If you slap me, the whole world will suffer the same harm.

Level 3 pain instantly enveloped hundreds of people in the square.

"Holy crap! My stomach hurts!"

"Not my stomach! It's down there! It feels like someone is tearing it apart!"

"What the hell is this spa?! This is torture!"

"Brother Lin! What are you doing!"

Lin Chen asked with a serious expression, "Do you know why over five hundred of us have survived until now?"

"Why, why?"

"Because we have to go through this kind of pain every day. Pain makes us stronger, pain unleashes our potential, pain is what makes you weaklings worthy of surviving the night!"

Everyone: "..."

"But Brother Lin, this hurts so much..."

Lin Chen: "You can't even handle level three? The earliest batch of us went through level ten."

Everyone gasped.

"Level 10? Is that even humanly possible?"

Lin Chen: "So we hardly ever die now."

Everyone: "..."

"Of course, it's not like you're suffering for nothing," Lin Chen added with a smile. "Those who participate in the daytime 'pain training' can rest in our protective zone at night, and we'll protect you."

Upon hearing this, those who were about to run stopped.

"Really? You'll protect us?"

Lin Chen: "I, Lin Chen, keep my word."

"Then...then I'll participate too!"

"I'll participate too!"

"What do daytime pain matter if I can get a good night's sleep!"

"Exactly! It's better than being eaten by some evil spirit at night!"

"I'll participate!"

"Me too!"

Upon hearing that they would be protected that night, the people inside the building all became extremely excited and came to the square.

Lin Chen didn't stand on ceremony and bound them all together.

As for those who were unwilling to be bound, Lin Chen did not force them to be bound; he let them fend for themselves.

(￣︶￣)

As a result, daytime became the busiest time at the shelter.

The square was filled with cries of agony. More than two thousand people were rolling on the ground, clutching their stomachs, howling like ghosts. Anyone who didn't know better would think that some kind of large-scale suffering movie was being filmed here.

Meanwhile, the more than 500 people who were already Lin Chen's core members sat leisurely to the side, watching these newcomers suffer, their expressions extremely smug.

(＞﹏＜)

And just like that, half a month passed.

Pain training during the day, and team night watch at night.

Lin Chen's masochistic tendencies also skyrocketed.

More than a thousand.

That's enough to exchange for some powerful weapons at crucial moments.

But Lin Chen didn't know that this "critical moment" would come so quickly.

That night, the blood moon rose and night fell.

As usual, Lin Chen led more than 500 people to guard the small square in front of the main building in the southeast corner.

Zhang Han stood at the entrance of the main building, Chen Hu led his men on the east side of the square, Tie Lang was on the west side of the square, and the three women followed Lin Chen.

The rest of the people were divided into two groups, one group was responsible for fighting, and the other group was responsible for taking turns to rest.

"Something's not right today," Zhang Han suddenly said.

Lin Chen was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

Zhang Han looked into the distance: "At this time of day, the evil creatures would usually have already begun their probing attacks, but tonight... it's too quiet."

Lin Chen also frowned.

Indeed, it's too quiet.

There was no sound of evil creatures roaring, nor even the wind blowing through the ruins.

The entire shelter was eerily silent, as if it had been muted.

"System, scan the surroundings."

"Ding! Large-scale evil activity detected, 3 kilometers away from the shelter, quantity: unknown."

"Ding! Abnormal fel energy fluctuation detected, intensity: ???"

Lin Chen's pupils contracted.

"Abnormal fel energy fluctuations, intensity unknown?"

System: "Ding! We suggest the host be on high alert, as this fluctuation far exceeds the level of any currently known evil entity."

Lin Chen didn't tell anyone else what the system had said, but whispered to Tie Lang and Zhang Han, "There's something big here."

Iron Wolf gripped his axe tightly: "How big?"

Lin Chen: "I don't know, but it's definitely bigger than anything we've encountered before."

Chen Hu leaned closer: "Bigger than that peak level three evil king?"

