Apocalypse: Everyone Levels Up, I Return to the Time Before the Server Opened-Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Turned Into an NPC?

“Huh?” Ye Qiu had just stepped out of the Inner Secret Realm only to see the area swarmed with NPCs.

He was naturally introverted. Being stared at by so many people made his social anxiety spike.

“H-hi…” He raised a hand in greeting.

Whoosh!

The very next second…

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

Voices filled with excitement and reverence rang out one after another.

The eyes of the crowd, all fixed on Ye Qiu, were brimming with admiration and awe!

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Someone started applauding, and the rest followed suit in unison.

The atmosphere made Ye Qiu feel like he was back in high school at an awards ceremony!

Back then, he had always been the one sitting in the audience, clapping for the students receiving awards on stage.

Now, the roles had reversed.

He was the one standing on the stage!

And he could feel it the excitement from these NPCs came from the heart.

They truly saw him as a hero!

A level 12 weakling, venturing alone into a Secret Realm within the Novice Village a place from which no living person had ever returned.

He had faced an unbelievably terrifying, near-invincible Outer Demon and came out alive!

What’s more, Elder Xu had even said the demon inside was now completely lifeless!

How could such a legendary figure not be hailed as a hero?

If Ye Qiu wasn’t a hero, then who was?

So, the title of “Hero” was his, without a doubt!

In the crowd, the herbalist stared at Ye Qiu with growing satisfaction.

She was reminded of her late husband also once a passionate, fearless young man who charged into danger without hesitation, treating life and death with indifference.

It was that very quality that had drawn her to him.

Beside her, her daughter’s beautiful eyes stayed locked on Ye Qiu.

A soft smile curled her lips, tinged with shy admiration.

After all, every girl loved a hero. And Ye Qiu was exactly that.

The crisis of the Outer Demon had loomed over the novice village for a long, long time.

Every villager had lived in fear never a single peaceful day.

They’d tried everything to destroy that monster, swearing to eliminate it no matter the cost.

But hopes were just that, hopes.

All they could do was dream about it.

Because that demon was like a massive sword hanging over the entire Trial City ready to fall at any moment. And they were like helpless ants beneath it, constantly watching the skies, knowing that if it dropped, the entire village and city would be gone.

Human life would be wiped from history.

Until now.

That sword was finally removed by a hero.

Their cheers, their admiration were from the bottom of their hearts.

Only someone like Ye Qiu deserved it.

“Hero! Hero!…” The crowd showed no signs of quieting down.

Ye Qiu, honestly, was a little embarrassed.

It all felt a bit much.

“I just killed a demon, that’s all…” he thought.

In his past life, he’d slain many such monsters.

Other players had too!

But actually it really wasn’t an exaggeration.

That Outer Demon in the Inner Secret Realm was a boss that would later trigger the game’s Version 2.0! It was different from normal monsters!

“Everyone, please quiet down!” Finally, it was Elder Xu, the village chief, who stepped forward.

His loud voice slowly calmed the crowd. “Let our little hero say a few words!”

Elder Xu was all smiles, his joy washing away the shadow of dread that had lingered before.

A miracle had truly occurred!

Ye Qiu was still socially anxious.

Thankfully, his hooded cloak hid his blushing face. freewebnσvel.cøm

“Actually, we’re all heroes,” he said softly.

With that first sentence, his anxiety began to fade.

His voice grew steadier. “I met someone in the Inner Secret Realm… or rather, someone who had already passed. His name was… Xie Zhongyuan.”

Woosh!

As soon as the name left his mouth Elder Xu beside him visibly trembled. Grief flickered across his face.

He opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, stayed silent, listening.

The other NPCs also recognized the name.

Xie Zhongyuan had been the last person chosen to enter the Inner Secret Realm.

He had never returned.

Now, hearing Ye Qiu’s words, everyone fell silent.

So it was true those who entered before had all died.

“That child was only 13 when he died,” Ye Qiu said, enunciating each word. “Not everyone can be fearless and charge forward.

“In fact… normal people, real people, will be afraid. We all are.

“Xie Zhongyuan was no exception. Neither am I. All those chosen before us were the same.

“They were scared. They hesitated. They feared death. But still they faced it anyway.

“They did it for one reason: conviction. Behind them were their loved ones. The village they grew up in. The people who share their blood, the human race.

“That conviction… had already become a part of their souls.

“So… they were heroes too.

“We mustn’t forget. We can’t forget.”

As he spoke, Ye Qiu took out a pile of skeletal remains from his inventory.

His Heavenly Eye skill allowed him to identify them.

“This is hero… Chen Ruoxu.

“This is hero… Zhou Min.

“This is hero… Xie Zhongyuan.

“This is…”

Over thirty skeletons, most incomplete.

Some had been reduced to dust by demonic forces, scattered across every inch of the secret realm.

As Ye Qiu read each name aloud, sobs echoed through the crowd.

Because each of these fallen heroes had family.

[Ding! You have reached max favorability with all NPCs in Novice Village 0001!]

[Ding! You have completed the unique Legendary Hidden Quest of the Novice Village!]

[Ding! Congratulations! You have received the unique Legendary Hidden Reward: Deputy Village Chief of Novice Village.]

Ye Qiu: “!!!”

From the stage, all the NPCs looked at him with infinite warmth.

Some girls, eyes glowing with admiration, watched the figure who spoke with grace and carried himself with such dignity. Even the herbalist’s daughter’s eyes fixed on him was a little lost in a daze.

As for Ye Qiu…

“Bro, who even gets this? I’ve actually become an NPC now!”