Tian Lei nodded firmly.
"Yes. Those trials."
Han Yi slowly sank to his knees.
"I regret every life choice that brought here..."
Mu Chen raised a trembling hand.
"What... what kind of trials?"
"Three," Tian Lei said. "Fighting. Obstacles. Survival."
Lei Feng imdiately lay down as if preparing for burial.
"I choose the trial of death. Quick and painless, please."
Yue covered her face.
"I can’t even survive warm-ups... how will I survive survival?"
Ling stood straight.
"We will pass. We worked hard."
Han Yi glared at her.
"No. YOU worked hard. We mostly died loudly."
But Tian Lei was not done.
"You will be in pairs."
Han Yi perked up a little.
"Oh. At least I won’t die alone."
Tian Lei pointed.
"Han Yi with Ling."
Han Yi scread.
"WHY DO YOU HATE ?!"
Ling nodded calmly.
"I will assist you."
"That’s exactly the problem!!"
Tian Lei continued.
"Mu Chen with Yue."
Mu Chen looked at Yue.
"If I faint, drag , okay?"
Yue shook her head.
"If I faint first, you drag ."
"...We are dood," he said.
Finally—
"Lei Feng with ."
Lei Feng stared at him.
Then he stared at the sky.
Then he closed his eyes.
"...Goodbye... world..."
Tian Lei ended his speech.
"Rest. You will need every bit of strength tomorrow."
Han Yi raised a shaking hand.
"What about ntally? Can I rest ntally too?"
"No," Tian Lei answered instantly.
Han Yi dropped to the ground.
"My soul hurts..."
That night...
They ate dinner half alive.
Han Yi poked his food.
"If tomorrow kills , you have permission to eat my share."
Mu Chen frowned.
"You don’t even have extra food."
"Exactly. Let that be my final joke."
Yue was quietly practicing her breath.
"I must not panic. I must not panic. I am panicking."
Ling wrote notes about strategy.
"We should work together tomorrow."
Han Yi pointed weakly at her notebook.
"No. No strategies. Accept death peacefully."
Lei Feng stared into space.
"Do you think ghosts can join the trials too...?"
Mu Chen patted his shoulder.
"If you beco a ghost, at least you’ll be fast. Ghosts float."
Lei Feng nodded.
"Yes. That is an improvent."
When they finally went to bed...
Han Yi whispered,
"If we survive this, I’m taking a week nap."
Mu Chen agreed.
"A month nap."
Yue rolled over.
"A year nap."
Lei Feng raised a fist.
"A lifeti nap."
Ling looked at all of them.
"It’s only training. We can do this."
Han Yi groaned loudly.
"You say that because you’re secretly a superhuman robot!"
Ling blinked.
"What is a robot?"
Han Yi sighed.
"See?! Even robots pretend to be innocent."
They fell asleep.
Tomorrow...
The trials begin.
And Han Yi is 150% sure he will die first.
The Next Morning
Han Yi opened his eyes slowly.
For one mont... he felt calm.
Then—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Tian Lei’s voice thundered from outside:
"Wake up. Trials begin now."
Han Yi scread into his pillow,
"I HATE THIS WORLD!!"
Mu Chen tried to stand... and failed.
"My legs are still loading... give a mont..."
Yue sat up with trembling hands.
"I don’t want to die looking ssy. At least let fix my hair..."
Lei Feng didn’t move at all.
Han Yi poked him.
...No reaction.
Han Yi gasped.
"He truly beca a ghost!"
Lei Feng suddenly sat up.
"I slled food. Where is breakfast?"
Han Yi pointed at him.
"Liar! Ghosts don’t need food!"
Ling stepped out of her room fully dressed and ready.
"Good morning."
Han Yi pointed again, accusingly.
"Stop being healthy! You make us look bad!"
They gathered outside.
Tian Lei stood waiting, arms crossed.
Cold wind.
Dark sky.
Dramatic atmosphere.
