Volume One, Chapter 8: Could He Possess Premonition?

Yes, she was instantly killed by the monster!

The gruesome, horrifying scene once again violently assaulted everyone's senses.

Physical discomfort and psychological unease crept back over most faces.

"What’s going on?"

"She drew a C-rank talent skill after her class change, which is supposed to be strong—how could she be killed so quickly?"

Those closest to the young middle-aged woman spoke in disbelief.

Clearly, they all knew her.

After successfully changing classes and obtaining this C-rank talent skill, she had once proudly flaunted it before them.

At that time, they all envied this middle-aged woman, even thinking to themselves:

If they had drawn such a powerful talent skill, they could have slain more monsters in the trials, gained more experience, grown stronger, and become one of the most prominent figures in this drastically changed world.

But now this woman was killed instantly!

How could they accept this?

Others were equally baffled.

Not everyone here was a rare talent like Xiao Ran, Han Tong, Lin Qingxue, or Li Xuan, who had obtained B-rank talents.

Drawing a C-rank talent skill already marked one as exceptional beyond most.

So if a class-changed participant with a C-rank talent skill could be instantly killed, what hope was there for those without such skills?

Even Pang Haoyu momentarily lost his composure.

The only one who remained calm was Gu Xinian.

He clearly understood that the middle-aged woman’s C-rank talent skill was called “Every Blade of Grass Is an Armed Soldier.”

It allowed all vegetation within a thirty-foot radius to grow and evolve, gaining half the caster’s attributes, developing combat awareness, and fighting on their behalf.

Indeed, it was one of the stronger combat talents at the C-rank level.

But her level was only zero. Even after gaining ten attribute points post-class change, how high could her four core stats be?

Combat power is a composite index of all attributes for both humans and monsters.

When overall attributes are similar, the one with higher specific stats naturally has greater combat power.

For example, if two followers of a deity have similar levels and stats, but one’s talent skill is rank A and the other’s is rank B, the former is stronger.

Of course, if each has different strengths and weaknesses, the fight outcome becomes uncertain.

But the middle-aged woman’s core attributes were completely crushed by the monster. With only the advantage of a C-rank talent skill, if she wasn’t instantly killed, who else could be?

Moreover, the monsters and anomalies in the trials scale their level and power with the highest-level participant in the area—a hidden rule that applies universally across all trials.

This meant that the monsters and anomalies spawned in this trial were all level 8, with stats comparable to Gu Xinian.

Even Xiao Ran, the highest-level participant here, would struggle to fight any of them alone.

Let alone this level-zero middle-aged woman.

Most importantly, the difficulty setting for novice trials affects only the individual participant.

But the trial at Nanshan Mist Metro Station was different.

Here, difficulty levels could stack.

If one participant chose normal difficulty, monsters and anomalies would be strengthened once at that level.

If another chose hard, they would be strengthened again accordingly.

Likewise for nightmare and hell difficulties.

In the previous life, the highest-level participant in the Qinghe University campus trial was Li Xuan at level 5, and no one chose hell difficulty.

If not for Xiao Ran and Li Xuan rallying everyone, the number of survivors in the Qinghe University area would barely have reached a hundred.

But now, with Gu Xinian leading at level 8, all trials and monsters were level 8—three levels higher than Xiao Ran, the second highest here—and had been strengthened dozens of times at hell difficulty.

Facing this, even the strongest class-changed participants would feel despair.

Yet Gu Xinian was not despairing; he was pleased.

Because the stacking difficulty rule meant that he earned five experience points per monster killed, unlike novice trials where killing normal difficulty anomalies yielded only one point.

Whether by divine design or fate, in all trials, the experience points given by monsters were fixed.

No matter if you were level 80, 90, or 100, killing a normal difficulty monster always gave one point, hard two points, nightmare three, and hell five.

The higher the level, the harder it was to level up.

To maintain your level and attribute advantage, you had to kill many monsters in every trial.

To ensure your strength lead, you had to strive for the highest scores in each trial to obtain better items and equipment.

Otherwise, if others caught up in level, a single trial’s score change could shift the balance of power or even fate.

The better the trial progressed, the better and stronger the items and equipment obtained.

Gu Xinian was deeply impressed by a man named Liu Zhenwen from his previous life.

An unknown at the start of the trials, Liu achieved an S rank in a level 50 trial and obtained a legendary artifact, suddenly surpassing the most prominent Feng Zijiang.

Therefore, in this rebirth, Gu Xinian resolved to gain as much experience and the highest scores as possible in every trial.

Only then could he build a platform to surpass all others and stand a real chance against the gods, escaping the fate of becoming divine fruit.

...

People were stunned and distracted by shock.

But monsters and anomalies were not.

While everyone was reeling from the middle-aged woman’s death, the monster continued to charge, attack, and slaughter.

Those closest to it snapped out of their daze, gritted their teeth, and refused to retreat.

They began activating their talent skills, preparing to face the monster head-on.

Yes, they still refused to believe that after their class change, they were so weak before the monsters and anomalies generated in this trial.

