Chapter 71 – Perfect Level

“Prompt: The Hero Trial has commenced. The trial-taker must lead their squad to reach the designated location within six hours and defeat the target formidable foe to pass the trial.”

“Prompt: The target formidable foe possesses a high power Rank, but the map contains several troop replenishment points and resource supply points for the trial-taker to explore.”

“Prompt: During the trial, the trial-taker will temporarily possess Hero authority.”

The prompt echoed in Mu Yuan’s ears, simultaneously resounding in the trial-taker’s mind.

However, if the trial troops lacked sufficient intelligence, how much of the rule prompts they could comprehend remained questionable.

Mu Yuan observed this batch of undead, judging from their appearances and equipment:

“5 Skeleton Warriors, 5 Specters, 10 Ghouls, 10 Skeleton Archers, and 10 Jiangshi, totaling 40 units of troops.”

“Among them, the Skeleton Warriors and Specters are all Peak Professional Tier experts, while the other undead possess newly-advanced Professional Tier strength.”

This Rank was actually not high, and Mu Yuan speculated that the trial rules had made balance adjustments based on Deadbone’s own Rank.

But the trial space probably never expected a troop to undergo the Hero Trial before even crossing into the formal tier.

“Based on the prompt information, the troop strength currently commanded by Deadbone is still insufficient to defeat the target formidable foe. It needs to recruit as many troops and enhance its power as possible during the journey.”

Mu Yuan was assessing.

Deadbone was also assessing.

As a temporary Hero, it could instantly obtain detailed information about all troops with a single thought.

“The characteristics of Ghouls are…”

“The features of Jiangshi are… they excel at resisting enemies, but their drawback is slow movement speed, and not just that…”

The most severely injured were these Jiangshi, with leg injuries that made their already sluggish movement speed as slow as a turtle’s crawl.

Advancing at this pace would require at least 5 hours to reach the designated location, making the timeline very tight and leaving little opportunity to detour to other resource points.

But if they abandoned the injured Jiangshi, this meant losing part of their forces before even engaging in combat.

What should be done?

This was the trial’s first assessment—choice!

Both options had their pros and cons, requiring the trial-taker to weigh them according to their circumstances. But if the trial troops possessed only limited intelligence, they would be utterly confused at this point, forcing the Lord to waste a precious prompt opportunity to intervene.

The Undead Emperor, of course, wanted it all.

It gently raised its hand, dark mist surging in its palm and spreading outward, instantly covering all undead troops.

Moments later, aside from their tattered equipment, the undead troops were completely renewed.

The Undead General nodded in satisfaction, and the entire undead force set out at full speed.

…

“On the map, the final BOSS location is clearly marked, but only the final BOSS is indicated. Other resource supply points, troop replenishment points, etc., need to be explored by the trial-taker.”

“Compared to other trial troops, Deadbone’s own strength is definitely at a significant disadvantage… this requires it to recruit more troops.”

This point, he believed the Undead General could clearly assess as well.

Deadbone, rapidly marching, had the time to thoroughly explore its surroundings.However, there are numerous guardian monsters of varying strengths around recruitment points and resource nodes within the region, requiring trial-takers to scout and assess carefully. If one encounters powerful guardian monsters and suffers troop losses, it becomes even more impossible to challenge the final boss.

Some areas contain only monsters without any guarded treasures.

This demands that trial-takers possess sufficient command and reconnaissance skills, as well as sound judgment.

In such assessment trials, lords typically expend numerous hint opportunities at this stage to assist their troops in making the most accurate decisions and maximizing combat effectiveness.

Lord Mu also conducted extensive analysis and prepared to offer his General some guidance.

But,

watching Deadbone’s cautious yet decisive maneuvers, he silently withdrew his readiness to intervene.

“This kid’s judgment is no less than mine.”

As Mu Yuan had anticipated, Deadbone once again chose to claim everything.

Through aerial reconnaissance and cannon fodder scouting, he thoroughly mapped out each monster-guarded area, beginning his campaign from the lower-level zones.

One after another.

Even monster zones without treasures were systematically cleared.

Because,

Crackle crackle~!

Amid the dark mist of Undead Resurrection, one grotesque yet massive skeletal creature after another clawed its way out of corpse piles, their soulfires flickering eerily.

These weren’t true undead units, having limited duration—but in a mere six-hour trial, they were more than sufficient.

After crushing special potions to replenish energy, Deadbone pressed forward.

「Your Quasi-Hero·Deadbone has resurrected ‘Skeletal Monsters’ ×23.」

「Your Quasi-Hero·Deadbone has replenished troops ‘Skeleton Soldiers’ ×15.」

「Your Quasi-Hero·Deadbone has replenished elite troops ‘Abomination’ ×1.」

「Your Quasi-Hero·Deadbone has revived ‘Skeleton Warrior×1’, ‘Skeleton Archers×3’.」

「……」

By the five-hour mark, Deadbone commanded over 100 troops and had resurrected more than three hundred skeletal monsters.

This vast Undead Army marched directly toward their destination to challenge the final boss.

“ROAR~!”

The formidable target unleashed a sky-shaking roar.

It was a terrifying monster standing three to four stories tall, seemingly constructed from massive boulders.

An Outstanding Rank Mountain Rock Giant!

And at a remarkably high level!

But now, this Mountain Rock Giant appeared bewildered, its eyes wide: Aren’t your numbers a bit excessive?

It roared, gathering a colossal boulder between its raised arms before hurling it violently at the surging Undead Army.

BOOM—

The earth trembled as undead after undead were crushed beneath the impact.

This was within Deadbone’s expectations. Under his command, troops and skeletal monsters had long dispersed, entering from all directions to launch successive attacks.

Enough ants can devour an elephant!

This should have been an epic battle where the strongest trial-taker drew the Mountain Rock Giant’s aggro while other units whittled it down through constant harassment—until the mighty foe fell.

That’s how it should have been.

BOOM—

The Mountain Rock Giant’s body was riddled with cracks as it gazed down at its surroundings.

The skeletal monsters were nearly annihilated, with only thirty to forty undead troops remaining.

Its combat achievements were glorious! Though defeated, it retained its honor!

Hum—Black mist drifted, like a pitch-black curtain enveloping the surroundings. Under the shroud of the black mist, one by one, the undead soldiers with broken bodies and extinguished soul flames rose once again.

In the blink of an eye, the army was restored to its original state.

Guarding the Undead Emperor, who held a potion in its hand.

Mountain Rock Giant: “!!!”

It did not pass away peacefully.

Mu Yuan was delighted to hear the prompt from the rules.

“Ding!”

“Prompt: Your soldier ‘Deadbone’ has cleared the Hero Trial.”

“Trial Summary: ① During this trial, the quasi-Hero ‘Deadbone’ eliminated 188 Guardian monsters, occupied 11 supply points and troop replenishment points, and achieved over 90% map exploration; ② The quasi-Hero ‘Deadbone’ took 5 hours and 15 minutes to eliminate the final powerful enemy and preserved 123 undead soldiers, increasing the army’s combat power instead of reducing it; ③ No Lord prompt counts were consumed during this trial; ④.”

“Evaluation in progress.”

“Prompt: The evaluation for this Hero Trial is ‘Perfect’.”

“Prompt: The Hero’s Baptism is descending…”

(End of Chapter)