Lin Chen: "Much bigger."

Chen Hu's face turned deathly pale: "Then what's the point of guarding? Let's run!"

Zhang said coldly, "Where do you think you're going? The outside is full of evil creatures. You'll die even faster if you run out."

Chen Hu: "Then what should we do?"

Lin Chen looked at the faint red lights appearing and disappearing in the gray fog in the distance, and took a deep breath: "Wait."

"wait?"

"The fact that the evil creatures aren't attacking means they're waiting for something—maybe for that big guy."

"What if that big guy comes..."

"Even if they come, we have to fight them."

"..."

The night grew deeper, but the evil creature still did not attack.

In the distance, the wails of the evil creatures rose and fell, but they showed no sign of approaching.

The voice sounded like it was afraid, yet also like it was... worshipping.

"What are they worshipping?" Xiaoxue's face turned pale.

Hong Ji: "Worship their king."

Xiaoya trembled, "Then their king... must be incredibly powerful..."

Iron Wolf: "Don't scare yourself. Even if it comes, I'll chop it in half with one axe!"

Chen Hu: "Your bragging skills are even better than your fighting skills."

Iron Wolf: "Say that again, you fucking idiot!"

Chen Hu: "I said you're a formidable fighter!"

(￣▽￣；)

Time passes little by little.

At midnight, the evil spirit did not appear.

It was 1 a.m., and he didn't come.

It was 2 a.m., and he didn't come.

It was 3 a.m., and he still hadn't come.

Everyone was on edge, not daring to relax for even a moment.

Some people couldn't hold on any longer and leaned against the wall to doze off, but were soon awakened by the surrounding silence.

"Damn it, this feeling of waiting to die is unbearable," Chen Hu cursed under his breath.

Zhang Han: "It's better than suddenly appearing out of nowhere."

Chen Hu: "I'd rather it charge out and have a good, satisfying fight!"

Iron Wolf: "Don't jinx it."

The ground suddenly shook as soon as he finished speaking.

"Thump!"

A dull thud came from afar, as if some enormous creature was approaching.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The vibrations grew closer and stronger.

Lin Chen gripped the Evil King Spear tightly and whispered, "Everyone! Prepare for battle!"

More than four thousand people immediately went into battle mode, drew their weapons, and unleashed their evil energy.

The other people in the building also woke up, peering out the window and looking into the distance in terror.

"Thump...!"

With a deafening roar, a gigantic figure appeared in the gray fog outside the shelter.

By the light of the blood-red moon, everyone finally saw what it was.

It was a giant wolf that was a full seven meters tall.

Its fur was a deep, purplish-black color, gleaming with an eerie metallic sheen in the moonlight.

Its limbs were as thick as pillars, and each claw that landed left a deep crater in the ground. Most terrifying of all were its eyes... two balls of blood-red flames burning fiercely in the darkness.

"Level 5... Evil King..." Zhang Han's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Lin Chen's heart sank.

The fifth-level evil king was two whole major realms higher than the peak third-level evil king they had encountered before.

"Aww!!!"

The black-purple demon wolf howled to the sky, its sound waves spreading out as if they were tangible.

People around covered their ears, their faces showing pain.

"So strong!" Iron Wolf gritted his teeth.

The next moment, the wolf moved.

It didn't rush in, but stopped outside the shelter, and then...

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A row of black bone spurs suddenly shot out from its left and right ribs!

These bone spikes were incredibly sharp, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek as they rained down on the crowd.

"Shield! Block!"

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The level one and level two men raised their shields and iron plates in an attempt to block the bone spikes.

However, those bone spikes pierced through the shield and into the body as easily as piercing a piece of paper.

"ah.......!"

Screams echoed throughout the room.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Lin Chen roared.

"Level 4 is at the front! Block the bone spikes! Pull it in and attack!"

Tie Lang, Chen Hu, Zhang Han, and the three women immediately rushed to the front.

Their full-body fel armor withstood the bone spikes, producing a clanging metallic sound.