Chapter 196: Death Recruitment, Trial Mission

Meng Yuan Chu Altar.

Feedback from players regarding the new function constantly flashed through Qi Sheng's mind.

The cultivation combat technique function launched this time received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players, who believed this update reduced the Shou Shou Jili expenditure required for body tempering levels.

But there were also voices of complaint.

Some veteran players complained that they had spent Shou Shou Jili at a 1:1 price to raise their body tempering experience, only for newbies to receive discounted body tempering experience right at the start, which was unfair to veterans.

The summary of such complaints came down to two words: profit.

The problem complained of by veteran players indeed existed.

But when the game first opened its servers, sometimes he had less Shou Shou Jili on him than players did in their hands.

At his poorest, he even had to launch a "lottery event" to let players help cover the crafting costs for new functions.

In the early days, let alone benefits, he and the Four Gods were nearly at the end of their rope.

Until now, the construction of the player legion has gradually taken shape, and various new functions have been rolled out one after another.

This also created a sense in the eyes of veteran players that the welfare and benefits for newbie players were constantly improving.

Regarding Painful Painful Minghun containment, newbies had a vast array of Painful Painful Minghun to choose from right at the start, along with ready-made guides to consult.

Veteran players started with only the Three Illusion Gods; let alone guides, the forum function hadn't even been launched when the very first batch of players arrived.

The newly launched cultivation combat technique is the same.

In the eyes of veteran players, how could the body tempering levels they raised with real gold and silver Shou Shou Jili allow newbies to purchase cultivation combat techniques and grind them up at a discount?

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 spent extra Shou Shou Jili, but in the eyes of newbie players, veteran players were ancient demons who had already transcended a tier and needed to be chased down at all costs.

Veteran players who obtained access to the Monster World early had already created a significant gap from newbies simply through time.

And every time a new function launched, veteran players could enjoy it immediately; it wasn't just newbie players who benefited from it.

In fact, when many new functions first appeared, newbies simply didn't have the Shou Shou Jili to update.

The first batch to eat the crab were almost all veteran players.

So regarding such complaints, Qi Sheng would just look on; as for the compensation veteran players were clamoring for on the forum... it didn't exist.

【Boss, the Lord of Welfare has made a move.】

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

It indicated that players had discovered a new Bliss Space node, and at the same time, the Lord of Bliss had made new improvements to the settings for the Bliss Player Legion.

The fourth round of testing has already begun.

His consciousness immediately followed the guide and jumped to the discovered Bliss Space node.

Bliss World.

Night City, District 32, Virtual Room.

Lin Xia raised his hand to stack the last box of bottled water onto the shelf; the electronic clock hanging on the wall just flipped to 0:00 AM, emitting a "beep-beep" sound.

"Hah."

Looking out through the glass door, streetlights blurred into fuzzy light spheres in the rain curtain, and the ground had been soaked by the rain.

Approaching the mirror, Lin Xia examined himself in the reflection, his expression weary.

In the mirror, he stood two meters tall, like a giant tower cast from bronze, with knotted muscles and rigid lines; every muscle looked like steel that had been hammered and tempered a thousand times, and his skin was bronze-colored.

Deep in his eye sockets were two pale golden eyes, and a head of black cropped hair highlighted the hardness of his face.

The boss had once said that with his physique of innate divine strength, he would surely have been a fierce general in the age of cold weapons, leaving his name in history.

But in the modern era, his profession was a cashier at a virtual game room.

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

Rice balls, bento boxes... these foods that sold well during the day became unwanted burdens in the dead of night.

After working busily for a long time, Lin Xia sat down at the cashier counter.

Smelling the oily scent of instant bento boxes floating between the shelves, he couldn't help but sigh.

The boss had been missing for half a month, but the wages, which were settled once every half month, had not yet been paid.

His appetite was astonishing; if the boss didn't return to settle the wages, he feared he would have to "take it himself."

He couldn't bear the feeling of an empty stomach.

