Chapter 229: Shattered Entry

Buzz-

Weightlessness-induced dizziness.

Yenir struggled to open his eyes, instinctively clutching his head as everything before him blurred.

Even with his high Willpower attribute, he was still struggling with the side effects of this massive instance teleportation.

Have we arrived?

This place is…

After mustering all his composure and quickly regaining his bearings, Yenir cautiously scanned his surroundings. When he finally took in the scene, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.

Blinding white.

His vision was awash with a milky glow, as if he were trapped in a vast, featureless void—except for a group of people isolated in the distance.

Beep. Current Scene: Temporary Combat Zone.

This scene is used to verify the number of entrants; no attacks are allowed here. Thirty seconds later, teams will enter the ‘Zombie Realm’ in order based on their combined levels.

In order? We still haven’t entered?

Steadying himself, Yenir instinctively looked up at his teammates, a flash of confusion in his eyes.

Although he had once participated in combat-themed realms in a past life, he had never encountered anything like this.

It was his question alone until, several seconds later, someone finally answered.

Hmm…

Soon, a series of low, staggered groans began to fill the air. The adverse effects of the teleportation had taken longer for the others to overcome. Zheng Chenggang, the second to awaken, quickly caught sight of Yenir—the first among them—and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

Is this an SS-Level Willpower talent?

He recovered so quickly—could his Willpower attribute be far superior to mine?

After subduing his surprise, he noticed that Yenir seemed puzzled as to why they hadn’t entered yet.

“Yenir, before entering the Intercontinental Instance, the system has us observe the Awakeners from other battle zones to confirm our targets.”

“After all, this instance centers on human combat. Knowing how many teams have entered is crucial.”

“Entry is determined by total level—that’s the advantage we talked about…”

Lowering his voice, Zheng Chenggang nodded heavily at Yenir. Glancing at the entry order number for the Huaxia Battle Zone, a surge of joy filled him.

According to the system’s evaluation, their team’s overall level was the lowest—making them the first to enter, and a full six hours ahead of the others!

Whoever enters first gains the upper hand. A six-hour head start is more than enough to set countless plans in motion!

After listening to Zheng’s explanation, Yenir immediately grasped the rule.

Doesn’t the system grant the weak an early entry to secure an advantage? A sort of compensation, perhaps?

No wonder the Capital had such high expectations for his performance in the Intercontinental Instance. Entering six hours early is a massive advantage—if played right, it’s perfect for setting an ambush.

But according to the system’s evaluation, the Huaxia team was deemed the weakest… how dismal.

Deep down, Yenir couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Before long, all the Awakeners in the space stirred to life. In Yenir’s eyes, among the seven opposing teams, even those who didn’t look like captains had awakened faster than Ming Luo.

The gap in strength was laid bare in an instant…

While Yenir observed the enemy battle zone, the seventy opponents silently scrutinized him in return.

“That guy woke up pretty fast, huh? A fresh face—I’ve never seen him before…”

“No records on him. Maybe he’s a newbie from Huaxia?”

“I woke up quickly enough, but how is it that he seems even faster than me?”

He looked puzzled.

Among the seven teams gradually assembling, several leading captains began murmuring. Compared to the veteran faces from the Huaxia Battle Zone, they couldn’t help but cast extra glances at the newcomer, Yenir.

“You must be mistaken! How could he possibly be faster than you?”

“I sensed some potential in him—around Third-Stage Beginner level, though he’s still a bit unstable.”

The Third-Stage speaker waved the detector—a Blue Prop that accurately measures an Awakeners’ Spirit Energy. It couldn’t display exact numbers but did indicate their freshness. The dial clearly showed that Yenir had just reached the Third-Stage.

“Oh, maybe I misread it. But has Huaxia really become that pitiful? Sending newbies just to fill numbers?”

“Hmph, not even a single primary combat Constitution type—what, are they scared of losing even more lives?”

With his doubts fading, the South Korean Battle Zone’s deputy captain scoffed, arms folded, a trace of provocation in his eyes.

He had clashed with the Huaxia team before and was all too familiar with Ming Luo and the others’ strength.

Apart from Ming Luo, who was a bit more troublesome with commendable skills, he considered the rest to be nothing but trash.

It seems the Chinese side has indeed given up—though that’s hardly surprising. After so many defeats, even a dummy would know they can’t match us.

But hey, they got lucky. With us teaming up, they sent fewer fighters, so fewer have died…

“Let’s go—time to pay them a visit.”

As the temporary joint representative, the leader of the Japanese Battle Zone, Dahe Yicheng, strode casually toward the barrier dividing the two sides; his massive build resembled a wall.

Bang, bang, bang!

He pounded the white barrier with wild force, his sturdy head pressed against it. His rugged, meat-covered face exuded a bloodthirsty aura as he bellowed at Ming Luo:

“Hey, Chinese pig!”

“You dare to come in! What, weren’t enough of your comrades already dying last time!?”

“You lot are useless—don’t even deserve to grovel at my feet, haha! But your captain’s flesh was truly delicious. I stewed it for ages until it was perfectly tender!”

Grinning wickedly, Dahe Yicheng bared a mouthful of sharp teeth. As a typical Berserk Transformation type Awakener, his favorite act was to devour his enemies’ flesh after the kill, reducing it to nothing more than a pile of waste.

“Trash! You’re only fit to be crapped into as fertilizer in my cesspit!”

In an instant, the teammates who had just regained their composure were incensed. The fat man’s words dredged up their most painful memories.

During their last mission, they lost countless comrades—and even their captain—before barely escaping.

Faced with the sudden provocation, a chill ran through Yenir’s heart.

Watching the enemy’s provocative antics at the barrier, a subdued murderous intent began to grow within him. Most of these foes were well-documented—the pre-battle humiliation they’d endured before was nothing new.

“Damn you fat pig! This time, we’re going to take you down for good! Just wait for us!”

Within the team, several of the younger members instantly blazed with fury, poised to charge in and fight. After long suppression, no amount of training could quench their indignation at such humiliation.

“Don’t rush in—calm down!”

Grabbing his teammates firmly, Ming Luo stifled his anger and exchanged fierce, determined glances with them.

Such incidents had happened too many times before. When you’re outmatched, humiliation is inevitable—the last disgrace, however, had been especially brutal.

Unlike the raging anger of his teammates, a deep shock filled his heart.

“Ignore them! They know we’re the first to enter! Don’t let them bait you—they just want to enrage us!”

Desperately urging his teammates to regain their composure, he knew that if their emotions got the better of them, their advantage would vanish in an instant.

In the Intercontinental Instance, one misstep driven by madness could mean total annihilation.

And for good reason—he noticed that none of the seven teams had any barrier protection!

“Yenir! We might be in serious trouble this time…”

Swallowing hard, Ming Luo took a deep breath and quickly whispered:

“Normally, they might team up verbally, but once inside, they operate separately.”

“But this time, they’ve definitely used a precious Joint Prop! Once inside, they can converge—and synchronize their missions!”

“Yenir! We have to figure out a way to survive!”

A bitter sensation filled his heart as his teammates suddenly realized why the opponents were so brazen. In an instant, their faces turned ashen.

No wonder they entered the instance six hours early! No wonder the system rated their strength so low!

Ten versus seventy—two mid-level fighters against fourteen mid-level fighters!

This time, the difficulty of the instance had skyrocketed to an unimaginable level!

The intel is off—this is a trap!