Capítulo 18: Chapter 18: Soldier Trial Completed!
Amidst the swirling snow, the elderly soldiers with their white hair engaged in their final bloody battle against the northern Di soldiers.
They had defended this city for over forty years, killing countless northern Di soldiers. Every wave of Di soldiers had been strong and youthful elites, while these soldiers had become old and breathless.
But despite this, they never took a step back.
As soldiers, dying on the battlefield was their inescapable fate, but it was also their highest honor!
General Geng Zhong, covered in blood, was used to fighting alongside his adjutant, but now, fighting alone, the pressure increased significantly.
But no one thought of anything else. All the soldiers of Chu were seeing red, knowing they wouldn't survive, but determined to take as many enemies with them as they could!
Amidst the snow, they saw the Di forces regrouping, but they didn't commit their entire force to the assault. A small unit broke off, likely to pursue the adjutant.
In a way, this reduced the pressure on the front line.
Geng Zhong knew that the Di held deep hatred for them, viewing this city as a thorn in their side.
With the snowstorm raging, the Di soldiers believed they would finally take the city. That was why they sent a detachment to pursue the adjutant, ensuring no one escaped.
Blood painted the snow atop the city walls. The few remaining old soldiers moved closer to where Geng Zhong stood as the Di soldiers forced them into a smaller and smaller area.
Geng Zhong looked around and saw only about sixty or seventy of his white-haired soldiers left.
There was no need for words; all of them had already resolved to die.
The sky darkened, and they could only make out the enemy by the faint reflection off the snow.
They all knew they wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sunrise.
The Di soldiers, exhausted but still fierce, seemed just as perplexed, unable to understand how these old soldiers had managed to defend the city for so many years until now.
After a brief respite, one of the Di soldiers raised his blade and charged, shouting.
The Chu soldiers prepared to meet him.
But at that moment, a commotion rose from below the city. More horses could be heard!
Through the snow, it seemed a cavalry unit was slowly pushing through the deep snow, followed by the clash of weapons and the screams of Di soldiers.
The Di soldiers' ranks fell into disarray!
No one in the storm could have expected a sudden force to appear here, but it came, seemingly out of nowhere, like a divine intervention.
The Di soldiers were thrown into chaos; their formation below the city crumbled, and those atop the walls panicked.
A voice shouted from below, "General! Chu's reinforcements have arrived!!"
On the faces of the white-haired soldiers, a look of hope appeared.
They looked down in disbelief and saw that the troops cutting through the Di soldiers indeed wore Chu armor. Leading them was what looked like the adjutant who had broken through earlier!
"Long live!"
The elderly soldiers wept with joy, their spirits soaring, as if a new strength had been ignited within them. They threw themselves at the Di soldiers on the walls with renewed vigor!
Below, Zhao Haiping fought with unprecedented intensity.
Since entering this trial, he had been suffering.
He suffered in the first phase, the second phase, and the third phase! Each phase brought a new kind of suffering. Though he hadn't tasted the bitterness of horse dung water, he had experienced nearly every hardship a soldier could face.
He had slain countless Di soldiers and been killed by them in countless ways.
But when he finally broke through the blizzard, found Chu's reinforcements, and returned, he knew it had all been worth it!
The bitter cold wind froze the tears that involuntarily filled his eyes. Even so, he looked up through the snowstorm towards where General Geng Zhong stood.
At that moment, Geng Zhong looked down.
Zhao Haiping muttered quietly, "Brother, I finally saved you."
He had lost track of how many times the game had failed due to General Geng Zhong's death, but now, as an adjutant, he had fought by the general's side until the end.
Strangely, he had developed a deep camaraderie with the game's NPCs.
The Di soldiers were in full retreat. The snowstorm discouraged further pursuit.
Chu's reinforcements were arriving to escort General Geng Zhong and the remaining old soldiers away.
Upon reuniting, Zhao Haiping found himself at a loss for words.
He had prepared many lines to persuade the general to dig the well and slaughter the horses, to seek reinforcements, but now, he was speechless.
"General…"
Just as he was about to speak, a thick fog enveloped him.
It felt as if his consciousness had floated out of his body. The adjutant he had embodied moved independently, meeting with General Geng Zhong alongside the reinforcements.
The soldiers embraced, weeping with joy.
Then time seemed to accelerate. By dawn, the cavalry was escorting over seventy white-haired soldiers back to the lands of Chu.
It took Zhao Haiping a moment to realize: "So the game just switched to the ending cutscene?
"I was about to finally talk to the general, and it cut me off!
"Ugh!
"All the suffering was mine, but I don't even get to enjoy the victory fully!
"The designers of this game are seriously twisted!"
He felt exasperated, like a test-taker who had done all the hard work only to have someone else collect the award.
But as he thought about it, Zhao Haiping felt a sense of peace. According to history, the adjutant had performed even better.
After all, Zhao Haiping had unlimited retries, access to Chu Ge's research, and ample preparation. In reality, that adjutant had only one life, a nearly impossible mission.
In the snowstorm, the Chu soldiers marched slowly onward.
As they disappeared into the distance, lines of text appeared in Zhao Haiping's vision.
"Geng Zhong defended the frontier city with a lone force against tens of thousands for over forty years, exhausting his strength.
"He dug wells in the mountains and boiled crossbow bolts for food, fighting against all odds, killing thousands of invaders and demonstrating ultimate loyalty and bravery.
"His loyalty and sacrifice were unmatched in history, a testament to steadfast bravery and suffering."
Then a unique completion screen appeared.
**[Soldier Trial: Triumph of the General]**
**[Clear!]**
**[Completion Rating: After experiencing this simple trial, you will better understand the true meaning of being a soldier.]**
**["Soldier" identity unlocked!]**
**[Exclusive Talent for Soldier Identity: "Resolve in the Face of Adversity" - The greater the hardship, the more powerful you become.]**
**[Note: This exclusive talent remains active by default upon choosing this identity. As you progress, this talent can be further enhanced. Combine it with selectable talents for maximum effect.]**
Seeing the completion screen, Zhao Haiping was ecstatic.
"It's cleared, I really cleared it!
"I can now choose the Soldier identity, and this exclusive talent is great—simple and effective, just how I like it!
"But…
"What do they mean by 'this simple trial'?
"They call this simple??"
Zhao Haiping almost choked on his disbelief.
He had spent over three days on this trial alone. He didn't know the exact time spent in the game, but he guessed it was at least forty to fifty hours.
In any other game, that would be enough to complete an entire main storyline!
But in *Dark Sands*, this was just one of its "simple" beginner trials.
It was absurd!
He couldn't even imagine how challenging the later stages of the game would be.
But regardless, he had finally cleared it.
The sense of achievement from completing such a difficult game was unmatched!
Since he cleared the third phase with some time left, Zhao Haiping wasn't yet forced to wake up from his gaming session.
So he decided to head over and try the Assassin trial.
He wondered if, with his current combat strength, he could directly go 'Musou mode' and clear the trial.
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