Chapitre 7: Chapter 7: Warrior Trial
After a few more attempts, Zhao Haiping finally decided to temporarily give up.
Enough, no need to bang his head against the wall!
In other action games, he would have kept trying against a tough boss, dying ten, twenty, or fifty times, memorizing every move until he finally beat it.
But this game was different.
After several attempts, Zhao Haiping realized he was missing too many elements. If he used a talent to enhance his acting skills, his combat power wouldn't be enough to assassinate the tall and strong Emperor Ling. If he used a talent to boost combat power, his lack of acting skill would get him exposed.
In this case, memorizing moves wouldn't help.
So, Zhao Haiping decided to withdraw and check out the other trial dungeons first.
Since different trials represented different roles, each with unique clearing criteria, he could choose the one that suited him best.
Even if they were all difficult, exploring the other trials might deepen his understanding of the game and help him find new strategies.
With a strong intent to exit, a cloud of mist enveloped his vision, and moments later, he returned to the vast floating palace in the sky.
"So, this is the home of the Order Restorer?
"I wonder if NPCs will be unlocked here later."
After dying multiple times in the dungeon, Zhao Haiping oddly found this place starting to feel comforting.
After some thought, he chose to enter the *Warrior* trial: *One General's Success*.
He figured the Warrior role should be straightforward, like a pure brute-force character in other games. Although he might suffer, this might be more suitable for a player like him who prefers action over strategy.
…
Passing through the trial gate, Zhao Haiping's vision filled with a vast, desolate landscape.
In the distance, yellow sand billowed, obscuring the sky. Zhao Haiping looked around and found himself atop an earthen city.
The entire city seemed made of compacted yellow soil. Defensive devices, such as logs and catapults, were arranged along the walls, and soldiers in black armor were busy at their stations, frozen in time.
Far off, a dark cloud appeared, moving closer.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was an army of hundred-man formations advancing in a massive force toward the city.
At this moment, three talent cards appeared before him.
1. **Gui - Sea of Corpses and Blood (Blue):** In the heat of battle, you can unleash potential in extreme conditions, ignoring pain when injured and gaining a burst of strength.
2. **Ren - Skilled in Archery and Horsemanship (White):** Enhances your riding and archery skills.
3. **Ren - Hunger and Thirst Resistance (Blue):** Increases tolerance to hunger and thirst beyond that of an average person.
Seeing these new talents, Zhao Haiping's eyes lit up.
These seem better than before!
One blue Gui-level skill and two white Ren-level skills.
Though still *blue sky and white clouds*, the levels were higher, suggesting this trial might demand more combat ability than the Assassin trial.
Zhao Haiping guessed that the skill pool had different levels and rarities for each skill name, so he'd need to consider skill strength based on level, rarity, and actual effect.
Usually, higher-level, rarer skills are at least decent choices, if not the best.
Based on level and rarity, *Hunger and Thirst Resistance* seemed the best, but it didn't seem particularly useful here.
As a soldier, his priority should be surviving on the battlefield, right?
*Sea of Corpses and Blood* and *Skilled in Archery and Horsemanship* each had their advantages. After some thought, he decided to try *Skilled in Archery and Horsemanship*.
Given that they were defending the city, with many defensive devices on the walls, archery should come in handy.
After selecting his talent, the trial began.
In an instant, a cacophony of sounds overwhelmed him, rattling his eardrums and shaking his spirit.
"Boom! Boom, boom!"
In the distance, the drums of war sounded. From the black cloud-like army below, two rows of large drums resounded, creating an ominous beat.
As the drums played, the shouts of soldiers rose. Even from this distance, Zhao Haiping felt an instinctive fear.
Looking down, he saw that he was now wearing the same black armor as the other soldiers, with a sword at his waist and a longbow in hand, along with a quiver holding several arrows.
Seeing this, Zhao Haiping felt a sense of relief.
He had made the right choice!
It was indeed a siege battle, and archery was crucial in the early stages.
