16: Enter the contaminated land! Experience surge - 5 levels!

Outside Lin Yuan City, it was practically another world.

An endless wilderness accompanied by a faint mist in the distance, seemingly making the air itself oppressive.

Ye Ze walked through an unknown ruin, getting further and further from Lin Yuan City's gate.

About ten minutes later, he arrived at a hidden camp.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary training ground, but after passing through a stretch of sand to reach its depths, a majestic emblem appeared:

Demon Suppression Army!

A special army established by Blue Star to combat the Abyss.

The Scout Camp, where Ye Ze was headed, was one of them.

And the Pollution Land was not far from the military camp, firmly blocked by the Demon Suppression Army's camp.

"Stop!"

Two Demon Suppression Army guards called out to Ye Ze, "Show your identification."

It was the same as at the city gate, but the Demon Suppression Army's identification process was far more detailed.

First, iris recognition, then voice identification...

Finally, a capability test was also required.

"Ye Ze, Summoner... Level 4? High school student? Special Investigation Agent?"

Upon seeing Ye Ze's identification, the two guards exchanged bewildered glances.

With each phrase, their tone grew more incredulous.

"...Please demonstrate your professional skill."

Ye Ze nodded and summoned the Squirrel.

After confirming the Summoner skill was correct, the two guards completed the verification and guided Ye Ze into the Demon Suppression Army Scout Camp.

Afterward, they couldn't help but exclaim, "A Level 4 daring to enter the Pollution Land..."

"Are all young people nowadays so brave?"

Entering the Scout Camp.

Ye Ze saw dozens of young people in various uniforms gathered there, with different professions.

"It seems they're all like me..."

"Here to participate in temporary scout missions."

In recent years, the appearance of Pollution Lands has become increasingly rapid.

When the Demon Suppression Army is short on personnel, they recruit 'temporary scouts' from all professionals in society.

'Temporary scouts' would clear andInvestigation the Pollution Lands according to the Demon Suppression Army's arrangements.

It was a mix of unknown dangers and opportunities, which always attracted a good number of participants.

Ye Ze observed:

Half were first-year university students, and the other half were members of private guilds...

There was only one high school student, and that was Ye Ze.

As soon as this 'audacious' Level 4 professional entered, he became the focus of everyone's attention.

"Everyone, listen to me—"

Suddenly, an old soldier in a Demon Suppression Army uniform walked over:

"I am Captain Xu Feng of the Scout Camp's First Battalion!"

"First, welcome everyone to the reclamation of the 19th Contaminated Land!"

Hearing this, the crowd, who had been in various postures, all stood up.

It was time for serious business!

Subsequently, everyone received a package, and Ye Ze opened his to look:

A call for help charm, an explanation of the 19th Contaminated Land, and a temporary identification tag.

Captain Xu Feng explained:

"Once you enter the Pollution Land, if you discover a high-level demon, use the call for help charm immediately!"

"I, or other third- or fourth-tier members, will deal with the high-level demons."

"And your mission is to clear all low-level demon soldiers!"

"All your gains and spoils of war can be kept by yourselves, or exchanged for military merit points!"

Upon hearing this, many people's expressions grew fervent.

Ye Ze, meanwhile, quickly finished reading the explanation of the 19th Contaminated Land.

The demonic aura from the Abyss would pollute Blue Star's land, turning it into Pollution Lands.

And Pollution Lands in various places would be named and partitioned with numbers starting from 1, based on the order and intensity of the pollution.

Number 19 was the latest to appear and the weakest of these Pollution Lands.

Very suitable for leveling up!

Ye Ze thought silently.

Captain Xu Feng's speech was concise, and he finally announced, "Everyone can set off now."

"You can go in teams or alone, and you can also take on bounty missions before you go; all count as military merit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd began to form teams.

Most people were around Level 10, and teaming up for reclamation was most effective and safer.

But Ye Ze was alone; no one was willing to team up with him.

A Level 4 professional was the weakest here!

Someone whispered, "Is this guy crazy? Coming to the Pollution Land at Level 4?"

"He's probably some second-generation heir who doesn't know his place, trying to be rebellious!"

"Level 4... Could he have gotten in through the back door?"

"Have you ever seen anyone use the back door to come to the Pollution Land to die?"

"Uh..."

As everyone was discussing, Ye Ze arrived at the bounty mission point.

Team up?

He hadn't considered it, nor did he need to!

Instead, the Scout Camp's bounty missions piqued his interest:

[Scout Camp Bounty List—]

Collect Faceless Demon, Blood Bone Demon corpses—20 military merit/corpse (no upper limit)

Search for lost supplies in the 19th Contaminated Land—500 military merit (available)

Draw a map of the 19th Contaminated Land—300 military merit (the more complete the map, the higher the military merit)

...

Ye Ze looked through dozens of bounty missions, almost all of them.

Whether he could complete them or not was another matter; it was always good to make an impression first.

"I just don't know how to exchange these military merits for rewards?"

Ye Ze searched for a long time but couldn't find how to use military merits.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted past him from behind.

A girl in black walked over, with a well-proportioned and tall figure, light and steady steps, looking full of vitality.

But when she spoke, it was with a mature, elder sisterly tone:

"Little brother~"

"You don't even know how to use military merits, and you dare to come here?"

Ye Ze turned his head and met a delicate and pretty face with a playful smile.

She looked only one or two years older than him... probably a university student.

Ye Ze raised an eyebrow, why call him 'little brother'?

You're not that old yourself!

The girl in black continued, "With 1000 military merits, you can go to the Demon Suppression Army's first-floor treasury and choose a treasure!"

"2000 military merits can access the second floor, 4000 the third floor... and so on."

"Of course, you can also exchange military merits for money."

