Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

「A month later.」

To be exact, it was a month and three days.

Wen Yu and Kuangliu stood on the 1,000th floor of the Demon Town Tower, exhausted, quietly listening to the familiar notification sound they’d grown sick of.

"DING. Congratulations to the two Challengers for successfully challenging the Thousand-Layer Demon Suppression Tower. The treasure land exit is now open."

Upon hearing these words, a faint ripple of emotion appeared in the eyes of Wen Yu and Kuangliu.

It was a joy akin to surviving a disaster.

"We survived! It’s finally over..."

Tears even welled in Kuangliu’s eyes as he mumbled, his words unclear.

Wen Yu, on the other hand, forcefully twisted his neck, producing a series of CRACKLING and POPPING sounds.

"I’ll be ’thanking’ your ancestors for eight generations for this ordeal..." he muttered.

Seeing the rapidly flashing silver light ahead gradually transform into a giant silver whirlpool, Wen Yu and Kuangliu didn’t hesitate. They immediately sprinted towards the treasure land exit at full speed!

After experiences like bathing a mutant cat, catching insects for a mutant bear, and shoveling dung for a mutant dog, it was no surprise they looked and acted this way!

...

Fresh air rushed towards them, carrying the scent of earth and the rotten smell of Demonic Qi, yet to Wen Yu and Kuangliu, it felt incredibly familiar.

This is the smell of home, they thought.

Kuangliu lay directly on the ground, squinting. He grabbed an unknown plant and began chewing it vigorously, ignoring the bitter, grassy green juice as he gazed at the enormous Sun in the sky.

Meanwhile, Wen Yu immediately activated his 2nd Soul Realm and 3rd Soul Realm.

The mini-sized Cyclops and Star struggled to squeeze out of the Soul Realm space, their faces etched with utter dejection.

The two Soul Beasts had been with Wen Yu in the Demon Town Tower for over a month, their diet consisting only of items like high-protein energy bars. For two carnivores, such food merely staved off starvation. By now, their mouths felt so bland they could have spat feathers.

"Off you go! Eat, play, enjoy yourselves!"

Wen Yu waved his hand excitedly. Star shot out instantly, its small body generating a huge Sound Explosion and a blast of air as it charged straight into the small woods ahead. In an instant, a commotion erupted in the distance.

"Aren’t you going?"

Seeing Cyclops lying quietly on the ground, Wen Yu couldn’t help but ask.

Wen Yu was genuinely worried that their long "imprisonment" might have driven the two Soul Beasts to depression.

Cyclops blinked at Wen Yu twice, then a Spiritual Fluctuation reached him.

"Boss, I want to eat shit..."

"SCRAM!!!"

Wen Yu kicked Cyclops far into the distance.

...

In the distance, the two Soul Beasts had officially entered hunting mode.

Wen Yu and Kuangliu didn’t know where they were, but there were quite a few mutant creatures around, enough for Cyclops and Star to have a feast.

Wen Yu first lay down beside Kuangliu, squinting as he assessed his own Physical Fitness.

Wen Yu: Peak Level 5 Professionist!

Physical Fitness: 2,000 points!

That’s right—2,000 points! Level 5! Peak!

Although the Thousand-Layer Demon Suppression Tower was incredibly challenging, the rewards were nothing to scoff at. The rewards from the first few dozen floors were negligible, but from then on, the point rewards became quite substantial!

However, it was only points.

Wen Yu converted a large number of these points into his own Physical Fitness. By the time he exited the Demon Town Tower, he had already reached the peak of a Level 5 Professionist, vaguely sensing the Level Lock.

Unfortunately, this benefit was for Wen Yu alone.

The young Soul Beasts, Cyclops and Star, didn’t get to use any points. Their strength was the same when they came out as when they went in.

As for Kuangliu, who was right beside him, his situation was even more pitiful!

"Let me see the mirror again."

Hearing Kuangliu’s request, Wen Yu immediately took out the Laegihat Magic Mirror from his space ring.

Kuangliu gently touched the magic mirror. Then, a Spiritual Fluctuation was directly transmitted into his mind. Wen Yu, at his side, perceived nothing.

"Well? Feeling like you’ve still got a long road ahead?" Wen Yu asked.

Kuangliu squinted, pondering for a long moment before nodding helplessly.

The Laegihat Magic Mirror was undeniably a powerful item. It had great advantages, but also significant drawbacks.

Take Kuangliu’s current situation, for example.

Originally, when Wen Yu entered the Demon Town Tower, his Physical Fitness in a non-combat state was 1,000 points, while Kuangliu’s was 600 points.

But after they came out, Wen Yu’s Physical Fitness was 2,000 points, while Kuangliu’s hadn’t even reached 700 points!

This was all because the Laegihat Magic Mirror allowed Kuangliu to use Special Attribute Magic Crystals for direct strengthening, but the cost of this strengthening was astronomically high!

Both of them sighed helplessly—Kuangliu for himself, and Wen Yu for his three soul pets.

...

Savoring the fresh air, tinged with a faint scent of decay, and feeling the warm sunlight on their skin, the two fell silent for a time.

Only the "excited" roars of Cyclops and Star in the distance were somewhat noisy.

After a long moment, Kuangliu was the first to speak.

"Back in the Demon Town Tower, we agreed. When we return to the Yanjing Assembly Site, the Laegihat Magic Mirror is to be lent to the military. Unconditionally."

"Ugh, can you not bring up such a buzzkill?"

Wen Yu immediately rolled his eyes.

When Wen Yu had initially lent the Laegihat Magic Mirror to Kuangliu, his intention was simply to enhance Kuangliu’s strength. After all, there was no conflict of interest between them; Kuangliu growing stronger posed no disadvantage to Wen Yu.

However, as soon as Kuangliu understood the Laegihat Magic Mirror’s effects, he had started thinking about the impact of lending it to the military and had listed numerous benefits!

For example: the flesh and blood of mutant beasts, the military’s research products, enhanced status within the military, and a whole series of other advantages.

But on the 563rd floor, Wen Yu had traded all those potential benefits for Kuangliu’s stamina.

The trial on the 563rd floor had involved shoveling dung for a large flock of mutant birds.

The sky-filling barrage of bird-dropping bombs nearly drove Wen Yu and Kuangliu to a mental breakdown, which was then followed by a series of negotiations.

Then, after enduring "unsolvable" challenges like searching for magic crystals in a mutant beast dung pit on the 625th floor, and cleaning out a mutant skunk den on the 842nd floor, Kuangliu had successfully secured the military’s right to use the Laegihat Magic Mirror—free of charge.

At this thought, perhaps recalling anew the terror of being subjected to those trials, both their faces turned grim, and they fell silent once more.

Then, Kuangliu suddenly shot up.

"Wen Yu, something’s not right..."

"What is it?" Wen Yu asked, too lethargic to elaborate.

"The time... it seems off..."

"Hmm?"

This time, Wen Yu’s expression turned much more serious. "How is it off?"

"Right now, my watch shows 1:28."

"That’s right. Nothing wrong with that," Wen Yu said confidently after glancing at the Sun.

"It’s 1:28 in the morning, October 27th, 2017..."

After a moment’s hesitation, Kuangliu glanced at the Sun in the sky again and added, "Yanjing time."