The Vicious Insectoid Hidden Realm had two official requirements for completion:
First, eliminate all corrupted insectoid units within the realm.
This part was relatively simple. Upon entering the Hidden Realm, players received a mini-map exclusive to the dungeon.
Each red dot on the map represented an insectoid unit. Killing every red dot meant clearing the map—it wasn't complicated.
Second, destroy the three insect hives.
These hive locations also appeared on the mini-map.
The challenge lay in the fact that each hive was heavily guarded by massive numbers of insectoids, making the assault more difficult.
Completing both objectives within the three-hour time limit meant a successful clear and standard rewards.
However!
Just clearing the Hidden Realm this way would only earn ordinary rewards—It would not include the true target of Lin Chen's expedition.
To acquire the blueprint he was after, Lin Chen needed to perform a third step:
Travel to a specific location within the realm and open a hidden chest there.
That chest was the source of the Hidden Realm's secret reward.
Not all Hidden Realms had hidden rewards.
Only a small number of special instances included them.
In Lin Chen's previous life, many Lords had challenged the Vicious Insectoid Hidden Realm.
The first player to clear it got the first-clear bonus.
Subsequent players only received reduced rewards.
Until one day, a Lord named "Wind at My Butt" attempted the realm while accompanied by a hero with a scouting talent.
By pure chance, they discovered a cellar hidden deep within the realm.
And from that point on, the legend spread:
How Wind at My Butt found the cellar, opened the chest, and secured the secret reward.
He briefly became a celebrity in the game.
Stories of his discovery circulated widely.
Lin Chen might not have had extraordinary talent in other areas, but when it came to memory, he was unmatched.
He'd only heard the tale once—and remembered it clearly.
So this time, the hidden reward?
Lin Chen was going to claim it first.
With over 100,000 troops and three SSS-ranked heroes, he had no reason to fear.
"Advance. Kill every insectoid in sight," Lin Chen ordered.
Insectoids in the realm were finite.
The fastest way to clear it was to first eliminate as many roaming enemies as possible.
Then, deal with the three insect hives.
From each hive, Lin Chen would collect a key fragment needed to unlock the cellar.
That was the only way to truly clear the realm.
At Lin Chen's command, the entire army surged forward.
50,000 Furious Blood Orcs, led by Barbaric War God Mankun, charged ahead like an unstoppable wave.
In the skies, Jia Lou and Ina flew with all Griffin Knights and 4,000 Windrunner Archers, providing full aerial support.
Lin Chen hovered above them.
As an SSS-ranked mage equipped with Elemental Heart, his damage output was terrifying—wide AoE, high burst, and multiple buff effects from his gear.
His offensive power was overwhelming.
The insectoid enemies, however, weren't weak.
Take for example a golden-armored beetle nearby:
Its entire body was sheathed in metallic armor, bristling with razor limbs that reflected the sunlight with a blinding sheen.
It was a defensive monster with lethal strikes.
Or the nearby iridescent butterflies—deceptively graceful but highly toxic.
Classified as Tier-5 units, they scattered invisible pollen that smelled sweet but inflicted poison and paralysis, draining health and crippling speed.
Lin Chen understood the insectoid troop system well.
With accurate tactics and powerful troops, his forces slaughtered their way forward.
Red dots on the map—the insectoid indicators—began disappearing rapidly.
After an hour, only three red clusters remained—locations of the three hives.
Lin Chen chose one at random, raised his arm, and led the charge.
From afar, he spotted a towering, ten-story-tall mound hidden in the dense jungle.
Its gray-brown shell, uneven surface, and porous structure gave it an eerie, living feel.
It was the insect hive—a quasi-organic structure capable of producing insectoid soldiers.
Nearby, over 700,000 insectoid units guarded it.
A full frontal assault? Not happening.
So Lin Chen opted for two tactics:
First: Baiting Strategy
Ina would lead 4,000 Windrunner Archers mounted on Griffin Knights to fly overhead and rain arrows down from the sky.
This would provoke and lure a portion of the enemies toward a kill zone.
It would take time—but it was safe.
Second: Use of Forbidden Spell Scrolls
These contained powerful forbidden magic—high damage, large AoE, or valuable buffs.
Lin Chen had over hundreds saved up. He could use them freely.
He quickly briefed the four heroes on the plan:
"You know the strategy. Let's begin the attack!"
Jia Lou moved first.
Her archers fired volleys from the sky, provoking the hive's outer guard.
The insectoids took the bait.
Roughly 100,000 insectoids gave chase, charging toward the retreating Griffin Knights.
"Retreat on my mark, follow the plan," Ina commanded.
They led the horde directly into a waiting ambush formed by Griffin Knights and Furious Blood Orcs.
What followed was textbook slaughter.
Tier suppression. Level suppression. Tactical superiority.
The enemy force was wiped out in mere minutes.
Then they did it again.
And again.
Meanwhile, Lin Chen began using Forbidden Spell Scrolls, summoning apocalyptic-level spells to weaken entire insectoid waves before engagement.
This drastically reduced casualty rates.
Once the insect horde near the hive was sufficiently thinned out—
"Full assault!" Lin Chen ordered.
Mankun and Jia Lou led the charge.
Furious Blood Orcs and Griffin Knights rushed forward in a thundering stampede.
Lin Chen, Ina, and the Windrunner Archers followed closely, unleashing magical and ranged attacks.
Inside the hive, insectoids scrambled out in panic—only to be vaporized by the Forbidden Spells Lin Chen hurled from the sky.
One by one, the bug reinforcements were annihilated upon arrival.
Eventually, no more emerged from the hive.
"Keep attacking! Bring the hive down!" Lin Chen shouted.
His army concentrated their efforts on the structure.
With a deafening BOOM, the entire insect hive exploded, crumbling into debris.
One hive down.
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