The Demon Lord is My Dark Moonlight [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 12

The entrance to the Manor’s Secret Realm was located within a rockery in the garden. A clear array was set up at the entrance to record everyone who went in. This was established by the City Lord’s Manor to strictly monitor everyone—especially to see if they were carrying anything out.

Stepping into the array with the crowd, Gu Jinli felt her vision blur, and the scenery around her shifted instantly.

Sand.

Yellow sand everywhere, stretching as far as the eye could see. The moment they entered the Secret Realm, they were met with a desert. They were currently standing right in the middle of it.

“Pah!”

The fierce wind blew sand against their faces, the grains scraping harshly against their skin. Many who were unprepared ended up with a mouthful of grit. Gu Jinli, of course, was not one of them.

Oh, looks like we randomly spawned in the Desert Zone.

As the creator, Gu Jinli knew exactly what was in here. Simply put, there were four “scenic zones” surrounding a central Crystal Tower that pierced the sky. The tower stood at the center, with the North, South, East, and West zones corresponding to Desert, Snow Mountain, Forest, and Ocean.

Being a Secret Realm, these weren’t just simple landscapes; each zone held countless trials and tribulations. Though the entrance was the same for everyone, the players were scattered randomly across the zones like a lottery draw. Wherever you opened your eyes was where your journey began. You had to push through the zones toward the central tower to graduate from the “noob village.”

Yes, compared to the tower, these four zones were just starter areas.

The Desert Zone…

In the original novel, the lead started in the Snow Mountain zone, so the main perspective had always been there. The other three zones were only mentioned in passing. Gu Jinli remembered writing one paragraph about the desert: it said an ancient city was buried beneath the sands, containing a stockpile of mid-to-low-grade weapons. In the original story, those weapons helped the lead build her army.

“Big Sister, the Young Mistress has been separated from us!”

When the voice came from behind her, Gu Jinli finally noticed that their group had been scattered. Nangong Jinyao was nowhere to be seen, and of the hundred-plus people who entered, only forty or fifty remained in this spot. This “lottery” spawn point really did break up even the most organized teams.

But…

“Why are you here?”

Gu Jinli stared expressionlessly at the lead, who was slightly shorter than her. She really wanted to know why Shen Chigui wasn’t in the Snow Mountain Zone. She should have been there for her first entry! It seemed that because the timeline had changed, parts of the plot had been “butterflied” away.

But why did she have to spawn right next to her?! Gu Jinli didn’t want to be with this person at all!

“What? Is Big Sister unwilling to be with me?”

Shen Chigui blinked, faking a pained sigh. “How heartbreaking~”

Gu Jinli rolled her eyes. “…”

“Everyone, do not panic! We are inside the realm. According to the Master’s intelligence, there are four zones; this desert is just one of them.”

The survivors were, after all, trained elites. After a brief moment of chaos, a leader stepped forward to take charge. “Those from the Manor, follow me!”

As the leader shouted, Gu Jinli quickly followed. The map of the realm was huge; one zone alone could take ages to cross, not to mention the hidden dangers. Even though she wasn’t afraid of death or failure, she decided to stick with the squad to minimize her own suffering.

The Desert Zone was in the northeast corner of the map, adjacent to the Forest and Snow Mountain zones. The tower was at the absolute center, but there was a gap between text and reality. Gu Jinli knew the general layout, but she wasn’t confident she could find the tower on her own. Thus, these Manor elites with their intel were incredibly important.

“Move out!”

Following the command, the group began to trek across the sands. In this vast desert, the biggest problem was figuring out the right direction.

“Does Big Sister really trust these people that much?”

Walking silently by her side, Shen Chigui tugged at her collar. “This is a Secret Realm—a place where everyone relies on their own strength. We could easily strike out on our own.”

As the former master of this realm, Shen Chigui naturally knew the layout perfectly. She was clearly impatient; she wanted to rush to the Crystal Tower and reclaim her natal sword as fast as possible.

“Then strike out on your own~”

Gu Jinli gave her a flat look. She wasn’t falling for it. Staying with the Manor guards was far safer than being alone with the lead; at the very least, the guards wouldn’t randomly kill their own companions.

“Big Sister won’t accompany me?”

The little drama queen pouted. “Big Sister is so heartless.”

Gu Jinli ignored her and kept walking. It was midday, the hottest part of the day, and trekking through a shade-less desert was agonizingly dry. She had no energy to waste on the lead.

“Big Sister, why don’t we make a deal?”

Perhaps sensing that Gu Jinli wasn’t falling for it, Shen Chigui—who was determined to reach the Crystal Tower as quickly as possible—switched tactics.

“Accompany me to the Tower, and I’ll give you a high-grade Immortal Artifact to protect yourself.”

She blinked innocently, adding as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Big Sister, remember: in this Secret Realm, I am the only one who can bring things out.”

“…”

How could someone sound so punchable? Was she mocking Gu Jinli for “rigging” the world against herself? After all, every single rule in this place was set by Gu Jinli’s own pen.

Gu Jinli let out a sharp, angry laugh and buried her head, walking even faster. Within moments, she had left the young lead far behind in the dust.

Shen Chigui: “…”

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