If he hadn't chosen *Skilled in Archery and Horsemanship*, he might have struggled even to draw the bow, leading to another quick failure.
Before he could think further, the general on the wall raised his hand, speaking in a deep and commanding voice, "Draw your bows!"
"Whoosh!"
The soldiers beside Zhao Haiping quickly pulled arrows from their quivers, drawing their bows and waiting without releasing.
Zhao Haiping delayed slightly, following suit a moment later, careful not to draw attention.
He realized now that reckless actions were dangerous in this game. If he had drawn first, he might have shot the arrow prematurely.
Following the NPCs' lead seemed like a safer bet.
The *Skilled in Archery and Horsemanship* talent proved helpful. Zhao Haiping had no prior experience with archery, and the simplified mechanics in other VR games didn't require precision.
But now, thanks to the talent, he found himself naturally adopting the correct posture, controlling the bow's tension for optimal readiness.
As the enemy drew within 300 paces, the general remained still, and Zhao Haiping held his breath, waiting.
Beyond the archers, soldiers prepared massive sealed jars on catapults along the wall.
Soon, the enemy came within 200 paces.
Zhao Haiping could now make out the barbaric attire of the invaders. Decorated with animal bones, they appeared fierce and ruthless.
Finally, the general gave the order.
With a wave of his hand, the catapults launched jars over the walls, shattering upon impact and spilling dark liquid across the battlefield.
Several barbarian soldiers were splashed but paid no heed, continuing their advance.
Then, the general signaled again, and a voice shouted, "Release arrows!"
Arrows whistled through the air, raining down on the barbarian soldiers!
Zhao Haiping aimed at a large barbarian warrior. As soon as he released the arrow, he felt confident, and as he reached for his next arrow, he saw his previous shot hit the warrior square in the chest.
The arrow's impact was powerful, sending the barbarian off balance and toppling him backward.
Zhao Haiping couldn't help but feel a surge of pride: "I'm amazing!"
This skillful marksmanship would surely make him a celebrated archer!
But his excitement was short-lived. The barbarian soldier rose again, pulling the arrow from his chest.
The arrow hadn't struck a vital spot, and his armor had blunted the force. The warrior seemed relatively unharmed.
Though disappointed, Zhao Haiping continued to aim at his next target.
At that moment, he heard the soldiers shout, "The Great Chu's divine arrows will bring heavenly wrath!"
Flaming arrows soon followed, igniting the battlefield below!
Zhao Haiping realized the dark liquid in the jars was likely historical *Greek fire*!
The fiery barrier consumed the barbarians at the front, who screamed and rolled in agony.
But soon, more barbarians advanced, breaching gaps in the fire toward the walls and gate.
At the gate, dozens of barbarians pushed a battering ram, while others climbed siege ladders, relentlessly scaling the walls.
Zhao Haiping felt like he was playing a first-person shooter, continuously shooting at the barbarians below. Rolling logs and boulders from the wall inflicted heavy losses on the invaders, but they continued charging forward.
"Kill!
"Let these northern savages perish here!"
With a battle cry, the soldiers drew their swords, clashing with the barbarians.
Caught off guard, Zhao Haiping quickly unsheathed his sword, engaging in combat with the barbarians.
Finally, he saw the warriors up close – their faces painted, hair adorned with bones and fangs, looking terrifyingly fierce.
A gleaming scimitar came down on him, and Zhao Haiping quickly raised his sword to block. The impact jolted his arm, causing intense pain in his wrist.
"Damn, this guy's strong!"
Zhao Haiping realized this barbarian was even tougher than the red-armored guard in the previous trial.
Of course, this was likely because his character's physical abilities and skills differed in each trial.
Before, he had controlled the body of Nie Rang, the top swordsman, but now he was just a common soldier – no comparison.
Before he could think further, the barbarian swung his scimitar horizontally, slashing across Zhao Haiping's throat!
He felt a chill on his neck, then warm blood spurted out, blurring his vision.
Game over!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone