Chapter 203 Chapter203-Obscured Celestial Realm
The sound of the wind howled, akin to the weeping of a young maiden by one's ear, endlessly echoing around Howard, stirring his spirit.
Time seemed to blur, until at last, Howard slowly opened his eyes, greeted by the sporadic moonlight that crept into his vision.
Being night, Howard's equipment activated its special effects, conjuring a shield that enveloped him in protection.
Otherwise, even without the presence of high-level monsters, lesser ones could have easily torn the unconscious Howard apart.
Upon awakening, a tide of intense pain surged through him, ceaselessly battering his senses, causing him to sharply inhale in discomfort.
Hastily, he opened his backpack and retrieved some potions to heal his injuries and restore his HP.
Fortunately, in this digitized world, as soon as Howard consumed the medicine, his HP recovered, and the agonizing pain vanished as if it had never been.
In just a few moments, Howard's pain had dissipated, and his strength returned.
Sitting up, he began to survey his surroundings, his soul power sweeping out as well.
Once he was certain there were no monsters or enemies nearby, Howard opened the system notification panel.
Even though he had been unconscious earlier, the system continued to issue announcements as he traversed through the space.
By checking the historical announcements, he could determine where he had ended up.
[ Ding! Congratulations, awakened, for being transported to the Obscured Celestial Realm! ]
"Obscured Celestial Realm? What place is this?"
Howard pondered for a moment.
He had no memory of the Obscured Celestial Realm, which only deepened the gravity of his expression.
Had he been transported to a realm documented in the books, Howard might have used his acquired knowledge to camouflage himself.
However, the Obscured Celestial Realm was utterly unfamiliar to him, presenting significant challenges to his survival in this plane.
Once the full effect of the potion had taken hold, Howard immediately cast the Spirit Veil Skill, rendering himself invisible in the void.
Despite being transported to a dense forest that appeared desolate and untraveled, Howard knew better than to take chances.
After all, should an Extraplanar creature happen by, and Howard's presence be discovered, his current state would render him ill-equipped to handle the encounter.
The potion had only restored Howard's HP; his injuries were not fully healed, and his actual combat strength was barely 20% of its usual capacity.
Utmost caution was necessary for survival in this perilous Extraplanar space.
Having entered an invisible state, Howard used the moonlight to determine his direction and began to move.
He could not afford to sit idly by and wait for fate to take its course.
Not long into his journey, Howard was startled to discover that demonic monsters, indistinguishable from those in the Azure Sphere, had also descended upon this world.
If only he had been fully recovered, he would have taken the opportunity to clear out any monsters he encountered, seizing the chance to gain valuable experience points.
After a while, a sudden burst of firelight emerged, startling Howard into heightened alertness.
As he drew nearer, the sound of conversation reached his ears.
"Ah, the mighty warriors have been summoned away by the omen. They say we're about to face a battle that transcends spaces. I wonder when we'll qualify to step onto that Multiverse Battlefield?"
"What's so great about the Multiverse Battlefield?"
"Exactly. The Multiverse Battlefield is fraught with many Extraplanar creatures, enormously powerful. Even those above level 80 face the risk of death."
"You don't understand. Though the Multiverse Battlefield is perilous, the growth it offers us is immense. If we're lucky enough to survive, we might even reach level 90!"
"..."
Hearing this dialogue, Howard couldn't help but find the situation peculiar.
Their accent was nearly identical to the human race of the Azure Sphere, and even their topics of discussion were strikingly similar.
Had it not been for the system's official notification, which was infallible, Howard might have believed he was still in the Azure Sphere.
Taking a deep breath, Howard carefully observed the figures around the campfire.
The humans of this plane were identical to those of the Azure Sphere, right down to the minutest details like hair, skin color, and the hue of their irises.
"Could it be... this plane is where those humans who ambushed us originate from?"
"Hisss, they're so similar to us, why would they ally with other Extraplanar creatures to target us?"
Howard's mind swirled with confusion, and even more so, with anger.
However, he realized that despite their similarities, they were ultimately not of the same kin.
