Chapter 196: Death Recruitment, Trial Mission

The Primordial Sacrifice Altar.

In Qi Sheng's mind, feedback from players regarding the new features continuously flashed by.

The Combat Technique Cultivation feature launched this time received overwhelming praise from the vast majority of players, who believed this update reduced the Sacrificial Power expenditure required for Body Tempering ranks.

But there were also voices of complaint.

Some veteran players complained that they had spent Sacrificial Power at a 1:1 ratio to level up their Body Tempering experience, yet now novices could obtain discounted Body Tempering experience right from the start, which they deemed unfair to veteran players.

These complaints boiled down to two words: interests.

The issue raised by veteran players did indeed exist.

But when the game first launched, there were times when he possessed less Sacrificial Power than the players themselves.

At his poorest, he even had to host "lottery events" just to get players to help cover the costs of developing new features.

In the early days, forget about welfare benefits; he and the Four Gods were nearly at rock bottom.

It was only now that the construction of the player legions gradually showed improvement, and various new features were rolled out one after another.

This created the impression in the eyes of veteran players that the welfare benefits for novice players kept improving.

Regarding Soul Soul containment, novices started with a wide selection of Soul Souls available and had ready-made guides to consult.

Veteran players started with only the Three Illusion Gods; let alone guides, when the very first batch of players debuted, the forum feature hadn't even gone online yet.

The newly launched Combat Technique Cultivation was no different.

In the eyes of veteran players, they had spent real money's worth of Sacrificial Power to raise their Body Tempering ranks, so how could novices simply purchase Combat Techniques and use AFK leveling at a discounted price?

But no matter how much they complained, Qi Sheng would not give veteran players any compensation.

In the eyes of veteran players, he was a sucker who made them spend extra Sacrificial Power, but in the eyes of novice players, those veteran players were old monsters they needed to struggle desperately to catch up to, already on a completely different level.

Veteran players who obtained qualification for the Monster World early had already created a significant gap with novices simply through time.

Furthermore, every time a new feature went online, veteran players could enjoy it immediately; it wasn't only novice players who benefited.

In fact, when many new features first debuted, novices simply didn't have enough Sacrificial Power to update.

The first to eat crabs were basically always veteran players.

So regarding these complaints, Qi Sheng merely glanced at them; as for the compensation veteran players were clamoring for on the forums... it did not exist.

[Boss, the Lord of Welfare is making a move.]

The voice of the Guide sounded at this moment, interrupting Qi Sheng's thoughts.

It indicated that players had discovered another new node in the Bliss Space, and simultaneously, the Lord of Bliss had made new improvements to the settings for the Bliss Player Legion.

The fourth round of testing had already begun.

His consciousness immediately followed the Guide, jumping to the discovered Bliss Space node.

The Bliss World.

Night City, District 32, Virtual Room.

Lin Xia raised his hand to stack the last crate of mineral water onto the shelf; the electronic clock hanging on the wall just struck midnight, emitting a "beep beep" sound.

"Hoo."

Looking out through the glass door, the streetlights blurred into fuzzy orbs of light within the curtain of rain, and the ground was already soaked.

Stepping before the mirror, Lin Xia examined his weary expression reflected within.

The man in the mirror stood two meters tall, resembling a giant tower cast in bronze, with knotted muscles and rigid lines; every muscle looked like steel tempered a thousand times, and his skin bore a bronze hue.

Within deep eye sockets lay two pale golden eyes, while a head of black buzz-cut hair accentuated the hardness of his facial features.

His boss had once said that with his physique of innate divine strength, he would surely have been a fierce general recorded in history during the era of cold weapons.

But in modern times, his profession was that of a cashier in a virtual game room.

Rolling up his sleeves to reveal two solid arms, Lin Xia continued working, moving the discount basket to the front of the glass door and beginning to organize near-expiry goods.

Rice balls, bento boxes... these foods that sold well during the day had become unwanted burdens late at night.

After being busy for a long while, Lin Xia came to sit behind the cashier counter.

Smelling the grease from instant bento boxes floating between the shelves, he couldn't help but sigh.

His boss had been missing for half a month, yet the wages settled once every half-month still hadn't been paid.

His appetite was astonishing; if his boss didn't return soon to settle wages, he was afraid he would have to "help himself."

