Is the closed beta test of King of Loque over? The official release is here!

Sure enough—the internet exploded.

On various player forums and social groups, messages are flooding in at such a fast pace that it's impossible to keep up.

"Another update?! It was just updated yesterday!"

"Time Relics? That name sounds extraordinary."

"What does 'cross-region' mean? Which cities will our players from Yunhai City be paired with?"

"And there's also a small patch. Have you noticed that if you lose a battle or face a fatal threat, you'll be kicked out of the secret realm?"

Even if all your pets are defeated in the last Ancient Cocoa Tree Secret Realm, you can still stay inside the secret realm.

This time it won't work.

"Brothers, this time the scale is much larger than the Ancient Cocoa Tree Secret Realm, right?"

"That's right. Last time it was just competition within each city, but this time players from several cities have been thrown into the same pot."

"The intensity of competition will only double."

"Yes, think about it. There are strong players in other cities too. Our Yunhai City players can't always be the strongest."

"Let's not talk about that now. What do you think this secret realm will be like?"

"The last Ancient Cocoa Tree dungeon mostly contained items that increased pet experience. What will it be this time?"

"Who knows? We'll find out once we go in."

"Anyway, the more competitive a secret realm is, the more good stuff it will definitely contain."

Mo Fan quickly glanced through the page and closed it.

Most online discussions remain at the level of "shock" and "excitement," with almost no truly valuable information.

He opened his friends panel.

The message from Wind Chime has arrived.

Wind Chime: I saw it.

It was concise to the extreme. But Mo Fan knew that those two words meant—I'm already preparing.

Zhuang Xiao's news followed closely behind.

Zhuang Xiao: Brother Fan!!! A new secret realm!!! A cross-regional one!!! Did you see it!!!

Six exclamation marks.

Mo Fan's lips twitched slightly.

Mo Fan: Let's head over to the Magic Crystal Plaza and meet up first.

Wind Chime: Okay.

Zhuang Xiao: Received! Departing immediately!

Mo Fan put away his phone and looked at Zhao Mingyuan.

"Let's go."

Without a word, Zhao Mingyuan turned around and went back to his room to change. Three minutes later, the two left the apartment and headed straight for the Magic Crystal Plaza.

-

Meanwhile, the major guilds were also making preparations in full swing.

First is the Cloud Sea Guild.

The top-floor conference room of the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce headquarters building.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the morning sunlight slanted in, casting streaks of light on the mahogany surface of the long table.

Chairman Xu Donglai sat in the main seat, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

Everyone arrived today.

Vice Presidents Xu Wenbin and Liu Zhicheng, along with several other vice presidents, were all present.

Even some people who rarely attend meetings came early this morning.

Clearly, the system notification that just popped up had made everyone restless.

“You all saw it.”

Xu Donglai spoke first, his voice calm and steady, carrying his usual composure.

"Time Relics, Cross-Regional Secret Realm, Limited Time Offer of 24 Hours".

He paused, his gaze falling on the projected image on the table—the update announcement that had just popped up from the system.

"The scale of this secret realm should far exceed that of the ancient cocoa tree from last time."

At this point, Xu Donglai looked around at everyone.

"I will personally lead the team this time. What about you? Are you all planning to enter the secret realm?"

His tone was calm, but his gaze lingered on each person's face for a moment.

Xu Donglai chose to personally lead the team this time for two reasons.

First, he has also trained high-level pets and already possesses sufficient strength.

Of the cocoa fruits and resources harvested from the last Ancient Cocoa Tree Secret Realm, only a portion was distributed to the vice president. The majority was naturally kept by Xu Donglai himself.

Given the amount of resources Xu Donglai possesses, his pet's level is likely higher than any of the vice presidents present.

second--

If you want to get the best things in the secret realm, it's not enough to just have your subordinates take them.

The Ancient Cocoa Tree Secret Realm from last time is an example. The biggest benefits can only be enjoyed by those who enter, such as pet talent values, attribute affinity bonuses, evolution blessings, and so on.

Moreover, as the chairman, if he doesn't go in personally, how can anyone know how much of the benefits his subordinates have embezzled?

Times are changing; the level of a mage and the level of their pet are now the key factors determining one's influence. If this continues, will he be able to maintain his position as guild leader?

Chapter 140 Preparations (Part 1)

Last time, after Liu Zhicheng led the team into the secret realm, how much of what they obtained was truthfully handed over? How much did they embezzle?

As the president of the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce, Xu Donglai was well aware of many things.

But at the time, he didn't have any good solutions.

So this time, he wanted to see it with his own eyes and take it with his own hands.

No one can do anything under his nose.

After listening to Xu Donglai's words...

The vice presidents present exchanged glances and raised their hands almost simultaneously.

Xu Wenbin was the first to speak up: "Guild Leader, I'm ready. Both of my pets are close to level 20. I'm definitely going to enter this secret realm."

Immediately afterwards, the other vice presidents echoed this sentiment.

"I'm ready too. My pet just leveled up to level 20 a couple of days ago."

"Count me in. I missed the Ancient Cocoa Tree Secret Realm last time, I can't miss it again this time."

"President, you must take us with you this time. Last time, Vice President Liu enjoyed so many benefits from the secret realm all by himself. This time, we also want a share."

As he said this, several pairs of eyes glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Liu Zhicheng, who was sitting in the corner.

There was a hidden meaning in his words.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhicheng merely pursed his lips, not even bothering to lift his eyes.

He knew all too well what these people were thinking.

Last time, when he led the team into the Ancient Cocoa Tree Secret Realm, they obtained a large amount of cocoa fruits and Rocbees, which greatly improved the pets' level and strength.

This made many people in the room very envious.

But since they hadn't experienced the closed beta of the game, they didn't have any pets they couldn't offer.

In addition, he was timid and afraid that there might be dangers inside the secret realm.

So this time, they are eager to make up for everything they missed before.

Can it be made up for?

Liu Zhicheng sneered inwardly.

Although he was unhappy with their attitude, he didn't say anything to their faces.

After all, everyone present was a vice president of the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce, and in terms of status and influence, he was just one of them.

however--

He was not optimistic about this group's operation.

There are several reasons.

First and foremost is combat experience.

Liu Zhicheng didn't have high expectations for the combat abilities of these vice presidents' pets.

Each of them had barely played the game during the closed beta. They were completely clueless about the attribute relationships between pets, skill combinations, and battle rhythm.

Yes, their pets have indeed leveled up.

Thanks to the cocoa fruit I got from the last secret realm, and the various resources I bought from other players at a high price during this period, I managed to level up my pet to level seventeen or eighteen, or even level twenty.

But what's the use of a high level?

In the wild, secluded realms, where battles aren't held in a ring, pet battles are far from simple.

It's not about who has the higher-level pet that wins.

Attribute advantages, timing of skill release, positioning and teamwork... all these things require practical experience to accumulate.

Fighting in the ranking tournament is fine, it's a one-on-one duel, the environment is fixed and the variables are limited.

But what about inside the secret realm?