Han Yi whispered,
"He planned the weather too... he’s a villain..."
Tian Lei said,
"First trial: Combat."
Mu Chen paled.
"Against who...?"
Tian Lei pointed behind them.
A large gate opened...
Growling.
Heavy footsteps.
Out stepped a massive armored beast with horns, sharp claws, and eyes glowing red.
Han Yi’s heartbeat died.
"Oh. No. Nope. Absolutely not. Send ho."
Yue shook like a leaf.
"Is this legal...?"
Tian Lei continued as if it was normal:
"You must work together to defeat it. Ling and Han Yi go first."
Han Yi froze solid.
"...Excuse ?"
Ling drew her sword calmly.
"We can do this."
Han Yi grabbed her shoulders.
"We cannot!! I am weak!! My bones are noodles!!"
But Tian Lei shoved Han Yi forward.
"Begin."
The giant beast stomped toward them.
Han Yi scread,
"LING, I WILL DIE! SAVE ! SAVE EEEE!"
Ling nodded.
"Stay behind ."
Han Yi imdiately hid behind her like a frightened squirrel.
The beast roared and charged.
Ling stepped forward, ready to fight.
Han Yi—
fell backward, tripped on his own foot, scread again.
Tian Lei face‑pald.
Mu Chen whispered,
"If he lives, I will believe in miracles..."
Yue covered her eyes.
"I can’t watch..."
Lei Feng prayed to every god he could think of.
Ling swung her sword, actually pushing the beast back a step.
Han Yi shouted,
"YES! KEEP DOING THAT! HIT IT HARDER! HIT IT MORE!!"
The beast turned its glowing eyes toward Han Yi.
Han Yi shut up instantly.
"N‑Not . Hit her. She’s the strong one!"
Ling kicked Han Yi away from the beast’s mouth just in ti.
He rolled like a potato.
"My entire body hurts! And only gravity attacked !!"
Ling yelled,
"Han Yi, distract it!"
Han Yi stared at her like she’d gone insane.
"HOW THE HELL DO I DISTRACT THAT?! IT CAN’T EVEN HEAR REASON!!"
The beast charged again.
Han Yi panicked, grabbed the nearest object — a small rock — and threw it.
The rock bounced off the beast’s horn.
It turned toward Han Yi.
Han Yi regretted every breath he ever took.
"LING, I MADE IT MAD!! HELP!!"
Ling rushed forward and slashed harder, driving the beast back again.
She shouted,
"Do sothing helpful!"
Han Yi scread while running in circles,
"I AM HELPING BY NOT DYING!!"
But while running, Han Yi slipped on mud...
And accidentally slid right under the beast’s legs...
The beast, trying to catch him, lost balance...
And crashed face‑first into a wall.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Han Yi lay on the ground, staring at the sky.
"...Did I win...?"
Ling blinked.
"...Yes. Sohow... yes."
Tian Lei stared at Han Yi like he just witnessed the universe break.
"...Acceptable," Tian Lei said.
Han Yi stood up wobbly, proud and confused.
"I... am a genius...?"
Mu Chen shouted,
"NO! YOU ARE AN ACCIDENT!"
Han Yi shrugged.
"Accidents are powerful."
Ling patted his shoulder.
"Well done."
Han Yi blushed.
"You an it?! I am useful?!"
Ling nodded.
"Yes. Very lucky. But useful."
Han Yi grinned like he just beca king.
Tian Lei stepped forward.
"Next pair: Mu Chen and Yue."
Mu Chen whispered,
"If we die... I bla Han Yi’s rock."
Yue nodded.
"Yes. Rock was beginning of disaster."
Han Yi shouted,
"HEY! RESPECT THE ROCK!!"
Tian Lei ignored them.
The beast shook off the dust...
and growled again.
Yue paled.
"It’s still alive...?"
Mu Chen gulped.
"Our turn to suffer..."
They stepped forward...
Shaking like leaves in hurricane wind.
And so, the second battle began.
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