Trial in Peril

"Would some kind soul share the coordinates? I picked up three last time and got killed. I just can't accept that."

"Offering 1 Sacrificial Power for God of Wealth's location. Send me the coordinates first, then I'll transfer the payment. I'm trustworthy and won't cheat you."

"God of Wealth is way too strong. Players who've had good luck these past few days have already earned several thousand Sacrificial Power."

"I watched someone livestream picking up Evil Crystals yesterday and unlocking their second Star Vein Slot. I'm so jealous. I'm begging for God of Wealth's coordinates. I want to get rich too."

Player discussions flashed rapidly through Qi Sheng's mind.

Ever since Duan Xing appeared, the regional chat channel and the forums had become especially lively.

All the players were discussing Duan Xing's whereabouts, and they had even given him the title "God of Wealth."

That was because many players had made a fortune by picking up Evil Crystals.

Compared with the Sacrificial Power they earned through the hard work of fighting monsters, picking up Evil Crystals was clearly easier and more profitable.

The players' enthusiasm for picking up Evil Crystals was truly ignited after one player posted their earnings on the forums and livestreamed themselves using the Sacrificial Power to unlock a second Star Vein Slot.

During this time, some players had organized the Wealth Seeking Alliance, searching high and low for signs of Duan Xing in the hope of following him and making a windfall.

Whenever they spotted signs of Duan Xing, they posted the coordinates in the regional channel, and then large numbers of players swarmed in, following the map's directions.

These players believed that sharing the coordinates would maximize their profits.

Going alone would inevitably get them killed in an instant. Only by joining in as a group could they seize the opportunity to pick up Evil Crystals amid the chaos.

And it wasn't hard to find signs of Duan Xing.

Before every killing spree, Duan Xing lit some kind of smoke signal that attracted the evil entities. The smoke could be seen rising even from far away, and the evil entities nearby would stir in response.

The only thing that displeased the players was how brutal God of Wealth's methods were when they showed up.

He didn't give them any chance to talk at all.

But the players didn't care whether they could talk to God of Wealth. They only cared whether they could get a share of the wealth he created.

Some players were also curious about God of Wealth's behavior.

They couldn't understand what he was doing or why he kept changing locations to slaughter evil entities.

No player could answer that question.

Meanwhile, a post that appeared on the forums left Qi Sheng laughing helplessly.

[Anyone else notice? God of Wealth's expressions are changing a lot.]

Poster: Only Whales Get Stronger.

Post: I've been tracking God of Wealth with everyone these past few days and even made a little money, but that's not the point. The point is that God of Wealth seems to have undergone some unknown changes in his state of mind. I've collected screenshots of his expressions from the livestreams since he first appeared. Compare them and see for yourselves.

(Collection of God of Wealth's expressions)

The poster had labeled every expression in the post with the exact time it was captured.

The first image had been captured when Duan Xing first came into contact with the players.

At the time, Duan Xing had been expressionless, his features cold and stern. Confidence and pride could be seen between his brows.

In the second image, after Duan Xing had encountered players several times, his brow was slightly furrowed as he looked at them. A hint of red could be seen in his eyes, and he looked extremely impatient.

In the third image, Duan Xing had encountered players again after changing locations to hunt evil entities. He could no longer keep his expression under control as he looked at them; crimson light seemed ready to spill from his eyes, and murderous intent leapt from the picture.

In the fourth and fifth images, Duan Xing had run into players again after changing locations once more. While slaughtering evil entities, he happened to turn his head and spot them. He was briefly taken aback, then was swallowed by a red haze.

In the sixth image, Duan Xing had changed locations yet again and was staring at the players who had suddenly appeared. His expression was complicated, full of anger, unwillingness, regret, and frustration, with a hint of despair mixed in... Players had even called this God of Wealth's award-worthy performance, saying that a single photo showed a complex shift in emotions.

The seventh...

From cold indifference to despair, God of Wealth's emotions, in the players' eyes, had nearly reached the breaking point.

His long, flowing hair had also become disheveled after successive battles, his pure white eyes had turned completely red, and the light shining from the runes on his Runes Armor had dimmed.

Comparing the first and tenth images best showed just how much he had changed.

The players' comments under the post were also quite amusing.

Is This Okay: God of Wealth doesn't seem happy. Could it be because he hasn't had enough fun killing?

The Dark Land Is So Much Fun: God of Wealth might be a special game mechanic. His hunting evil entities all over the place is like handing out red envelopes. If you find him, you get a pretty good payout. Maybe the developers deliberately added a little difficulty to the mechanic by having God of Wealth kill the players who come to pick up the red envelopes, making it more fun?

Humanity Rising replied to The Dark Land Is So Much Fun: You know what? You might actually be right. This could very well be some kind of game mechanic.

Rust Enchantment: God of Wealth seems to have a blood feud with the evil entities. He looks exhausted, but he's still going around changing locations to kill them. I'm really curious about his backstory, but this game's content is all discovered through exploration. There's no way to view a character's backstory.

What Goes Around Comes Around: Guys, God of Wealth is at the Crimson Plains (coordinates). Get over here!

Southern sector, Crimson Plains.

The moon hung like blood, dyeing the sky a deep crimson, but it couldn't dispel the gloom over the land. The lush greenery that had once covered the plains was gone, replaced by desolation and despondency. Every inch of the land was steeped in blood and bones.

"This is the place. They said God of Wealth was here, but where is he?"

Two players passed through a thorn-covered area and arrived at the coordinates posted in the regional channel.

But to their disappointment, there was no sign of God of Wealth. There wasn't even a single evil entity anywhere nearby.

"Damn it, we must've been tricked by that bastard spreading fake news," the player in front said through gritted teeth.

"Bro, what do we do now?" asked the young man standing beside him, who looked about eighteen.

"What else can we do? Let's head—" Just then, the man in front noticed what looked like a large pit not far away.

Curious, he walked over to the pit and pulled away the thorns covering its opening. What they saw made them suck in a sharp breath.

The pit was actually hiding a pile of Evil Crystals, probably several hundred of them.

"Holy crap, we're rich!"

An hour later.

A streak of blue light descended from the sky and landed in front of the pit.

He waved his hand, sweeping the thorns covering the entrance to one side.

But just as he was about to toss the Evil Crystals in his hands into the pit, his expression went blank.

"Where are the Evil Crystals?"

"Where are my Evil Crystals!"

Roar!

Duan Xing threw back his head and roared. His disheveled hair whipped in the wind, his face contorted with rage, and crimson light once again filled his pure white eyes.

But the boundless anger was soon swallowed by despair.

Five days had passed since the trial began, but the mission had made no progress at all. If this continued, his trial ranking would only keep dropping.

Duan Xing sat down beside the pit, his gaze slowly going vacant.

Before the trial began, he had considered all kinds of dangers he might face. But he had never imagined he would end up trapped in a predicament where he couldn't make any progress in the Waning Crescent Moon scenario.

"I can't accept this..."

Duan Xing, his gaze already vacant, stared dumbly at the empty pit and murmured to himself.