Chapter 70 – Trials and Tiers

Hero’s Token!!!

Mu Yuan had heard this term countless times – from veteran players’ boastful tales or forum discussions.

“The appearance of a Hero’s Token varies – it could be a sword, a bow, a set of armor, a pendant, or a piece of jade. But regardless of its form, its function remains the same: to elevate a unit to Hero status.”

“However…”

Using a Hero’s Token doesn’t automatically grant a unit Hero rank and abilities.

Just like the Lord’s Challenge, units must pass a trial to advance. Failure isn’t fatal but wastes an extremely precious Hero trial opportunity.

Even Great Lords dare not waste such chances.

Naturally, Mu Yuan wouldn’t use it recklessly either – he needed to prepare.

Yet he knew little about Hero trials, having only heard fragments from seasoned players’ bragging.

And these veterans might have gotten their information through hearsay anyway.

With this in mind, Mu Yuan reopened the news article he saw this morning.

— “General ‘Black Knight’ under Lord Xiong Tianba passed the Hero trial and successfully advanced.”

This was fresh news, with numerous players commenting to gain visibility.

Mu Yuan joined the trend, commenting: “Can any experts explain what this Hero trial entails? It seems quite difficult?”

He pretended to be a newbie.

Wait, he was the most genuine newbie – how could this be pretending? No one was greener than him!

The post had high traffic, and soon other players replied, though they were all newbies or novices too.

“Hero trial? No idea.”

“Honestly, I want to know too.”

“Saving my spot here – tag me when an expert explains.”

“Newbie hugs~”

Half an hour later, what appeared to be an expert veteran player finally emerged.

This expert had real-name verification: ID Qiu Qianyuan.

They said, “Hero trials are too distant for you newbies – so distant you might never encounter one in your lifetime. But since so many have asked sincerely, I’ll briefly explain.”

“Unlike Lord trials, after use, the target unit enters a special trial space. Completing the designated trial mission grants Hero promotion.”

“The trial content isn’t fixed, but mainly tests the candidate’s command ability, adaptability, and judgment. To my knowledge, there have been Third-Order Warlord Tier units failing Hero trials, yet also Professional Tier units succeeding… that Hero was hailed as having legendary potential.”

“Digressing. Simply put, Hero trials emphasize a unit’s ‘wisdom.’ Units need at least medium intelligence to have a chance at passing. Of course, Lords can provide some guidance from outside during trials, but if the unit lacks intelligence, it might not even understand the Lord’s hints, let alone pass.”

“Overall, intelligent units with higher tiers have better chances at trial success.”

So that’s how it is!

Newbies and ordinary players expressed their gratitude for the lesson while marveling at the trial’s difficulty.Indeed, heroes and the like had nothing to do with ordinary players, or even ordinary lords. The more they understood, the more sorrowful they felt.

“Is it difficult? Actually, not really.”

“For those capable of obtaining the Hero’s Token, finding a few troops with awakened intelligence isn’t hard. Moreover, as long as they pass the trial and are promoted to heroes, these newly ascended heroes will inevitably awaken self-awareness.”

“But…”

“The bad news is, if the troop only possesses intelligence but hasn’t awakened self-awareness, they can only barely pass the trial and receive the most basic level of Hero’s Baptism.”

The Hero’s Baptism also has its distinctions!

While ordinary players were still marveling at the difficulty of the trial, the experts had already begun devising ways to improve the evaluation their troops would receive during the trial.

Pass! Good! Excellent! Perfect!

Four levels of evaluation, four tiers of baptism!

“The most ordinary baptism, after ascension, the newly promoted hero only gains the most basic heroic ability—the Hero’s Aura.”

“Afterward, if they can achieve a higher evaluation, the heavens and earth will bestow a more advanced baptism. At this point, the hero has the opportunity to learn strategic skills, or even awaken strategic talents, and the Hero’s Aura they obtain will be more powerful.”

“And if they can achieve an even higher evaluation, it seems they can receive additional gifts from the heavens and earth.”

“Of course, even a hero who barely passes the trial by the skin of their teeth is still a hero! A hero who is hard to come by! Ah~ heroes, the more you crave them, the harder they are to obtain, ah~!”

…

Evening, in the territory.

Mu Yuan looked at the broken blade before him, his mind already made up.

The Hero’s Token was an extremely rare item, and he couldn’t guarantee whether he would obtain a second one within the next year. If the Hero’s Trial was too difficult, he had planned to delay using it for a while, prioritizing caution.

But now,

“It seems, perhaps, roughly, this trial is something the Undead General can steadily handle! Even if limited by his own strength, surely he can at least achieve a Pass or Good evaluation?”

Since that was the case, there was no need to delay any longer.

Strategic skills, strategic talents, and the like could still be compensated for later.

Having a hero emerge early held significant strategic importance for the territory.

And when it came to wisdom and command, even if Dolai were riding a Bonesorrow warhorse, it would still be left in the dust by Deadbone.

That guy had no expectations for the Hero’s Token anyway… it wasn’t edible.

“Do you have confidence, Deadbone?”

Deadbone indicated that his confidence wasn’t very high. He didn’t know much about the trial and currently didn’t have a particularly strong grasp on achieving a high-level evaluation. But he couldn’t refuse a decision made by the Lord.

He could only say he had a little, just a little.

“A little?”

Mu Yuan nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face. “Then let’s begin.”

Ding!

Prompt: You have used the Hero’s Token. Target: ‘Bonesorrow·Deadbone’.

Prompt: The Hero’s Trial has commenced.

The broken blade shattered with a crash, transforming into a mysterious mark that enveloped Deadbone. The next moment, the Undead General’s figure vanished from the territory.

He had entered a special trial space.

Mu Yuan also realized that a strand of his consciousness had split off, continuously rising and rushing into a gray, misty world.

Just like when entering the Challenge Realm, his consciousness had descended once again.

Only this time, it was merely his consciousness that entered, not his physical form.Like a Wandering Soul drifting about, able to see and hear but unable to touch anything.

“Hint: During the Hero’s Trial, the Lord may freely observe the battle, but only has three opportunities to give hints to the trial-taker. Please use them wisely.”

The sky was a murky gray, the trees withered, with wisps of visible Crimson Mist drifting among them.

Beneath the Crimson Mist, dozens of undead-type troops were resting. Their armor was somewhat tattered, and some of the undead were missing limbs, having already endured brutal battles, their movements unsteady and staggering.

And it was at this very moment, in such circumstances, that the Undead General awoke.

(End of Chapter)