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"Don't jump to conclusions!"
"I told you, the third trial stage is special. Keep watching and you'll see!"
King Yama Zhou remained completely unruffled.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
"Special?"
"What the hell do you mean?"
"Could the boss be fake?"
King Yama Zhou's expression remained stern. He beckoned, and a junior administrator hurried over.
After a few quick adjustments, a recording played over the loudspeakers on the athletic field.
"Old Zhou, I took care of what you asked."
"Right."
"The volcano is real, but the Flame Demon Overlord is just a fake."
"Remember the Dream Illusion Demon Flower? It's a monster that was declared extinct. We got lucky and caught one."
"One of the flower's traits is that when a living creature enters its territory, it transforms into a powerful monster and releases an overwhelming pressure. We've done our best to remove the weaknesses that would make it easy to see through the transformation. Even so, the flower's attack power is still ridiculously low."
"Be sure to file the paperwork in advance. Don't give the game away!"
The recording ended.
On the athletic field.
Thousands of people stared at one another.
"The Red Name monster is a fake?"
"Damn it, King Yama Zhou, you old schemer!"
"But the Red Name pressure was real!"
"No, seriously, what the hell is King Yama Zhou trying to do? Simulate a Red Name monster's pressure and scare the challengers into pissing themselves?"
"Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
So what was the point of the Endless Trial?
"Quiet."
On the viewing platform.
Administrators of every rank kept reprimanding the students, doing their best to maintain order. But it barely helped. The students didn't dare complain loudly, yet they still gathered in groups and whispered among themselves.
"I get it now."
"Guys, when you first saw the Red Name monster, the Flame Demon Overlord, what was your first thought?"
"That King Yama Zhou... was a pervert?"
"..."
"What else?"
"Fear."
"I was scared to death. The moment the Flame Demon Overlord's level appeared, I nearly pissed myself."
"Who the hell wouldn't be scared? A level-50 monster has terrifying stats!!"
At that point, everyone understood.
So—the third stage was testing courage!
A true warrior dared to face death!
A true warrior would still have the courage to swing his blade, even standing before a Red Name monster!
Not pissing your pants meant victory.
"That's awesome."
"That's a new one. King Yama Zhou really came up with all kinds of ways to spice up the trial, huh?"
"I feel bad for the upperclassmen. What if the Red Name monster scares them to death?"
"They have Town Portal Scrolls. What's there to be afraid of?"
The third stage tested courage.
The longer challengers held out under the Red Name monster's pressure, the higher their scores would be.
The moment Ling Zhan charged into the Endless Trial without hesitation, his first-place ranking in the city was already secure.
Now, the competition was for a place on the Provincial Trial Ranking.
That said.
Countless students were so nervous that their palms were sweating.
"Good luck, Senior Ling Zhan!"
Principal Zhong, Qi Mu, and Ling Zhan's homeroom teacher had all risen from their seats.
First High School.
Was it finally going to produce the provincial champion?
It was a miracle accomplished by a Freelancer, one destined to go down in history!
"Can he see through it?"
"I hope so. Either way, this stage tests his mettle. It all depends on what he decides to do."
The principals and administrators from the other schools.
The reporters present, along with recruiters from ordinary schools, were all on edge too.
"Fight! Win or lose, give it your all!"
"The Flame Demon Overlord is just a paper tiger. Please, tear it apart!"
"I can almost see a Freelancer wearing the crown of the Provincial Trial Ranking champion!!!"
Humanity had been oppressed by monsters and demons for far too long.
They yearned to fight back!
Inside the Endless Trial.
For the first time.
A hint of shock flashed across Ling Zhan's eyes.
"That's a Red Name monster even fiercer than a boss..."
Roar!!
The Flame Demon Overlord let out a world-shaking roar, and the Red Name pressure rolled off it without restraint.
Savage!
Terrifying!
The pressure seemed capable of destroying everything.
Ling Zhan tried to clear his mind and force himself to stand tall, facing the monster head-on.
But the gap between their levels was simply too great. It was like a firefly trying to outshine the moon.
An immense psychological pressure bore down on him.
Even breathing felt difficult, and his blood seemed to stop flowing!
For the first time since entering the trial, he felt such terrifying pressure.
Outside.