The work in the Virtual Room was very simple: the night shift ran from 8 PM to 6 AM as a cashier, with a reversed schedule; the only thing worth praising was that the hourly wage was 30 yuan higher than the day shift.

Glancing at the virtual rooms currently in operation, the doors of three rooms were lit with red lights, indicating that people were still playing games.

He picked up the remote control placed on the cashier counter and pressed the red button.

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

"Ladies and gentlemen, we now interrupt for an important message."

The host's voice, usually relaxed, was now serious in expression:

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

"According to surveillance footage, the missing persons all vanished suddenly 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 the law enforcement department immediately..."

Similar news events had occurred multiple times over these two months.

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

All kinds of rumors were flying everywhere.

But thinking that most of the missing persons disappeared around the early morning hours, Lin Xia couldn't help but glance instinctively out the glass door.

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

Mass bizarre disappearances indeed seemed extraordinary.

So where did the missing people go?

More importantly, if the boss really vanishes and never comes back, what about his salary? Can he inherit this virtual game room?

Ding dong!

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

Lin Xia was about to turn and greet the customer, but found no one outside—the cold wind carried fine rain against his face.

Thinking the glass door was broken, Lin Xia paid it no mind and glanced at the still-playing TV.

At that moment, the lights in the virtual room suddenly began to flicker.

A chilling aura surged from the side, making Lin Xia shiver involuntarily.

He turned his head—and saw the computer screen behind the counter twisting, pixels being kneaded by an invisible hand, gradually reassembling into a line of blood-red text:

【Are you tired of your monotonous daily life? Are you willing to step into an unknown world for power beyond humanity?】

Yes/No.

The lights above continued to flicker.

The text on the screen looked as if written in blood, its edges dripping continuously.

The sudden eerie scene made Lin Xia instinctively rise and step back—immediately knocking over the promotional stand behind him. The crash echoed sharply in the silent virtual room.

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

Lin Xia felt his temples throb violently, his heartbeat accelerating—he cried out in instinctive terror:

"No!"

After Lin Xia answered, the "Yes" on the screen rapidly enlarged, as if an invisible hand had pressed confirm.

As the text faded, two new lines appeared on the screen:

【Welcome, Bliss Player. I look forward to your performance!】

【Loading Novice Trial Scene】

"No, no! I chose 'No'!"

The lights suddenly returned to normal.

But just as Lin Xia thought he was hallucinating from staying up too late, a sudden sight stole his breath.

The three virtual room doors down the corridor opened automatically, and the three players inside stepped out.

Crack! Crack!

Their bones seemed to shift and reassemble; strange patterns surfaced on their skin, as if some creature writhed beneath.

Their muscles swelled uncontrollably, bursting their fitted clothes, revealing grayish-blue skin.

Plop!

One player's remote device fell to the floor.

His fingers elongated into sharp points; his nails grew rapidly, turning into sharp black claws.

His face twisted into a monstrous visage—his jaw jutted forward, teeth sharpened into beastly fangs.

His eyes sank inward, pupils contracting into thin slits, glowing red.

His once messy hair grew coarse, like the mane of some beast, covering his neck and shoulders.

The bizarre transformation continued.

The three players' bodies swelled, their backs arching, spines protruding as if about to pierce through skin.

With a low growl, their thighs burst through their pants, their feet twisting into hooves.

Their original forms were utterly distorted, replaced by massive, monstrous beasts that left Lin Xia gasping for air.

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

"Sss."

Lin Xia's pupils shrank sharply; his heartbeat hammered like a drum inside his chest.

The three players before him had become monsters.

Now fangs bared, claws glinting with cold light, they seemed ready to pounce and tear him apart in the next second.

Without hesitation, Lin Xia snatched a metal rod from beneath the counter.

It was the weapon the boss had given him—to deal with drunken troublemakers who stumbled in at night—but he had no idea if it could stand against monsters.

His fingers clenched the rod tightly; its icy touch spread from his palm.

At that moment, the three twisted-beast monsters roared and charged, claws scraping screeching grooves along the shelves.

