The true forest
A sense of peace prevailed within the Stone Chamber.
The Geothermal Heating Module continued to operate, filling the entire stone cave with a constant warmth and isolating it from the sub-zero temperatures outside. The trial was completely over, and the system no longer issued any tasks. Lu Heng had a vague feeling that the Seven-Day Trial was more like a shackle, temporarily suppressing and sealing the inherent dangers of the Frost Forest. As the trial ended and the shackles dissipated, the primal dangers that had been temporarily suppressed were slowly resurfacing. From then on, the forest, freed from the constraints of rules, would completely return to its primitive, savage, and chaotic state.
Having rested and fully recovered, Lu Heng was unwilling to remain confined to the small stone cave for long.
Holding out at the outpost will only gradually isolate us from the outside world. Without understanding the surrounding terrain and investigating changes in the environment, we will have no way to find a way out or a safe place in case of unforeseen circumstances. After composing himself, he prepared to go out and patrol the woodland surrounding the Shelter, check for potential hazards, and familiarize himself with the current forest environment.
Lu Heng was dressed in his Cold-Weather Combat Suit, the Storage Necklace around his neck fitting snugly against his clothes without any movement. The Bronze Spirit-Breaking short sword at his waist was sheathed and locked, and his equipment was neat and tidy. He carefully pressed down the stones blocking the cave entrance, leaving only a small ventilation gap to conceal the Shelter, and then stepped out of the cave and into the forest.
The forest was unusually quiet today.
The blizzard had long since ceased, and thick, leaden-gray clouds hung low over the forest, obscuring all sunlight. Bare, withered trees stood starkly in the desolate landscape, their bare branches stiff and lifeless, silently enduring the deathly silence. Layers of snow on the ground had frozen solid, forming a hard ice shell; each step produced only a dry, soft cracking sound as the ice fragments crumbled and vanished into the air.
There was no wind or sound in the forest, no birdsong or animal cries, and no trace of ferocious beasts darting about. The entire land seemed to be frozen solid by the extreme cold, eerily silent.
Lu Heng lit up the Detection Interface on his Wristband, and a faint white light quietly illuminated it. After scanning the Global Region, the screen was completely clean. Within a radius of one thousand meters in the surrounding woodland, there were no red dots flashing for any ferocious beasts, and all traces of ordinary wild animals had disappeared.
The more tranquil the scene, the more danger lurks beneath.
His back remained taut, his gaze steadily sweeping across the deep forest gaps on both sides. He moved forward at a measured pace, following the familiar route he had explored over the years, focusing intently on investigating any anomalies in the surrounding terrain and environment.
After walking steadily for more than 800 meters, the surrounding environment suddenly changed without any warning.
The biting cold that had accompanied us all the way was a raw, unfiltered physical chill, clearly perceptible. But the moment we stepped into this area, a completely different, chilling cold suddenly enveloped us.
It was a gloomy, chilling, bone-chilling cold, not from wind and snow, nor from low temperatures, but from a stagnant, damp cold seeping from the depths of the air. The surrounding air instantly froze, ceasing to flow, and the entire small area seemed to be isolated, cut off from the world.
My vision began to subtly distort.
The withered trees, snowfields, and forest scenery before my eyes gradually blurred, with overlapping hazy shadows covering the surface of the real scene. The longer I looked at the objects, the more severe the blurring of reality and illusion became, a typical sign of Mental Illusion quietly descending.
Lu Heng's steps suddenly froze.
No need for probing, no need for speculation.
The chilling sensation before him, the stagnant air, and the distorted illusionary scene were exactly the same as the scene in his trial mirror where he was ambushed by the Snow Demon.
At that moment, he was completely certain of the most crucial fact.
The mirror image is never a virtual simulation. Every illusion, every sneak attack, and every battle is a rehearsal of a real crisis. As the trial ends and the constraints imposed by the system completely disappear, the once suppressed and hidden Forest-Native Weird Entity, following the trajectory of the mirror image, are replicated and descend upon reality one by one.
A faint sense of drowsiness slowly crept into my mind, my thoughts drifted, as if a thin mist was veiling my mind, trying to lull me into a false sense of tranquility.
But Lu Heng remained conscious throughout.
The necklace around her neck settled slightly against her skin, a strange sense of security protecting her mind. The hazy atmosphere from the outside world, which tried to erode her consciousness, could not penetrate even a little, and was firmly blocked from her body.
He had already experienced the same confrontations countless times in the mirror image; the monster's attack methods, the rhythm of the illusion, and its hiding places were already etched into his muscle memory.
Lu Heng completely abandoned visual perception to distinguish between reality and illusion, eliminating all distracting thoughts. Relying solely on his precise physical senses, he pinpointed the location in the void where the chilling aura was strongest and the suffocating feeling was most intense.
He suddenly gripped the knife hilt with his right hand, lowered his center of gravity, and gathered strength in his waist.
He perfectly replicated the entire sequence of movements, rhythm of force, and angle of attack used to slay the Snow Demon in the mirror image, without the slightest error.
The next second, his arm swept horizontally, and the Bronze dagger slashed out through the wind!
A silent shockwave spread out, and the blade struck the invisible spirit with pinpoint accuracy.
In an instant, the overlapping and distorted illusion shattered, and the blurred scenery instantly returned to its original state. The bone-chilling cold quickly faded away, the stagnant air began to flow again, and the surroundings returned to the usual frigid cold of the forest.
The invisible, primordial monster was instantly annihilated and vanished.
Two new items appeared out of thin air on the snow and ice. A pile of fine, fluffy grayish-white powder was quietly spread on the snow, and a dark gray, translucent crystal was quietly placed next to it.
Lu Heng bent down and squatted down, and the Wristband automatically activated close-range scanning.
A pale white screen popped up, displaying neatly arranged material data, clearly visible to the eye.
[Spirit-Hiding Ash]
Grade: Black Iron-Tier Material
Description: This powder, a remnant of the elusive, unseen creatures native to the Frost Forest, is light and delicate in texture. It can be applied to the surfaces of rocks and buildings to effectively conceal the presence of life and reduce the probability of detection and locking by ferocious beasts and other unseen creatures. It is a core material for concealed Shelter.
[Soul Crystal]
Grade: Black Iron-Tier Energy Crystal
Description: This is a unique energy crystal formed from the disintegration of primordial monsters, containing trace amounts of stable energy. It can serve as an emergency backup energy source for Geothermal and Water-Storage Ecological Module, compensating for equipment power shortages.
After reading the description of the supplies, Lu Heng had a complete understanding of them.
The trials yield materials from the bodies of ferocious beasts, and these two resources are exclusive spoils of war from the Forest-Native Weird Entity.
This confirmed his judgment: the Seven-Day Trial only temporarily sealed the forest's original dangers, and the system trial was merely an introductory test to select survivors. The truly hidden, unsolvable, and inescapable deadly danger was the native monsters inherent in this forest.
After briefly pausing to confirm that the surrounding environment was safe, Lu Heng did not venture further.
The appearance of illusory and eerie creatures in the outer woodlands is sufficient proof that the forest ecosystem has undergone a complete transformation. Continuing to explore further increases the risks significantly and is by no means a wise move at present.
He carefully stored away the Spirit-Hiding Ash and Soul Crystal, then turned and retraced his steps back to the Shelter.
The best strategy right now is still to lie low and develop. Use the new strange materials to reinforce the base, conceal your tracks, stockpile emergency energy, steadily increase your strength, and wait for the subsequent changes in the forest.
The trial is over, and the seal has been broken.
The true Frost Survival in the Frostlands for the survivors has only just begun.