Chapter 785: Settlement Rewards

Countdown: 0 seconds.

Except for Lin An and Zhang Tie, the other three Awakened Ones all stared fixedly at the number of trial participants.

Even Lihao had fallen into emotions he shouldn't have.

Or... is nobody quitting?

He sat slumped on the ground.

Jiang Haochen's eyes were bloodshot, his muscles tensed all over.

The option to withdraw floated before him.

"Damn!"

He could no longer maintain his usual elite bearing.

He, who had always sailed smoothly and was proud, could barely endure the torment of the countdown.

In the next round, I will surely die...

Surely!

Taking a deep breath, he finally slumped and tapped the withdraw option.

"You guys aren't withdrawing... I am!"

He felt somewhat unwilling.

But he is even more unwilling to die resentfully after finally obtaining such great talent, in a trial.

"A momentary retreat doesn't mean I've lost my courage!"

Numbers jumped; at the instant he was teleported away, he stared into the vortex, as if trying to see who else remained in the trial.

"Current trial participants: 4..."

With flesh reborn, without fused biological armor, Lihao stood motionless, his body like a half-mechanical construct.

Withdraw, or continue..

The bio-computer's judgment was to withdraw immediately.

Reason also told him there was no need to persist.

"Withdraw..."

The core glowed; for a Second Level, an artificial sun was virtually limitless energy.

"I... might still be able to endure another round..."

After experiencing the earlier nuclear blast, Lihao clearly sensed that, on the brink of death, his physique, which he had never been able to improve, seemed to loosen a bit.

If he broke through, perhaps he would be strengthened to a new level.

That would be a power that crushes all Second Levels.

His attributes now reached 39 points, which is one reason countless military Awakened Ones hold him as hope.

No one knows how he broke past the Second Level's regular cap of 35 points.

But he knows deep down that he has gotten this far relying on absolute will and a series of life-and-death trials.

"Maybe I'll die, but maybe... I can break through 39 points."

An inexplicable feeling.

He always felt that the true limit attribute for a Second Level Awakened One should be 40 points.

Even if the military unanimously believes the maximum attribute for a Second Level is 39.

This is the maximum under system rules! He, Lihao... has already been strengthened to the human limit!

But after enduring that round of attack, he realized the military might be mistaken.

Especially, there are still three people left in the trial.

One side is pride and the desire for strength, which is every strong one's instinct.

The other side is... not daring to die.

Yes, he does not fear death.

But he cannot die, at least not now.

His life is not his own; he must survive and get out.

It's not just a physique trial; a final will trial awaits him as well.

The military is still waiting for him to return to the capital war zone; countless soldiers on the defenses are looking forward to his return.

If he bets right, perhaps he can touch the true limit.

If he bets wrong, he will have let down the Military Region's expectations and wasted the painstaking efforts of the capital war zone.

He sighed.

Lihao slowly closed his eyes.

He longs to break through himself in the next round, but a responsibility as heavy as a thousand jin pulls at him.

His memory seemed to jump back to the day he accepted the transformation.

He remembers what that person said to him before the transformation...

(Lihao, from today on, your life is no longer your own.)

(From this moment on, you will bear the hopes of the capital war zone and twelve billion survivors...)

(This is the last chance; you may choose to give up.)

(Is it to fight for Huaxia, to abandon the self, or...)

(I choose... to endure...)

"Trial participant Lihao, withdrawing from the trial..."

Countdown: six seconds.

Bewildered and helpless.

Akuya gazed at the trial options appearing before their eyes.

The man who brought him to the trial told him, "You must get the best score."

They said, he is the seed of the war zone, everyone's guardian deity.

He didn't really understand what that meant.

He was very obedient, but...

"Akuya is really in pain..."

His skin cracked open; this burly, naked man stood rooted to the spot, the lingering radiation damage continually eroding his body.

"Akuya... wants to go home."

His voice was low and deep, yet he was at a loss like a child.

"Captain Lin? Someone still hasn't withdrawn!!"

In the final three seconds, only he, Lin An, and an unknown Awakened One remained in the trial.

Zhang Tie stared in astonishment at the 'tenacious' number, his big hands constantly rubbing his bald head.

He had originally planned to withdraw right at the last second, letting Lin An take first place.

Who would have thought, someone actually dared to continue?

Good grief, the previous round was a nuclear bomb!

Next round, who knows what kind of thing it'll be!

"I know."

His emotions were undisturbed; Lin An had long prepared his plan for the next round.

"Zhang Tie, you withdraw first."

After saying that, Lin An silently waited for the next round of the trial, or rather, the final round.

Zhang Tie's death-immunity effect had already been triggered; if the next round's attack were of extreme burst damage, no matter how resistant he was, he would be killed instantly.

Even the Indestructible Asura Rebirth has its limits.

No one knows what kind of attack the system will arrange.

Xiong Hanzi's physique is strong, but his ability to withstand damage in a short time is limited.

His talent is better suited for prolonged combat, gradually strengthening in battle, growing stronger the more he fights.

"Captain Lin..."

Then be careful..

Zhang Tie hesitated for a moment, then ultimately nodded and chose to withdraw.

The next second.

A sudden system prompt sounded:

"Beep, physique trial, all other trial participants have withdrawn."

"Calculating rankings.."

"Trial participant Lin An, current rank: 1"

"Completed perfect-level task, earned 200 points reward."

"Calculating extra reward..."

Huh?

In the final second, as Lin An was about to click for the next round, he blinked in surprise.

He had made his preparations, but he hadn't expected the remaining people to be unable to withstand the pressure—did they withdraw on their own?

He laughed helplessly.

For the first time, not having to fight to the end gave Lin An a feeling of having gotten a freebie.

But upon reflection, it was also normal.

The ninth round's attack imposed an enormous psychological pressure on everyone...

As the vortex representing transmission unfolded, he couldn't help but glance at the trial ground he was in.

To be honest, he was actually quite curious about what entity the tenth round's attack would pit him against...

"It's over! The physique trial is over!"

"Who came out last?"

"Who is first?!"

Nearly ten thousand Awakened Ones waiting outside the trial tower instantly turned their gazes toward the expanding vortex.

Especially the Awakened Ones from an inconspicuous small war zone, everyone wore tense expressions.

Jiang Haochen, the first to withdraw from the trial, had only just emerged a few seconds ago.

Upon hearing the commotion behind him, his whole body shuddered violently.

He came out this quickly? That means... the subsequent trial participants also gave up!?

Feeling torn and somewhat regretful, he wondered if, had he held on a few more seconds, he might have taken first place—after all, it seemed everyone had chosen to give up...

His emotions were complex.

He suppressed his tumultuous emotions and stared fixedly at the expanding vortex.

He wanted to see just who the first place holder really was.