spirit: 20
Endurance: 31
Skills:
Corpse Toxin: Claws and fangs carry lethal poison, causing continuous bleeding; those killed will transform into rotting zombies.
Latch and Bite: Grapples a target at close range before forcibly biting.
These zombies were far stronger than the Bloodthirsty Gray Foxes he had encountered before. The poison alone—and their ability to convert the fallen—made them a serious threat.
Still, with fighters like Baxter and the others, dealing with this first wave wouldn't be difficult.
The true challenge, Jansen knew, awaited them deeper inside the Village of Despair.