Outside the Sacred Ruins Trial Tower.
The crystal screen was live broadcasting events inside the tower. People watching from outside drew deep breaths.
The viewers could see clearly. Those inside the tower didn't know what was happening, but people outside had a "God's perspective" that showed everything plainly.
There actually was no killer at all. The corpse of the dead man was just an illusion that appeared from who knows where.
"What does this mean? Making them suspect each other until it triggers chaos?"
The bespectacled man stared at the screen while thinking hard: "What's the purpose of doing this? Testing humanity, or is there another intent?"
Bang stood near the window with hands behind his back, appearing contemplative: "This Sacred Ruins Trial Tower has a fundamental difference from the Gold List. One has no danger whatsoever, purely just ranking then giving rewards. The other is a mysterious space that can even be entered by ordinary people, but it seems to hide crises, even death."
"It seems this tower is selecting something, or perhaps competing for something!"
Child Emperor nodded, agreeing with that opinion.
Tatsumaki showed an interested expression: "I'm curious what people like us would experience if we entered there. Would we also face danger and die inside?"
"That's hard to say!" Bang shook his head without giving certainty.
To that mysterious Gold List's First Place, people like them were actually just like ants. If wanting to kill, just one thought was enough, no need to bother making a movement this big. There must be a specific purpose.
As predicted by people outside, the appearance of that corpse caused great division and suspicion within the crowd. That large group shattered into pieces and began dividing into chaotic small teams, moving scattered within the forest to search for the gate's existence.
Strange things kept happening in succession triggering more suspicion among them, until finally real bloody slaughter began.
And indeed, there were real "Strangeness" and "Mysteries" hidden there. Inside each person's body, somehow, hints and weapons had been implanted. Only by killing them could someone obtain hints and weapons to restrict those mysterious creatures' movement from the victim's body.
However, all that had a time limit. Only by continuously slaughtering could one get closer to the gate's location. Thus, the blood feast officially began.
Human nature was exposed without remainder at times like this; the fragility of the human heart was seen very clearly. Some fled, some cried wailing, and there were also cold-hearted people who enjoyed all this.
People watching from outside began to feel numb. For seven full days, they saw too much bloodshed, and most of it actually came from fellow humans.
Finally, at the forest's center, three blood-soaked human figures approached that bright blue light gate. A black-haired young man, a doctor whose entire body had turned red while holding a scalpel, and a terrifying lizard monster man.
"Since we've arrived, can't we release prejudice among us?" Kupa licked the blood at the corner of his lips, staring greedily toward the blue light gate ahead.
His younger brother had already died in this seven-day trial, but he didn't care. As long as he could get rewards and pass the trial, everything was worth it.
"Of course. Since we've passed the trial and found the gate, the fight among us must end!" The doctor gave a warm smile and threw his blood-soaked scalpel to the ground.
The black-haired young man showed no expression, he said flatly: "What do you two think, is this gate real?"
Once this sentence was uttered, both their faces changed.
"What do you mean?" Kupa narrowed his eyes.
The black-haired young man said: "During these several days we've often experienced strange events, many of them were illusions. I'm sure you felt it too. Are you really sure this door is the path to exit from here?"
Kupa snorted: "This is the place shown by the last hint we collected, how could it be fake?"
The doctor also nodded: "Whatever it is, the hints we obtained should be real. This trial tower doesn't need to deceive us in matters like this. If even the hints are fake, then it's impossible for us to exit, and this trial has no use being conducted."
The black-haired young man nodded slightly, then suddenly without warning delivered a hard kick toward Kupa beside him.
Kupa's face changed drastically. The trial for seven days had made his nerves tense, he reacted with an angry roar. He pulled out a machete from who knows where and slashed toward the young man's leg.
The black-haired young man's reaction was faster; right when the opponent drew his sword, he had already pulled back his leg and avoided the attack.
"What are you doing?!" Kupa shouted.
The black-haired young man said flatly: "Since you said this is real, then help me verify it!"
During the last several days, they were all full of distrust toward anything, including this light gate. Who knew if this was just another trap?
Kupa's face became increasingly green with anger, he nodded cruelly: "Since you had this idea, I think it's better you verify it for me yourself!"
While saying so, he directly attacked the young man.
During these seven days, they obtained something from inside other people's bodies that more or less increased their respective strengths. Although Kupa was a monster who had natural advantages, he surprisingly couldn't decisively win against that black-haired young man.
The doctor watched the two fight with gleaming eyes. Suddenly he flicked his hand, two throwing knives shot instantly.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Those knives split the air, targeting both their vital points with very difficult angles. Kupa, who at that time had his back to the doctor, his face changed and tried to dodge, but he was held desperately by the black-haired young man.
One throwing knife lodged right in the back of his head. Blood spurted from Kupa's back of the head, his entire body immediately went limp and his eyes dimmed, but his face still retained a shocked and angry expression.
The black-haired young man suddenly grabbed Kupa's body to block the other throwing knife's attack. Without hesitation, he directly charged into the light gate.
The doctor's eyes gleamed, he also ran quickly toward that gate. When both entered the light gate, the entire space suddenly shook violently. That mysterious voice was heard again.
[Seven days' time has ended, trial concluded.]
[Trial survivors: 253 people. Those who passed the trial: 2 people.]
[This trial's winner: Chen Qian.]
[Dimensional Origin: One Punch Man World.]
[Profile: Kidnapped at age four, sent to an organization to become an assassin at age seven. Acts decisively and cruelly, has no feelings. Lack of affection since childhood made him a dark personality who doesn't trust anyone.]
[Trial Rewards: Killing God (Godhead Fragment 1/10), Killing Field (Within the Killing Field's range, living beings' common sense will be eroded by killing intent; erosion level depends on target's ability. Inside the Killing Field, the user can teleport by consuming mental power. The Killing Field's range also depends on the user's ability).]