"Based on the information compiled by the experts in the Mage channel, cross-referenced with what I saw and experienced during the trial, some facts can be confirmed:
The Isle of Hope should be the largest continent in the Trial Ground.
Many nations and factions have risen and fallen on this land's surface. The most famous, and the ones that occupied the largest portion of the trial's historical setting, should be the several major god-worshiping factions whose reigns spanned thousands of years.
They included the Natural Alliance, which worshiped the Life Path; the Grand Inquisition, which believed in Order; the Tower of Reason, which pursued Truth; and the Nation of War, born from the chaos of war during the latter period of the Civilization Era.
The Bone Legion's invasion of the Isle of Hope took place during the continental war in the latter period of the Civilization Era.
With the underground forces closing in, the three factions that had been fighting one another joined forces once more and united against their common enemy.
The place we're in, Misty Forest County, is an administrative county within the Grand Inquisition's territory, and the one closest to the Abyssal Volcano, the entrance to the Underground World."
Along the way, Cao Sansui had been explaining the history of the Isle of Hope to Cheng Shi in an orderly fashion. After hearing all this, Cheng Shi finally gained a rough understanding of the Isle of Hope.
"The distribution of forces underground is more complicated. Since I'm not a follower of the Sinking or Chaos Paths, I don't know much about that part.
"And besides..."
Cao Sansui looked at Nangong and said meaningfully, "Players on those Paths generally don't like sharing information about them either."
Nangong was taken aback. She lowered her head and said:
"Sorry, my score is too low, so I haven't paid much attention to these things."
Cao Sansui shook her head. "There's nothing to apologize for. With the Faith Game descending, everyone is risking their lives in it. Staying alive is already difficult enough. Not everyone... Sigh, forget it. Let's not talk about it.
"We've lost our bearings. Blizzard Mountain is just ahead. Few tribes have settled near the mountain range, and most of them are harmless nomads. We can find a secluded place and wait for the trial to end.
"Cheng Shi was right. After being tempered by blood and fire, the trial is no longer dangerous. That also fits the usual style of war!"
Chen Chong was still leading the way at the front. He remained vigilant. Although seven hours had passed since they left the Fire Rain territory, three hours remained before the trial ended.
"Better safe than sorry. Who knows whether Song of Blood and Fire might still have a 'song' left to reveal at the end?"
Everyone froze at first. Then scattered laughter gradually rang out.
Song Yawen said cheerfully:
"This isn't a Deception trial. It shouldn't come to that, but..."
He turned around solemnly and looked at Cheng Shi.
"Thank you so much, Brother Cheng. Without you, we might already be dead."
That was the truth. Gratitude filled everyone's eyes as they looked at Cheng Shi, even though none of them knew exactly how he had saved them.
But that was simply the way the world worked now. Every high-level player had secrets, and no one was willing to pry too deeply into a powerhouse's hidden methods.
Cheng Shi felt a little embarrassed. As far as the Dread Demon was concerned, he had indeed contributed. But afterward, there had been the meteor fire rain...
He secretly squeezed the dice in his hand, merely smiled, and said nothing.
"Let's make camp here. The visibility is good, so we can spot danger in advance. We'll set up a Coffin Camp."
The group walked on and off until Chen Chong stopped on a small hill. He took out his Shieldsword and began digging.
The others were not idle either. They took tools from their personal spaces and began helping.
Generally speaking, whenever players encountered a survival-type trial set on the surface, provided they were no longer fighting, they would dig a deep hole in the ground. Like ants building a nest, they would hollow out a space beneath the hole and set up camp there.
Because it resembled a tomb, it was jokingly called a Coffin Camp. Its main purpose was to avoid dangers on the surface.
As for threats from underground, there was no need to worry about them. The Underground World in reality could not be reached simply by digging through the earth. If one had to describe it, it was more like another independent space.
Rather than considering how to avoid threats from underground, they might as well think carefully about how to keep the Coffin Camp from collapsing.
Everyone dug quickly. Just as the sun's afterglow disappeared, the group had already moved into the underground space and taken out various foods to replenish their energy.
Everything they brought out was light and filling. Song Yawen and Cao Sansui had even produced hot noodle soup, making sure it was perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Only Cheng Shi silently took out a segment of Finger Bread and a bottle of Tentacle Slime drink in front of everyone.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The moment the slime gurgled down their throats, everyone fell silent.
Song Yawen dry-heaved a few times and covered his mouth.
"I'm starting to think Brother Cheng really might not be God's Chosen..."
Nangong's brows furrowed again and again. She broke her beef patty in half and held it out.
Cheng Shi looked at the half patty and accepted it without hesitation. "This is too embarrassing."
"You... haven't downloaded the food pack recently? Why don't you drink... cola?"
"Huh?" Cheng Shi mumbled as he ate. "I did. This Finger Bread is fresh. It was produced just yesterday."
"..."
Cao Sansui looked incredulous. "You have 2,000 points, and you like eating this?"
"Who told you I have 2,000 points? I have 1,501."
"..."
Chen Chong helplessly chuckled twice. "A Ladder Score, and you're deceiving each other over it. Cheng Shi, you wouldn't happen to be..."
Before he could finish, a violent Spatial Ripple erupted around everyone.
