2026-03-25 03:51:48Outside the Secret Realm, the situation had spiraled completely out of control.
The once-orderly examination grounds were now filled with shouting, panic, and despair. Families of the candidates crowded the area, their faces pale as they stared at the sealed portal.
“Why isn’t it opening?!”
“My son is still inside!”
“Do something!”
Examiners rushed back and forth, attempting to stabilize the situation, but the tension only grew heavier with each passing minute.
Then—
A powerful aura descended.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sky.
A man stepped forward from the crowd of arriving officials.
He wore a long black coat, his presence calm yet overwhelming.
The moment he appeared, even the arguing examiners fell silent.
“The Grand Beast Master…”
Someone whispered the title with reverence.
He was the nation’s strongest Beast Master.
The final authority in matters like this.
The chief examiner stepped forward immediately.
“Sir, the Secret Realm—”
The Grand Beast Master raised his hand slightly.
“Silence.”
His gaze fixed on the sealed portal.
For a moment, his expression remained calm.
Then—
It changed.
His eyes narrowed sharply.
“…I see.”
The shift in his expression sent a chill through everyone present.
The Imperial examiner frowned.
“What is it?”
The Grand Beast Master spoke slowly.
“This is not an accident.”
The crowd fell silent.
His voice turned heavy.
“It’s an invasion.”
Murmurs spread instantly.
“Invasion?”
“From what?”
The Grand Beast Master’s gaze darkened.
“An Outer Demon.”
The words hit like thunder.
The Holy Mountain examiner’s expression changed drastically.
“An Outer Demon… here?”
The Grand Beast Master nodded.
“A Fog Demon.”
Gasps erupted across the area.
The chief examiner stepped forward urgently.
“What does that mean for the candidates inside?”
The Grand Beast Master looked toward the sealed portal.
His voice was calm—but grim.
“The Fog Demon specializes in creating barriers.”
He continued,
“It seals entire regions with dense fog… and traps everything inside.”
The Imperial examiner clenched his fists.
“And the creatures inside?”
“Clones,” the Grand Beast Master replied. “Fog constructs created by the demon.”
A heavy silence followed.
The chief examiner swallowed.
“…How do we stop it?”
The Grand Beast Master’s voice lowered.
“The core must be destroyed.”
“And if it isn’t?” someone asked nervously.
The answer came without hesitation.
“Then everyone inside…”
He paused.
“…will remain trapped forever.”
The words shattered whatever hope remained.
Cries broke out among the families.
“No… that can’t be…”
“My daughter is in there!”
“They’re just kids!”
Some people collapsed to the ground in despair.
The Imperial examiner’s face turned pale.
“…What level is this Fog Demon?”
The Grand Beast Master answered bluntly.
“Ordinary Fog Demons are equivalent to Level 20 magical beasts.”
The entire area fell silent.
Level 20.
That was far beyond anything the candidates could handle.
“They’re dead…” someone whispered.
“There’s no way they can fight that…”
The Holy Mountain examiner clenched his fists.
“This year’s candidates…”
His voice trembled slightly.
“…are the strongest we’ve seen in decades.”
Many had awakened Legendary beasts.
Many were future pillars of humanity.
And now—
They were trapped.
The Grand Beast Master closed his eyes briefly.
“…A tragic loss.”
Inside the Secret Realm—
The forest had completely transformed.
The deeper Alaric, Kira, and Tristan traveled, the darker and more twisted the environment became.
The air felt heavy.
Every breath was suffocating.
Tristan wiped sweat from his forehead.
“This place… feels wrong.”
Kira nodded.
“We’re definitely inside the Forbidden Zone now.”
The trees around them were massive and gnarled.
Shadows stretched unnaturally across the ground.
A distant roar echoed.
Tristan flinched.
“That didn’t sound like a normal beast.”
Before anyone could respond—
A massive figure burst from the trees.
A towering beast with thick armor-like skin and glowing red eyes.
Alaric glanced at it briefly.
“Level 7.”
Tristan’s face paled.
“Level 7?!”
Kira immediately summoned her Chimera forward.
“Be careful!”
The Chimera roared and charged.
Tristan’s beast followed, attacking from the side.
The battle erupted instantly.
