The Trial

[10 minutes until the trial begins, countdown 09:59]

Apu huddled in the corner, his head almost buried in his chest, occasionally glancing around to silently plan his route, waiting for the trial to start so he could sprint away.

His heart was filled with anxiety. The gods had suddenly issued a divine decree, requiring everyone to participate in the trial.

This was the second trial, but he knew little about its contents because his first trial ended quickly.

During the first trial, he followed the crowd as usual. As time passed, their personal imps reminded them of the shrinking safe zone, but they hadn't yet realized the problem.

Soon after, monsters came thundering in. They prostrated themselves on the ground, praying the monsters would quickly be satiated...

The scene of being pinched by a monster's giant hand and sent into its mouth was still vivid in his mind. Apu had once thought that when misfortune befell him, he would accept it calmly.

Compared to others, he had no family or friends, nothing to be attached to.

But when his body touched the floor and he opened his eyes to see his familiar little nest, even with the personal imp floating beside him, Apu still felt fortunate.

He didn't want to die...

This wish became incredibly clear. He didn't know the Dragon Country saying "even ants cling to life," but it was only biological instinct that drove him forward.

From then on, he also understood why that monster couldn't stop after devouring dozens of people.

It hadn't actually eaten anyone, so waiting for it to be full and leave became laughable.

After returning to reality from the trial, they gradually began to realize what the gods' trials truly meant.

When a monster grabbed someone on the street, about to swallow them, the personal imp stopped it, saying, "He has immunity."

And so, the monster ate others but spared that first person...

At some point, a rumor spread through the capital of Duoheluo Country that someone had achieved ultimate victory, and the gods had granted them one wish.

Apu was incredibly envious. Only in his midnight dreams did he briefly entertain the thought that if he achieved ultimate victory, he would wish for permanent immunity.

For this trial, he wanted to survive until the end and win immunity.

The honest and simple Apu hadn't anticipated that people would start forming alliances. He saw people gathering around a man, and Apu began to panic.

The man's eyes burned with a dazzling fire as he spoke, "...The personal imps have recorded how many lives you have left in the trials!"

"But trial lives can't be carried over to reality. If you don't gain immunity this time, will you survive to participate in the next trial?"

"Good! Successfully gaining immunity once, but what about after the trial ends?!"

The speaker's words grew more urgent with each sentence, creating a tense atmosphere. His passionate voice penetrated the hearts of these anxious people.

"How many trials can there be? One round, two rounds? Have the gods told us?!"

The barren soil of their hearts had seeds of fear planted by a single death, yet saw hope in immunity. People could have accepted darkness if they had never seen light.

"I will fight with all my might to survive until the last round, and bring everyone's hope to those who can help us!"

"I'm telling everyone this wish not because I want your help, but because if anyone succeeds in leaving, please help us!"

Silence spread through the waiting hall, with only the speaker's voice remaining. He looked at the crowd with unwavering determination.

"I just want to live!"

They also wanted to live!

The calm surface of the lake was disturbed by a giant rock, and these physically and mentally exhausted people seemed to see another possibility.

These numb people were like travelers who had walked in the desert for a long time. The goal seemed so unattainable, but entrusting their hopes to someone made it much easier.

"I want to live too!"

Someone from the crowd stepped out and stood behind the speaker.

Long-term domestication had stripped away their edges. When someone stirred up the atmosphere, these people began to conform.

The speaker continued to convey his ideas, painting a picture of a future where as long as he survived, he could save everyone.

Those who wanted to live but lacked confidence in themselves gradually moved closer to the speaker.

Apu listened dully to the speaker's words, but his feet didn't move an inch.

"Why don't you go?"

He looked down at the source of the voice, a five or six-year-old little girl tilting her head to look up at him.

Apu opened his mouth and managed to say, "I want to live, he wants to live too. It's a conflict."

The little girl smiled, "I don't want to live. Can you take me with you?"

This...

Apu was a bit troubled but still nodded in agreement.

...

Suddenly, a five or six-year-old little girl appeared in the room.

In the room, apart from two adult men, there were several other little girls.

Their personal imps were controlled in the corner of the room by an illusion. Hearing the sound, they all looked over.

"How did it go?"

The little girl landed steadily on her feet, ignoring the inquiries from those around her, and looked at one of the two adult men.

"The speech was too weak. Didn't we agree to find a failed art student to learn from?"

Speaker Xiong shrugged, "The first time is always clumsy. Anyway, the poison mist has excitement and sensory enhancement effects, plus the passive ability. Completing the mission is still a sure thing."

"Who told you not to eat the passive ability or the poison mist buff? That's why it sounds awkward to you."

"You think it's not cringeworthy for me to watch you guys?"

The little girl's clone was speechless. She looked at the other clones of similar age but different facial features. Preconceptions made her nitpick involuntarily, always feeling more and more uncomfortable the more she looked.

Skipping over this topic, she said, "It should have succeeded. At least when I gave him the opportunity, that was his thinking. With a bit of suggestion, he should be able to persist for a while."

Making the victor promote things as the main body wanted wasn't an easy task.

Psychological suggestions of overly abnormal behavior could easily leave loopholes, especially for someone who had to live in the spotlight as a hero.

They also didn't want to see a worthless person become a hero in the limelight due to being controlled.

Duoheluo Country was quite far from Dragon Country. Even with transportation, the dangers they might encounter on the road meant that without some belief, they couldn't persevere.

However, when the granary is full, one knows propriety. In such an environment, people with lofty dreams were almost non-existent. Like the lucky person who succeeded in the first trial, he unhesitatingly chose permanent immunity and wealth.

Using speeches to instill belief and screen out those who easily give up, while expanding new ideas for those with belief, laying the groundwork for changing their dreams.

There were no elderly in Duoheluo Country, so they could only become children. Boys were seen as independent entities, while girls were more likely to let their guard down.

The little girl clone used her status as a vulnerable group to approach those suitable to become heroes, revealing to them the situation outside Duoheluo Country.

This provided a reasonable explanation for the hero's source of information. As for how the little girl and the speaker came up with this, it didn't matter for those who died.

In Duoheluo Country, a place ruled by monsters, creating accidents was all too simple.