Everyone's bodies jolted. They exchanged disbelieving looks, their eyes wide.
This sensation was too familiar. It was the signal that the trial had ended.
"How could this be? It's only been twenty-three hours!?"
Cao Sansui took out her pocket watch and checked it, confirming that the time she had anchored was correct. Only twenty-three hours had passed. One full hour remained.
Everyone else was equally bewildered. This had never happened in any of their previous trials.
But no one was excited that the trial had ended early. Instead, they all frowned deeply.
Change meant risk.
No one could say whether ending the trial early was good or bad.
But these were not things the players could decide. Just as everyone was about to say a few more words, the six figures vanished one after another, leaving only the food in their hands, which dropped to the ground with a thud.
Looking at the food scattered on the ground, Cheng Shi's heart sank, and an inexplicable ache rose within him.
"Damn it! They still haven't compensated me for my Contempt of the Dead and Past Prosperity!"
Special Trial (Song of Blood and Fire: War) Challenge Successful Scoring in progress, rewards being settled... Player: Cheng Shi, Performance Rating: S Item obtained: Complaining Mask (B) ×1 Item obtained: Doubtful Mask (A) ×1 Item obtained: Gratitude Mask (A) ×1 Item obtained: Satisfaction Mask (S) ×1 Item obtained: Desire Mask (B) ×1 Path to Godhood +12 Ladder of Audience +2 Current Path to Godhood score: 2116, Global ranking: Current Ladder of Audience score: 158, Path ranking: 69 Trial cleared. Exiting soon.
His vision turned black once more. When Cheng Shi opened his eyes, he had already returned to the rooftop. He looked across and found the Young Man surnamed Xie lying at the edge of the opposite rooftop, covered in blood. By coincidence, he was looking toward Cheng Shi.
Regardless of how many days passed inside a Special Trial, everyone's end time was synchronized, just as everyone entered the trial at the same time.
Seeing his miserable state, Cheng Shi expressed an appropriate amount of sympathy.
"You're impressive, brother. You survived another seven days."
The Young Man surnamed Xie silently nodded, fear still lingering on his face.
It seemed his trial had not been easy.
Come to think of it, Cheng Shi's trial had not been easy either.
Cheng Shi suddenly thought of something and hurriedly checked the number of survivors worldwide.
Current number of global believers: !!!
Ten billion people had died!
Normally, a few tens of millions dying in a Special Trial would already be considered a lot. This time, a full ten billion people had died in one go!?
They... have accelerated.
A trace of fear and powerlessness rose in Cheng Shi's heart. He looked at the warehouse he had built on the rooftop, then touched the air wall in front of him and laughed self-deprecatingly.
"Players? We're just playthings."
If nothing unexpected had happened, he and his teammates should have been among those ten billion eliminated. But why had the Meteor Fire Rain spared them?
Could it be because...
Cheng Shi took the pale dice from his chest.
This was the divine relic he had chosen when selecting his Path, a dice that could only roll a one.
But he had later learned in various trials that the Bone Dice should be a relic of Destiny and could roll any face. So what exactly was his?
And there were also those reward masks...
He hurried into the warehouse and opened a special door. Looking at the rows of white masks in the acrylic display case, he fell into thought once again.
Fawning, flattery, contempt, enthusiastic praise, indifference, resentment... Dozens of masks stood in several rows, each with a different expression.
Yet their designs were strikingly similar: a snow-white face and a pair of vivid eyeholes.
It was not that Cheng Shi had never tried putting the masks over his face, but they had been completely useless. They were not even the right size.
"Ever since I obtained that Talent, Special Trials have stopped giving me other reward items. What exactly are these masks for?"
Cheng Shi sighed and stared in confusion at his player panel.
Cheng Shi, male, 22 years old Path: Nothingness Faith: Deception Class: Priest Path to Godhood: 2116, Global ranking: Ladder of Audience: 158, Path ranking: 69 Talents: Lies Like Yesterday (SS): Deception Faith Talent, Active. Your faith will temporarily be replaced by the faith of the most recent believer you deceived. Master of Deception (S): Deception Faith Talent, Passive. Your lies are more easily believed by others. Unless the deceived target encounters a cognitive contradiction, they cannot discover your methods of deception. You can also detect every method of deception except your own. Sacrifice to the Void (S): Deception Faith Talent, Active. When an item you fabricate does not exist but is widely acknowledged by others to exist, the item exists. Aspects of All Beings (S): Deception Faith Talent, Passive. Special Trial rewards will be replaced with the special item Mask of All Beings. This Talent cannot be replaced by other Talents. Shared Divine Grace (S): Priest Class Talent, Active. When healing members of the same species, a healing transfer effect is produced. For every additional target, the healing effect and range increase by one level. ... Items: Dice of Destiny (Predetermined) (S): You can never change the fate of this dice. Lips of Foolish Play (Fused) (S): It likes to lie, whether you like it or not. It likes to deceive people, including you. Mask of All Beings (SABC): One face for a thousand people, a thousand faces in one. Quantity: 47. Past Prosperity (A): Healing potion. Search through memories, trace them back, and restore a previous state at its peak. Quantity: 93. ... Skills: Basic Healing, Healing Chain, Ray of Healing, Calming Technique, Hypnosis, Curse Removal, Resistance Shield, Holy Light Prayer...
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