"Is there a price to pay?"


    "How could there not be a price to pay?"


    The Tomb Guardian old man looked at Chen Miao oddly, "What in this world doesn''te with a price? If you steal someone else''s wife, you have to bear the risk of being caught and killed by her husband, right? Even if you breathe oxygen, you have to endure the cost of oxygen oxidizing your internal organs, don''t you?"


    "Of course, there''s a price."


    "But at least it''s a price paid while alive."


    "As long as you''re alive, any price is bearable."


    ...


    Chen Miao didn''t interact with the Tomb Guardian old man any further, as there wasn''t much time left. He needed to look for Hungry Monkey again, cing the D-rank Taboo Item "Lover''s Madness" on it. This time entering the Secret Realm, he needed to bring this Taboo Item with him. In case there was any female boss or something, this item would increase the damage he could inflict by countless times.


    After all this was done.


    He hardly had any time to exin anything to Hungry Monkey before a vortex suddenly appeared under his feet. With the sensation of a sudden loss of weight, a blinding bright light surged instantly.


    When he felt solid ground under his feet again, he slowly opened his eyes.


    Inside a small cabin.


    There was only one broken window, looking out towards what seemed to be a forest through it. The furnishings inside the cabin were very simple and covered with a thinyer of fine dust, suggesting that it had been a long time since anyone had set foot here; this cabin should be the hunter''s cabin.


    Many hunters would build such a cabin in the forest for convenience. When winter came and it was the off-season for hunting, this cabin would be vacated. Often, these cabins would not be locked, to facilitate travelers staying overnight or to shelter from wild beasts.


    This was also a custom handed down from long ago.


    In this tough and dangerous industry, a spirit of altruism was something everyone possessed. Today''s altruism could be tomorrow''s self-interest. Conversely, in some peaceful trades, there were almost no altruistic industries; today''s altruism equated to self-harm.


    Chen Miao quickly took in all the cabin''s furnishings at a nce.


    Bear head trophies on the wall were covered with dust.


    A hunting rifle on the table, with scattered shot around it.


    Animal skins spread on the floor.


    And... six people sitting in different corners inside the cabin, who were likewise observing everything.


    Meanwhile—


    A panel slowly emerged in front of him.


    ''Secret Realm Name'': Poor Family''s Filial Son.


    ''Secret Realm Level'': C-ss.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': This is a Secret Realm where you need to make the right choices.


    ''Secret Realm Mission'': Gain the recognition of the vige elder.


    ''Optional Missions'':


    1: Gain the recognition of ''Poor Family''s Filial Son''.


    2: Gain the recognition of the ''Tomb Guardian who guarded a general''s tomb for ten years''.


    3: Gain the recognition of the ''Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime''.


    ''Secret Realm Progress'': The highestpletion record of this instance is 100%, perfectly cleared.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': He who wins the hearts of the people conquers the world.


    -


    "..."


    As the introduction panel for the Secret Realm popped up in front of him, Chen Miao''s body tensed. He was on guard against the high-level yers nearby who might turn on him at any moment, while he also felt somewhat puzzled.


    He couldn''t see any element ofbat in this Secret Realm introduction.


    It looked just like a pretend y Secret Realm.


    A C-level Secret Realm that countless people fear like a fearsome tiger, and they were here for the approval of some NPCs?


    But he was rtively familiar with the three individuals mentioned in the side mission; before moving, the Tomb Guardian old man had specifically stopped him to talk about these three people, though it was only their stories that were told.


    No other important information was provided.


    Just then—


    "Have you all finished reading the Secret Realm Introduction?"


    A man dressed in a tailcoat looking extremely elegant, unabashedly sat on a chair covered in cobwebs and dust, swirling the red wine in his ss with a somewhat hazy expression and said, "Old rules, let''s all do a self-introduction."


    "I''ll start, level 42, my ss is a magician."


    "My abilities are versatile, not quite suited for head-on battles and boss fights, better for nking and street fights."


    "Oh right—"


    The man paused for a moment, looked up at everyone, and raised his wine ss in the air with a smile, "My brain is fairly renowned, so consider me half a strategist as well."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As his voice faded,


    A burly man standing under a bear head specimen spoke in a deep voice, "Do we even need introductions? We''re all familiar faces here; I''ve met you several times before. This time it seems there are only two new faces, right?"


    "A woman, and a young man in a coat."


    Immediately, all eyes turned uniformly towards Chen Miao and another woman; evidently, these two were the so-called neers. But their gazes only lingered briefly on Chen Miao before focusing more on the woman.


    Continue your saga on empire


    The reason was simple.


    Ever since entering the Secret Realm, this woman had been cowering in a corner, trembling in fear as if she were a university student who had stumbled into the Secret Realm by mistake.


    If this were an F-level Secret Realm, such behavior might have been considered normal. Neers all act this way, and some might even evoke a sense of pity.


    But this was a C-level Secret Realm.


    Everything appeared very bizarre.


    Who among those who had reached this level in a C-level Secret Realm wasn''t a dragon among men? To put it bluntly, everyone here had crawled out of piles of corpses—so what kind of neer act were you putting on?


    The more she acted the part, the more it indicated that there was something wrong with this woman, and possibly something gravely serious.


    Very serious.


    For a moment, people even forgot about Chen Miao standing aside; all their attention was on this pitiable looking woman, with murderous intent almost spilling from their eyes.


    "Actually, for a seven-person squad, it''s not necessary for all seven to clear it."


    A young man, with his hands pockets and a massive rocketuncher on his back, looking rather schrly, spoke with a hint of chill in his voice, the meaning behind his words exceedingly clear.


    Chen Miao, however, was somewhat surprised as he nced at the young man. This was the first time he had seen a Gunslinger Transcendent with such a high level in a Secret Realm.


    The primary weapon must be that rocketuncher?


    It looked quiterge; its power was probably not trivial.


    He quickly assessed everyone in the room.


    One was the show-off man in a tailcoat drinking red wine.


    Another appeared as strong as a bear, who could easily be guessed, most likely, to be of a fighter ss.


    Then there was the Gunslinger with a rocketuncher, probably specializing in fixed-position damage, which matched his area of expertise.


    And there was the pitiful-looking female college student hiding in the corner.


    The remaining two seemed to be a pair of sisters, both d in leather, one with red hair and the other with purple hair. The red-haired one carried a whip, and the purple-haired one a scythe reminiscent of the Reaper''s weapon; both were silent.


    They simply exuded a cold aura, standing there with an air that warned strangers to stay away.