New System Mission!

Only three days remained until the Shrek team set out for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament.

The atmosphere in the internet café had become a little too heated.

Ever since they had cleared the first dragon-slaying dungeon in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and absorbed a dragon soul, the Shrek reserve team had gotten a little carried away.

"Ha ha ha ha! Did you see that? That dual-cast Fireball I used just now blew that dragon's wings to pieces!" Xu Sanshi stood on his chair, holding up a bottle of cola as he bragged about his glorious achievement. "What dragon race? What ten-thousand-year soul beast? Before this Dragonborn, they're all trash!"

Wang Dong was unwilling to be outdone and gave an arrogant snort. "Tch, if I hadn't been dealing damage from the rear the whole time, could you have held on? My Destruction magic is already at Expert level. At the tournament, I'll blast whoever I don't like!"

Even Bei Bei, who had always been steady and composed, now wore unconcealed confidence on his face.

"Indeed. Although this power known as the Dragon Shout cannot be fully replicated in reality, its use of laws has deepened my understanding of lightning by another level." Bei Bei clenched his fist, golden arcs crackling across his fingertips. "Now, I'm confident I can defeat a Soul Ancestor of the same level within three moves."

Even Dai Huabin, sitting in the corner, wore a look of disdain.

"Hmph, what Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy? We've killed dragons. What is there left to fear?"

The whole team was steeped in the restless air of invincibility. They felt that since they could even take down legendary giant dragons, a mere human Soul Master tournament would be theirs for the taking.

Behind the counter, Lu Yuan drank his Sprite and watched the high-spirited youths, gently shaking his head.

"They're getting carried away. Completely carried away."

This is the side effect of power growing too quickly, Lu Yuan silently analyzed. The Elder Scrolls gave them powerful feedback, making them feel as though they could do anything. But they forgot that in that game, they were the chosen Dragonborn, with magic, divine artifacts, and save files.

But what if... all of that was stripped away? What if they had no soul power, no martial souls, not even strong physiques...

When facing the fear of the unknown and death, could they still remain this confident?

[Ding! It has been detected that the internet café users are in an extremely impetuous state of mind. It is recommended that the emergency correction plan be activated.]

[System mission triggered: The final trial before the tournament—face your fears.]

[New game unlocked: Resident Evil 2 Remake.]

A devilish smile curled across Lu Yuan's lips. He set down his Sprite and picked up that iconic loudspeaker.

"Ahem... Everyone, quiet!"

The moment the boss spoke, the internet café fell silent. Even Di Tian, who was competing with Xuan Lao to kill dragons on the second floor, took off his headphones and looked down.

Lu Yuan swept his gaze across the Shrek Seven Monsters and spoke calmly. "You all seem very confident. You think killing one dragon makes you invincible? You think the tournament championship is already in the bag?"

Xu Sanshi chuckled. "Boss, we're not bragging. With our current coordination and methods, as long as a Soul King doesn't come right at us, we really have nothing to fear."

"Is that so?" Lu Yuan smiled, though there was something strange about it. "Very well. Since you think The Elder Scrolls is too easy, let's play something more exciting."

Lu Yuan snapped his fingers. On the massive projection screen behind him, the scene from Skyrim, with its blue skies, white clouds, and soaring dragons, vanished instantly.

It was replaced by a pitch-black, cold, rainy night. The lifelike sound of pouring rain echoed through the internet café.

On the screen was a wet street. The streetlights were dim and flickering, while the mournful wail of police sirens came from afar, accompanied by the low growls of something horrifying.

At the center of the screen, a line of blood-red text slowly emerged: RESIDENT EVIL 2 (Resident Evil 2).

"What is this?" Wang Dong frowned, instinctively sensing something unsettling. There was no grand epic atmosphere, only a suffocating gloom and chill that seeped into his bones.

"This is your—final trial." Lu Yuan's voice lowered.

"The mission requirements are simple: survive and escape this city. However..." Lu Yuan raised one finger, his gaze sharpening like a blade.

"In this world, special rules will take effect. First, just like in Monster Hunter: World, all soul power will be sealed. You won't be able to mobilize even the slightest trace of soul power."

"Second, your physical abilities will be reset. You will become ordinary adults, a little stronger than average, but you can still be injured, still feel pain, and if you get bitten... you'll die."

Ignoring their uproar, Lu Yuan continued, "Your only weapons will be the firearms in your hands. You can think of them as soul tools that don't require soul power. And also... your brains."

"Of course, you can refuse." Lu Yuan shrugged, his tone full of temptation. "But the reward for clearing this game will be... the heart of a strong person, something that will benefit you for the rest of your lives."

"Do you dare?"

Though it was an exceedingly clumsy provocation, it was remarkably effective.

To these proud geniuses, the words "don't dare" were the greatest insult.

"What's there not to dare?" Dai Huabin was the first to step forward. A rebellious gleam flashed in his eyes. "So what if there's no soul power? I'm the White Tiger Duke's son! My fighting skills and killer instincts are still there! Isn't it just survival? Even as an ordinary person, I can kill my way through this world!"

Bei Bei adjusted his glasses, his expression solemn. "Since this is special training arranged by the boss, there must be a deeper meaning behind it. We accept!"

"I accept too!" Wang Dong said indignantly. "This young master isn't afraid of some pitch-black rainy night!"

Huo Yuhao said nothing. He merely stared fixedly at the rainy-night scene on the screen. The intuition granted by his Spirit Eyes martial soul was frantically warning him.

That feeling... was an unknown, indescribable terror.

"Very good." Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

"Then welcome to—Raccoon City! I hope that when you face those enthusiastic citizens... you can still smile."

Lu Yuan pressed the start button.

Buzz—

The Shrek Seven Monsters, along with Dai Huabin, eight people in total, had their consciousnesses instantly pulled into a world filled with rot and despair.

On the second floor, Di Tian watched the scene and casually swayed the cola in his hand.

"Sealing their power and making them face their fears? Interesting. This is a true trial! Only when one is at their most powerless can they see the true nature of a strong person."

Xuan Lao leaned over as well, staring at the screen. "What kind of Resident Evil is this? It looks so gloomy. Is it tastier than my beggar's chicken?"

Di Tian glanced at him. "Shut up and watch. I bet that kid named Dai Huabin won't last three minutes."

Xuan Lao refused to concede. "I bet five minutes! He's a descendant of the Dai family. His courage should be pretty good."

"Two roast chickens."

"Deal!"