Alex's methods were terrifying.
The Adventurers felt chills run down their spines.
Such overwhelming strength, such suffocating pressure, and that cold, ruthless style of killing enemies like cutting grass—combined with an aura that looked down on all living beings—naturally made everyone assume he was the final boss of the chapter.
Nancilia, Iris, and the other native Adventurers also felt immense pressure.
But at the same time, they were pleasantly surprised.
Miracle City actually possessed such a powerful existence. Although defeating someone like him would be extremely difficult, if he could one day serve the territory, he would bring tremendous changes to the entire Eternal Night Forest.
However, what happened next completely exceeded everyone's expectations.
---
Awakening in the Morgue
After the two cutscenes ended, Ryan Blackstone (formerly Black Stone Hammer King) suddenly woke up in a body.
He could hear voices but could not yet control his body.
"I know this guy," someone said.
"He used to be a member of Black Watch."
"Yes, but he's a former member now."
The scene was a morgue.
A bone-chilling cold filled the room.
Two scientists were preparing to perform an autopsy.
The corpse lying on the table was a man in his thirties, pale as paper, wearing a dark hooded jacket.
It was Alex Mercer.
The same man who had slaughtered an entire squad moments earlier.
So why was he suddenly a corpse?
The scientists continued talking.
One of them looked at a file.
"His name is Alex Mercer. He has a relative named Diana Mercer."
"His wife?"
"Probably not."
"Is he related to the test subject on the 51st floor?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. Hand me scalpel number eight. Let's finish this quickly."
"Alright. Let's start with the torso."
Just as they were about to begin the autopsy—
Alex suddenly sat upright.
His eyes snapped open as he gasped for air.
"Damn it!"
"Call the extermination team!"
The two scientists panicked and fled the room.
Alex touched his body, then his face, and suddenly shouted:
"Holy crap! What the hell?!"
---
Adventurers Realize the Truth
Inside the Secret Realm Lobby, everyone was shocked.
Pig King asked,
"Ryan, is that you?"
Ryan replied,
"Of course it's me! Wait… does that mean I'm actually playing Alex Mercer?"
Violent Little Chicken shouted,
"That's right! You ARE Alex now!"
At the same time, Adventurers across the lobby woke up in the same scene.
Everyone had become Alex Mercer.
The entire lobby exploded with excitement.
No one had expected this.
The terrifying monster from the opening cutscene—
was actually the character players controlled.
---
The Secret Realm's Real Selling Point
Windwalker said,
"Now I understand why the Lord made this a paid Secret Realm."
Every paid Secret Realm must offer special benefits.
But Miracle City's Secret Realms already had the best drop rates and quality.
So what could justify charging players?
Now the answer was obvious.
The character you played was ridiculously powerful.
"Awesome!"
"Overpowered!"
"Almost invincible!"
"This is the true selling point of the Blacklight chapter!"
"Old Thief Qi isn't just a genius—he understands Adventurers perfectly!"
"After seeing Alex's abilities, who could resist playing him?"
"Take my contribution points!"
---
Alex Has No Memories
Ryan tried to access Alex's memories.
But his mind was blank.
"I feel weak… and strange. This body has no memories."
The Time Traveler suddenly realized something.
"I think this story is using a flashback structure."
Moonlight Snow recalled the narration from earlier.
"Alex said someone released a virus in New York three weeks ago, and he woke up in a morgue…"
Lone Wolf nodded.
"That means the Alex we saw earlier was three weeks in the future."
Everyone was impressed.
"What did Alex go through during those three weeks?"
"How did he become that monster?"
---
Escape from the Military Base
Ryan jumped off the autopsy table.
The steel edge he had grabbed earlier was bent out of shape.
"Did I just bend steel with my bare hands?"
Even in a weakened state, Alex was incredibly strong.
But the facility was clearly a military base.
Helicopters circled above.
Special forces were already descending.
Ryan hid behind a car and listened.
Soon the soldiers discovered him.
"Target spotted!"
"Open fire!"
Bullets tore through his body.
Ryan fell to the ground.
"Target eliminated," the captain reported.
But seconds later—
Ryan opened his eyes again.
His wounds rapidly healed.
"Unbelievable…"
Alex's regeneration was incredible, but it consumed energy.
Ryan knew he had to escape.
He suddenly jumped up and punched the four soldiers.
Each one flew more than ten meters through the air.
All died instantly.
Ryan then leaped over a five-meter wall and landed in the city outside.
---
New York City
Outside the base was New York City.
Traffic moved through the streets.
Neon lights filled the skyline.
Ryan realized something shocking.
"Even in this weakened state, Alex's strength is already around Tier-2 four-star level."
He sprinted down the street at over 100 km/h.
Helicopters quickly pursued him.
Machine-gun fire rained down.
Ryan grabbed a nearby car and used it as a shield.
Then he lifted the entire vehicle and threw it.
The car smashed into the helicopter.
The aircraft exploded mid-air.
The Adventurers watching were stunned.
"This Secret Realm is insane!"
---
Wall-Running
Ryan jumped onto a nearby building.
He ran straight up the vertical wall.
The Adventurers had seen it in the cutscene, but experiencing it firsthand was completely different.
In less than ten seconds, he reached the rooftop of a 100-meter building.
More helicopters appeared.
Missiles fired.
Ryan ripped a giant water tank from the roof and threw it.
Another helicopter crashed.
Then he tore off a metal flagpole and hurled it like a spear.
It pierced the cockpit of the last helicopter.
Boom.
The aircraft spiraled down and exploded.
Inside the lobby, everyone was speechless.
"No Secret Realm has ever been this cool."
"Thirty contribution points per entry is completely worth it!"
---
Alex's Devour Ability
But the intense battle drained Ryan's energy.
His body suddenly weakened.
He collapsed in an alley.
A soldier discovered him and fired several shots.
Ryan lay still.
When the soldier relaxed—
Ryan suddenly punched through his chest.
Black tendrils erupted from Alex's body.
They pierced the soldier and devoured him completely.
Ryan felt energy returning.
But something else happened.
Memories appeared in his mind.
"I didn't just absorb his body… I absorbed his memories too."
Then everyone noticed something even more shocking.
Ryan's appearance changed.
He now looked exactly like the soldier he had just devoured.
Even the uniform and weapons were perfectly replicated.
---
A Terrifying Ability
The Adventurers were stunned.
"Absorb enemies…"
"Steal their memories…"
"Then transform into them!"
"With this ability, Alex could infiltrate anywhere!"
Ryan nodded.
"However, memory fragments are incomplete. I can only extract limited information each time."
The Time Traveler suggested:
"Then focus on extracting specific memories."
Ryan decided to try.
He grabbed another officer and devoured him.
This time he focused on one thought:
Diana Mercer.
Immediately, memory fragments appeared.
The Secret Realm crystal displayed them for all viewers.
"Apartment 15A, 2215 Kent Street…"
"That's the address of Alex's sister."
"After Alex escapes, he will likely go there. Prepare an ambush."
The officer's name was Captain Charles Perry of Black Watch.
Now Ryan knew his next objective.
---
Adventurers Are Completely Hooked
Even though they had only experienced the chapter for about thirty minutes, the Adventurers were already overwhelmed with excitement.
The creativity of the Blacklight chapter and the power of Alex Mercer had completely amazed them.
Even though it was paid content, everyone wanted to buy it.
Even poor newcomers felt motivated to farm contribution points.
They needed to unlock the rest of the chapter.
Because an experience like this—
could not be found anywhere else.
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