The Second Challenge

"Enter the second level of the Trial Tower to begin the trial."

"Number 11273, you need to kill 100 Fifth Level opponents within one hour. If the number of kills is not met after one hour, this trial will be declared a failure."

"Note that the opponent you need to kill has the same attributes as you. If you are killed by mistake, you will die permanently and will not have the chance to revive."

That was almost exactly the same notification sound as the first floor of the Trial Tower.

With the desert before him and his previous experience, Fang Li knew exactly what kind of opponents he would need to defeat next.

"Rustle..."

Amidst this sound, dark figures began to approach from all sides of the desert.

Fang Li raised his head and looked around.

One by one, Black Scorpion, each the size of a calf, emerged from the sand dunes, their blood-red eyes fixed menacingly on the only prey in the desert.

In an instant, Fang Li's surroundings were completely occupied by black scorpions, as if he were trapped in a desperate situation, and a chilling atmosphere began to rise in the air.

Fang Li merely raised the corner of his mouth in response.

"Thud..."

With a soft sound, the dagger, as white as moonlight, fell into Fang Li's palm.

"It's been a long time since I've gone on a killing spree..."

With these murmurs, Fang Li's eyes suddenly turned ice blue.

The tense atmosphere in the air was instantly filled with a chilling coldness.

An intense pressure gradually rose from Fang Li's body.

"————!"

Whether it was because they sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Fang Li, each of the Black Scorpion took a step back.

Immediately, the scorpions burrowed into the sand.

"Rustle----!"

Amidst the swirling sound of sand, one after another, Black Scorpion suddenly burrowed into the sand, causing dust to begin to spread all around.

Immediately afterwards, in the desert, one after another very inconspicuous protrusions, like sharks swimming in the sea, kept moving towards Fang Li's direction.

This is the difference between the scorpions on the second floor and those on the first floor.

The scorpions on the first level only know how to rush towards the enemy, without considering anything else.

The scorpions on the second level, however, began to use tactics, hiding in the sand like venomous snakes, ready to pounce and launch an attack at any moment.

Last time, Fang Li lost because of this.

"But this time it's different."

In the world of Aria of the Scarlet Ammo, Fang Li learned quite a few techniques.

The Assault Department course includes instruction in tracking and counter-tracking techniques, enabling armed detectives to detect enemies through various means such as footsteps, sounds, and line of sight.

Fang Li, as S-Rank Armed Detective from the Armed Detective High School, scored almost full marks in both tracking and counter-tracking techniques.

Therefore, unlike last time, Fang Li will no longer panic in this situation.

At that moment, Fang Li closed his eyes slightly, turned his ears, and began to listen to the sounds around him.

"Call----!"

This is the sound of the wind.

"Rustle----!"

That's the sound of sand.

These sounds created noise and caused significant disruption.

However, this level is nothing at all.

After all, Corey, the leader of the Assault Department, had trained to distinguish specific footsteps amidst a lot of background noise using a headset.

Therefore, Fang Li simply focused his mind and, relying on his previous experience, immediately blocked out the sounds of wind and sand.

Fang Li immediately noticed it.

The sound of the sand flowing around me became different from the surroundings.

Moreover, the sound of multi-legged movement, like that of a spider, was also mixed in and reached Fang Li's ears.

In addition, the ground where he was standing began to tremble slightly, and the tremors grew stronger. Fang Li suddenly opened his eyes and took a small step back.

"Puff----!"

Almost simultaneously, with the sound of sand being overturned, a dark figure suddenly darted out of the sand and rushed out from the spot where Fang Li had just been standing.

Sure enough, it was a scorpion lurking in the sand.

As if leaping into the air, the large black scorpion burst out of the sand and soared into the sky.

Naturally, the scorpion's figure was clearly imprinted in the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception's field of vision.

Crack-like Death Lines appeared on the scorpion's surface.

"Choke----!"

The blade flashed.

"Pfft—!"

With a tearing sound, the sharp dagger suddenly sliced through the scorpion's sturdy shell, slicing fiercely along the crack-like Death Lines.

Blood suddenly appeared.

The black scorpion didn't even have time to scream before it was sliced in two, falling into the desert covered in thick blood.

The frigid atmosphere in the air was completely ignited.

The next second, as if triggering a chain reaction, one after another, pitch-black giant scorpions burst out of the sand, like flying fish leaping from the water, and rushed up from all sides of the Fang Li at an extremely fast speed to launch their attack.

At the same time, in the sand surrounding Fang Li, stinging tails emerged, like the fangs of venomous snakes, slashing through the air and stabbing towards Fang Li.

Instantly, Fang Li was surrounded by an overwhelming attack and found himself in grave danger.

If it were the old Fang Li, he would definitely choose to dodge in this situation.

However, the tactical courses he took at the Armed Detective High School greatly improved Fang Li's adaptability.

Therefore, faced with the overwhelming attack, Fang Li only raised one leg.

"Flash Run - Flying Moon!"

A strike as powerful as a meteorite landed on Fang Li's foot and crashed to the ground.

"Bang—!"

With a deafening roar, the sand shattered, the powerful shockwave sending sandstorms flying like bursts of water, scattering in all directions.

Giant scorpions, surging in from all directions, charged straight into the sand.

However, at this moment, Fang Li in the sand had already disappeared.

"Bang bang bang bang bang--!"

The giant scorpions, which had suddenly appeared from all directions, collided violently in mid-air and were sent flying.

Before the giant scorpions could even land on the ground, figures suddenly appeared in the desert, like mirages, appearing behind the giant scorpions.

"Flash Sheath - Instant Prison!"

Countless figures suddenly sprang up.

The dagger in his hand slashed across the sky.

"Pfft pfft pfft—!"

Amidst the violent sounds of flesh being torn apart, sharp daggers pierced the bodies of giant scorpions, causing their blood to splatter out.