The feeling of an empty stomach was something he could not endure.

The work in the Virtual Room was simple: the night shift involved cashier duties from 8 PM to 6 AM, an inverted schedule, with the only merit being that the hourly rate was 30 Meng Yuan higher than the day shift.

Glancing at the operating virtual rooms, three room doors glowed with red lights, indicating people were still engaged in games.

Picking up the remote control placed on the cashier counter, he pressed the red button.

The television hanging above the shelves turned on, broadcasting a news report.

"Listeners, we are now interrupting with an important emergency message."

The host's voice, unlike usual, was not relaxed but grave:

"Recently, our city has experienced multiple bizarre disappearance cases consecutively; according to law enforcement statistics, 82 people have mysteriously vanished at night within the past week..."

"Surveillance footage shows that the missing persons suddenly disappeared while alone... Citizens are reminded to avoid going out alone late at night as much as possible; if any suspicious situations are discovered, please contact law enforcement immediately..."

Similar news events had occurred multiple times over the past two months.

Lin Xia had even seen more sensational rumors online, claiming that high-ranking officials in various countries had already been controlled by mysterious aliens.

All sorts of rumors flew everywhere.

But recalling that most missing persons vanished around midnight, Lin Xia couldn't help but subconsciously glance out the glass door.

While feeling a chill in his heart, he still couldn't stop thinking about the content of the news report.

A large-scale bizarre disappearance truly seemed extraordinary.

So, where exactly had the disappeared people gone?

More importantly, if his boss truly disappeared and never returned, what about his wages? Could he inherit this virtual game room?

Ding-dong!

Just as Lin Xia was lost in wild thoughts, the glass door suddenly opened.

Lin Xia was about to turn his head to greet a customer, only to find no one outside, as a cold wind carrying fine rain brushed against his Iron Face.

Assuming the glass door was broken, Lin Xia didn't think much of it, shifting his gaze back to the still-playing television.

Just then, the lights inside the Virtual Room suddenly began to flicker.

A bone-chilling aura swept in from the side, making Lin Xia shiver involuntarily.

Turning his head to look, he saw the computer screen on the cashier counter distorting; pixels seemed to be kneaded by an invisible hand, gradually reorganizing into a line of blood-red text:

[Are you already tired of the dull life day after day, and willing to step into an unknown world for power surpassing mortals?]

Yes/No.

The lights overhead continued to flicker.

The characters on the computer looked as if written in fresh blood, with edges constantly dripping.

The sudden eerie scene caused Lin Xia to instinctively rise and step back, immediately knocking over the promotional standee behind him; the sound of it hitting the floor was piercingly loud in the silent Virtual Room.

The blood-red text on the computer screen began to enlarge, as if about to crawl out of the monitor.

Lin Xia felt his temples throbbing, his heartbeat accelerating along with it, and subconsciously cried out in terror:

"No!"

After Lin Xia gave his answer, the character "Yes" on the computer screen rapidly enlarged, as if pressed by an invisible hand confirming the selection.

After the text faded, two new lines of text floated up on the screen:

[Welcome aboard, Bliss Player; I look forward to your performance!]

[Novice Trial Scene Loading]

"No, no, ah, I chose No!"

The lights suddenly returned to normal at this moment.

But just as Lin Xia thought he was experiencing hallucinations due to staying up late, a sudden scene made him gasp sharply.

The doors of the three virtual rooms in the corridor ahead automatically opened, and the three players who had been experiencing virtual games walked out of the rooms.

Crack! Crack!

The bones within their bodies seemed to be dislocating and reassembling; strange patterns surfaced on the skin of the three players, as if some creature was writhing beneath the surface.

Their muscles also began to expand uncontrollably, bursting their originally well-fitted clothes to reveal grayish-green skin.

Plop!

The remote control device in one player's hand fell to the ground.

His fingers became sharp and slender, nails growing rapidly to transform into sharp black claws.

His facial features also changed, becoming incredibly ferocious; his jaw protruded forward, teeth turning sharp like a beast's fangs.

His eyes rapidly sunken, pupils contracting into thin slits that flashed with red light.

Originally messy hair became coarse, resembling some beast's bristles, covering their necks and shoulders.

The bizarre transformation continued.

The bodies of these three players expanded, their backs arched, spinal bones protruding as if about to pierce through the skin.

With a low roar, two thighs burst through their pants, and feet twisted into hoof shapes.

Their original appearances were completely distorted, replaced by huge, ferocious monsters that left Lin Xia breathless.

At this moment, they seemed like demons crawling up from the depths of hell.

"Hiss."

Lin Xia's pupils constricted sharply, his heart hammering against his chest like a war drum.

The three players before him had completely transformed into monsters.

Their fangs were now bared, their sharp claws gleaming with cold light, as if they would pounce at any moment to tear him apart.

Lin Xia hesitated not a second, decisively grabbing a metal rod from beneath the counter.

This was the self-defense weapon his boss had equipped him with, mainly for dealing with drunkards who stumbled into the Virtual Room at night to cause trouble, but he had no confidence whether it could withstand monsters.

His fingers gripped the metal rod tightly, a cold sensation rising from his palm.

Just then, three beasts with twisted forms charged forward with roars, their claws scraping harshly against the shelves.

Standing behind the counter, Lin Xia gripped the metal rod tightly, his body trembling with agitation, his knuckles white from force, muscles taut beneath his bronze skin like a fully drawn bow.

The first monster leaped violently, biting straight for his Iron Face.

Lin Xia decisively stepped back.

Crash!

The glass of the counter shattered under the monster's impact, and at that same moment, he swung the metal rod in his hand fiercely at the monster's skull.

A dull "crack" sounded as the rod collided with the skull, causing the monster's head to tilt to one side.

But its claws, driven by momentum, raked across his chest, leaving three bloody trails.

The pain made Lin Xia let out a low roar; he lifted the rod again and smashed it down, snapping the monster's neck.

Then, with a flying kick, he sent the monster lying across the counter soaring away.

At this moment, the second monster pounced from the side, its claws aiming straight for his waist and abdomen.

He decisively twisted his body to borrow the force, accompanying a furious roar as he swept the metal rod horizontally.

The rod struck the monster's ribs with a muffled thud, knocking it back several steps, but it quickly roared and charged again.

The remaining monster also attacked from directly ahead.

For some reason, Lin Xia felt as though he had been injected with hormones.

The fear that had surged moments ago was like a thin mist, evaporated by blazing battle intent.

Gritting his teeth, he charged against the oncoming monster, lifting the metal rod in a fierce uppercut that struck the creature's lower jaw from below.

The monster's head snapped backward, its fangs shattered, and black blood sprayed out.

Following the momentum, he kicked the monster in the abdomen, sending it flying.

The monster crashed into a row of shelves and lay still.

Lin Xia spun around abruptly, the metal rod whistling through the air as he smashed it down onto the monster that had torn open his belly, striking it squarely on the shoulder.

The sound of shattering bones was clearly audible; the monster let out a shrill scream, yet its claws clung desperately to his already torn-open abdomen.

The injury completely ignited the ferocity deep within Lin Xia; he roared, summoning all his strength to lift the metal rod high for another powerful downward chop, slamming the rod fiercely onto the monster's head.

One strike, two strikes, three strikes... under the continuous brutal beating, the monster finally ceased moving.

Sounds of breaking bones rang out in succession; the monster's skull was crushed inward, its body collapsing softly to the ground as black liquid oozed from its ears and nose.

Hah... hah... hah...

Silence returned to the store, broken only by Lin Xia's heavy panting and the sound of black liquid dripping from the metal rod onto the floor.

His abdomen and shoulders were covered in wounds, dark red blood mixing with the monster's black blood, slowly trickling down his skin.

He wiped the blood from his Iron Face and looked down at the metal rod in his hand; the shaft was now bent halfway.

Clang!

Dropping the metal rod to the floor, Lin Xia clutched his lower left abdomen, torn by claws, and slid down the wall into a sitting position.

Looking up at the monstrous corpses, he saw their bodies shrinking at a visible speed, the patterns on their skin fading away until they finally reverted to their original appearances.

Only their faces were pale as paper, devoid of any breath.

Leaning against the wall, Lin Xia gasped for air, rejoicing in his survival after the ordeal.

