Chapter 790: Final Trial 3

drip. drip.. 」

Water droplets fell from the eaves.

He pushed up with his hands, Lin An strained to lift his body from the wet floor.

Below him was a puddle, faintly reflecting the edges of the walls on either side of his head and the crescent moon in the sky.

The temperature was low, like a damp night after autumn rain.

Before he could even open his eyes, a cold system announcement suddenly rang in everyone's ears:

「Trial Announcement: This trial strips all attributes and equipment bonuses, retaining only the will attribute. »

「Current Trial: Brain Marrow Hell»

「Number of trial participants: 1193»

「Hint: Please enter the nearest building as soon as possible. »

The announcement faded.

Lin An struggled to adapt to his current bodily state, slowly opening his eyes.

He felt a slight headache.

With the system retaining only the will attribute, the participants' physical condition was almost rolled back to before the Apocalypse.

Accustomed to bodies full of power, such a stark contrast really makes one unaccustomed.

After a moment, he stood up, blinked slightly, then grabbed and pulled up Fiona, who was also lying nearby.

「Ugh... it hurts... »

「How... can it hurt this much... »

He swayed.

After being pulled up, Fiona obviously couldn't cope as well as Lin An's adaptability.

She couldn't help but grip Lin An's outstretched hand, while her other hand tried to press her temples to ease the splitting headache.

「It should be that the will attribute exceeds the body's capacity. »

「Mental power is too high, physique too low. »

「Under the complete removal of attribute bonuses, high mental power is like gas in a balloon. »

After briefly explaining, Lin An turned his gaze forward.

All he saw was a dark alley ahead, with junk piled up in the corners.

A long utility pole stood at the alley entrance, slightly tilted.

Further ahead stood an old-fashioned building showing its age.

It looked somewhat like...

a 1990s Japanese detached villa.

Under the night, cold moonlight spilled onto the dilapidated roof, making it look somewhat gloomy.

Only the incandescent lamp hanging at the house entrance illuminated the iron gate of the courtyard.

「Creak-creak»

The black, bar-like iron gate swayed in the breeze.

Brain Marrow Hell...

What does it mean? Is it referring to the setting of this trial?

Instinctively he sent out his mental power to probe the surroundings, but after 0.1 seconds Lin An couldn't help but frown.

Even though the will attribute wasn't weakened, his mental power could only extend less than half a meter from his body's surface.

All around was quiet.

With his current physique, he couldn't hear the faint sounds around him.

1193 Awakened Ones entered, yet after entering he only saw Fiona?

It seems this trial's setting is set in 1990s Japan...

Instinctively he connected all the clues.

Looking at the surroundings resembling an early Japanese videotape scene, Lin An could only hope the trial wouldn't be of the supernatural type.

That kind of thing... is really too troublesome.

「Let's go, we'll talk after we go in. »

「Staying outside would be dangerous. »

Having said that, Lin An lifted his foot to walk, but he felt a cold temperature from his palm pulling him back.

He frowned slightly, hesitated a moment, and chose not to shake off Fiona's small hand.

Fiona, it seemed, had not yet adjusted.

One second later.

Fiona beside him then seemed to react, letting out a soft hum, and she also heard the system prompt.

There were no other buildings around; only that old house that looked uncomfortable remained.

「Already entered Dogura Magura Machiya area. »

He pushed open the iron gate and stepped onto the bluestone slabs.

Before his eyes was an off-white paper sliding door; faintly from the indoor light he could see moving silhouettes.

Lin An listened to the system prompt in his ear, his hand pushing the door hesitated slightly.

「Someone arrived here early? »

「NPC or trial participant? »

Fiona beside him also suddenly became alert.

Come in, child...

In a brief hesitation, a hoarse, elderly voice rang out, sounding like an old person.

What are you staring at? We've been waiting for you!

We've been waiting a long time!

The door was flung open, and a somewhat impatient middle-aged voice slipped through the crack, sounding weak yet tinged with excitement.

He was a thin man wearing white sports attire, with a grim expression.

His sports attire emitted a faint glow, clearly some kind of equipment.

Hmm!!

As the man pulled open the door, his originally impatient expression froze upon seeing that unique mask, looking extremely surprised.

Wearing a dark-gold mask etched with blood-red patterns, who else but that man!?

"Lin.. Lin An!!"

"Is it you!!"

Footsteps sounded inside; evidently many people, upon hearing the middle-aged man's voice, instinctively trembled as they drew near.

With a calm expression, Lin An slightly nodded toward the middle-aged trial participant.

For some reason, he always felt this trial was a bit strange.

I've waited for you a long time...

Was I placed last to enter the trial?

Has the flow of time changed?

Through the door he opened, one could faintly see a scene like a living room inside.

Among them, about twenty-odd Awakened Ones were simultaneously peering toward him.

"It really is Lin An..."

"I never expected he'd also join the trial... to meet him here..."

"Quite normal... our war zone has long known he's a will-type..."

"People, enough yet?"

"Still lacking a few..."

"Damn it!!"

The crowd was noisy, mixed with the sound of kicked cans.

Obviously, Lin An's arrival drew everyone's attention.

There was amazement, flattery, even hostility, but mostly a sense of loss.

Even amidst the gazes, Lin An saw a hint of beast-like hunger.