The voice had barely fallen when a sharp roar pierced the silence.

Immediately, dozens of dwarf-like creatures burst out from the bushes. Their skin had a sickly gray-green hue, eyes blood-red, holding rough stone axes and wooden clubs in their hands, mouths emitting piercing screams.

Lin Xia's heart sank suddenly. He squatted down instantly to pick up a stone.

At this moment, a green-skinned monster lunged at the woman next to Lin Xia from the side. The stone axe, with a whistling sound, chopped towards her shoulder.

"Watch out!"

Lin Xia shouted a warning, but the woman looked terrified, her body seemingly frozen in place, staring blankly as the green-skinned monster approached.

Crack!

The sharp stone axe hit the woman's right shoulder, and warm blood splattered onto Lin Xia's face, the brutal scene and the blood scent almost making him vomit.

The woman let out a miserable scream, but the stone axe mercilessly rose again, aiming for her neck.

Crack!

A vibrant life fell.

Regaining his senses, Lin Xia stepped forward without hesitation, swinging his right arm, firm with Black Stone, and smashed it hard onto the green-skinned monster's head.

The green-skinned monster was knocked to the ground by the heavy blow, and Lin Xia quickly grabbed the stone axe from its hand.

Choosing not to conceal his strength, he immediately activated the talent mark within him.

His aura changed dramatically, the beating of his heart sounded like a drum booming in his ears.

Muscles rapidly expanded as if inflated, his once-fitting clothes now taut, producing a "sizzle" sound, as if they could burst at any moment.

The veins in his arms snaked like sturdy vines coiling tightly, pulsing with his muscles, while his leg muscles bulged high, each piece as if cast in steel, firmly supporting his still-expanding frame.

A red glow appeared in Lin Xia's eyes.

"Die!"

The stone axe in his hand cleaved the green-skinned monster's head with a single blow.

The battle desire in his heart burned like an unquenchable flame, and he decisively charged at the other approaching green-skinned monsters.

Each axe blow claimed a monster.

Compared with the other trial players around him, Lin Xia seemed possessed by the War God, a whirlwind of destruction.

The berserk state persisted for five minutes.

When the fight ended, Lin Xia seemed drained of all energy, his legs buckling beneath him as he collapsed to the ground.

His breath was rapid and heavy, each inhalation as if striving to draw oxygen from thin air, his body trembling uncontrollably from exhaustion.

The previously inflated muscles shrank, becoming slack and weak, the Qi-Blood loss rendering his skin pale.

Lin Xia's hands hung limply at his sides, fingers trembling slightly, unable even to form a fist.

The fierce and ferocious look during his berserk state was gone from his eyes, replaced with fatigue.

Raising his head, he saw severed limbs and blood splattered everywhere.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, with over half of the trial team either dead or injured.

Many who had been speaking just moments ago now lay sprawled on the ground.

The scene was so bloody that Lin Xia couldn't help but retch.

The surviving trial teammates were also in despair. A middle-aged man sat slumped beside him, clutching his hair tightly, body trembling slightly, eyes filled with suffering and despair. Lin Xia could even hear the whimpers escaping from his trembling lips.

Another teammate was vomiting violently, tears, and mucus streaming down his face.

The first encounter with the monsters had brought them immeasurable despair.

They couldn't imagine how they would survive the journey ahead.

Perhaps... they would all die here.

Half an hour later, Lin Xia stood up, having recovered some strength.

He knew he had to stand up.

The trial team had fallen into despair, and he needed to organize the remaining strength, trying to complete the task.

"Don't just lie here waiting to die. If we don't complete the task, we all die. Time is limited, we should move."

Everyone raised their heads to look at Lin Xia.

If it weren't for Lin Xia's heroic efforts, they might have all perished in the green-skinned monster's attack.

"You may want to die, but I don't. If you want to live, follow me."

Seeing the hesitation in their eyes, Lin Xia steeled himself, decisively striding into the depths of the forest.

Realizing Lin Xia was about to leave, the remaining trial members, after brief hesitation, decided to follow him.

...

28 hours later.

Lin Xia led three trial teammates back to the landing site.

On the final stretch to the altar, his legs felt like they were filled with lead, each step exceptionally heavy.

His left arm hung limp, a deep wound snaking from shoulder to elbow, bone visible.

As he moved, blood dripped slowly from his fingertips, leaving a trail of bloodstains behind him.

Next to him, Xiao Li's right lower leg was severed at the knee.

The stump was hastily bandaged with strips from his clothes, using a forest branch as a crutch, each step whitened his face in pain, large beads of sweat rolling from his forehead.

Old Zhang behind him had a large gash across half his face, skin flipped, blood covering his entire cheek. One eye obscured by blood, unable to see.

A broken iron spike was lodged in his shoulder, every breath accompanied by violent coughing.

On Lin Xia's left, Xiao Wang appeared relatively better off, only long cuts on his back.

But his clothes were soaked with blood, sticking to the wounds, his body trembling continuously as he walked, held up only by willpower.

To complete the task, the team of 37 was reduced to four, the rest of the trial players all perished in the forest, devoured by various types of monsters.

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