More than a month had passed since Lucas had successfully completed his second class transfer. Now, at Level 43, he was roaring across the wilderness on his heavy black motorcycle, the engine growling beneath him as dust trailed behind.
Upgrading after the second turn was no longer easy. The difficulty had multiplied drastically. At the Transcendent Level, the experience points required to level up doubled again, making each advancement painfully slow. Even with his sharp skill in combat, his relentless routine of grinding monsters, and the additional double experience boost from his guild, it still took him ten to fifteen days to push through a single level.
In the last month, he had only managed to climb two levels. For most players, this would have been frustrating. For Lucas, it was expected. He had braced himself for the grind long ago.
"After all," he thought while adjusting his speed along a cracked road, "if leveling were this easy, then every student at Kyoto University would breeze through their third transfer. But in truth, only a handful of the very best ever succeed."
Even Jade Walker, the academy's pride and one of the few with an SS-Rank Talent, hadn't completed her third transfer until her junior year. That fact alone proved how brutal the journey was.
Lucas kept his mindset steady. He neither rushed in desperation nor grew lazy. Every morning he went to class faithfully, attending lectures on both basic science and advanced job-transfer theory. Then, every afternoon, he headed into the wild zones to fight monsters, hone his combat skills, and grind for levels.
The lessons at school were just as vital as battle. Professors sometimes invited powerful Level 100 veterans—bosses who had once carved their names into history—to share their insights, strategies, and secrets about monster weaknesses. Some of the tiniest tips, things a student could never discover alone, were enough to change life-and-death outcomes in the field.
Lucas was no fool. He knew knowledge could save more lives than a dozen resurrection badges.
"Only an idiot," he reminded himself often, "would skip class just to stumble blind through the wilderness."
---
The Discovery
That afternoon, as the motorcycle thundered over rocky plains, Lucas aimed toward a valley he had scouted for his daily grind. He expected nothing out of the ordinary. But suddenly, something caught his eye.
A massive door of light shimmered ahead, formed of swirling starlit vortexes.
Lucas immediately slowed, heart thundering. The strange gate hovered in the valley like a wound torn in the sky itself. It resembled a dungeon entrance—but larger, grander, and far more mysterious.
His breath caught. "Could it be…?"
A random Secret Realm!
Lucas' pulse quickened. Without hesitation, he twisted the handlebars, sending his motorcycle racing toward the phenomenon at full throttle. Encounters like this were legendary. A random Secret Realm was so rare that most players could go their whole lives without finding one. The odds of stumbling upon one in the wilderness were one in thousands, sometimes only once in a decade.
And even then, the gateway didn't stay long—it would linger only a few hours before vanishing and reappearing elsewhere in the vast wilderness.
"Unbelievable!" Lucas grinned as the starlit gate grew larger before his eyes. "I never thought I'd get this lucky!"
The possibility electrified him.
"What level could this one be? If it's too high, I'll be forced to call Jade or the others. But if it's too low, the rewards won't be worth the risk. Best case… it's right in my range."
Hope burning, he sped forward until the bike screeched to a stop directly before the vortex. Lucas dismounted, stored the machine away in his space backpack, and cautiously approached.
---
The Revelation
He stretched a hand toward the swirling light. At once, text flashed across his career panel:
[This is the entrance to an Unknown Secret Realm. Difficulty: Level 40–60. Numerous monsters and dangers lie within. Do you wish to enter? Confirm: Yes / No.]
[Current number of challengers inside: 0.]
Lucas froze, then broke into wild laughter.
"It's a Level 40 to 60 Secret Realm?! Perfect! And I'm the first one here!"
He could hardly contain his excitement. The gate must have appeared only moments ago. That meant no one else had yet discovered it.
Random Secret Realms weren't like ordinary dungeons. There was no need for tickets or entry fees. If you found one, you could go inside immediately. And if you somehow conquered the entire realm and defeated its final boss, you had a chance to obtain its Core Sacred Stone—a treasure that granted permanent control over the entire Secret Realm.
Owning such a domain meant access to its resources, treasures, and monsters forever. Even the weakest Secret Realm could be sold for hundreds of millions, making its owner rich beyond imagination.
Lucas clenched his fists, pulse racing. "This is it. My chance."
Without hesitation, he slammed his finger on the confirmation.
"Yes! Enter!"
In the blink of an eye, his body dissolved into light and was sucked into the vortex.
---
Newcomers
Minutes later, the quiet valley stirred again.
A group of five approached, their boots crunching over dry grass. Their armor gleamed with high-grade enchantments, weapons sharp and well-forged. The insignia of a wolf's head was stitched onto each of their chests, marking them as members of the Wild Wolf Guild, one of the elite mid-tier guilds in the region.
They stopped short, eyes widening at the glowing vortex.
"It's real…" one muttered.
"A random Secret Realm!" their captain roared, eyes alight with greed. "Hahaha, we've struck gold!"
But when he touched the gate, the text appeared—and his expression darkened.
"There's already someone inside."
His teammates stiffened.
"What? Already?!"
The captain ground his teeth, then shook his head. "It's just one person. Likely a rogue adventurer passing by. No guild marks, no team. Probably just a loner grinding for levels."
Relief spread across the group.
"That's fine, then. One lone adventurer can't possibly claim the rewards before us."
"Exactly. We go in now and secure the realm."
"If we run into him, we'll just tell him to leave. And if he refuses…" One man's eyes glinted dangerously. "Then we'll send him back to the city by force."
"Agreed," the captain said coldly. "This Secret Realm belongs to the Wild Wolf Guild. No outsider will be allowed to snatch it from us."
The five exchanged sharp nods, determination in their eyes.
The hunt for the Secret Realm had begun—and Lucas was already inside, alone.