The faint glow pulsed once more.
It was subtle, but undeniable. The air around it rippled like disturbed water, distorting the space just enough to make the edges of the bookshelves seem unstable.
Lin Ye did not step any closer.
Instead, he stood still, watching.
In his previous life, hidden events were rare in the early stages. Most people only encountered them after gaining some strength. For one to appear here, inside a university library, this early…
Something had changed.
Behind him, Su Qing unconsciously took a step back.
She could not see what Lin Ye saw. There was no system prompt in her mind, no clear explanation. But her instincts reacted anyway.
The air felt wrong.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Like standing in front of something that should not exist.
"Don't move," Lin Ye said quietly.
His voice was steady, but firm.
Su Qing nodded immediately, her grip tightening around the broken wood she still held.
Lin Ye focused on the glowing point again.
Then, slowly, he extended one hand and reached toward it.
The moment his fingers entered the faint distortion, the glow flared.
Light expanded outward in a sudden wave.
The entire space shifted.
The bookshelves, the tables, the scattered bodies, everything dissolved like mist.
Su Qing gasped.
Her surroundings vanished instantly, replaced by something completely unfamiliar.
The ground beneath her feet was no longer tiled flooring.
It was stone.
Dark, cold stone.
The air turned dry and still, carrying a faint scent of dust and something older, something decayed.
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
He stood in place, already prepared for this outcome.
A separate space.
A trial zone.
A system-generated environment.
The voice came again, echoing directly in his mind.
[Hidden Event Activated]
[Trial Type: Survival]
[Participants: 2]
[Objective: Survive for 10 minutes]
[Reward: Based on performance]
Lin Ye read the prompt in an instant.
Survival type.
That meant continuous pressure.
No shortcuts.
No immediate exit.
Only endurance.
Behind him, Su Qing's breathing grew rapid.
"What… what just happened?"
Her voice echoed strangely in the new environment.
Lin Ye glanced around.
They stood in what looked like a circular stone chamber. The walls were high and smooth, with no visible exit. The ceiling was barely visible in the dim light above.
No furniture.
No cover.
An open arena.
"Stay close," Lin Ye said.
Su Qing moved without hesitation, stepping closer to him.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"A trial," Lin Ye replied.
His tone remained calm.
"We need to survive."
Her face turned pale.
Before she could ask anything else, the ground shifted.
A low sound echoed through the chamber.
Then.
Cracks formed along the stone floor.
Something was coming.
Lin Ye adjusted his stance.
His grip on the axe tightened.
"First wave," he said quietly.
The cracks widened.
Dark shapes began to emerge from below.
Hands.
Rotting.
Clawing upward.
Then bodies followed.
One.
Three.
Five.
More.
Zombies pulled themselves out of the ground, their movements slow at first, then gradually stabilizing.
Su Qing's breath caught.
"There are so many…"
Lin Ye counted quickly.
Eight.
All standard types.
Manageable.
"For now."
The zombies turned toward them almost at the same time.
Then they began moving.
Slow.
But closing in from multiple directions.
Lin Ye stepped forward.
"Stay behind me. Don't run unless I tell you."
Su Qing nodded quickly, though her hands trembled.
The first zombie reached him.
Lin Ye moved.
The axe swung cleanly, splitting the skull.
He did not pause.
He shifted immediately to the next target.
Another strike.
Another kill.
The third zombie lunged.
Lin Ye sidestepped and countered.
Every movement was efficient.
No wasted energy.
No hesitation.
Behind him, Su Qing tried to stay out of the way, but one zombie broke through the pattern and moved toward her.
She froze.
Her body was locked in place.
The zombie reached for her.
"Move," Lin Ye said sharply.
She reacted this time.
She stepped back instinctively.
The zombie's hand missed her by inches.
Lin Ye closed the distance instantly and cut it down.
"Don't freeze," he said.
His voice was calm again, but there was weight behind it.
Su Qing nodded quickly, forcing herself to breathe.
The remaining zombies fell one by one.
Soon, the chamber was quiet again.
But only for a moment.
Lin Ye did not relax.
He looked down at the ground.
"Not over."
The system had said survival.
Not elimination.
Which meant more waves.
The floor cracked again.
This time, the sound was louder.
More aggressive.
Su Qing's face tightened.
"How many are there…"
Lin Ye did not answer.
Because the answer didn't matter.
They would keep coming.
The second wave emerged.
Fewer in number.
But different.
Their movements were faster.
Their bodies are more stable.
Enhanced types.
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Better."
He stepped forward again.
This time, he activated his skill.
Accelerated Strike.
The axe moved faster than before, catching the first enhanced zombie before it could fully react.
The blade cut deep.
The creature fell instantly.
The others rushed in.
Lin Ye moved through them with controlled precision, avoiding direct clashes and focusing on clean kills.
Behind him, Su Qing was forced to move as well.
One zombie broke through again.
She raised her weapon.
This time, she didn't freeze.
She struck.
Not perfect.
Not clean.
But enough to push it back.
Lin Ye finished it.
The second wave ended.
Su Qing's breathing was heavy now.
Her arms trembled from exertion.
"This… this isn't going to stop, is it…"
"No," Lin Ye said.
He looked toward the center of the chamber.
"This is just the beginning."
The ground cracked again.
Deeper.
Wider.
Something stronger was coming.
Lin Ye's expression became more serious.
His body shifted slightly, adjusting his stance.
Behind him, Su Qing swallowed hard.
Fear rose again.
But this time, she did not step back.
She stayed.
Because she understood something now.
Running would not save her.
Only surviving would.
The cracks widened.
Then.
A larger hand emerged.
Followed by a body.
Taller.
Heavier.
A mutated zombie.
And behind it.
Another.
Lin Ye exhaled slowly.
"Now it gets real."
His grip tightened on the axe.
His eyes focused.
The trial had only just begun.