Lin Xia stood inside the counter, metal rod gripped tight, his body trembling with adrenaline, knuckles white with strain, muscles taut beneath his bronze skin like a drawn bow.

The first monster leapt straight at his face, jaws snapping.

Lin Xia stepped back decisively.

Splash!

The counter's glass shattered under the monster's impact; at the same moment, he swung the metal rod hard into its skull.

The rod struck bone with a dull "crack"—the monster's head slumped sideways.

But its claw, driven by momentum, slashed across his chest, leaving three bloody gashes.

Pain made Lin Xia roar—he raised the rod again and smashed it down, breaking the monster's neck.

Then he kicked out, sending the monster lying across the counter flying.

The second monster lunged from the side, claws aimed for his waist.

He twisted his body, using the momentum, and roared as he swung the rod horizontally.

The rod slammed into the monster's ribs with a heavy thud, knocking it back several steps—but it roared and charged again immediately.

The third monster attacked from straight 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 the scorching battle will.

He gritted his teeth, charged head-on against the monster's assault, raised the metal rod, and delivered a fierce upward strike, the rod smashing hard into the monster's lower jaw from below.

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

He took advantage of the momentum and kicked the monster in the abdomen, sending it flying.

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

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

The sound of bones crunching was clearly audible; the monster let out a piercing scream, yet its claws still clung tenaciously to his already torn-open belly.

The injury completely ignited the ferocity in Lin Xia's heart; he roared, lifted the metal rod with all his might, and delivered another heavy downward chop, the rod smashing hard into the monster's head.

One strike, two strikes, three strikes... The monster finally stopped moving under the continuous brutal assault.

The sound of bones cracking rang out repeatedly; the monster's skull was crushed inward, its body slumped lifelessly to the ground, and black liquid seeped from the monster's nose and ears.

Hah~ hah~ hah~

Silence returned to the store, broken only by Lin Xia's heavy breathing 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 mixed with the monster's black blood, slowly trickling down his skin.

He wiped the blood from his face, looked down at the metal rod in his hand, and saw the rod was already bent halfway.

Clang!

Throwing the metal rod onto the ground, Lin Xia supported his left lower abdomen, torn by sharp claws, and slid down the wall to sit.

Looking up at the monster corpses, their bodies were shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye; the patterns on their skin slowly faded, eventually returning them to their original appearances.

Only their faces were as pale as paper, and they had already ceased breathing.

Leaning against the wall, Lin Xia gasped for air, grateful to have survived the ordeal.

Everything just now felt like a nightmare, but the three cold corpses on the ground reminded him that it had all truly happened.

I killed people!

The first thing that came to his mind was how to explain it; his gaze instinctively swept toward the surveillance device on the ceiling.

After recovering some strength, he struggled to rise, supporting himself against the wall, preparing to check the surveillance footage.

This was proof of his innocence.

My actions were self-defense, absolutely not intentional homicide.

But when he arrived and stood before the cashier counter, he found the blood-colored text on the computer screen was fading away.

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 rapidly twisted and changed.

In a daze, Lin Xia shook his head violently, trying to regain his senses.

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

Huh?!

He was shocked to discover that the virtual room, previously in total disarray, had returned to its original state.

Even the glass shattered by the monsters and the collapsed shelves had restored themselves.

Was it really a dream?

The sudden change left Lin Xia at a loss.

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

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

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

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

His vision was gradually swallowed by darkness at that moment.

He didn't know how much time had passed; when Lin Xia woke up 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 tone, with obvious differences between different areas.

There was no sky overhead, only a deep, dark purple void, occasionally streaked with flowing light leaving a brief trail.

The ground was paved with countless irregular black stone slabs; faint purple light seeped from the gaps between the slabs, as if some energy was flowing deep beneath the earth.

Surrounding the area where he stood were towering pillars covered in intricate runes; a faint purple mist permeated the air, within which faint floating light spots were visible, like fireflies scattered by the wind.

Gazing toward the square ahead, he saw many figures gathering near this square.

What was certain was that they were all his own kind.

But the appearance of these figures made Lin Xia's brain freeze.

