What Wei Huan had deduced, Mu Zhong had naturally considered as well.
Wei Huan was a Necromancer, but all his undead were sourced from the Class Temple, recruited from within those massive Great Tombs. Everyone knew that Necromancers controlled the dead and that "all things end in death," implying Wei Huan could easily sustain his army through slaughter—resurrecting whatever he killed.
But in reality, that wasn't the case.
He had never resurrected a single monster's soul in the Challenge World, nor could he control the souls of fallen humans. Even during the war against the Dark Beasts, where he had fought through their entire plane and back, Wei Huan had never once physically seized a soul in his palm like this.
Furthermore, the moment Wei Huan arrived in this world and fell into the valley, he immediately sensed a dense, overwhelming Nether Power. Such a place—and such a sensation—had never existed in the Challenge World.
Mu Zhong was clever; his thoughts ran deeper and further than Wei Huan's. Just by looking at the soul of the one-legged beast, a thick "conspiracy theory" had already formed in his mind. However, when he finally looked up, he restrained himself and didn't offer an opinion immediately. Instead, he asked, "Can it be recruited? Can it be resurrected?"
"Yes," Wei Huan replied. "But direct recruitment leaves it in this ghost state, with less than ten or twenty percent of its power, and it remains dependent on a physical vessel. If sent back to the Great Tomb for nurturing, it should be able to regrow bone and flesh, returning as a walking corpse. Depending on the amount of Nether Power available, it could recover up to sixty or seventy percent of its original strength."
"How do you know these specifics?" Mu Zhong asked, curious.
Wei Huan thought for a moment, hesitating. "Should I call it... instinct?"
"It's almost too detailed to be just instinct."
Wei Huan fell silent.
"Cough!" Mu Zhong tried to speak but was interrupted by a muffled cough.
"Don't rush to heal me. Recover yourself first," Wei Huan said, pressing his hand down.
Mu Zhong didn't stop, continuing to funnel Natural Power into Wei Huan's body. "This place is fraught with danger and the situation is unclear. Your condition is paramount. Even if I exhaust myself and faint again, as long as you are well, we can all survive. I am not the priority."
Wei Huan remained silent, eventually pulling his hand back. Mu Zhong steadied himself and shifted his posture. Seeing that Mu Zhong was struggling to stay upright, Wei Huan summoned several Facehuggers to stack themselves into a makeshift white-bone throne for the two of them to lean against.
Mu Zhong let out a long sigh of relief and continued the treatment. "A Shaman's healing efficiency is low. My entire pool of spiritual energy might only get you back to seventy or eighty percent; you're badly hurt. Anyway, back to the topic—you're decked out in Diamond and God-tier gear, yet in this world, a simple impact caused you injury. What is going on here?"
Wei Huan looked into Mu Zhong's eyes. "The thing I hit was no ordinary object. If I had just landed on normal ground, I wouldn't be like this. Also, it's exactly as you suspect: we are currently in a world with different rules than the Challenge World. We have jumped out of the Challenge World."
Mu Zhong added a final note: "And away from Blue Star."
The two fell into a heavy silence. This was a depressing realization. They had always believed that Blue Star was Blue Star and the Challenge World was the Challenge World—that they were separate entities they could traverse between. But upon arriving here, the stark differences proved their previous understanding wrong.
Blue Star had been "captured" by the Challenge World.
Blue Star and the Challenge World were not two separate worlds; including the Dark Beast plane, they were all part of a single entity—the "Challenge Universe." Now, because of the World Tree, they had found a passage to the 'actual' outside world. This was why their digitized equipment behaved differently and why Wei Huan's abilities had fundamentally shifted, allowing him to touch a soul directly.
The Challenge World had no souls. Not for the monsters, and not for the humans.
This realization struck them both deeply. For a long time, they sat in silence, digesting the truth. The Blue Star they wanted to save had actually fallen a long, long time ago. They were like a planet swallowed by a black hole called the Challenge World, unable to extricate themselves, forced to follow its rules and compete in a game called "Civilization Competition," thinking that if they became strong enough, they could escape.
But could they really? What kind of power would be needed to pull an entire planet out of a black hole's vortex?
"At least it's not all bad news," Mu Zhong said, looking down at his trembling, pale hands. "If we were just ordinary humans, we would have died today. Regardless of the Challenge World's ultimate purpose, it gave us the ability to protect ourselves. That is a fact."
Wei Huan nodded. "Yes. Learning and mastering power—while the process is cruel, human evolution is a reality." He looked at the massive, struggling, wailing soul before his eyes. "I see opportunity here. Perhaps this isn't a bad thing."
Mu Zhong looked up, a smile touching his face. "Since we're here, we might as well make the most of it. You and I are together." He glanced at the unconscious Dou Lin. "We'll take this little guy, explore the truth, and master the laws of this place. I'm actually looking forward to it."
Wei Huan nodded, his gaze lingering on Mu Zhong. As long as they were together, they feared nothing.
