Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 1134: Very Familiar Name

Michael nodded.

"I'm serious. If you're alone and you meet a man who seems overly friendly, don't assume he has good intentions. Some might. But many won't. They may have ulterior motives. They may want your equipment. Your resources. Or something even worse."

His voice remained calm throughout. He wasn't trying to frighten her. He was simply stating a reality.

"The stronger you become, the more people like that you'll encounter."

Lily was silent for a while before asking softly,

"So… you don't trust anyone?"

Michael thought about the question.

"I trust people. But trust isn't free. It's earned. And even after someone earns it, I'll still leave myself a way out." He smiled faintly. "Being cautious isn't the same as being paranoid."

Lily slowly nodded.

"I understand."

After a brief pause, she puffed out her cheeks.

"But that guy really didn't seem bad."

Michael chuckled.

"I'm not saying he was a bad person. He might genuinely be a decent guy. I'm saying you shouldn't decide that after meeting him once."

He leaned back against the sofa. Lily lowered her head in thought.

"I'll remember that."

"Good."

Michael nodded in satisfaction. After all, Lily's talent and equipment made her an attractive target.

She might not realize it herself, but there would undoubtedly be people who saw her as an easy opportunity because of her relatively trusting personality.

If she learned to be cautious now, it would save her from many unnecessary dangers in the future.

Michael remained thoughtful for a moment before another question surfaced in his mind.

"Lily."

"Hm?"

"How was your time in the First Layer?"

Lily blinked.

"The First Layer?"

She looked at him with obvious confusion.

"Cousin… I think you're mistaken."

Michael frowned.

"Mistaken?"

"I stayed in the Zeroth Layer the entire time."

"…What?"

This time, it was Michael's turn to be confused.

"The Zeroth Layer?"

Lily nodded matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. I never went anywhere else."

Michael fell silent.

That didn't make sense. Based on everything Lily had just described, her experiences were completely inconsistent with what he expected from the Zeroth Layer.

A dragon and a powerful awakener capable of escaping one. Those weren't things Level Ten awakeners should normally be surrounded with.

The Zeroth Layer was supposed to be the beginner's region. Its monsters shouldn't have been anywhere near that strong.

Then why had Lily experienced something completely different?

His brows gradually furrowed. Moments later, a realization flashed through his mind.

"…I see."

Lily tilted her head.

"What?"

Michael leaned back slightly.

"I was making an assumption."

He had been thinking the Zeroth Layer worked the same way the higher layers did. But that wasn't necessarily true. His thoughts rapidly connected one clue after another.

Due to the awakening ceremonies being synchronized across many realms, Lily definitely wasn't the only person who had been dragged into the Origin Battlefield just after awakening.

Some of those newly awakened individuals would naturally possess extraordinary talents. Others would come from powerful races, or might even be descendants of terrifying experts, with no time to advance before being pulled in.

Second-generation heirs. Individuals born with advantages far beyond ordinary supernaturals.

When those people entered the Origin Battlefield, the Zeroth Layer wouldn't simply contain ordinary beginners anymore. Its average strength would naturally increase.

"No…"

Michael corrected himself internally.

"Not the average. The upper limit."

His eyes slowly widened.

"So that's how it works."

He had always wondered why he had been transferred out of the Third Layer so suddenly. Originally, he believed it was simply because he had grown too strong.

Now he realized the explanation was more precise.

It wasn't strength alone. It was balance. The Origin Battlefield maintained a certain equilibrium within each layer.

Every layer possessed an upper threshold of strength that it could reasonably accommodate. Once someone exceeded that threshold by too great a margin, the Origin Battlefield would push them upward.

It was not as a punishment but to restore equilibrium. This would explain why a reward is given. Or more specifically a consolation.

Michael had done exactly what the origin battlefield will guard against.

With thousands of Rank Four undead, multiple Epic Grade subordinates, a Legendary Grade treasure, and combat power that vastly exceeded everyone else in the Third Layer, he hadn't merely surpassed the strongest inhabitants. He had completely shattered the balance of that layer.

Remaining there would have been unfair to everyone else.

"So that's why I was transferred."

Everything suddenly became much clearer.

Lily, however, was different. Although she was remarkably powerful for a newly awakened individual, she couldn't be overwhelmingly stronger than every other genius present in the Zeroth Layer.

There were others, perhaps many others, with absurd backgrounds that surpassed even the advantages he had given her. As a result, the overall upper threshold of the Zeroth Layer had risen considerably.

Lily hadn't broken its balance. Therefore, the Origin Battlefield had seen no reason to move her elsewhere.

Michael exhaled slowly.

"The Origin Battlefield system is far more stable than I gave it credit for."

Lily's situation, however, made Michael even more curious about who had been with her. Based on her descriptions, they had spent more time together than just being pursued by a dragon.

Since the curiosity was already spiked, Michael didn't hold it back and asked immediately.

Contrary to his expectation that the person would be from a powerful race, it was actually a human. It wasn't that Michael was looking down on humans, but in the early stages they truly weren't the strongest race around.

For a human to match Lily in the Zeroth Layer was already noteworthy.

"That's not all. This person is also from a new world. Their world has only had awakeners for at most two to three months."

This made Michael even more shocked. He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of a new world, but how could someone from one, a human no less, who had only recently awakened, match Lily in capability?

Michael found it difficult to believe. He suspected the person Lily had spoken with might have been hiding somethings.

"Where did he say he came from?"

The question had left Michael's mouth almost subconsciously. Even if a name was given, there was no way he would recognize it.

Or so he thought.

He was very mistaken.

"His name is Timi, and he says he came from a world called Earth."