Everything that had just happened felt like a nightmare, yet the three cold corpses on the floor reminded him that it had all truly occurred.

He had killed people!

His first thought was how to explain this, his gaze instinctively sweeping toward the surveillance cameras on the ceiling.

After recovering some strength, he struggled to his feet, supporting himself against the wall, preparing to review the surveillance footage.

This was his proof of innocence.

His actions were self-defense, absolutely not intentional murder.

But when he reached the counter and stood still, he discovered the bloody text on the computer screen was fading.

Then, a new line of text appeared:

[Novice Trial Passed. Welcome to the Death Space!]

The lights overhead flickered again, and the world in Lin Xia's eyes twisted and changed rapidly.

In a daze of consciousness, Lin Xia shook his head violently, trying to regain clarity.

But when the blur in his vision cleared, he froze.

Eh?!

He was shocked to discover that the Virtual Room, originally in total disarray, had been restored to its original state.

Even the glass shattered by the monsters and the collapsed shelves had returned to normal.

Was it really a dream?

The sudden turn of events left Lin Xia at a loss.

He couldn't help but suspect it was a hallucination caused by excessive staying up late combined with recently reading too many conspiracy theories.

But when he turned his gaze to the computer screen on the counter, that line of blood-red text still hung there.

The text twisted at that moment, transforming into a swirling vortex of blood.

An irresistible suction force surged from the vortex, as if trying to pull his soul out.

His vision was gradually swallowed by darkness.

I don’t know how long had passed; when Lin Xia woke and opened his eyes, he found the surrounding environment had changed.

The world before him seemed pieced together from fragments of a dream, lacking a unified color scheme, with obvious differences between various regions.

There was no sky overhead, only a deep, dark purple void, where occasional streaks of light flashed by, leaving brief trails.

The ground was paved with countless irregular black stone slabs, from whose cracks seeped a faint purple glow, as if some energy flowed from deep beneath the earth.

Surrounding the area where he stood towered lofty pillars carved with intricate runes; the air was filled with a faint purple mist, within which floating points of light were vaguely visible, like fireflies scattered by the wind.

Gazing forward toward the square, he saw many figures gathering in the vicinity.

It was certain that they were all his own kind.

But the appearance of these figures caused Lin Xia's brain to somewhat crash.

Some wore heavy armor, some draped in flowing robes, while others were shrouded entirely in shadow, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

Their weapons were also distinct: some carried giant swords on their backs, some held staffs, and others had daggers gleaming with cold light tucked at their waists.

Everyone wore a tense expression, their faces tight, as if awaiting some unknown danger.

In the center of the spatial square stood a massive black stone stele, inscribed with dense rows of names; some names shimmered with golden light, while others were dim and dark, like memories about to be forgotten.

Standing before the stele was a figure clad in black robes, his features indistinct, his voice low and hoarse:

"Teleportation is about to begin. The living move forward; the dead perish."

As the black-robed figure's words fell, a portion of the figures in the square silently gathered before the stele, the air permeated with a suppressive tension.

Some whispered quietly, some silently checked their equipment, and others closed their eyes to focus, as if praying.

Suddenly, the runes on the stele flashed violently, and a blinding pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping the gathered figures.

Their forms gradually blurred within the light pillar, finally vanishing completely.

The bizarre scene before his eyes reminded Lin Xia of the missing persons reported in the news.

If his guess was correct, the compatriots in this scene were all "missing persons," including himself.

While feeling suppressed, he suddenly thought of something.

His boss was probably here too; he could finally ask for his wages.

"What am I thinking about?"

Lin Xia couldn't help but shake his head; he didn't even know how to get out now, so what use would it be even if he found his boss and got his wages?

At this moment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head.

It was as if invisible hands were stuffing things into his brain; vast amounts of information surfaced in his mind.

[Bliss Player: Lin Xia.]

Identity: The Chosen One (A special Bliss Player selected by the gods; gains one talent skill at the start.)

Echo Count: 0

Combat Attributes:

Physical Quality: 23 (Determined based on basic physical fitness indicators such as strength, speed, endurance, agility, and reaction speed.)

Hint: Physical Quality will affect the rate of Qi and blood recovery, as well as the body's damage tolerance.

Mental Strength: 6 (Determined based on basic attributes such as willpower, concentration, stress resistance, and mental reserve.)