---
Mu Zhong exhausted his spiritual energy to get Wei Huan back on his feet. Once he saw Wei Huan could move, the exhausted Shaman fell into a deep sleep.
Upon rising, Wei Huan's first act was to expand his undead legion. His summoning range now reached 57 kilometers, covering a diameter of over a hundred kilometers. Undead began to howl across the horizon. Considering the threat from below, he recruited a large group of Ghost Crows to patrol the underground as an early warning system.
He then sent out his intelligent elites to gather food and resources like firewood. He was certain this wasn't the Challenge World; even if the monsters looked similar, his storage space was inaccessible, and his AI was no longer "smart." Their quality of life had regressed to the primitive—everything had to be gathered manually.
He didn't expect to find any treasure chests either. The system of placing loot in chests guarded by specific monsters was a hallmark of the digitized Challenge World, a bizarre, game-like mechanic. What he saw now—the need to collect resources while using learned laws and powers—felt "normal."
As he moved, he remained focused on the massive soul wailing before him. From the moment he arrived, the dense Nether Power felt like a feast laid out on a table. As a Gravekeeper, he felt it would be an insult to his profession if he didn't "eat" this gargantuan entity wreathed in black mist.
However, he was wary of the nine red chains binding the creature. They emerged from deep underground at the valley's edge, tethering its three heads and six wings. Wei Huan was certain there should have been ten chains. Though he didn't know where the tenth would attach to a bird, the mechanical layout at the valley's edge left a clear, empty space.
He sent undead along the chains deep into the earth, where they found a special ritual disk. It was hard to tell if it was man-made or a natural phenomenon. Upon seeing it, his suspicion was confirmed: one corner of the disk was shattered, and that was where the tenth chain had been.
"So, there's a massive undead here with a body over ten miles wide?" Mu Zhong asked, having woken up again. "No wonder this valley feels so oppressive and chilling. Those skeletons scattered about must be this great bird's body."
Wei Huan was curious. "How does it feel 'chilling' to you? Even using your power, can't you see the soul?"
Mu Zhong focused his Natural Power into his eyes but shook his head. "I really can't see it. Observing souls is clearly a unique ability of a Necromancer. As for the 'chilling' feeling..." He thought for a moment. "It's a distinct difference. Your undead feel eerie too, but this is different. It's hard to describe if it's because the laws of two worlds are different, or if it's because I'm simply used to you. If I had to put it into words, this place is rejecting me—attacking me, even. It's full of malice and a bloodthirsty, violent aura."
This reminded Wei Huan of their companion. He looked at Dou Lin. "He's been out for a day and a night. Is it because of the environment?"
"Perhaps." Mu Zhong looked at Dou Lin as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"I don't know about the others," Wei Huan said. "Everything happened too fast. I only had time to save you; Dou Lin saved himself."
Mu Zhong's expression darkened, knowing the others they were with likely met a grim fate. But no one could be blamed. Even Wei Huan had limits, and he had done his best during the catastrophe.
Mu Zhong looked up and smiled. "Maybe they made it back. Let's solve our current problems first and leave this place. This valley isn't suited for recovery. You must be hungry. Leave the life necessities to me. I've tested it—the 'Pilot's' creation ability still works. Though it's harder to manifest, it can handle our immediate needs."
Wei Huan nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose to fight off fatigue. Even with Mu Zhong awake, it wasn't time to relax. One of the bird's chains was broken; there was no telling when it might break the others. He couldn't let such a massive source of power escape.
The priority was to move away from the dense Nether Power of the valley so Mu Zhong and Dou Lin could heal faster. Unlike Wei Huan, who thrived on Nether Power, it only worsened their injuries.
Under Wei Huan's command, Dot Mom began to move slowly and steadily, the entire undead army shifting with her. Wei Huan avoided the directions of the giant ape and the flaming chimera. He wasn't afraid of them, but he didn't want another conflict until he had dealt with the bird.
He also wanted to use the one-legged monster's soul to see what tangible benefits killing creatures in this world provided.
As they exited the valley, Wei Huan was unaware that tens of thousands of miles away, a group of monsters with peaceful auras but immense power turned their heads. Unlike the violent beasts he had met, these creatures didn't rush toward him. They waited, looking toward a specific horizon.
At the end of their gaze stood a broken mountain. Its base was a hundred times larger than the surrounding peaks; it might have once been the highest point in the world. Now, it was severed halfway up, the surface as smooth as if cut by a sword or an Grade 8 orbital weapon. On this plateau sat a massive nest made of earth and brush. It was a rugged, wild structure, but it possessed a primitive grandeur.
The monsters in that region focused their attention there until, finally, a flock of white winged horses flew out of the nest. They beat their wings, riding on mists and clouds, heading toward Wei Huan's location. Their departure caused a stir among the surrounding beasts that didn't settle for a long time.
