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“Everyone is here,” the man announced as he walked, his voice resonant and full of vigor.
Approaching the crowd, with the two women standing expressionless behind him, hands clasped behind their backs, he continued, “Since you are all gathered here, it means you are aware of the impending test, characterized by extreme life-threatening risks, and that you are willing to face this danger. I won’t dwell on this point.”
“Now, let me explain the nature of this test.”
Both the man’s imposing presence and the gravity of his words immediately instilled a sense of tension in the otherwise relaxed atmosphere.
Unperturbed by the tension evident on their faces, the man proceeded, “The preliminary assessment involves entering other realms.”
As soon as the man’s words faded, the crowd below started to buzz.
“What? Entering other realms? Am I hearing this correctly?”
“Are you sure this isn’t a fairy tale? I thought we were here to be mercenaries, carrying out missions in conflict zones.”
Faced with the commotion in the crowd, the man was unfazed. He slightly raised his voice to silence everyone.
“The reason you are willing to be here, I’m sure, is because of the substantial rewards that come with being a Scavenger.”
“I can imagine the incredulous expressions on your faces when you witnessed the veteran members demonstrating their abilities to you.”
“However, to put it bluntly, since such extraordinary powers exist, you should also realize that what you are about to face will challenge your understanding!”
The man’s words quickly calmed the crowd.
Since extraordinary powers beyond ordinary humans exist, entering other worlds should not be surprising.
Seeing the crowd calm down, the man continued, “As this is a preliminary assessment, I only have one requirement for you: no matter what means you employ, survive for at least nine days there.”
Surveying the group, he added, “The only assistance we can provide is issuing each of you a personal data device. It contains a wealth of data that can offer information support and real-time measurement of your various stats. However, it possesses no offensive capabilities, won’t make decisions for you, and lacks communication functions.”
“After entering the other realm, you will hear a voice, its origin currently unknown.”
“This voice will inform you of the objectives for exploring the other realm. You can proceed according to your abilities. The more objectives you complete, the higher your score and corresponding rewards!”
“My personal advice is not to concern yourselves with objectives. For the vast majority, the current stage is simply beyond their capabilities, and hasty actions will only exponentially increase your mortality rate!”
“Your primary task now is to complete the preliminary assessment.”
“Furthermore, during the exploration of the other realm, you will have no backup and cannot return midway. After nine days, a return gate will appear beside you. This gate can only remain for a maximum of 10 minutes.”
“Those who fail to return beyond this time will be considered deceased.”
“If you perish inside, we will provide a compensation of 500,000 yuan to your families.”
“If you can return alive, it means you have successfully passed the assessment!”
After speaking, the man cast a cold gaze over the crowd. “Any more questions? You have two minutes for inquiries.”
The crowd immediately became restless, with everyone clamoring to ask questions.
“How do we enter the other realm?”
“Are the traversal devices safe?”
“What dangers exist in the other realm?”
The man calmly responded, “The bridge we use to enter the other realm is not some high-tech traversal device but what you might refer to as… a meteorite.”
“To us Realm Explorers, meteorites serve as the nexus connecting to the other realm… By the way, individuals who gain power through traversing the other realm are collectively known as Realm Explorers.”
“Most of the meteorites capable of serving as nexuses are controlled by relevant organizations. Meteorites scattered among the public typically lack a core structure and rarely possess nexus functionality. Even if there are some that could serve as nexuses due to historical or fortuitous reasons, they are usually acquired by related organizations.”
After addressing the first two questions, the man continued, “As for what specifically exists in the other realm, that information is currently undisclosed and requires your own exploration. However, I’ll offer you a warning here.”
“There, you will face unprecedented challenges to your survival, becoming prey coveted by evil and darkness like never before!”
The newcomers below appeared particularly solemn. Terms like “evil” and “darkness” may seem overly general and fantastical, but they indirectly suggested that the threats they were about to face weren’t limited to visible or tangible entities.
Seeing the recruits silent, the man chuckled lightly. “There’s no need to be so disheartened. After all, this is just the preliminary assessment. This assessment involves the lowest-level interdimensional traversal, limited to the ‘Beast Realm’ and the ‘Ghost Realm.'”
“To ensure fairness, each person must draw lots before entering, selecting one of these two realms as their assessment content.”
Another person inquired, “With only two realms, and over forty of us, is it possible to encounter each other?”
“It is possible, but the likelihood is low,” the man replied casually, already anticipating what the newcomers were thinking.
The question of whether they could meet was essentially about forming teams. This question had been raised numerous times before previous assessments.
The man suddenly digressed, “Due to certain unknown reasons, our devices are unable to store images, enable communication, and perform other functions in the other realm. At the same time, most of you currently lack combat capabilities. So, pose this question to yourselves.”
“In this completely unsupervised scenario, faced with sudden threats to life and significant temptations, would a person entirely unfamiliar to you still be considered your companion?”
This statement was concise yet profoundly thought-provoking.
A chill crept into the hearts of the newcomers as they glanced at each other, a newfound wariness evident in their eyes.
Another person queried, “Will the return portal definitely appear when it’s time to leave? What if we can’t return?”
Without hesitation, the man responded, “The portal will certainly manifest, and it will be very close to you. As long as you are still capable of movement at that time, you can return.”
“However, there is a special circumstance. If someone completes the ultimate objective in the current realm, the nexus gate will open prematurely. But there’s no need to fret; portals opened in this manner will appear beside you as well.”
“Are there any differences between the two realms?”
The man answered, “The two realms in the assessment are equally perilous. If we must differentiate, the Beast Realm demands higher physical fitness, while the Ghost Realm requires greater courage and mental fortitude.”
The examiners had raised their wrists, indicating that question time was almost up.
At that moment, a voice from the rear of the crowd shouted out, “Commander, is it possible for creatures from the other realm to follow us back?”
The three examiners all turned towards the western part of the crowd simultaneously, unable to pinpoint the question’s source.
While the man had effortlessly handled all previous queries, this particular question prompted a rare moment of contemplation.
After a pause, the man replied, “You don’t need to worry about that.”
Perhaps as the question seemed less pertinent to the newcomers’ own safety, although the man’s response seemed somewhat ambiguous, the others didn’t seem too concerned.
Many people still had questions, as this adventure was a matter of life and death, and the fantastical nature of it had everyone on edge.
The man glanced at his wrist, noting the time, and interrupted the questions.
“Question time is over. Roll call, distribute the devices, prepare to activate the nexus.”
Behind the man, the stone wall slowly rose, revealing two diverging paths leading deeper into the unknown.
The two women behind him stepped forward together.
“I’ll call out the names,” said the woman on the man’s left.