Chapter 1: Guan Yi
Guan Yi was a "good boy."
In the eyes of his neighbors, Guan Yi was sensible, obedient, and filial. Even at a young age, he was an excellent cook and proactively took on household chores. They often wondered what great deeds his parents had done in their past lives to deserve such a perfect son.
In the eyes of his teachers, Guan Yi was intelligent and hardworking, maintaining top-tier grades.
He got along with everyone. Though he occasionally teased the girls or got into scraps with the school bullies, his teachers looked the other way—after all, in their eyes, "bad students" deserved a lesson, and for a "good student" like Guan Yi, it was just typical teenage spirit.
Liu Dangmo had been a homeroom teacher for twenty years and rarely encountered such a worry-free student. However, twenty days after the college entrance exams, he called Guan Yi into his office, slammed his fist on the table, and looked utterly devastated.
"Guan Yi! What have you done?! I was wondering why I hadn't received your admission notice from the National Marine Defense University. When I looked into it, I found out you secretly signed up as a volunteer for the Secret Realm Exploration! Are you trying to drive me crazy?!"
"Teacher, please, calm down. Have some tea..." Guan Yi said with a grin.
"Stop smiling!" Liu Dangmo took a shaky sip of tea. "Tell me, what are you really thinking?"
"Serving the country, upholding honor, and doing my part to eradicate the Demon Race are duties every citizen should uphold!" Guan Yi said sternly.
"Get out!"
"Alright, goodbye, teacher."
"...Wait, come back!" Liu Dangmo sighed helplessly. "Your score was high enough to guarantee a spot in the top five universities. You had a bright, safe future. Why throw it away for such a suicide mission?"
"It's already done, sir. The military has registered my name. If I back out now, I'll be branded a deserter. I leave for the Secret Realm tomorrow."
Seeing that Guan Yi was no longer joking, Liu Dangmo felt his heart ache. He waved a hand listlessly. "Just... come back alive."
At the school gate, two childhood friends were waiting.
Tan Long, a boy who looked like a lanky monkey, chuckled. "Did 'Old Demon' give you hell? You've finally met your match!"
Cui Cui, a pretty girl, looked worried. "Guan Yi, I don't understand. Why give up university for this?"
Guan Yi gazed into the distance. "For my ideals and the future."
"You idiot, you forgot to take your medicine," she pouted, though her eyes stayed soft.
As they walked toward the subway, the reality of their world weighed on them. They lived on Fog Star, a planet divided between humans and the Demon Race. The Demons were legendary for their cruelty and their ability to disguise themselves as humans. Between the two human continents lay a dense, mysterious fog.
Hidden within that fog were the Secret Realms—otherworldly dimensions containing lost civilizations, magic, and advanced powers.
Those who explored them could receive a 'Secret Rune,' granting them superhuman strength, the ability to fly, or even teleportation.
But it was a "reset" game. Every time someone entered a new Secret Realm, their powers were stripped away, and they had to start from scratch.
This made initial exploration incredibly deadly, which is why the government recruited "volunteers"—people looking for a desperate chance to change their lives.
When Guan Yi reached home, the smell of braised fish wafted through the air. His mother, Mo Lin, looked up from the kitchen.
"The notice from the Marine Academy was so sudden!" she complained. "Who starts military training a month early? We haven't even finished packing your things! Eat quickly, then I'll help you get ready."
Guan Yi froze. He hadn't even applied to the Marine Academy.
His father, Guan Shanhai, walked out of the study and patted his shoulder. "It's a military school, Mo Lin. They provide everything he needs. Let the boy eat."
When his mother returned to the kitchen, his father leaned in and whispered, "I intercepted the military volunteer notice and lied to your mother. I won't ask why you're doing this—you've always been sensible. Just... think of us before you take any risks."
"Dad..." Guan Yi felt a pang of guilt. For a moment, he regretted his choice. Why leave this peaceful life?
But then he remembered why he had signed up. He remembered the day he had accidentally discovered a secret letter hidden in his father's desk—a letter addressed to the Demons.
To find the truth, he had to become a Secret Rune Warrior.
(End of Chapter)