Chapter 811

"Lord Lin An.."

"Lin An.."

Before the Final Trial, the remaining Awakened Ones in the team hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help speaking up:

"We.. don't want to continue the trial anymore."

Their eyes darted away.

Except for Ron, Li Shouyi, and Fiona.

The rest no longer wanted to go on.

They had racked up enough points; for them, these points were enough to "splurge" a bit.

Continuing the Final Trial, they simply had no confidence.

Solo mode... without someone like Lin An, a freak, leading the way, what's the difference from suicide?

"Hmm."

With a soft hum, Lin An also had no intention of forcing these people into the trial.

When the trial reached its final round, those whom he had forcibly dragged through the stages really had little hope of passing.

It was as if they had been granted a pardon.

After obtaining Lin An's consent, several people withdrew from the trial without hesitation, as if fearing he might change his mind.

Before leaving, everyone still subconsciously thanked him; many even sent private messages, meaning that if they returned to the real world, they hoped to meet again.

If Lin An could make use of them, they would surely do their utmost.

Regarding this, Lin An remained noncommittal.

Anyone can say nice words; if they were truly grateful, why not offer to help in the death match?

"Lin An, I intend... to continue"

He sighed, and Ron looked at Lin An's back with a complex expression.

He had hesitated for a long time, but he also yearned for greater strength.

The earlier trials obviously tested thought and will, but they seemed to do little to help unlock the gene lock.

Obviously, the Final Trial is the focus of this trial.

Facing Lin An, he might be the one with the most complicated emotions among those present.

His own glory of being number one in the world paled in Lin An's presence.

Along the way, he was like a silent backdrop.

Even when facing the North American war zone hunting him down, those people seemed to ignore him, focusing only on Lin An.

I am... the world's number one... besides Lin An, the only existence that made the system issue an announcement...

The huge gap left him feeling awful inside.

"No matter what, thank you. If there's anything I can help with in the death match, I'll pitch in..."

Leaving behind his promise.

Having said that, Ron rallied his spirits from his despondent mood and, without hesitation, launched the Final Trial.

At this point, only Li Shouyi and Fiona remained on the field.

After a moment, Li Shouyi, who had kept his head down and silent, suddenly lifted his head, gathered his courage, and shouted at Lin An:

"Lin An, you are indeed strong now! Much stronger than me!"

"But I believe I will surely have the day I catch up to you!"

Youthful vigor always refuses to admit defeat.

Having said that, he took a deep breath, slipped his pocket watch into his pocket, and then also launched the Final Trial.

But, unnoticed by others, he secretly gave a wry smile.

If he could choose once, he truly would not want to encounter Lin An.

"Fiona, withdraw from the trial."

Silently adjusting his condition to peak, Lin An turned his head and calmly looked at the girl.

Under the shroud of Wu Yun, the trial grounds at this moment were somewhat desolate and eerily quiet.

One before the other, the two stood at the entrance of the Final Trial.

On the panel, the silver-white confirmation button pulsed; pressing it would launch the Final Trial.

"I.."

Fiona opened her mouth, wanting to say she could continue.

But looking at those eyes behind the mask, she seemed to understand something and lowered her head.

She was unlikely to pass the Final Trial.

Even if she wanted to earn more points for Lin An, the outcome would likely be a death sentence.

After a long while, she gathered her courage and suddenly transferred all her points to Lin An.

"Sorry.. Lin An.."

The girl's face was guilty, as if she had been holding those words in her heart for a long time.

"Actually I.."

Having refused the transferred points, Lin An didn't wait for Fiona's surprised attempt to say something, merely sighing:

"I probably guessed as much."

"Outside the trial, someone threatened you, wanting my information, right?"

Upon hearing this, Fiona's body trembled, and she tightly pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry..."

They told me that if I don't provide information, they will detonate a dirty bomb in our Safe Zone...

I... I passed on all of your messages......

He clenched his fists tightly.

Unable to speak, Fiona seemed to recall the threat hinted at by those several war zones when she went to gather intelligence.

She need not fear these, but the survivors in the Safe Zone are innocent.

She couldn't bear to watch them die miserably under this planet's most cruel weapon.

One side is Lin An, who helps her; the other side is her comrades in the Safe Zone who have always supported her and fought alongside her.

The inner pain and struggle almost pulled her apart.

"Don't blame yourself."

Contrary to her expectations, Lin An merely shook his head slightly, revealing no dissatisfaction.

On the contrary, he just looked at her with a smile:

"Actually, you shouldn't compromise."

"Of course, I'm not saying you should choose me over my companions."

He sighed.

"If someone threatens you, the best course is not to compromise."

"But to threaten back."

"They dare to throw dirty bombs, they dare to threaten you with everyone's lives."

"Then you can just retaliate in the same way. Use white phosphorus to burn down their bases, use radiation sources to mutate their bodies."

"If those high-ranking officials have relatives, then secretly infect them, turning them into zombies!"

"You can dump deadly toxins into the water supply; when fighting mutants, you can lure a corpse tide."

"Threats? Coercion?"

Fiona listened to his words, a chill rising in her heart.

Under the mask, Lin An's expression gradually turned cold.

"A Second Level peak Awakened One's destructive power, if he wants, is far more terrifying than you imagine."

"Especially, once you go out, you'll be Third Level..."

"If anyone dares to threaten those I care about..."

"I will spend my remaining time making him live in hell and fear for the rest of his life."

He stepped closer, Lin An gently caressed the girl's cheek, as if teaching:

"The greatest good in this world is not self-sacrifice and compromise, nor tolerance and salvation."

"Only by killing them all."

"Activate the Final Trial."

After a brief moment of losing himself, Lin An somewhat unexpectedly looked at the scene before him.

Internal teleportation?

Before his eyes lay a city ruin, once towering skyscrapers, now, after time's erosion, like bombed-out half-built buildings.

Exposed rebar, jagged stones.

The sky was dark and oppressive; even with his vision, straining to catch faint light, he could only see a short distance ahead.

Dead silence, no sound.

In the entire city ruin, it seemed no life existed.

White bones buried in the soil looked somewhat gloomy in the darkness.

Withered, desolate.

For some reason, Lin An stared blankly at the scene before him.

Such a familiar... feeling...

What exactly is this trial for?

Just as he was silently pondering, the system's prompt broke the silence.

"Final Trial."

"This trial only unlocks talent and one use of space equipment access rights."

"Mission requirements:"

"Kill Third Level mutant: Aberrant Giant Corpse."

"Mission reward: Suit component *1, random draw."

"10 seconds later, the Aberrant Giant Corpse begins to recover."

Prompt ends.

A suffocatingly oppressive aura suddenly spread from the city ruins.

Shocked, he looked up; Lin An's pupils suddenly contracted.

All that could be seen in the distant silence was a massive black shadow, like a skyscraper, slowly rising.

Its height towered over the ruins.

Its gigantic scarlet eyes resembled a blood moon rising from the ruins.

"Thud-"

"Thud-"

His heart pounded violently.

Lin An stared in disbelief at the black shadow, about a hundred meters tall, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

With strength not even counting as a zero Fourth Rank, he killed a three Fourth Rank!?

System, are you crazy!!!?

At the same time, a solemn sound, far less relaxed than usual, echoed in his mind.

（「Lin An, our trouble is getting a bit big... 」）

In the Thought Space, Second Will gave a wry laugh.

This time, even he felt the breath of death.

「wuuuuu！！！！」

Deafening, the powerful roar of airflow swept across the city ruins, like an Apocalypse-echoing roar, reverberating.

In the dark city, Lin An's tiny silhouette froze into a black shadow before the gigantic Aberrant Mutant.