Some were Wearing Heavy Armor, others draped in flowing robes, and still others were figures shrouded entirely in shadow, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

The weapons were also distinct in style; some carried greatswords on their backs, others Shou Chi Fa staves, and still others had daggers flashing with cold light at their waists.

Everyone's face was tense, their expressions nervous, as if about to face some unknown danger.

In the center of the spatial square stood a massive black stone stele, covered with densely packed names; some names shimmered with Jin Guang, while others were dim, like memories about to be forgotten.

Standing before the stele was a figure in a black robe; his face was indistinct, and his voice was low and hoarse:

"The teleportation is about to begin. The living move forward; the dead are annihilated."

As the black-robed figure's words fell, a portion of the figures in the square silently gathered before the stele, and an oppressive tension filled the air.

Some spoke in low tones, others silently checked their equipment, and still others closed their eyes and focused, as if praying.

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

Their figures gradually blurred within the pillar of light, finally vanishing from sight.

The bizarre scene before his eyes made Lin Xia think of the missing persons from news reports.

If his guess was right, the compatriots in the scene were all "missing persons," and that included him.

Feeling oppressed, he suddenly thought of something.

The boss was probably here too — he could ask him for his wages.

"What am I even thinking."

Lin Xia couldn't help but shake his head. He didn't even know how to get out right now; even if he found the boss and got his wages, what good would it do.

At that moment, a sudden stabbing pain shot through his head.

It felt as though an invisible hand was stuffing things into his brain, a flood of information surfacing in his mind.

【Bliss Player: Lin Xia.】

Identity: Chosen One (A special Bliss Player chosen by the gods; at the start, may obtain one innate talent skill.)

Echo Count: 0

Combat Attributes:

Physical Fitness: 23 (Determined by basic physical indicators such as strength, speed, endurance, agility, and reaction time.)

Tip: Physical Fitness affects the rate of Qi and blood recovery, as well as the body's ability to withstand damage.

Mental Strength: 6 (Determined by basic attributes such as willpower, focus, stress resistance, and mental energy reserves.)

Tip: Mental Strength can be used to resist illusion arts, mind control, and similar abilities.

Innate Talent Skill: Berserker lv1 (After activating the talent, continuously deducts Qi and blood, nullifies physical pain, significantly boosts Physical Fitness; can be upgraded by spending Death Points.)

……

Death Space, Bliss Players, point-based enhancement, trial missions… this information gradually made Lin Xia understand his situation.

He had been chosen by an unknown god and drawn into a death game.

To survive, he had to complete the missions issued by the god.

He now had a new identity: Bliss Player.

The black stone stele at the center of the plaza was the enhancement system within Death Space.

Bliss Players could use points earned from completing missions to enhance their Physical Fitness, special abilities, equipment, items, and other aspects at the stele.

What he was right now: a Non-Echo.

Meaning he had not yet answered the god's summons to head to the real battlefield for exploration.

Before becoming an Echo, he still had to go through five rounds of trials, plus one ultimate trial; only by completing all trials would he truly become a warrior of the god.

Just then, an emotionless, icy voice rang out in his mind:

"The trial is about to begin. The living march forward; the dead are annihilated."

As the voice rang out, a ribbon of light rose from the ground, pointing straight at the black-robed figure standing before the stele.

According to the information in his mind, the black-robed figure was a guide within Death Space, responsible for guiding Bliss Players in starting their missions.

"What happens if I don't go?"

In response to Lin Xia's question, no voice in his mind gave any answer.

The answer was obvious.

Bitter at heart, he still walked straight to the stele as required and stood still.

No other figures arrived beside him.

As he waited, a faint glow rose on the stele, countless indecipherable characters rapidly reconstructing.

The void above his head suddenly split open with a crack, as if a god had opened an eye; a golden pillar of light thundered down and enveloped him.

An instant of intense dizziness struck, and the surrounding space twisted and shifted along with it.

Once his vision cleared, he found dozens of figures had appeared around him.

The environment had changed as well — towering trees reaching into the clouds surrounded him, their canopies shrouded by thick fog, sunlight barely able to penetrate.