Hint: The Mental Strength attribute can be used to resist abilities such as illusions and mental control.

Talent Skill: Berserker Lv.1 (After activating the talent, Qi and blood are continuously deducted, pain at the flesh level is exempted, and Physical Quality receives significant enhancement; the talent can be upgraded by consuming Death Points.)

Death Space, Bliss Players, point enhancement, trial missions... this information gradually made Lin Xia understand his predicament.

He was chosen by an unknown god to participate in a death game.

To survive, he must complete the missions issued by the god.

Now he has a new identity: Bliss Player.

The black stone tablet at the center of the square is the enhancement system within the Death Space.

Bliss Players can use points earned from completing missions at the stone tablet to enhance their physical attributes, special abilities, equipment, props, and various other aspects.

Currently, he is: One Without Echo.

This signifies that he has not yet responded to the god's call to venture into the real battlefield for exploration.

Before becoming an Echoer, he must undergo five rounds of trials plus one final trial; only by completing all trials can he truly become a warrior of the god.

Just then, a cold, emotionless voice rang out in his mind:

"The trial is about to begin; the living advance, the dead perish."

Accompanying the voice, a ribbon of light emerged from the ground, pointing directly at the black-robed figure standing before the stone tablet.

According to the information in his mind, the black-robed figure is a Guide within the Death Space, responsible for directing Bliss Players to start their missions.

"What happens if I don't go?"

Facing Lin Xia's inquiry, no voice in his mind offered a reply.

The answer was obvious.

Bitterness filled his heart, yet he still followed the requirements, walking straight to stand before the stone tablet.

No other figures arrived beside him.

As they waited, the stone tablet glowed faintly, and countless incomprehensible characters rapidly reconfigured.

A crack suddenly split open in the void overhead, like a god opening its eye; a pillar of golden light crashed down, enveloping him.

Instantly, intense dizziness struck, and the surrounding space distorted and shifted accordingly.

When his vision cleared, he discovered dozens of figures had appeared around him.

The environment had also changed; towering giant trees pierced the clouds around them, their canopies obscured by dense fog that sunlight could barely penetrate.

Yet the forest within his sight remained remarkably clear, illuminated by the glow emitted by countless bioluminescent plants.

Beneath his feet lay a massive altar.

Suspended at its center was a small crystal emitting a faint purple light.

Just then, the Guide's voice sounded in his mind:

"The trial has begun. Your mission is to venture deep into the forest to obtain the Spring of Light and bring back a single drop of spring water before dawn. Remember, you have only 32 hours... The darkness within the forest is awakening. If you fail to complete the mission within 32 hours, it will be deemed a failure."

"What happens if we fail?" a tearful voice asked.

Lin Xia turned to look; the speaker was a middle-aged woman, her body trembling uncontrollably.

The Guide offered no response.

"We'll die, right?" a young man in casual clothes asked tremulously, his Iron Face pale, clearly not yet recovered from the dizziness of teleportation.

"Don't panic; let's exchange information first."

At that moment, a tall man stepped forward and began organizing everyone to gather and share intelligence regarding the Death Space.

Through their conversation, Lin Xia discovered that, like himself, these Bliss Players had encountered various bizarre and strange events before entering the Death Space, mostly involving monster attacks.

However, unlike him, they had all been killed by monsters within an illusionary realm.

Only he had been teleported to the Death Space after defeating a monster.

The greatest difference was that these Bliss Players who died in the illusionary realm possessed no innate skills.

He, however, possessed an ability known as "Berserker."

How to use the innate skill was already branded into his mind, but its specific effects remained to be verified.

The translucent film shrouding the altar dissipated during their exchange, and the mission officially began.

A total of 37 players participated in this trial mission.

Lin Xia also decided to travel with the group, cooperating to complete this mission.

As they explored deeper into the forest, the fog gradually thickened, reducing visibility.

Low roars occasionally emanated from the depths of the forest, as if some evil creature was watching from the shadows.

Having ventured only a few hundred meters into the woods, Lin Xia suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from nearby bushes, as if something was moving rapidly through them.

"Careful!" Li Feng, leading the group, warned in a low voice, scanning the area ahead:

"Something is approaching."