Ye Ze's eyes lit up, choose a treasure himself?

The Demon Suppression Army's treasures were far more abundant than those of the Lin Yuan City City Lord!

This reward was quite good!

After the girl in black finished speaking, she smiled with curved eyes, "Got it? Little~ bro!ther!"

Then, she gave Ye Ze no chance to retort.

After accepting the 'Search for Lost Supplies' bounty mission, she turned and left.

Ye Ze was bewildered; this girl teased him and then left, completely unfathomable...

Moreover, he couldn't see her level at all with hisInvestigation panel!

"I canInvestigation within a 20-level difference, so did she wear a shielding item?"

Ye Ze murmured, deciding not to think about it anymore.

He just considered her a passing university student who had teased him.

Then, he entered the 19th Contaminated Land alone!

Although this was the least polluted area.

But at this moment, it was also a desolate and gloomy scene, the sky seemingly obscured by gray clouds, with only faint streaks of light piercing through.

"They say this used to be a scenic spot..."

Ye Ze sighed, now completely polluted by the Abyss's aura.

Stepping into the Pollution Land, he immediately summoned the Shadow Squirrel.

"Go ahead and scout the path!"

After Ye Ze gave the command, the Squirrel split into two Shadow Doppelgangers and began a carpet-likeInvestigation of the area ahead.

If he were to be a scout, with the Shadow Squirrel's abilities, he could at least get a formal scout position!

The skills were too suitable!

Plus, the Pollution Land was devoid of light, all shadows, making the Shadow Squirrel thrive.

Not long after starting, the Squirrel quickly sent back a message.

"Hmm? Demons appearing to the front left?"

Ye Ze stared intently at the target location, finding a decaying, grayish-green body, its face twisted and hideous:

[Corpse Demon (lv.10)]

Type: Normal Demon Soldier

Attributes: Strength 50, Constitution 45, Agility 47, Spirit 1.

Characteristic: Lifeless Body—Even if only a single body part remains, it retains the ability to move and will attack enemies.

Skills: Corrosive Poison, Embrace of the Dead

----

Much stronger than the monsters in the dungeon!

Not only higher levels and attributes, but also the strange 'characteristics' exclusive to demons!

Demonic characteristics were similar to human talents, powerful and diverse in effect!

For some demons, their characteristics were completely unknown.

They would only appear on the data panel when killed by professionals and their characteristics recorded.

This was one reason why the Abyss and demons were difficult to deal with:

There were too many unknown demons!

However, at present, this Corpse Demon was still easy for Ye Ze to handle!

Summon Panda!

"Use Tai Chi Internal Strength, preferably to smash it into pieces with one palm!"

If it couldn't even leave a single body part, he wouldn't believe it wasn't dead!

The Panda's figure was agile, swiftly striking with its palm.

With the bonus from Ye Ze's two Spirit Contract equipment, the summoned beast's movement speed increased by 100%, and attack speed by 50%!

A palm strike as swift as the wind!

With a 'smack', the Tai Chi Internal Strength attached to this palm strike shattered the Corpse Demon.

This Corpse Demon, comparable to a Level 10 Warrior professional, was instantly killed...

Ah no, there was still half a hand left.

The Corpse Demon's entire body was shattered, but due to its raised hand posture, half a hand survived.

That half-hand wriggled frantically on the ground, desperately trying to grab at the Panda and Ye Ze!

"Still not high enough in attributes; this palm strike didn't even kill it."

Ye Ze felt a bit regretful.

But in the distance, an Level 11 Archer glanced over, then rubbed his eyes in shock.

"Oh my goodness! I didn't see wrong, did I!"

"That Level 4 professional's summoned beast is instantly killing a Level 10 Corpse Demon?"

Several people in his team, without the Archer's super long-range vision, didn't see it and didn't believe it at all.

"Instantly kill a Level 10 Corpse Demon? Dream on, who doesn't know how hard Corpse Demons are to kill?"

"We are Level 10 professionals; if that person can instantly kill a Corpse Demon, wouldn't he be able to instantly kill us too? What a joke!"

"Brother, Level 4 instantly killing Level 10, that's a bit too exaggerated..."

The Archer scratched his head.

Gradually beginning to doubt his own eyesight...

On the other side, the Squirrel, seeing half a hand remaining on the ground, decisively delivered the finishing blow.

The Crimson Demon Blade chopped the severed hand into dust with two strikes.

Only then did the experience finally arrive...

[Killed Corpse Demon (lv.10), gained experience +90!]

"90 experience points! It really wasn't a wasted trip!"

The experience here was several times higher than in dungeons!

The leveling speed was imaginable!

Ye Ze looked at his experience bar: [Level: 4 (895/1300)]

Only 5 more Corpse Demons to level up.

Ye Ze suddenly had a high-efficiency idea:

"Squirrel, go use Shadow Doppelganger to lure monsters, gather 5 together first."

"Panda, when the Corpse Demons gather, use Double Peak Through the Ears for area damage to instantly kill them!"

Although one punch might not kill a Corpse Demon, one area-of-effect attack would definitely kill many!

The Shadow Squirrel nodded obediently; luring monsters was no problem for him.

He was only afraid there weren't enough monsters around!

Half a minute later, five Corpse Demons lured from five directions collided due to the Shadow Doppelganger's enticement.

The Panda rubbed its palms together, and the palm wind whistled past!

[Tai Chi - Double Peak Through the Ears]!

The large-area damage with Tai Chi Internal Strength directly pulverized the five Corpse Demons, turning them into a pile of dust.

[Killed Corpse Demon *5, gained experience +450!]

[Ding! Your level has increased to: Level 5!]

[Talent—You have gained one 'Infinite Golden Word Slot' draw!]