Yet the forest before his eyes was remarkably clear, illuminated by the glow of countless bioluminescent plants.

Beneath his feet was a massive altar.

At its center floated a small crystal emitting a faint purple light.

Just then, the guide's voice rang out in his mind

"The trial begins. Your mission is to head into the depths of the forest to obtain the Spring of Light, and bring back a single drop of its 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 mission failure."

"What happens if we fail?" came a voice on the verge of tears.

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

The guide gave no answer.

"We'll die, right?" a young man in casual clothes asked, trembling. His face was pale, clearly still not recovered from the dizziness of the teleportation.

"Don't panic, let's exchange some information first."

At that moment, a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward and began organizing everyone to gather together and share information related to Death Space.

From their conversation, Lin Xia discovered that these Bliss Players, like himself, had all encountered various bizarre and uncanny events before entering Death Space — mostly attacks by monsters.

But unlike him, they had all been killed by monsters within the Illusion.

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

The biggest difference was that these Bliss Players who had died within the Illusion had no innate talent skills.

Yet he possessed an ability called "Berserker."

How to use the innate talent skill had already been imprinted in his mind, but its actual effects still needed to be verified.

The translucent membrane shrouding the altar dispersed during the conversation, and the mission officially began.

A total of 37 players are participating in this trial mission.

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

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the fog gradually thickened and visibility dropped.

Low roars echoed from deep within the forest from time to time, as if some evil creature were watching from the shadows.

They had only explored a few hundred meters into the woods when Lin Xia suddenly heard a rustling sound from a nearby thicket, as if something were moving rapidly through the bushes.

"Careful!" the team leader Li Feng warned in a low voice, his gaze sweeping forward:

"Something's approaching."

Before the words faded, a piercing shriek tore through the silence.

Immediately after, dozens of creatures shaped like short dwarves burst out from the thickets. Their skin was a sickly gray-green, their eyes blood-red, crude Shi Fu and wooden clubs gripped in their hands, and they let out shrill, strange cries.

Lin Xia's heart sank sharply, and he immediately crouched down to pick up a stone.

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

"Careful!"

Lin Xia called out a warning, but the woman's face was filled with terror; her body seemed rooted to the spot, staring blankly as the green-skinned monster closed in.

Crack!

The sharp Shi Fu hacked into the woman's right shoulder, warm blood splattering across Lin Xia's face. The brutal sight and the smell of blood nearly made him gag.

The woman screamed, but the Shi Fu was mercilessly raised again, chopping toward her neck.

Crack!

A living life fell.

Coming back to his senses, Lin Xia stepped forward without hesitation, swung his right arm gripping the black stone, and smashed it hard into the green-skinned monster's head.

The green-skinned monster was sent crashing to the ground by the heavy blow, and Lin Xia immediately snatched the Shi Fu from its hand.

Choosing not to hide his strength, he immediately activated the talent imprint within his body.

The aura around his body changed abruptly, and the rhythm of his heartbeat exploded in his ears like war drums.

His muscles swelled rapidly as if pumped full of air; his once well-fitting clothes were stretched taut, emitting a "hiss hiss" sound, as if they would burst the next second.

The veins on his arms coiled like thick vines, pulsing with the flex of his muscles. The muscles of his legs bulged high, each one as if cast in steel, steadily supporting his still-expanding frame.

A red glint flickered in Lin Xia's eyes.

"Die!"

A single strike of the Shi Fu in his hand lopped the green-skinned monster's head clean off.

The fighting desire kindled in his heart burned like an inextinguishable flame, and he decisively pounced on the other charging green-skinned monsters.

One axe, one kill.

Compared to the trial players around him, Lin Xia was like a war god possessed, cutting a bloody swath in every direction.

The berserk state lasted five minutes.

When the battle ended, Lin Xia was as if drained of all his strength; his legs went weak and he slumped to the ground.

His breathing was Urgent and Heavy, every inhale like a desperate grasp for oxygen from thin air, and his body trembled uncontrollably from utter exhaustion.

