Chapter 386 - Middle Realm, Legend of the Ring

The four arrived at the time listed in the announcement and saw that a large crowd of students had already gathered. Nearly 1,500 filled the area, many of them familiar faces.

Han Wu spotted classmates from his own year, including Duan Meng and Qian Lili, as well as the transfer students Elina and Bao Xiren. He also recognized upperclassmen such as Xiang Meng, Xia Tian, and Ye Ling. Almost every student was present, except for those about to graduate.

Han Wu frowned, sensing something amiss. The event was supposed to be a game organized by the seniors, yet the sheer number of participants suggested otherwise. Was there another purpose behind it?

Just then, Xiang Meng noticed him and waved him over. Han Wu took the chance to ask about the game.

Xiang Meng spoke openly. “The seniors’ game is meant as a bonus round to push us juniors to work harder. What really draws the crowd, though, is the chance to uncover the secret treasure hidden in the game.”

“Treasure? What kind of treasure?” Han Wu asked.

Instead of answering directly, Xiang Meng posed a question of his own. “Han Wu, do you know where the game will take place this time?”

Han Wu shook his head. The announcement had only mentioned the event itself, giving no further details.

Xiang Meng looked slightly surprised. “Then let me explain. The site of the game this time is a fallen civilization. Although it now lies in ruins, remnants of its former glory remain, and many treasures are still hidden within. These treasures hold immense value—valuable enough to tempt even a God.”

Han Wu remembered another fallen civilization he had once heard about, the same place where his God equipment, Ravenous Wolf, had originated. The original weapon had been lost long ago, and what he possessed now was only an incomplete replica. Since he had not used it for some time, he had left it locked away in his vault.

Qin Shuang and the others drew closer, intrigued by the conversation. Han Wu pressed, “Senior Xiang Meng, tell me more about this particular fallen civilization.”

Xiang Meng cleared his throat. “This place was once called the Middle Realm, a land where a mighty civilization built on western fantasy once thrived. Do you know what western fantasy means? Think of swords, magic, wars between races, and wizards everywhere.”

Qin Shuang nodded. “We know. We studied that in our classes.”

Xiang Meng nodded as well. “The Middle Realm once housed a powerful civilization that produced several God Kings. But after a brutal war among the races, the civilization fell into chaos and was eventually annexed by another civilization.

“Even so, many relics and treasures remain hidden there. The lost civilization forged them through unique methods that we cannot reproduce, making each one truly one of a kind.

“The most precious of these, known as the Jewel of the Middle Realm, was the Magic Ring[1]. At the height of that civilization’s power, they created twenty rings, each with different abilities. What made them remarkable was that they could grow stronger alongside their host.

“It’s said the God King of Light once possessed one, and it greatly aided him during his rise.”

The four listened intently, then turned toward Elina, daughter of the God King of Light. As if sensing their gazes, Elina looked back in puzzlement, clearly unsure why they were watching her.

Sun Qingnian asked impatiently, “Wait, does that mean there are clues to the Magic Ring in this game?”

Xiang Meng glanced around before nodding. “According to credible sources, a Magic Ring is sealed in the southern area of the Middle Realm, within the Fragmented Earth region. However, no one knows what its effects are.”

“There’s really a Magic Ring there?” Sun Qingnian exclaimed, a little louder than he meant to be.

The nearby students turned to stare, and he immediately realized his mistake. Xiang Meng smacked his head. “Quiet. Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

Sun Qingnian quickly bowed his head. “Sorry, senior. I got too excited. Please continue.”

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Xiang Meng coughed. “Honestly, you can forget about claiming a powerful treasure like the Magic Ring. Even third- and fourth-year students, or the lecturers, can’t extract it safely. It’s far beyond your reach.

“Most students focus on recovering the lost knowledge of the civilization, like methods for forging their unique weapons or mastering their spells. After that, they search for treasures left behind by graduating students.”

Han Wu patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry, Senior Xiang Meng. We know our limits. We won’t get ahead of ourselves.”

Xiang Meng nodded. “Good. That’s the spirit. The purpose of this game is for graduating students to give back to the college and its students as a token of thanks. Have you read the rules?”

Han Wu nodded. The rules had been outlined by Saliya in the notification.

First, students had to create a clone from a single Divine Essence to enter the game, then transfer their consciousness into it. This ensured that everyone started on equal footing and that the rewards distributed by the graduating seniors would be shared fairly. That way, every student received some benefit, no matter their skill.

“It’s good that you’ve all read the rules. To be honest, while I don’t want the rest of you trying to find the Magic Ring, I think Han Wu might actually stand a chance. You can go ahead and try,” Xiang Meng said, reconsidering his earlier words. He patted Han Wu encouragingly before returning to Xia Tian and Ye Ling.

Once he left, Sun Qingnian leaned closer and whispered, “Senior Xiang Meng doesn’t want us searching for the Magic Ring, but I’m going to do it anyway. I’ve heard from my third girlfriend that one of the Magic Rings grants the host infinite stamina. Imagine how easy life would be if I got it.”

Han Wu didn’t bother replying. Sun Qingnian’s desires were shallow—he didn’t care about the ring itself, only about endless stamina.

“We should probably follow our own judgment and ignore his warning,” Sun Qingnian continued. “We can send our clones to search for the Magic Ring. Even if we fail, we’d only lose a single Divine Essence.”

Qin Shuang and Jing Jing nodded in agreement. The Magic Ring represented the culmination of an entire civilization’s intelligence and effort. Every single one of them was undoubtedly powerful.

One of the department heads stepped onto the stage and announced the start of the game once everyone had gathered. All participating students were required to enter a landing pod and insert a Divine Essence to generate a clone.

The students climbed into their assigned pods and placed a Divine Essence inside. In an instant, they were transported to the Middle Realm.

With a soft

ding,

Han Wu opened his eyes and realized he was already there. He lay in a cave, dressed in ragged linen clothes, surrounded by the stench of rot that made him frown.

[Welcome, Student Han Wu. You have arrived in the southern area of Middle Realm. Please allocate your stats.]

At the notification’s sound, five stats appeared before him: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Spirit, and Willpower. He had ten points to distribute.

Beyond these five stats, a separate column listed his Skills. Awakening the first Skill required ten points, after which he could choose one of his existing Divine Powers and integrate it into his Middle Realm clone.

Han Wu decided to spend all ten points to unlock a Skill, and a list of options appeared.

1. My precioussssssssssssss ☜