Chapter Seventy-Five: Perfection

The legendary trial was beyond Zhao Nan’s expectations. He had heard that even a nightmare-level challenge involved at most thirty elite monsters of the same rank, plus other ordinary creatures. Once a character reached level twenty, soloing an elite monster was no longer an issue. After all, with the advancement in levels, skill enhancements, and better equipment, as long as it wasn’t a king-class boss, ordinary players could take them on alone.

But as the fragments of puppet knights scattered across the ground began to stir, Zhao Nan felt a sense of foreboding. The clock was still ticking; this legendary trial was not yet over.

Piece by piece, the shards shot up, as if drawn by some unseen force. Within the relatively small, circular subterranean chamber, they gradually assembled into a towering shadow, stacking higher and higher.

Finally, what appeared before Zhao Nan was a gigantic puppet knight, over five meters tall—and its name glowed gold.

Level 28 Puppet Knight King.

A king-class monster, six levels above Zhao Nan. This was, no doubt, the final challenge of the trial. Zhao Nan took a deep breath, gently rubbed the white bead in his hand, then resolutely put it away. A king-class monster was just that; he wanted to see for himself the limits of his strength.

He grew more certain inwardly: If I can topple this king-class monster, would the master of Oz Castle still dare to send out low-potential pets?

“Come!” Zhao Nan licked his lips and thrust the Sighing Staff forward.

Thorn Vines x2!

Gale Blade x2!

By now, he had already exceeded his planned time to return to the team.

……

……

In a tavern in Dongyuan City.

Gao Mingyang gulped down the pale, bubbling beer in big swigs. The taste of this native brew resembled dark ale, stirring a rare sense of nostalgia in him. Eyes half closed, he savored the moment. Beside him, Xu Fei, Gao Xiang, Jiang Lun, and Xu Feng were engrossed in a card game invented by the locals called “Kaidiro,” passing time after more than a week of intense leveling.

As for the others, the two women sitting in a corner of the bar naturally didn’t join the rough, boisterous atmosphere of the men.

This was also the regular hangout for the “End of the World” guild.

“Has Zhao Nan replied yet?” Xu Yang suddenly asked.

“He sent one half an hour ago, said he needed more time,” Finina replied simply.

Xu Yang nodded, then, imitating Gao Mingyang, downed his beer in one fierce gulp.

“Something on your mind?” Finina asked quietly.

Xu Yang lowered her head, turning the glass in her hands. The pale beer swirled into a shallow vortex, reminiscent of a girl’s dimples.

“Finina, what about your family?” Xu Yang sighed.

“I was an orphan, raised by my adoptive father,” Finina answered softly. “We still meet occasionally.”

Xu Yang gave her a puzzled look.

“He has a steady job here in Dongyuan City… He’s busy most days.”

Xu Yang nodded. Not all players chose to earn money by hunting monsters or completing quests. In fact, within a month of the initial disaster, many had opted to stay in the safe zone, taking on whatever jobs were available in Dongyuan City’s shops.

For instance, the woman working at the bar was a player herself. Earning a living through normal work meant she could avoid the deadly risks of venturing into monster zones.

“That’s nice,” Xu Yang smiled, assuming Finina’s father was among those who’d chosen such a path.

“What about you?” Finina asked curiously.

“They’re not in this city.”

Maybe it was the beer, but Xu Yang’s eyes closed a little, her cheeks flushed charmingly. She let out a breath, “I actually want to go find them.”

“Nan said neighboring cities will eventually be connected,” Finina said.

“I know…but I can’t wait.” Xu Yang shook her head, her fingers gripping the glass turning pale and trembling. The vortex in her cup was no longer calm, reflecting her inner turmoil and voice: “Do you know why I joined Mingyang’s guild?”

Finina shook her head.

“I wanted to become stronger… strong enough to cross the misty zones before the cities are connected,” Xu Yang looked at Finina, speaking earnestly.

Finina reached out, placing her hand on Xu Yang’s, which was cold and trembling. She smiled, “That day will come.”

Xu Yang opened her mouth, as if on the verge of saying something. She stared at Finina, eyes unblinking, but finally her words dissolved into a faint smile. “Thank you.”

That smile was inexplicably bittersweet.

Beep beep—!

At that moment, Finina received an email from Zhao Nan.

Just a few simple words.

“Return to the guild hall, wait for me!”

Finina instinctively checked the time—it was exactly 9 PM.

……

……

Monster Calendar, Year 0, January 20th, midnight.

Whether sleeping, wandering, or farming monsters in the wild at night, every player within the Dongyuan City map heard the same announcement.

“In two hours, city defenses will be removed. Prepare for monster siege. Killing siege monsters will earn personal contribution points. See system mail for details.”

This merciless voice was not new to Dongyuan City’s players. The first time was at the outbreak of the great disaster.

It was the herald of nightmares.

No matter where you were—even those still in bed, mid-embrace—everyone stopped, tense and fearful as they read the system mail.

……

……

The mail also appeared on Zhao Nan’s bracelet. He had little time to check it, nor any desire to do so.

The Puppet Knight King’s health bar was down to half. Its HP was far beyond any ordinary field king-class boss, rivaling the bosses found in level 20 dungeons. The only difference lay in its defense and attack, which were somewhat lacking.

But it was still a tough opponent.

He could only keep contact with Finina and the others via email, snatching brief moments between the Puppet Knight King’s relentless attacks to reply.

Knowing they’d reached the guild hall put him more at ease.

With the monster siege underway, every creature on the Dongyuan City map would attack the city. At night, their strength increased significantly, and the siege would last until dawn.

Zhao Nan’s arm wielding the Sighing Staff had swung countless times. In this confined space, dodging the Puppet Knight King’s massive blows was no easy feat.

The flashes of various magical skills filled the chamber with brilliant colors, making the place shine without need for wall torches.

No telling how much time passed. Bits of armor fell from the Puppet Knight King, slowly at first, then suddenly with a booming crash, scattering across the floor and nearly covering it completely.

Zhao Nan exhaled, collapsing powerlessly to the ground. It wasn’t just mana and HP depletion—it was a drain on his spirit. Soloing a king-class boss was never easy, especially a level 28 one, even if this boss was somewhat lackluster.

The clock overhead had stopped—the trial was finally over.

In an instant, the scene shifted. Zhao Nan was back in the corridor with the red carpet. The path ahead glowed brightly, leading to a door at the end, now slowly opening.

“Legendary Trial completed. Rating: Perfect!”