Chapter 43: The Hunting Ground Throws Valemont Into Chaos

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: The Hunting Ground Throws Valemont Into Chaos

Lydia had mentioned the Hunting Ground before anyone in Valemont even knew such a secret realm existed.

And now, overnight, a secret realm bearing that exact name had appeared outside the city.

Xavier slowly turned toward Lydia. If her memories were genuine, then somewhere beyond that crimson gateway was a fragment of her soul, and perhaps, for the first time, they had a way to uncover the truth about the mysterious woman who claimed to have once ruled the Evercrest Empire.

For millions of people, the morning began the same way it always did. They woke up, grabbed breakfast, checked their phones, and turned on the news.

By the time most of Valemont had finished their first cup of coffee, however, the Hunting Ground had become the only thing anyone was talking about.

News channels were broadcasting the discovery nonstop.

Social media feeds were overflowing with posts, arguments, rumors, evacuation plans, and desperate attempts to sell property before the situation became worse. The reaction from ordinary citizens was immediate.

"A secret realm? You’re telling me an actual secret realm has appeared outside Valemont?" one user wrote in disbelief.

"We’re finished. What happens when those monsters come out?" another posted.

"I’m leaving today. I don’t care where I go. I just don’t want to be here when things get bad," someone declared.

Some people were already trying to escape while they still could.

"Four bedroom apartment in Eastlake Gardens. Fully furnished, ready for immediate transfer. Originally worth much more, but I’ll let it go for 20,000 crowns per square meter. Serious buyers only," a seller advertised.

Another person quickly replied.

"That’s expensive. I live in the same community. Mine is 18,000 crowns per square meter. I can transfer ownership today," the rival seller countered.

The sudden panic had turned the property market upside down. But not everyone thought the situation was nearly as hopeless.

"Everyone needs to calm down. The Hunting Ground only appeared yesterday. Valemont has plenty of powerful martial artists. If the strongest people enter the realm, they could probably eliminate whatever is inside within a few days," one commenter argued.

Others immediately shot back.

"And what if they can’t?" someone demanded.

"Have you already forgotten what happened to Osaka?" another asked.

That single question silenced quite a few people. Two years earlier, a secret realm had appeared in Osaka.

At the time, the martial community had been confident that they could deal with it. They had been wrong. The secret realm had never been completely subdued, and Osaka had gradually become a territory overrun by monsters.

"Exactly. Better to prepare now than regret it later," someone agreed.

"Ordinary people can’t fight monsters. If something goes wrong, we’re the ones who suffer," another warned.

Others tried to reassure the public.

"The government has dealt with situations like this before. Stop spreading panic," one user insisted.

"Even if residents have to relocate, the government won’t simply abandon millions of people," another pointed out.

The arguments continued across every major social platform. They spilled from phones into offices, restaurants, apartment buildings, shopping centers, and every crowded street in Valemont.

The Hunting Ground meant something completely different depending on who was looking at it.

To martial artists, it could be an unprecedented opportunity. A newly discovered secret realm meant resources, treasures, rare materials, and potentially opportunities that might never appear again.

To ordinary citizens, however, it was something else entirely. A disaster waiting to happen.

People were too frightened to concentrate on work. Parents were discussing whether they should send their children out of the city.

Some businesses had already begun making contingency plans. And beneath all the arguments was the same question: what would happen if the Hunting Ground couldn’t be controlled?

There were also plenty of young martial artists who couldn’t understand why everyone was panicking.

Based on everything humanity had learned about secret realms over the years, the situation didn’t seem particularly frightening.

The Hunting Ground currently permitted only Foundation Establishment martial artists to enter. The strongest creatures discovered inside appeared to be around the early or middle stages of the third tier.

Compared with the true powerhouses of the martial world, that didn’t sound particularly threatening. Valemont alone had martial artists who had already reached the Spirit Platform Realm.

Across the Kingdom of Asterra, there were even legendary experts at the Venerable Realm.

"So what could a few third tier monsters possibly do?" one young martial artist scoffed.