---
Mu Zhong was currently frowning over the monster carcasses the undead had brought back for food. He hadn't seen raw corpses in a while, and the blood stench was overwhelming. Furthermore, he couldn't tell which ones were edible.
"...The 'Heart of Steel' database has no record of these creatures," Mu Zhong said as a small cube floated over his shoulder to scan samples. "It proves we've truly left the Challenge Universe. This one is toxic... this one is edible but bitter... wait, the Heart of Steel says this one is edible. Tsk, talk about looks being deceiving; this is the ugliest of the bunch, yet it's the only one that tastes good."
Mu Zhong picked out a few mosquito-like monsters and hopped onto Dot Mom's back. He looked at Wei Huan, who was still staring back at the valley. "The leg meat is edible. We don't have much, so I'll just roast them."
Without tools, Mu Zhong used brute strength to prepare the meat. It was a bloody scene, but he handled it with an elegant, practiced fluidness.
Wei Huan didn't look back. The ritual disk deep underground had finally been unearthed by his Facehuggers. In a cavern ten thousand meters down, countless Facehuggers had cleared away every bit of debris to reveal the disk's full glory.
It looked natural, a divine object born of heaven and earth. It appeared to be an ordinary, flat round stone, yet it held the soul of a three-headed avian monster. Wei Huan was loath to destroy it. It reminded him of his 'Book of the Dead'—an ordinary-looking book that granted him dominion over darkness. The "True" prefix on the book had bothered him for a long time. Was it possible that if he brought this disk back to the Challenge Universe, the system would also label it with "True"?
He wanted both the bird's soul and the disk. He had hollowed out the ground beneath it just to see if he could take it physically. He realized then that despite their "evolution," humans still knew very little about the world; he might not even be able to carry an object like this.
"What are you thinking about?" Mu Zhong asked, handing him a roasted mosquito leg.
Wei Huan took a bite and froze, finally focusing. "What is this?"
Mu Zhong looked at Wei Huan's left eye, which was burning with green flame. "Monster meat. Better than roasted chicken." Then he asked, "Are you going to try and just pick up that disk?"
Wei Huan, ravenous, bolted the food. "I have to try."
"The Heart of Steel can recognize basic materials," Mu Zhong said. "After eating, I'll find materials to build a water condenser and a recovery pod. Dou Lin needs liquid food. Also, I want to see if I can craft a spatial warehouse to store that disk."
Wei Huan agreed. Water for Dou Lin was the highest priority. "Let's go."
"You stay," Mu Zhong countered. "Focus on how to capture that bird ghost. Dou Lin shouldn't be moved right now. Give the undead orders to follow me; I'll be safe within your summoning range."
Wei Huan looked at Dou Lin and nodded. "Go. I'll make sure the undead obey you."
With a yip, "Doggo" appeared. The two skeletal mounts touched backs, and Mu Zhong stepped across. Doggo had a massive stock of nearly a hundred thousand Burrow Beasts, and with Dot Mom's new upgrades, the defensive bubbles and Facehugger bombs were more than enough protection. Still, Wei Huan assigned three hundred Twin-Headed Hidden Demons as personal bodyguards and made Mu Zhong promise to stay within the undead's coverage.
Watching Mu Zhong depart with three Magic Eye Lords hovering above him, Wei Huan turned his attention back to the ritual disk. It was the size of a football field. Without a spatial warehouse, it was impossible to move.
Before Mu Zhong returned, Wei Huan needed to separate the bird ghost from the disk. He moved Dot Mom closer to the valley, left her to guard Dou Lin, and walked into the valley with a contingent of undead.
As he entered, the Nether Power returned. He realized that the "aggression" he felt earlier was actually a form of "activity." Compared to the tamed, easily recruited undead in the Great Tomb, these were wild and defiant—hard to subdue, with a high risk of recruitment failure.
Standing on the back of one of the undead, Wei Huan looked up at the colossal ghost. He activated his "Symbiotic Beast" possession, shrouding himself in black flames, and stepped outside the protective barrier.
He didn't order his mount to create a new shield. For the first time, he wanted to 'feel' this world.
The Nether Power hit him like a bone-chilling wind, lashing his face, burrowing into his skin, and twisting his nerves as if trying to freeze his very soul. Before, the shield had masked this intensity. He had heard others talk about how fighting alongside the undead felt cold and eerie, but as a Necromancer, he had never truly felt "cold."
Now he did.
Wei Huan's expression grew grim. If even 'he' felt the chill, the bird's power was immense. Subduing it would be a gamble. But he couldn't give up just because of a bit of discomfort. He wouldn't let such a magnificent "feast" go to waste.
Wei Huan raised his hand. For the first time, he cast 'Hand of the Undead' on something that wasn't already his.
White mist emerged like tentacles from dimensional space, shifting into the shape of a hand. The fingers elongated, sprouting more hands from the palms like a cluster of blooming flowers—not beautiful, but twisted and Lovecraftian in their complexity.