Chapter 181: Trial’s End: A New Ascension
by xennovelExit the trial! Begin reward calculation!
Eyes burning with intensity.
It was as if he had exhausted his final energy; after one last shout, Yenir collapsed onto the ground.
After four consecutive rounds, his willpower and stamina were completely spent. If it weren’t for the post-apocalyptic reward being the richest ever, he’d have loved nothing more than to just pass out.
“Beep… Calculating attribute bonuses.”
“Strength Trial Champion: Earned an extra +3 Strength bonus. This bonus stacks with advancement bonuses.”
“Agility Trial Champion: Earned an extra +3 Agility bonus. This bonus stacks with advancement bonuses.”
“Physique Trial Champion…”
…
“Beep… Calculating ranking rewards.”
“Overall Ranking First: Earned an extra 10% attribute bonus. This bonus is not multiplicative.”
“Hidden Trial Requirement Completed: Earned 4000 Reputation Points.”
“Honor Title Awarded: The Perfected. Equipping this title waives system transaction fees and grants A-level privileges. For details, please check.”
“Extra Strength Talent Enhancement Received: [Fury].”
“Extra Agility Talent Enhancement Received: [Overload].”
“Extra Physique Talent Enhancement Received: [Unyielding].”
“Extra Willpower Talent Enhancement Received: [Willpower Dominance].”
….
“Beep… Calculating item and equipment rewards.”
“Received 4 selectable Blue Equipment of superior quality, or exchanged for 1 epic equipment of your choice.”
“Special Item Received: Regeneration Potion [Epic] (Perfectly restores lost life force; usable only under Fourth Stage restrictions).”
“Special Item Received: Key of Time [Epic] (Grants solo entry into historical scenarios; upon mission completion, you can bring ‘the past’ out with you).”
….
“Beep… Calculating advancement rewards.”
“Achieved Perfect Trial Rating. Meets the highest promotion requirements.”
“Current attribute bonus increased from 0% to 130%.”
“Altering attributes…”
“Strength raised to 29 + (29+3)*130% + 2.9…”
“73.5!”
“Agility raised to…”
“73.5!”
“Physique…”
…
“Talent Revision: Extra +7 Willpower bonus applied. Current Spirit Energy total…”
“8350 points!”
…
“Beep… Advancing talent. Current SSS-Level Talent upgraded to: Mind Storm!”
“Mind Storm: For three seconds, gain 100% increased Willpower, and unlock Psionic Control, Mind Defense Stance, and Cognitive Disruption skills.”
“Psionic Control: Consumes Spirit Energy to manipulate all objects within 100 meters, adding 100% Willpower damage to attacks.”
“Mind Defense Stance: Generates a Spirit Energy shield, granting immunity to control effects until it vanishes.”
“Cognitive Disruption: Creates a chaotic zone where enemies suffer massive mental damage and fall into confusion.”
“Talent Cooldown: 24 hours.”
…
On the edge of collapse.
Amid the flashing reward notifications, a broad smile nearly split Yenir’s face.
In his previous life, he topped the Willpower Trial—there was hardly any reward back then.
For an Awakener, this trial marked a crucial transformation, and the system was surprisingly generous this time.
If he had the energy, he’d have eagerly examined every reward detail.
But just judging by the names, they looked phenomenal.
Not to mention, his current attributes could easily outclass a normal Third-Stage intermediate. When fighting across stages, he wouldn’t even need to use SSS-Level Sword Techniques.
Yet nothing thrilled Yenir more than his skyrocketing Spirit Energy.
It meant he could finally launch sword techniques on his own, no longer entirely dependent on the system.
With his current Spirit Energy reserves, he could easily fire off two strikes; once geared up, three or four would be within reach. Combined with the Sword God System, he’d become a one-man firepower monster. Who the hell could stand against ten or eight swift sword strikes!?
Wherever he went, nothing would survive!
Even when paired with the insanely powerful Talent from his previous life—Mind Storm at Third-Stage…
it would show every Awakener across the globe the terrifying power of Third-Stage Willpower!
Straining to stand, Yenir felt his mind grow hazy.
Feeling a new force surging within him, he couldn’t help but feel a touch of melancholy. Gazing at the dark vortex before him, he forced himself upright and stepped toward it.
He knew full well that a host of high-ranking officials awaited him outside.
Taking a deep breath, Yenir strove to appear composed. As his foot touched the vortex, he couldn’t resist glancing up at the massive glowing orb overhead.
Damn this system…
A global announcement…
Make some noise, damn it!
Time to show off!
…..
“He’s out! Yenir’s trial is over!!”
In the noisy, frenzied hall, the Third-Stage competitors, split into four groups, suddenly fell silent. Every eye fixed on the forming, ethereal vortex.
No matter their stance, tension gripped everyone’s hearts.
“What were his scores?”
“What kind of scores did he get?!”
Whether intent on exposing a loophole or eagerly awaiting his emergence, everyone only cared about how Yenir had performed in the final trial.
“First! Always first!”
Clutching an Information Panel, Yang Guoping gulped and hurriedly announced the results.
Faced with this outcome, he felt both exhilarated and dazed.
Unexpected, yet entirely logical.
Putting aside any talk of loopholes, he had witnessed Yenir perform a miracle—an unprecedented feat among global survivors in the post-apocalyptic era.
Some cheered in excitement, others expressed awe, and still others merely sighed.
In the crowd, the eldest, Zhang Long, let out a deep sigh. He wasn’t sure if Yenir’s stellar performance was a blessing or a curse. If it was due to a glitch, Yenir might be soon controlled by the Military.
If it was genuine talent…
Forget it…
He shook his head slightly.
Having seen too much darkness, he resolved that once Yenir emerged, he would speak up on his behalf. Against the nation’s decree, that was all he could do.
With every eye locked on the swirling vortex, Yenir emerged—ashen-faced and struggling to walk.
Before the crowd could surge forward,
in an instant,
an overwhelming, terrifying pressure erupted from the skies, engulfing the globe.
It was as if an unknowable, sinister force had descended. Billions of survivors around the world looked up in terror, their minds going blank under this godlike oppression.
Across the Atlantic, at a joint meeting of hundreds of Third-Stage contenders, six peak Third-Stage individuals snapped back to awareness, their hearts pounding.
They were all deeply shaken by this pressure…
That was… the system!
After a sixteen-year hiatus, the system had reappeared. This could only mean that something monumental was about to happen!
Time itself seemed to freeze.
The very next second, a cold, merciless system announcement violently pierced into every survivor’s mind.
“Global Announcement:”
“Trial Tower Rankings Update. Current Rankings:”
“Strength Trial Champion: Huaxia Battle Zone – Yenir!”
“Agility Trial Champion: Huaxia Battle Zone – Yenir!”
“Physique Trial Champion: Huaxia Battle Zone – Yenir!”
“Willpower Trial Champion: Huaxia Battle Zone – Yenir!”
“According to ranking rules, trial participant Yenir has completed the Hidden Trial requirements and achieved global first in all four categories to earn special rewards!”
As the oppressive pressure subsided, the voice rang in billions of minds like a furious tide, striking every nerve.
At that moment, the entire world was in shock.