The once-bulging muscles withered, becoming slack and powerless; the massive loss of qi and blood within his body also drained the color from his skin, turning it a deathly pale white.

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 fierce, savage glint of his berserk state; his expression was weary.

He raised his head to look — severed limbs and fresh blood were scattered across the ground.

A piercing stench of blood filled the air; more than half of the trial squad was dead or wounded.

Many figures who had been talking just moments ago now lay sprawled across the ground in all directions.

The scene was too bloody, and Lin Xia couldn't help but start dry heaving.

The surviving trial teammates all wore expressions of despair. A middle-aged man slumped beside him, both hands clutching his own hair tightly, his body trembling slightly, his eyes full of agony and despair. Lin Xia could even hear the whimpering that escaped his trembling lips.

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

Their very first encounter with the monsters had plunged them into boundless despair.

They couldn't imagine how they were going to get through the rest of the journey.

Perhaps... they would all die here.

Half an hour later, Lin Xia, having recovered a little strength, stood up.

He knew he had to step forward.

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

"Stop lying around here waiting to die. If we don't finish the mission, we all die. Time is limited — we need to move."

The others raised their heads one after another to look at Lin Xia.

If Lin Xia hadn't turned the tide just now, they might all have died in the green-skinned monsters' attack.

"You guys might want to die, but I don't. If you want to live, follow me."

Seeing the hesitation in their eyes, Lin Xia hardened his heart and decisively strode deeper into the forest.

Seeing Lin Xia about to walk away, the remaining trial-takers, after a brief hesitation, chose one after another to follow.

……

28 hours later.

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

On the final stretch toward the altar, his legs felt as if filled with lead; every step was unbearably heavy.

His left arm hung limp, a wound deep enough to expose bone snaking from his shoulder down to his elbow.

As he moved, fresh blood slowly dripped from his fingertips, leaving a trail of bloody marks behind him.

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

The stump was simply bandaged with cloth torn from his clothes; leaning on a branch he had picked up in the forest as a crutch, every step he took turned his face deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead.

Behind him, Old Zhang had a deep gash tearing open half his face, flesh and skin turned outward, blood and filth smearing his entire cheek, while one eye was blurred by blood, unable to see anything clearly.

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

Little Wang, walking on Lin Xia's left, was in relatively better condition, with only several long gashes slashed across his back.

But his clothes were already soaked through with fresh blood, sticking to the wounds in thin strands; his body trembled constantly as he walked, supported to this point solely by willpower.

To complete the mission, the squad of thirty-seven had been reduced to these four; the rest of the trialists had all fought to their deaths in the forest, devoured by different types of monsters.

Arriving before the altar, Lin Xia slapped the box of the Spring of Light, held in an iron container, onto the altar.

Instantly, a figure in black robes manifested from the void, nodding toward them:

"The first round of trial missions is complete. Begin returning to the Death Space. You now have twenty-four hours of rest time."

As the words fell, a pillar of light appeared, wrapping around their bodies.

Settlement information floated up in Lin Xia's mind:

【Trial Mission: Spring of Light】

Mission Performance Evaluation: S-Rank.

Points Obtained from Mission:

Combat Points (Combat Performance): 8,342 points

Desperate Situation Points (Breakthrough Performance): 4,292 points.

Teamwork Points: 925 points.

Mission Points: 3,000 points.

Total Points Obtained: 16,559 points.

……

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

Standing before him was the Point Stele where items could be exchanged.

Lin Xia placed his hand on the black stele; instantly, various goods available for exchange with points listed themselves in his mind.

Injury Repair: 323 points (consumption increases with strength improvement)

Demon-Breaking Potion: After drinking, element resistance is significantly increased for a short time, lasting 135 minutes.

Price: 250 points.

Sky-Splitting War Axe

Equipment Rank: C-Rank

Equipment Description: Forged from black refined ore iron, incredibly sharp, capable of inflicting physical damage on enemies.

Equipment Inherent Trait: Sky-Splitting Slash.

Price: 3,500 points.