That question was quickly answered. The young martial artists had misunderstood one crucial fact. The power of creatures inside a secret realm was suppressed by the realm’s own laws.

Once those creatures crossed into the human world, that suppression disappeared. Their actual strength would return.

In other words, the danger wasn’t necessarily what currently existed inside the Hunting Ground. The real danger was what could emerge from it.

Secret realms were essentially bridges between different worlds. Their laws restricted both sides.

Human martial artists were weakened when entering them, while the creatures originating from those worlds were similarly restricted.

Without that limitation, the disasters humanity had experienced over the past century would have been far worse.

That explanation quickly spread across the internet. The panic only intensified.

Xavier and Mira were far less concerned with the public hysteria. Their concern was something much more personal.

Mira sat beside Xavier with a troubled expression.

"Do you think this is really a coincidence?" she asked.

Xavier looked at her.

"The Hunting Ground appearing at the exact same time Lydia mentioned it?" he said.

Mira nodded.

"Or do you think she somehow caused it?" she wondered.

Xavier remained silent for several seconds before shaking his head.

"I honestly don’t know," he admitted.

The timing was almost impossible to ignore. The Hunting Ground had appeared around ten o’clock the previous night.

That was almost exactly when Xavier had returned home and listened to Lydia describe her missing soul fragments.

And then there was the name. The Hunting Ground. It was not merely similar. It was exactly what Lydia had called it. Could that really be a coincidence?

Xavier couldn’t convince himself that it was.

But if Lydia’s memories were responsible for the secret realm’s appearance, an even more disturbing question emerged.

She had said that one of her soul fragments was inside the Hunting Ground. What about the others? She still had two missing souls and five missing spirits. Were they scattered throughout other secret realms?

And if so, would those realms eventually appear in the human world as well? Neither Xavier nor Mira wanted to follow that line of thought. The implications were simply too frightening.

Unfortunately, Lydia couldn’t provide them with any answers. She had already fallen asleep inside Mira’s body.

Xavier had questioned her several times the previous night about the Hunting Ground, but her recovered memories were still fragmented.

She remembered certain images and sensations, but whenever he asked for specific details, she became confused. There was no point forcing the issue.

Perhaps she would remember more after waking again. After all, the memories she had recovered last night had only surfaced after she woke.

There was a chance the next time she regained consciousness, another piece of her past would return.

Just then, Mira’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen before answering.

"Hello, Principal Johnny?" she said.

She listened for a few seconds.

"Understood. I’ll be there shortly," she replied.

She ended the call.

Xavier looked at her.

"What did he want?" he asked.

Mira stood and began preparing to leave.

"Principal Johnny wants me to accompany him to the Extraordinary Affairs Department," she explained.

"They’re gathering capable martial artists to discuss the Hunting Ground and organize the response," she added.

Xavier nodded. Mira was only at the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm right now. But her awakened Frost Phoenix Divine Body had dramatically increased her combat ability.

Even at her current cultivation level, her actual strength was comparable to some sixth or seventh level Foundation Establishment martial artists.

And that wasn’t even taking her previous cultivation into account.

Before her injuries, Mira had already reached the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Now that her cultivation was beginning to recover, returning to the level she possessed six months ago was only a matter of time. Naturally, the Extraordinary Affairs Department would want someone like her involved.

"Then go," Xavier said.

"But don’t enter the Hunting Ground yet," he cautioned.

Mira turned toward him.

"Wait a few days. Gather information first. Make sure you’re properly prepared before you go inside," he urged.

Xavier wasn’t about to let his wife rush into an unknown secret realm simply because the government was calling for Foundation Establishment martial artists.

He still had preparations to make. Most importantly, the Skywater Pavilion auction was only two days away. If everything went according to plan, he would obtain the Creation Pill there. Once he had that in his hands, their preparations would be on an entirely different level.

Mira smiled.

"Don’t worry. I’ll listen to you," she promised.

She leaned closer before leaving.

"I won’t do anything reckless," she added softly.

After she left, Xavier immediately began working on his own preparations.