However, just as they began to use their talents, the monster was already upon them.

Its speed was terrifyingly fast!

Its strength unimaginably brutal!

Before their skills could fully activate or the monster even made a real move, its immense force shattered them to pieces, scattering flesh and bone, condemning them to death.

Just like the middle-aged woman.

The horrifying, bloody scenes relentlessly assaulted everyone’s senses.

Those who witnessed this utterly collapsed.

Class change seemed to have been for nothing.

Getting stronger seemed equally futile.

They were still weaklings who shattered upon touching a monster or anomaly.

They had thought that after class change and gaining greater power, they could embrace a new life and change everything.

But now it seemed all just a beautiful illusion.

At this moment, more monsters emerged from the blood mist.

Some resembled combinations of giant insects and octopuses; others took on grotesque human-faced centipede forms...

In short, their appearances were as terrifying, hideous, and bizarre as imaginable.

Just like Gu Xinian remembered, the monsters and anomalies generated in the Nanshan Mist Metro Station trial were diverse, not singular.

But without exception, when these monsters launched their attacks and charges,

Anyone who dared to approach within three or even five feet was instantly crushed by their overwhelming strength, turning into flying gore and bone fragments, no exceptions.

Just like the middle-aged woman’s fate.

All the class-changed participants’ newly inflated confidence vanished.

The despair and fear that had dissipated with class change returned, filling every heart.

Snapping back to reality, countless pale-faced people began to run wildly.

They were not fools; they knew that no matter how terrifying and strong the monsters were, they could be safe once they reached the Nanshan Mist Metro Station.

Their flight stirred emotions in many others.

Even those confident and composed began to lose their courage, seeing those around them die or flee, and they too started sprinting toward the metro station.

At this moment, some began to notice Gu Xinian.

He stood calmly, as if stunned by fear.

Beside him, Pang Haoyu looked somewhat helpless.

After a long moment of panic, he looked at Gu Xinian.

Clearly, Gu Xinian had become his pillar of strength.

Was Gu Xinian truly stunned?

If so, why did he choose hell difficulty?

What did difficulty selection mean in this trial?

Everyone’s minds were a jumbled mess.

Then, a piercing scream nearby caught everyone’s attention.

“It’s coming!”

Coming? What?

Everyone turned toward the sound, their hearts nearly leaping out of their chests.

It was the monster that had instantly killed the middle-aged woman and other class-changed participants!

Its body was as large as a small mountain, shaped like a monstrous boulder.

A thick layer of moss like armor covered it, swirling with black mist.

Its huge, fierce eyes were a tangled pattern of crimson and darkness—strange and eerie.

As before, anyone within three feet of it, regardless of strength, was instantly killed by its terrifying power, reduced to splattered flesh and bone without exception.

And its appearance here seemed driven by a clear purpose.

It seemed to be targeting Gu Xinian.

Witnessing this, everyone began to distance themselves from the stone giant and from Gu Xinian.

Pang Haoyu clenched his strange anomaly guard sword nervously.

Yet Gu Xinian remained calm.

He donned the anomaly armor!

Wielded the Corrupted Halberd!

Bore the title “Anomaly Guard Slayer”!

The anomaly armor was a black suit of armor that seemed to imprison the vengeful spirit of an anomaly guard, writhing in pain and madness, evoking a chilling sight.

The Corrupted Halberd was a jet-black spear, entwined with countless restless souls and malevolent spirits flowing like liquid.

But these souls and spirits were not frightening; instead, they exuded an irresistible allure.

If one glanced at them without strong willpower, it felt as if one’s very soul might be drawn away.

The epitome of strangeness.

As his divine senses flickered, the anomaly armor materialized on his body, the Corrupted Halberd appeared in his hand, and above his head floated the words “Anomaly Guard Slayer” in dark shimmering letters.

Those watching nearby were stunned.

“What the hell! This guy is equipping gear—does he really intend to fight that monster head-on? Hasn’t he seen how powerful and terrifying it is?”

“What’s with that horrifying armor and that strange spear? Did he get them in the last trial? And what’s that glowing black title above his head? Also from the last trial? It looks so cool.”

“Isn’t he the one who drew the weakest talent skill and is very weak now? All the big shots with B-rank talents have fled. How dare he be this brave? How can he stay so calm?”

...

The crowd was filled with suspicion and disbelief, thinking this scene absurd.

It was like a mighty beast appeared and, despite masters fleeing, the weakest child stood with shield and weapon, ready to fight and kill the beast.

Yet some clever and observant people noticed a crucial detail.

Gu Xinian was not scared; from the start of the novice trial, he had remained calm and composed, as if everything unfolded according to his plan.

Could he be a seer?

This thought sprouted and wildly grew in the minds of those perceptive enough.

If Gu Xinian truly foresaw events, many things would become interesting.

They did not know what exactly they imagined, but looking into Gu Xinian’s eyes, a dangerous gleam involuntarily appeared.

Meanwhile, the monster drew ever closer to Gu Xinian.