Turning Over the Cards

Fate's gifts might seem generous, but more often than not, the price had already been marked in secret.

Perhaps there truly was love without reason in this world, but for most people, aside from their parents, they would never have the chance to encounter it.

"...Just as I thought, this is all a trap."

After Lu PingAn completed a hunt along the way, he noticed that the monsters had grown noticeably stronger—well beyond what newcomers could endure.

Alarms kept sounding on his radar. Targets that were "beyond the syllabus" had appeared far too many times.

To him, it was not much of a problem that the examinees had been driven into a corner and worn out in body and mind. But this sudden spike in the difficulty curve had already crossed the line.

"...Why are there so many threats with power beyond the standard? Is this really an exam meant for those young people?"

The answer was both yes and no.

"This is not merely a test for those with Temporary Licenses. It is also a test of Changping Province's younger generation and its potential combat strength," said a Rule-level powerhouse in the command room.

Some things were far less simple than they appeared.

Could a Rule-level combatant, Changping Province's foremost "Rain Old Man," Huang Yushan, simply choosing to "retire" really force strategic adjustments across the entire Abyss Defense Line?

Measured against the scale of the entire nation and all human society, if one Rule-level combatant stepped down, then another could simply take his place.

No matter the cost, as long as it maintained the stable development of society and the nation, it was worth it.

Changping Province was not wealthy, but it was not incapable of producing a second Rule-level combatant—especially now, when Rule-level power was clearly becoming less