Attribute Enhancement: Consuming 100 points grants one freely assignable attribute point; after total 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 purple stream of light surged from within the stele, striking his body and seeping into him through his pores.

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

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

Lin Xia's tightly strung nerves finally relaxed, causing him to subconsciously close his eyes to enjoy the surging energy within; his originally paper-pale face gradually regained some color.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, the exhaustion fading from them.

After the first round of death trials, Lin Xia's eyes had changed.

Having undergone the grinding of life and death, 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 together approached at this moment; Lin Xia looked at the three comrades who had lived and died with him and nodded solemnly.

The time they had spent together was merely twenty-eight hours.

But this journey was a road of life and death measured out with their very lives.

Especially Old Zhang among the three; when the squad fell into a desperate situation, disregarding his own safety, he cursed loudly:

"Laozi has lived enough!"

Turning around, he drew the monsters' fire and departed.

His resolute back view remains 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 each other did they barely complete the mission.

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

After asking about the number of points they had obtained from this mission, Lin Xia decided to give up a portion of his own to help these three brothers improve their strength.

……

Three months later.

Death Space.

A pillar of light descended with a boom; after the Bai Guang dispersed, the seventy-eight members of the squad led by Lin Xia appeared.

Lin Xia's gaze swept over this familiar yet detestable space.

At this moment, the tension and ignorance of his first arrival had faded from his face, replaced by a calmness as deep as an abyss and vast as the sea.

Having undergone five death trials, each one fraught with peril, requiring him to struggle for survival with all his might.

These experiences were like a carving knife, stripping away the boyishness from him and teaching him how to survive in desperate situations.

But what struck him most deeply, besides the powerful monsters in the trial environment, was the complexity of human nature.

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

They had all once been his own compatriots.

Yet under the mandatory missions of the Death Space, they became objects of slaughter against one another.

In the scramble for mission points, he saw members within teams secretly colluding with outside forces and betraying their own.

The collapse of trust pained him far more than any enemy's attack; when the truth came to light, those faces he had once fought shoulder to shoulder with became alien and savage, driven by self-interest.

Old Zhang, who had gone through the first round of trials with him, was ambushed and killed by a hostile team because of his comrades' betrayal.

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

His mindset grew through trial after trial of tempering.

His gaze fell on the stone tablet, where the team he had founded, "Annihilation," was inscribed in second place on the leaderboard.

It was foreseeable that the next round, the ultimate trial, would very likely pit them against the first-ranked team, "Iron Cavalry."

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

There were still 24 hours of rest time; 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 go to the Space Plaza to gather information on the "Iron Cavalry" team.

Once the ultimate trial ended, he and his teammates would all become "Echoers."

According to the black-robed guide's description, they would be sent to the true battlefield.

As for the brutal trials within the Death Space, in the guide's description they were nothing more than children's games.

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

The guide's answer was that the trials could be understood as the newbie village in a game, except that the vast majority of trial-takers would be eliminated and die in the newbie village.

The trial scenes were woven by great gods, and the rewards obtained were all bestowed by the gods.

The purpose of doing so was to temper their willpower and teach them how to become warriors.

Secondly, after each round of trials and subsequent strengthening, there would be a series of issues of maladjustment.

The next round of trials was an adaptability training for newly acquired abilities.

Only by completing five rounds of trials and successfully passing the ultimate trial would one qualify to go to the true battlefield.

By then, their identities would undergo a transformation.

They would also obtain 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 number of death-revival chances under specific conditions.

Lin Xia could not imagine how terrifying the true battlefield the guide spoke of must be, and he also found the mighty power of the unknown gods hard to believe.

What kind of transcendent existence could it be, capable of reviving them after death?

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

Lin Xia's speculative guess was that countless gods were waging a war game, each cultivating super warriors to send to the true battlefield to slaughter one another.

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

His fist slowly clenched.

He knew the trials awaiting him were still ongoing.

But facing unknown dangers, Lin Xia felt no panic in his heart.

In his heart there was only the determination to keep on living.

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

(End of this chapter)