Before his words had fully faded, a sharp hiss shattered the silence.

Immediately afterward, dozens of creatures resembling short dwarfs darted out from the trees; their skin displayed a sickly gray-green hue, their eyes were scarlet as blood, they held crude stone axes and wooden clubs in their hands, and they emitted piercing, strange cries from their mouths.

Lin Xia's heart sank sharply; he immediately crouched down and picked up a stone.

Just then, a green-skinned monster lunged from the side at the woman beside Lin Xia, its stone axe whistling through the air as it chopped toward her shoulder.

"Careful!"

Lin Xia shouted a warning, but the woman's Iron Face was filled with terror; her body seemed frozen in place as she stared blankly at the approaching green-skinned monster.

Crack!

The sharp stone axe struck the woman's right shoulder; warm blood splattered across Lin Xia's Iron Face, the cruel scene and the scent of blood making him nearly retch.

The woman let out a scream, but the stone axe showed no mercy as it was raised again, chopping toward her neck.

Crack!

A vibrant life fell.

Snapping back to his senses, Lin Xia hesitated not a moment; he stepped forward, swung his right arm gripping the black stone, and smashed it fiercely onto the green-skinned monster's head.

The green-skinned monster was knocked to the ground by this heavy blow, and Lin Xia immediately snatched the stone axe from the creature's hand.

Choosing not to hide his strength, he immediately activated the innate mark within his body.

His aura changed abruptly; the rhythm of his heartbeat exploded in his ears like a beating drum.

His muscles swelled rapidly as if inflated, stretching his previously well-fitting clothes until they were taut, emitting a "hissing" sound as if they would burst at any moment.

The blue veins on his arms coiled like thick vines, pulsing with his flexing muscles; the muscles in his legs bulged even higher, each one like cast iron, firmly supporting his body as it continued to expand.

Red light flared in Lin Xia's eyes.

"Die!"

With a single strike of the stone axe in his hand, he severed the green-skinned monster's head.

The desire for battle ignited in his heart like a flame that would never extinguish; he decisively lunged at the other attacking green-skinned monsters.

One axe, one kill.

Compared to the other trial players beside him, Lin Xia resembled a god of war possessing his body, slaughtering in all directions.

The Berserker state lasted for five minutes.

The battle ended; Lin Xia felt as if all strength had been drained from him, his legs giving way as he collapsed onto the ground.

His breathing was rapid and heavy; each inhalation felt like struggling to draw oxygen from thin air, and his body trembled uncontrollably from physical exhaustion.

His previously bulging muscles atrophied, becoming loose and powerless; the massive loss of qi and blood within his body also caused his skin to lose its color, turning deathly pale.

Lin Xia's hands hung limply at his sides, his fingers trembling slightly, having lost even the strength to clench a fist.

His eyes no longer held the sharpness and ferocity of his berserk state; his expression was exhausted.

Looking up, he saw severed limbs and blood scattered everywhere.

A pungent scent of blood permeated the air; more than half of the trial squad lay dead or wounded.

Many figures that had been speaking just moments ago now lay sprawled haphazardly on the ground.

The scene was so bloody that Lin Xia could not help but begin to dry heave.

The surviving trial teammates also wore expressions of despair; a middle-aged man sat slumped beside him, clutching his own hair tightly with both hands, his body trembling slightly, his eyes filled with pain and hopelessness; Lin Xia could even hear the sobbing issuing from the man's quivering lips.

Other trial teammates were vomiting heavily, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

Their first contact with the monsters had made them feel endless despair.

They could not imagine how they would survive the journey ahead.

Perhaps... they would all die here.

Half an hour later, Lin Xia, having recovered some of his strength, stood up.

He knew he had to step forward.

The current trial squad had fallen into despair; he had to organize the remaining strength and attempt to complete the mission.

"Stop lying here waiting to die; if we don't complete the mission, we'll all die. Time is limited; we need to move."

Everyone raised their heads to look at Lin Xia.

If not for Lin Xia turning the Black Tide just now, perhaps they would have all died in the green-skinned monsters' attack.

"If you want to die, go ahead, but I don't want to die. If you want to live, follow me."

Seeing the hesitation in everyone's eyes, Lin Xia steeled his heart and decisively strode toward the depths of the forest.