This thought calmed him down; he knew he had no right to be angry.
What he needed to do next was to thoroughly understand the situation in the Obscured Celestial Realm and find a way to locate a specific space channel to return to the Azure Sphere.
With this resolve, Howard's gaze upon the people of the Obscured Celestial Realm turned icy.
Unfortunately, their numbers were too great, and their levels all above LV50.
In his current state, Howard found it difficult to contemplate defeating them all at once.
He was left with only two choices: wait for them to separate or seek out other groups from the Obscured Celestial Realm.
"No, wait... If they are similar to us, then this world must also resemble the Azure Sphere. They surely wouldn't leave their group easily at night."
"Finding another group seems the better option. Try to encounter a team with fewer people, or wait until daylight to make a move!"
With a slight frown, having thought this through, Howard quietly retreated, distancing himself from the group of people from the Obscured Celestial Realm.
Fortunately, the effectiveness of the Spirit Veil Skill was remarkable.
And upon arriving in this plane, Howard felt an enhanced potency in his Stealth Skills.
The effect even surpassed what he had experienced in the Azure Sphere in both invisibility and duration.
Under these circumstances, Howard wasn't worried about being detected by the inhabitants of the Obscured Celestial Realm unless he took action.
He found a spot for a brief respite, confident in the Spirit Veil Skill's ability to shield him from detection.
As long as he remained still, no monster could discover him, allowing him to rest.
The night passed without incident.
The following day, when Howard awoke, the sky was already brightly lit.
Having his HP fully restored, along with his physical and mental energy rejuvenated, Howard's condition, though not at its peak, was around 80% of his full capacity.
This made him less apprehensive about encountering average enemies around levels 50 or 60.
Maintaining the state of the Spirit Veil Skill, Howard headed back towards the area where he had encountered the people from the Obscured Celestial Realm the day before.
However, by daylight, the group had already left their campfire site, resuming their exploration of the map.
It was evident that they too were leveling up!
The power of the soul swept out, and Howard, sensing a disturbance in a particular direction, immediately moved towards it.
Before long, a figure came into Howard's view.
Just as Howard had surmised, people gathered together at night for safety.
But during the day, when it was relatively safer, they dispersed in search of higher experience rewards and other gains.
With his soul power spreading out and confirming that there was only one figure within a 30-yard radius, Howard's eyes narrowed as he stealthily approached.
He quietly moved behind the figure, his Soul Nurturer in hand. With a swift motion, a silver-white bolt of lightning, like a small serpent, flashed forth.
"Uh?!"
The figure, caught off guard by the sudden burst of lightning, reacted. Mistaking it for a monster attack, he merely glanced around without much concern.
Before he could turn, the dazzling lightning erupted from the Soul Nurturer, striking him squarely on the head.
In an instant, the figure's skin turned dark, his hair standing on end from the blast, and then he fell stiffly to the ground, paralyzed.
Howard showed no mercy, knowing well that the paralytic state only rendered his victim unable to perform skills or move.
Clenching his fists, he hammered down on the figure's head.
Thump—
A muffled groan followed. Under Howard's formidable strength, the figure immediately fell unconscious, a large bump forming on his head.
After incapacitating the figure, Howard, wary of attracting attention, immediately hoisted him up and bolted away.
Along the way, he discarded the figure's Storage Bag and Space Ring onto the ground, eliminating any items or treasures within that might track his location.
Having taken these precautions, Howard continued to carry the figure over 100 yards until he found a dimly lit cave.
Only after ensuring there were no monsters inside, did he sneak into the secluded corner of the cave with his captive.
Completing these steps, Howard's gaze hardened as he turned to the figure's limbs.
The crisp sound of bones shattering, mingled with screams of agony, erupted in the cave, and even Howard felt a twinge of cruelty.
However, to ensure his own safety, such ruthlessness was necessary.
With no knowledge of the special abilities the humans of this plane might possess, Howard, before interrogating his captive, crushed his limbs to completely eliminate any chance of resistance.
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