Everyone watched the screen tensely. They could hardly believe that even the unyielding Senior Ling Zhan seemed to be hesitating.
"It's fake."
"Senior Ling Zhan, the Flame Demon Overlord is fake!"
"Well, it's not like we have the same perspective as the people inside!"
"Hopefully, he can break through his mental shackles!"
"The pressure's getting heavier, like a mountain crushing down on me."
Inside the Endless Trial.
Ling Zhan was under immense psychological pressure, but his eyes gradually burned with fervor.
"Why isn't it moving?"
"A Red Name monster... Damn, it really is scary."
Ling Zhan's back began to bend.
The pressure was so intense it was suffocating.
The next moment.
Boom!
Ling Zhan activated every one of his buff enhancements again!
It was as though this had filled Ling Zhan with boundless courage.
An inch.
Two inches.
His bent back gradually straightened.
Under the Red Name monster's pressure, Ling Zhan stood upright.
"Hm? He's actually worked up a fighting spirit!"
"That's a level-50 Red Name monster!"
"So what? He's still Senior Ling Zhan. What does a Red Name monster matter?"
On the athletic field, the crowd was on the edge of their seats.
Everyone could see how hard Ling Zhan was pushing himself.
Under the Red Name monster's pressure.
Sweat poured down him.
His face gradually twisted into a grimace.
His legs trembled.
Veins writhed like dragons along his arms.
"A spear."
"Senior Ling Zhan brought out the Poison Crab Fang Spear."
"What is he planning?"
With a thunderous roar.
The crowd erupted.
Just then, someone somehow switched the image on the big screen from Ling Zhan to another challenger.
It was like tossing a spark into a powder keg.
"Senior Ling Zhan?"
"I want to see Senior Ling Zhan!!"
"Fuck you!!!"
"Who told you to change the screen?"
The freshmen went berserk.
They were staging a full-blown riot.
One murderous glare after another turned toward the careless staff member, making his scalp go numb.
Smack.
Ling Zhan's image appeared on the big screen again.
"Boss, aren't you going to do something? Those students just went crazy!" The staff member went to complain to his superior, looking aggrieved.
And then...
"I ought to chop your hand off!" the boss snarled viciously.
The staff member nearly cried.
"Every challenger gets ten seconds on screen after leaving the trial. That's the rule the trial set!"
"Besides, more than one person just left the trial."
"Fine, you won't do anything? I'll go report you to King Yama Zhou."
"Director Zhou, I..."
"Get lost!"
King Yama Zhou roared, and this time the staff member really did piss himself in fear.
"Senior Ling Zhan activated all his buffs, and he's holding out against the Red Name monster's pressure!"
"What happened in the few seconds we missed?"
"Forget it."
"Roar! Ling Zhan is awesome! Senior is awesome!!"
"Holy shit!"
"Senior didn't crush his Town Portal Scroll. Is he going to... attack the Flame Demon Overlord with his spear!!?"
The students went wild, their blood boiling in that moment.
The teachers, reporters, and onlookers stared in shock at Ling Zhan's image on the giant screen.
"Is this really a student from First High School? He still has the courage to raise his spear against a Red Name!" Principal Zhong was overcome with emotion, proud of this student!
This was First High School's pride.
A monster with such a terrifying Spear Index in the Newcomer Trial.
His courage was admirable!
This student already possessed what every strong fighter needed: courage!
"Regardless of his trial results, all video footage of this student during the trial will be added to the curriculum."
"Remember, all of it!"
On the chairman's platform.
King Yama Zhou remained imposing as ever. He, too, admired this student.
The student's performance from beginning to end could only be described as perfect!
Videos like this could serve as excellent teaching material for future Job Transfer Trial Entrance Examinations.
"Kill!"
A brash first-year student suddenly shouted.
"Kill it, Senior Ling Zhan!"
To hell with the Red Name!
At that moment, humanity's fighting spirit burst forth.
One student shouted.
Ten students shouted.
A hundred, a thousand.
Soon.
The teachers, reporters, everyone was shouting.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Inside the stage.
Ling Zhan's eyes were bloodshot. He gripped the Scorpion King Tail Needle Spear and stamped his foot hard against the ground.
The earth and stones shattered, and his figure shot into the sky--
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