Realizing Lin Xia was about to walk away, the remaining trialers, after a brief hesitation, all chose to follow.

28 hours later.

Lin Xia returned to the landing point with three trial teammates.

On the final stretch of the path toward the altar, his legs felt as if filled with lead, every step appearing abnormally heavy.

His left arm hung limply; a wound deep enough to expose bone wound from his shoulder down to his elbow.

With each movement, blood slowly dripped from his fingertips, leaving a trail of bloodstains behind him.

Beside him, Xiao Li's right lower leg was severed at the knee.

The stump was crudely bandaged with cloth torn from their clothes, and he leaned on a branch scavenged from the forest as a crutch; with every step, pain turned his Iron Face deathly pale, causing sweat beads the size of beans to roll down his forehead.

Behind them, Old Zhang had a deep gash splitting half his Iron Face, flesh gaping outward, blood and grime smearing his entire cheek, while one eye was so blurred by blood he could see nothing.

Half a broken iron spike still protruded from his shoulder, and every breath was accompanied by violent coughing.

Xiao Wang, walking on Lin Xia's left, was in relatively better condition, suffering only several long slashes across his back.

Yet his clothes were soaked through with blood, sticking to the wounds in tattered strands; his body trembled incessantly as he walked, sustained to this point solely by force of will.

To complete the mission, only four remained of the original thirty-seven-man squad; all other trial participants had died in the forest, devoured by various types of monsters.

Arriving before the altar, Lin Xia slammed the Box of Light Spring, held in an iron case, onto the surface.

Instantly, a figure in black robes materialized from the void and nodded toward them:

"First round trial mission complete. Beginning return to the Death Space. You now have twenty-four hours of rest time."

As the voice faded, a pillar of light appeared, enveloping their bodies.

Settlement information surfaced in Lin Xia's mind:

[Trial Mission: Box of Light Spring]

Mission Performance Rating: S-Rank.

Mission Points Earned:

Combat Points (Combat Performance): 8,342 points.

Desperation Points (Breakthrough Performance in Dire Straits): 4,292 points.

Teamwork Points: 925 points.

Mission Completion Points: 3,000 points.

Total Points Earned: 16,559 points.

When his vision cleared again, Lin Xia found himself and his teammates had returned to the Death Space.

Standing before them was the Point Stone Tablet, used for redeeming items.

Lin Xia placed his hand on the black stone tablet, and instantly a list of various goods available for redemption with his points arrayed itself in his mind.

Injury Repair: 323 points (consumption increases with power level).

Demon-Defeating Potion: After drinking, greatly increases elemental resistance for a short duration; lasts 135 minutes.

Price: 250 points.

Sky-Rending Battle Axe

Equipment Rank: C-Rank

Equipment Description: Forged from Black Essence Ore Iron; incomparably sharp, capable of inflicting physical damage upon enemies.

Attached Equipment Trait: Sky-Rending Slash.

Price: 3,500 points.

Attribute Strengthening: Consuming 100 points grants one freely allocable attribute point; after comprehensive attributes reach 100 points, the price for purchasing free attribute points increases...

Glancing at his point balance, Lin Xia chose to repair his injuries first.

After consuming 323 points, a stream of purple light surged from within the stone tablet, striking his body and seeping inward through his pores.

He immediately felt a warm, vast power coursing rapidly through his limbs and bones, a tingling sensation spreading throughout his interior.

The deep, bone-exposing wound on his arm healed at a speed visible to the naked eye; the new skin restored its original bronze hue, as if he had never been injured.

Lin Xia's tightly strung nerves finally relaxed; he unconsciously closed his eyes to enjoy the surging energy within, while his originally paper-pale complexion gradually regained some color.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, the exhaustion within them having faded.

Having undergone the first round of the Death Trial, a change had occurred in Lin Xia's gaze.

Tempered by life-and-death struggles, he had become silent, yet possessed an infinite desire to continue living.

"Brother Xia, we plan to continue following you."

The three teammates who had undergone the trial with him approached at that moment; Lin Xia looked at the three comrades with whom he had faced life and death, and nodded solemnly.

They had been together for merely twenty-eight hours.

Yet this journey was a path of life and death they had measured with their very lives.

