Xu Hao abruptly opened his eyes and sat up from the bed, his whole body drenched in cold sweat.
He gasped for breath, still in shock, and looked around the room.
A familiar room, familiar furnishings, even the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the nightstand was still in its place.
This was the VIP lounge of the Midnight Forest Bar.
A dull bass sound came from downstairs, pounding on the floor and making the entire room vibrate slightly.
Accompanied by the muffled cheers of a crowd, it indicated that the world outside was still reveling.
He mumbled to himself, his heart pounding in his chest.
That nightmare was too real.
Pain, fear, despair... each sensation was still etched into his nerves.
Xu Hao instinctively touched his shoulder, where the muscles were firm and smooth with no wounds.
Then he touched his neck, but there were no marks from a syringe.
Just general body soreness and a pounding head, as if he’d been in a fierce fight and stayed awake for three days and nights without rest.
However, these were minor issues.
Xu Hao grinned, revealing a survived-the-disaster smile:
"Damn, being alive is great! It’s just a pity that there’s probably no chance to team up with that pretty boy to fight monsters again..."
Just as he finished speaking, as if something was responding to him,
a message devoid of any emotion suddenly flashed in his mind.
[This nightmare trial failed.]
[Assessment: Courage commendable, but too reckless. Preliminary teamwork awareness grasped, Spirit needs strengthening.]
[The next trial will begin in seven days. Please prepare well, as having abundant energy is key to passing.]
[Extra tip: successfully completing the trial will bring a surprise.]
Xu Hao’s eyes widened, his mouth gaped, unable to close for a long time.
After a while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"God, I was just making an offhand remark, and you really took it seriously?"
Meanwhile, in the village in the city on the other side of town.
Xiao Shuai also sat up from the bed, drenched in cold sweat.
The room was dark; he looked around, borrowing the faint light seeping through the window.
A curtain segregated the small space, and behind it came the steady and gentle snoring of his mother.
Xiao Shuai quietly got off the bed, wearing only shorts and stepping barefoot on the cold cement floor.
He pulled open the creaking door and walked out.
The night wind immediately wrapped around him with a cool dampness from the alley, making him shiver slightly.
The house he stayed in was squeezed among other narrow buildings, with only a sliver of sky visible when looking up.
Yet, in the distance, the city’s CBD was aglow with brilliant lights, skyscrapers glittering like neon.
Like a mirage hanging in the night sky, prosperous yet unreachable.
Xiao Shuai fished out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, fumbling with it until a cigarette fell out to be lit.
He took a deep drag; the spicy smoke burned his throat but barely calmed his racing heart.
The smoke dispersed in the night, quickly blown away by the alley’s night breeze.
That nightmare... was too real.
Every environmental detail of the mental hospital, every rapid heartbeat while running, even the monsters’ stench were all vividly real.
Fortunately, it was all over.
Xiao Shuai exhaled in relief, ready to stub out the cigarette and return inside.
Just then, as if a signal wave crossed the night sky and reached here,
Several lines of text appeared in his mind.
[This nightmare trial failed.]
[Assessment: Meticulous thinking, strong will, adept at using rules, but lacking in direct combat ability. Survival means mainly rely on external aid and cooperation, needs to improve personal skills.]
[The next trial will begin in seven days. Please prepare well, as having abundant energy is key to passing.]
[Tip: Successfully completing the trial will bring a surprise.]
Xiao Shuai’s fingers holding the cigarette trembled slightly.
The relaxed expression on his face instantly solidified, replaced by gravity and contemplation.
That wasn’t a dream, but a trial from some unknown origin yet genuinely real!
"Seven days... make preparations..."
Looking at the clear messages in his mind, Xiao Shuai took a deep breath and quickly calmed down.
What exactly is this? A game, or a trial?
First thing’s certain, dying in the "nightmare" doesn’t cause real-life death.
Otherwise, he would already be dead now.
But the pain of the injuries and the despair of near-death were 100% real.
Xiao Shuai still remembers the scene of that brash guy, drenched in blood, holding the monster’s leg tightly to create an opportunity for himself. Updates are released by noᴠelfire.net
Second, the term "trial" itself has a screening implication.
The consequences of "failure" are unknown for now but can’t be without repercussions forever.
And the mention of "surprises" indicates that risks come with rewards.
Xiao Shuai, drawing from the little game experience he had, tried to analyze.
If there’s no escaping it, then one can only find a way to deal with it.
The evaluation in the message was quite pertinent, as he indeed lacked direct combat ability.
This was precisely evident when facing the monsters in the mental hospital.
If there indeed is a next time, he must find a way to enhance his combat skills to at least have some self-defense capability.
Additionally, the "maintain abundant energy" prompt is not just empty talk.
Xiao Shuai muttered to himself, suddenly recalling the "Great Sun Burning Body Technique" taught to him by the guild leader.