The Level 7 beast fought fiercely, forcing both of them to coordinate carefully.
“Watch out!” Tristan shouted.
Kira dodged a heavy strike.
“Hit its left side!”
Their attacks finally landed together.
After several intense moments—
The beast collapsed.
Both of them stepped back, breathing heavily.
“That… was close,” Tristan muttered.
Kira nodded.
Even with both of them working together, it had been a difficult fight.
But then—
A loud explosion echoed from nearby.
BOOOOM!
They turned instantly.
A few hundred meters away—
Elena stood calmly.
Around her—
The bodies of multiple beasts lay scattered.
Seven.
Eight.
All of them far larger and more dangerous than the one Kira and Tristan had just fought.
Kira’s eyes widened.
“…Those are Level 8 beasts.”
Tristan stared in disbelief.
“She killed all of them… alone?”
Elena rested the massive warhammer on her shoulder.
Her expression remained completely indifferent.
Alaric stood beside her calmly.
As if this was normal.
Tristan swallowed hard.
“What… is she?”
Kira didn’t answer.
Her gaze remained fixed on Elena.
For the first time—
Even her confidence wavered slightly.
Alaric glanced at his system panel.
Points Earned: 3200
The number continued rising rapidly.
Their score had already surpassed anything imaginable.
Far beyond every other participant.
Alaric closed the panel.
“Let’s keep moving.”
Tristan snapped out of his shock.
“…Right.”
But his voice lacked confidence now.
Kira stepped forward again.
Her gaze briefly lingered on Alaric.
“You knew she was this strong?”
Alaric didn’t answer directly.
“She’s reliable.”
Kira frowned slightly.
“That’s not normal strength.”
Tristan let out a dry laugh.
“Yeah… no kidding.”
He shook his head.
“We struggled against one Level 7…”
He looked toward the battlefield behind Elena.
“And she just wiped out half a group of Level 8 monsters like they were nothing.”
His voice dropped.
“That’s not ‘reliable’… that’s terrifying.”
Elena remained silent.
Her eyes showed no emotion.
Alaric continued walking forward.
“The stronger we are,” he said calmly, “the better our chances.”
Kira nodded slowly.
“…You’re right.”
But deep down—
She knew this wasn’t just strength.
This was something far beyond what any normal Beast Tamer should possess.
And as Alaric’s score continued to climb higher and higher—
The gap between him and everyone else in the realm only grew wider.
Unknowingly—
They were getting closer.
Closer to the center.
Closer to the truth.
And closer…
…to the Fog Demon.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 9: The Shattered Core
Deep within the Forbidden Zone, the forest had long since lost its original form.The ground was cracked and blackened.The trees were twisted into grotesque shapes.And the fog—It was everywhere.Thick. Endless. Suffocating.By now, the concept of points had become meaningless.Alaric glanced briefly at the system panel.The number continued rising at an absurd rate.But he closed it immediately.It didn’t matter anymore.If they couldn’t leave this place alive…Even first place meant nothing.“The scoring system might already be corrupted,” Tristan muttered, breathing heavily. “What’s the point anymore…?”Kira didn’t respond.Her focus remained ahead.“Elena,” Alaric said quietly.She stood at the front, her warhammer dragging slightly against the ground.“I can feel it clearly now,” she said.Her cold eyes fixed on the distance.“The source is just ahead.”The air suddenly grew heavier.Then—The fog surged.From all directions, countless fog creatures emerged.Dozens.Hundreds.T
Chapter 8: The Outer Demon
Outside the Secret Realm, the situation had spiraled completely out of control.The once-orderly examination grounds were now filled with shouting, panic, and despair. Families of the candidates crowded the area, their faces pale as they stared at the sealed portal.“Why isn’t it opening?!”“My son is still inside!”“Do something!”Examiners rushed back and forth, attempting to stabilize the situation, but the tension only grew heavier with each passing minute.Then—A powerful aura descended.The air itself seemed to tremble.Everyone instinctively turned toward the sky.A man stepped forward from the crowd of arriving officials.He wore a long black coat, his presence calm yet overwhelming.The moment he appeared, even the arguing examiners fell silent.“The Grand Beast Master…”Someone whispered the title with reverence.He was the nation’s strongest Beast Master.The final authority in matters like this.The chief examiner stepped forward immediately.“Sir, the Secret Realm—”The