Especially Old Zhang among the three; when the squad fell into dire straits, disregarding his own safety, he had shouted in anger:

"I've lived enough!"

Then turned to draw the monsters' firepower and departed.

That resolute back view remained unforgettable to Lin Xia to this day.

During the twenty-eight hours of the trial mission, every second was filled with the risk of death; only by supporting one another had they barely completed the task.

This bond forged between life and death filled Lin Xia with trust toward them.

After inquiring about the points they had earned from this mission, Lin Xia decided to contribute a portion of his own to help these three brothers strengthen their power.

Three months later.

Death Space.

A pillar of light crashed down; as the white light dissipated, the seventy-eight members of the squad led by Lin Xia appeared.

Lin Xia's gaze swept across this space, both familiar and detestable.

At this moment, the nervousness and ignorance of his initial entry had faded from his Iron Face, replaced by a calmness as deep as the ocean.

Having endured five Death Trials, each fraught with peril, requiring him to struggle with all his might to survive.

These experiences were like an engraving knife, stripping away his immaturity and teaching him how to survive in desperate situations.

But what impacted him most, besides the powerful monsters within the trial environments, was the complexity of human nature.

Starting from the second trial, enemies included not only monsters but also a large number of competing squads.

They had all once been his own compatriots.

Yet under the mandatory mission requirements of the Death Space, they had become targets to be slaughtered.

In the struggle to seize mission points, he had witnessed individuals within his own squad secretly colluding with external forces to betray him.

The collapse of trust hurt him more than any enemy attack; when the truth was revealed, those faces that had once fought shoulder to shoulder became strange and ferocious under the drive of profit.

Old Zhang, who had cleared the first trial alongside him, was ambushed and killed by a rival squad due to the betrayal of his own teammates.

This incident taught Lin Xia how to properly interact with his teammates.

His mindset grew through repeated tempering.

Looking toward the stone tablet, he saw his founded team, "Annihilation," carved in second place on the leaderboard.

It was foreseeable that the next Ultimate Trial would likely involve encountering the first-ranked team, "Iron Cavalry."

Approaching the stone tablet, he began strengthening his attributes and abilities.

With twenty-four hours of rest time remaining, he needed to prepare for battle in advance.

After finishing the strengthening of attributes and abilities and purchasing a batch of recovery potions, Lin Xia instructed his teammates to gather information on the "Iron Cavalry" team at the Space Plaza.

Once the Ultimate Trial concluded, both he and his teammates would become "Echoers."

According to the description given by the guide in black robes, they would be sent to the true battlefield.

As for the cruel trials within the Death Space, in the guide's description, they were merely child's play.

He had once curiously asked the guide what the true battlefield was and what the trials represented.

The guide's answer was that the definition of a trial could be understood as the novice village in a game, except that the vast majority of trial participants would be eliminated and die within this novice village.

The trial scenarios were woven by great gods, and the rewards obtained were also bestowed by the gods.

The purpose of doing so was to temper their willpower, teaching them how to become warriors.

Secondly, after each round of trials, performing strengthening would inevitably involve a series of adaptation problems.

The next round of trials served as adaptation training for newly mastered abilities.

Only by completing five rounds of trials and successfully passing the Ultimate Trial would one qualify to proceed to the true battlefield.

At that time, their identities would undergo a transformation.

They would also gain two special permissions.

The first permission was the ability to occasionally return to the real world.

The second permission was the ability to obtain a certain number of death resurrections under specific conditions.

Lin Xia could not imagine how terrifying the true battlefield spoken of by the guide must be, nor could he believe the mighty power of the unknown gods.

What kind of transcendent existence could actually allow them to resurrect after death?

Could it be that the so-called war was merely a game between gods?

Lin Xia's speculative guess was that countless gods were engaged in a war game, each cultivating super-soldiers to send to the true battlefield for slaughter.

And he, as an Ecliptic Warrior, had to create value on the true battlefield for the god behind him.

His fist slowly clenched tight.

He knew the trials awaiting him would continue.

But facing unknown dangers, there was no panic in Lin Xia's heart.

There was only the determination to continue living.

Feeling the power surging anew within his body, he raised his head to look at the black stone tablet, ready to welcome the unknown challenge.

(End of Chapter)