Chapter 172: The Will Trial

Trial Space.

Standing on the empty trial field, Yenir silently waited for the moment to begin the final round of the Willpower Trial.

There wasn’t much to wait for—he was the only one in this trial.

The reason was simple: true Awakener talents with the Willpower Type were exceedingly rare.

Not only pure Willpower types, but even dual-types with even a half dose of Willpower talent were scarce.

But he needed to regain his composure.

Both his stamina and mental strength had been heavily drained. After three rounds, even with his sword techniques, the exhaustion was real.

“Beep: Please commence the trial within one minute, or it will be considered a forfeit.”

Barely recovering his state, he heard the cold system prompt.

Listening to the countdown, Yenir let out a silent sigh.

He glanced at his limp left arm, and moments later, with his right hand—the only one still battle-ready—pulled out his longsword without delay.

To claim the hidden reward, the system wouldn’t allow any slack, nor permit him prolonged rest.

Only by powering through all the rounds could he prove himself worthy—a true test of securing the bonus.

Otherwise, lingering in the trial space resting was no different from giving up midway and reentering later.

Under the system’s harsh demands, he needed not only excellent performance but also unyielding willpower and steadfast resolve!

“Confirm initiation of the Willpower Trial!”

Yenir responded in a low, firm tone, and as his request was sent, everything went dark in the next second.

……..

The familiar sensation of weightlessness during teleportation.

As the Willpower Trial began, after a brief moment of disorientation, Yenir quickly opened his eyes to find himself inside the trial space.

Before him lay an immense space, an endless barren land, with him standing alone in the middle.

Desolate. Silent.

It felt as if the entire world existed only for him.

“Beep: Choose your trial mode.”

“1. Standard Willpower Trial: In this mode, you gain full access to your skills and fight against enemies. Your performance, based on kills and time, is evaluated. Complete seven consecutive rounds to pass.”

“2. Exclusive Willpower Trial: In this mode, aside from inherent talents, you cannot use any skills. All enemies you face are generated from your ‘mind.’ Complete seven consecutive rounds to pass.”

Looking at the two trial modes provided by the system, Yenir felt no surprise.

The Willpower Type was unique compared to other types, and its Third-Stage Trial was naturally different.

The first option was the trial mode most often attempted by Willpower users—indeed, the method he chose for advancement in his previous life.

Being allowed to use skills was the only advantage for an Awakener with Willpower Type.

In his past life, he had cleared the trial in one go by relying on his far more abundant spiritual energy compared to other Willpower users.

But this time…

“Select Exclusive Trial.”

Yenir softly confirmed, clenching his longsword tightly.

The dagger strapped to his calf burst forth immediately, vibrating rapidly as it circled around him.

Any Awakener who had experienced the Willpower Trial would have been astonished by his choice on sight! Most would opt for the first option—choosing the second was practically a death sentence!

A Willpower user without skill use was only marginally stronger than an ordinary person!

Although the monsters in the Exclusive Trial were generated from fragments of the trial participant’s memories—making them theoretically easier—the lack of skills made them exceptionally tricky. The trialee had to face them with sheer flesh and blood!

Yet, Yenir knew he had no other choice!

In this life, even though the Sword God System had granted him an almost absurd enhancement in his sword techniques, it also meant he had no conventional skills at all! Every skill was on cooldown! Choosing the standard mode was no better than selecting the exclusive one!

Moreover,

Yenir silently observed the daggers circling around him like silver minnows.

His final trump card—the Grudge Skull he had acquired from the Corpse Academy—gave him the confidence to overcome the trial. It provided a tangible boost in spiritual power, ensuring he could fight even without active skills!

“Buzz! Exclusive Trial initiated!”

The system prompt rang out once more.

Yenir’s vision blurred as the scene shifted in an instant. A few seconds later, after a brief mental disruption, a familiar scene emerged before his eyes.

“The first extracted fragment is…”

“Tianfeng Security Zone!”

The once barren trial space had now transformed into the likeness of the Tianfeng Security Zone.

Not far off, several Awakeners dressed in combat uniforms rushed toward him; the leader was unmistakably familiar.

“Yenir! I’ve helped you countless times—please, this is my plea!”

“Hurry, join us and leave the city! A horde of corpses is coming!”

Their voices were fraught with urgency.

Yenir looked at Captain Huang, who had darted forward and grabbed him. His heart skipped a beat.

Is this what his exclusive trial’s enemies were like?

Monsters generated from his own memories?

Intriguing…

Before Captain Huang’s grip could tighten further, Yenir chuckled lightly and sidestepped smoothly.

In his perception, this ‘human’ who resembled Captain Huang almost exactly differed only slightly in aura, making it nearly impossible to tell real from fake.

A test of psychological endurance? A moment’s hesitation could be fatal?

Ignoring the fleeting look of shock in ‘Captain Huang’s’ eyes, Yenir decisively channeled his spiritual energy. In a flash, the dagger—imbued with tremendous kinetic force—shot out like an armor-piercing bullet.

“Bang!”

There was no mercy in his strike.

With astonishing speed, the dagger effortlessly pierced through Captain Huang’s skull, as a red-white cloud of blood exploded outward.

“Swish, swish, swish! Swish!”

The silver gleam flashed like a darting fish, tracing a graceful yet brutal arc that claimed the lives of several others in its wake.

In his final moments, Captain Huang’s face registered an incredulous shock.

“Impressive realism…”

“Trying to make me feel guilty?”

Retracting his dagger, Yenir shook his head slightly. He simply took a half step back, carefully avoiding several headless corpses as he slowly sank to the ground.

“Next round!”

…….

“Yenir!”

“Help me out! Chen Yao is trapped by a mutant!”

From the fringes of the corpse horde, Chen Yong’s desperate shouts cut through the chaos as he wrestled with a mutant, seemingly risking everything to create an opening for Yenir.

“I’ve never begged anyone in my life! Take my sister and go!”

“I’ll hold the monster off!”

Drenched in blood, Chen Yong looked at Yenir with pleading eyes as he risked his life for precious time. Not far off, Chen Yao in the midst of the carcass horde looked utterly exhausted, her eyes reddened as she stared at him.

“Brother!”

Standing at the edge of the corpse horde, Yenir watched the touching scene unfold with cold detachment.

In the next second,

“Swish!”

A burst of silver light shot forth.

A dazzling stream of brilliant silver exploded onto Chen Yao’s once-beautiful face like a sharp spike, piercing straight from her brow to the back of her head.

“Thud.”

Her body crumpled to the ground.

Engaged in a bloody battle with the mutants, Chen Yong stared at him in utter disbelief, his face a mask of despair.

“Yenir!? Why!?”

“Swish!”

With a swift gesture of his hand,

Yenir showed no hesitation or remorse as he eliminated Chen Yong along with him.

“Next round!”