Chapter 7: Into the Forbidden Zone
The forest grew darker as time passed.The faint light filtering through the trees had turned dim and gray, as if the entire Secret Realm itself was slowly suffocating under an unseen force.Kira’s group moved cautiously through the undergrowth.Every sound made them tense.Every shadow looked like an enemy.Behind them, the memory of the fog creature still lingered like a nightmare.One of the boys in Kira’s team—tall, sharp-faced, with a constant scowl—glanced at Alaric with obvious dissatisfaction.His name was Marcus.And his eyes were filled with something more than fear.Jealousy.He watched the way Kira occasionally looked toward Alaric.That small shift in her attitude…It irritated him.Finally, Marcus scoffed.“So let me get this straight,” he said mockingly. “We’re supposed to trust this guy now?”His gaze swept over Alaric with open disdain.“The same loser who got kicked out of his own family?”One of the girls hesitated.“Well… he did save us…”Marcus snapped back immedi
Chapter 6: The Sealed Realm
The four surviving students stood frozen, their eyes locked on Elena, who calmly rested the massive warhammer against the ground as if nothing unusual had happened.Alaric’s gaze shifted toward them.Up close, he recognized one of them immediately.The girl standing at the front—long dark hair, sharp features, and a composed aura even under pressure—was someone well known throughout the city.Kira White.A prodigy.And one of the most admired beauties among the younger generation.Behind her, a massive beast stood protectively.It had the head of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a serpent.A Chimera.A Legendary Beast.Kira took a slow breath, regaining her composure.Then she stepped forward and looked at Alaric.“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “You saved us.”Alaric gave a small nod.“You’re welcome.”One of the boys behind her, still shaken, asked nervously, “Who… who are you?”Alaric answered calmly.“Alaric.”The moment his name left his mouth—The group froze.“…A
Chapter 5: The Rising Score
Deep inside the Secret Realm, the forest echoed with the sounds of battle.Explosions, roars, and the crashing of trees filled the air.At the center of one clearing, a massive magical beast collapsed with a heavy thud.Elena stood calmly in front of its body, the enormous Upper Realm Warhammer resting on her shoulder.The creature had been a Level 5 Stone Boar, a monster that normally required an entire team to defeat.But now it lay motionless, its skull crushed into the ground.Alaric glanced at the system panel floating before his eyes.Target Defeated. Points Earned: 500Another line followed.Elena – Level Up. Current Level: 6Alaric exhaled slowly.“Level six already.”Elena looked down at the monster without emotion.“Do you want me to destroy the body, Master?”Alaric shook his head.“No need. Let’s move.”They had been inside the Secret Realm for less than an hour, yet their progress was already unbelievable.Every monster they encountered was eliminated within seconds.Mo
Chapter 4: The First Hunt
The streets of the small city gradually quieted as night settled in.After leaving the beast shop, Alaric walked through several dim alleys before finally stopping in front of a rundown inn. The wooden sign above the door creaked in the wind, and the building itself looked like it might collapse at any moment.Alaric glanced at the few coins left in his palm.Not much.But it would have to do.He pushed open the door and approached the counter.The tired innkeeper looked up lazily. His eyes moved between Alaric and the small girl beside him.“You renting a room?” the man asked.Alaric nodded. “One night.”The innkeeper looked at the coins Alaric placed on the counter and snorted.“For that price, you get the smallest room.”“That’s fine.”A rusty key slid across the counter.Alaric picked it up without complaint and led Iris upstairs.The room was small and poorly lit. A single bed stood against the wall, and the wooden floor creaked under every step.Iris looked around quietly.“…Mas
You may also like
The Strongest Esper
Icemaster36020.3K viewsBecome a Super Rich With Crazy System
BOSSSESamaaaa166.1K viewsSupreme Territory System
Vks_sh26.4K viewsThe Invincible Arthur Gardner
Herolich101.8K viewsThe BloodBath System in another World
Azurian Element2.0K viewsMastering All Martial Paths
Grandmaster10.0K viewsThe Tyrant's Infinite Rebirth System
Grande821 viewsSolitary Sword Sovereign
Theonionjunktion 7.3K views