Dungeon of Knowledge - Chapter 181: Essence of Inferno

Dilan, 21-years-old, was anything but ordinary. He sought adrenaline wherever he could.

Life didn’t feel worth living on the small blue planet he was born on.

However, it was a seemingly ordinary night on new year’s eve that everything changed!

A raging storm manifested on the mountainside he had climbed on to feel free, to escape the ordinary world that bored him to death.

And death was what awaited him eagerly as he was flung through the air, just to be pricked by an old, seemingly ancient tree trunk.

Not even a miracle would be enough to save him anymore.

But it was just at this moment that something much bigger than a miracle happened.

Every single existence on the blue planet got connected to the Log of the Ancient, something most would label as “Status”.

The ordinary and mundane world changed forever, turning into a bloody and merciless battlefield as the Primordial Ascension unsealed the shackles that weighed on the planet for millions of years.

Mythical mana was unleashed, animals began to mutate, zombies emerged, and monsters known from fairy tales appeared out of Gates.

Follow the journey of a man, who seeks adrenaline, who embraces pain, who overcomes death itself …a man, who will become an Undying existence!

There was once an immortal cultivator fighting for the fate of human beings. Unfortunately, he failed that time; but fortunately got another chance as he was reborn once more as a human, on the earth of 5,000 years ago. With a second chance, he not only would embark on the road of saving all mankind, but also would retrieve his human nature on the new journey that would last for 5,000 years.

- Description from Novelupdates

After transmigrating to Hong Huang and becoming a minor shaman in Hou Tu’s tribe, Chu Xuan shocked everyone by repeatedly offering poisonous plans in order to avoid becoming Cannon Fodder in the Great Calamity.Who would have thought? The poisonous plans were incredibly effective.The Demon Clan established the Heavenly Court and united countless races?Chu Xuan: Establish the path of the Heavenly Tribulation and share the power with the Heavenly Court. From now on, all beings must undergo the tribulation!In Zixiao Palace, it was said that those without Primordial Spirits couldn’t listen to the Dao?Chu Xuan: Create the path of the Heavenly Demon as a tribulation for Primordial Spirits. All who possess one will suffer!During the war between the Wu race and Demons, countless souls were left with no place to go, and the Calamity Qi of heaven and earth ran rampant. Who asked Hou Tu to reincarnate?Chu Xuan: If you don’t work hard in your cultivation, you’ll end up as brothers in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.…Chu Xuan: I have a plan that can completely resolve the Great Calamity of the Demons and Wu races!Hou Tu: Chu Xuan, calm down first. Things haven’t come to that point yet.

In 2173, the world’s first Full-World Virtual MMORPG game ‘Astral Online’ went on sale globally, forever changing the blue planet Asteria!

With its revolutionary Digital Capture System, astonishing graphics and ability to scan yourself into the game with up to 20% beautification, countless defenders rallied to play the game.

Fifty million players logged in on launch. There were no queues or lag on launch, leaving countless critics impressed and willing to try the game. Because the game used a 6-hour play limit a day, it allowed even working adults to keep up with young students and the unemployed.

A resounding success, as more people poured onto the game servers, families and friends alike. Astra Online became a household name overnight.

One month later, the game opened its first RMT system, which made earning a living from the game easier... Thus began the Astral rush!

Professional players formed guilds and factions to increase their profits, but nobody could know this prosperity was a mere joke.

One year later, players fused with their avatars, gaining powerful abilities in the real world, which tipped the power and caused chaos.

Two years later, demons and monsters from inside the game invaded the real world.

Three years later, over 90% of humanity perished, leaving the rest to hide like rats, unable to fight back in fear.

Four years later, this world is no longer ours. The demons march on our last bastions, one by one. They exterminated us.

Zell was an average player who liked to collect beasts in the game and evolve them into humanoids, as they were primarily females.

He spent most of his life working two jobs to make ends meet.

Thanks to the excellent healthcare of his country, there were no crippling debts. There was only emptiness.

When the end came, he was powerless and alone. His only companions were his cute pets and Rika, his cherished Flame Rabbit.

She was the only beast he evolved to a humanoid form after his late start to the game.

He died saving the life of a strange girl with white wings and his pet Rika, the sad eyes of Rika and the girl’s sorrow floating through the air as he slowly passed away.

However, instead of dying, he awoke inside an empty white room with a single computer and a strange, game-like screen that allowed him to edit his IRL avatar and persona.

Who offered him this second chance?

For what reason did they help him?

Can he meet Rika again?

Zell could never know; he only knew his second life’s goal.

Survive!