C136 Village Chief Mission!

Chen Guo harbored no obsession with being first.

Indeed, reaching the top could be a hollow, lonely experience.

Yet, if the opportunity to be number one presented itself, Chen Guo wouldn't turn it down.

He had an affinity for both emptiness and solitude, after all.

In that moment, Chen Guo, clutching the Desolate Ancient Scripture, nodded to Zhou Tao with a smile. Turning toward the Gate of Myriad Realms, he began to chant under his breath:

"Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble..."

A cryptic spell spilled from Chen Guo's lips as the Desolate Ancient Scripture radiated a potent surge of mana, shrouding the Gate of Myriad Realms.

"Stop this at once. Stow the Desolate Ancient Scripture. It's no trinket of virtue—it will be your undoing..."

"Merge with me. You possess great potential. I can elevate you to unparalleled strength. Your thirst for power is boundless; I can sense it..."

Unable to contain itself any longer, the Gate of Myriad Realms unleashed a torrent of psychic waves, brimming with seductive force, that burrowed into Chen Guo's mind.

Lin Suzhen, no doubt, had succumbed to such siren whispers, becoming a puppet of the Gate of Myriad Realms.

Firstly, Chen Guo was no fool; he wouldn't fall for such blatant deceit.

His mental fortitude was formidable. While the psychic seduction wasn't entirely without effect, it was akin to scratching an itch through a boot—hardly impactful.

Secondly, Chen Guo's confidence in his future was unshakable. With his extraordinary talent, he needed no artifacts to ascend to the pinnacle of the cosmos.

Thirdly, having learned from Lin Suzhen's cautionary tale, Chen Guo guarded against the Gate of Myriad Realms with heightened vigilance.

Thus, when met with the Gate's guileful coaxing, Chen Guo's reply was resolute: "I'm not listening, not listening at all. Your chants fall on deaf ears."

You have your say, I have my way; let's keep it that way. What concern is it of yours if I choose to conquer you?

The mana vibrations binding the Gate of Myriad Realms intensified, betraying its growing desperation.

"You needn't do this. You're bound to regret it!"

The Gate of Myriad Realms issued a final, hysterical cry that sounded like both a threat and a warning.

Chen Guo merely responded with a cold smile.

To think that a mere tool could attempt to control him, to turn the world upside down—such fanciful delusions.

With the last word of the incantation spoken, the Gate of Myriad Realms was seamlessly integrated into the Desolate Ancient Scripture, becoming nothing more than a diagram on its pages.

The Gate had been utterly tamed by the Desolate Ancient Scripture.

Even when released, the Gate would remain firmly under the Scripture's dominion.

Thanks to the Desolate Ancient Scripture's formidable suppression, the Gate of Myriad Realms would no longer be capable of any mischief. It was now a tool devoid of any autonomy, precisely as Chen Guo desired.

A tool is a tool, after all.

The best kind of tool is one without self-awareness; any excess of it is simply superfluous.

"System Announcement: Trailblazer! The first to secure the Gate of Myriad Realms and complete a major milestone of the main quest within the Whole Heaven Battlefield, the first Village Chief will soon emerge!"

"Reminder: Progress for the mission can be tracked by all trial challengers within the system module."

Wow!

The emergence of this system announcement sent shockwaves around the globe.

People were eagerly checking the mission template to see Chen Guo's progress.

It was utterly astonishing.

Boss Guangcheng had truly outdone himself.

While most were still clueless, Boss Guangcheng had already secured the Gate of Myriad Realms.

This feat wasn't just about brute strength; it required immense wisdom. With no hints from the system, finding clues across the expansive map and successfully claiming the Gate of Myriad Realms was a testament to true intellect.

With this realization, all trial challengers were awestruck by Chen Guo's prowess.

Initially, Chen Guo was baffled. He had acquired the Gate of Myriad Realms without even submitting the task—why then had the system issued an announcement?

Could it be that the system was closely monitoring him, captivated by his striking features?

Upon reflection, Chen Guo grasped the system's probable intent. This 'dog system' was impersonal; its announcement was designed to spur others to hasten their quest completion, igniting a competitive fervor among them all.

This is just too perfect.

Whoever designed this dog-eat-dog system has to be a seasoned capitalist.

"Mission progress: You've located the Gate of Myriad Realms and are the first among all trial challengers to do so. Your courage and wisdom, your strength and foresight, they all tower above the rest."

"Now, simply return the Gate of Myriad Realms to Beginner Village 926. Place it at any location within the village to complete the mission series and secure the Village Head's appointment."

"Alert: The very first Beginner Village to appoint a Village Head will receive significant extra rewards, boosting the village's initial attributes by 30%."

"Alert: The first 100 Beginner Villages to appoint a Village Head will also enjoy substantial additional rewards, with a 20% increase in initial attributes."

"These two rewards are cumulative."

While reviewing his mission progress, Chen Guo noticed two new alerts from the dog system, which seemed eager to intensify the competition among participants.

From these alerts, Chen Guo gleaned several key pieces of information.

Firstly, appointing a Village Head would unlock attributes for the Beginner Village, which was certainly beneficial.

Secondly, stacking the rewards for first place and the top 100 would yield an extra 50% in attributes, a significant strategic advantage that Chen Guo could not afford to pass up.

The dog system had Chen Guo's number, perfectly.

"Boss Guangcheng is the first to secure the Gate of Myriad Realms; he's bound to be the first to earn the Village Head's appointment. Beginner Village 996 is incredibly fortunate, boasting 50% more attributes than any other village."

"It's such a tragedy. Why wasn't Boss Guangcheng assigned to our Beginner Village? If he had been, I'd willingly offer myself and introduce him to my best friend, all to ensure he stays with us permanently."

"Beginner Village 996 has opened up an additional 1000 spots. This time, I'd go as far as to bribe the recruiters just to join Beginner Village 996."

"We can forget about clinching first place, but breaking into the top 100 is still within our grasp. Let's step it up and hunt for clues—there's no time to waste."

On the World Channel, trial challengers engaged in fervent discussions.

Meanwhile, every Beginner Village picked up the pace, racing to catch up. The dog system had effectively fulfilled its purpose, plunging everyone into a frenzy of competition.