In just one day, the army of draconic beasts, all using their shapeshifting abilities and wearing armor of questionable aesthetics, reached the central continent.
The central continent lived up to its name: All other continents in that world were arranged in a circle around it, equidistant from each other. Despite this layout, the strongest factions arrived within minutes of the signal, burning a crystal from their heroic core without hesitation to get there.
Hibria explained everything in detail along the way. Technically, the test would begin in seven days, when a massive spatial channel would appear at the center of the continent. Everyone could enter, and they would all be transported to a different location for each test.
However, the core of the test always remained the same: traverse to the center, overcoming countless dangers along the way.
Doing this as a group had consistently proven to be the best approach. Of course, there were always those who tried to do it alone, but according to Hibria, they were always the first to die.
Those who passed the test were simply the ones who made it to the other side—straightforward but easier said than done. However, the test effectively began as soon as the groups arrived on the continent.
Everyone scrambled to occupy areas as close as possible to where the entrance would appear. This strategy was meant to secure the best positions and be among the first to start the test.
After all, the test wasn’t just about passing. There were valuable treasures and opportunities to claim.
Legends said that, long ago, a cataclysmic battle between immortals had shattered time and space, creating countless pocket worlds. Deep within these worlds lay supreme weapons, secret tomes, remains of ancient supreme beasts, and priceless legacies.
Over time, these hidden worlds occasionally opened, and participants were transported there, where they could uncover relics of the past.
Since most came from other universes, many dismissed these stories as mere legends. But for Alm, Bruno, and Ruri—who knew the events were real—this was thrilling. The Queen had moved the debris and spatial distortions from that battle, sealing them within formations and creating these pocket worlds, some of which opened periodically.
When the gates to one of these worlds opened, those inside could easily sense the fluctuations of nearby treasures. The first group of participants was always favored, entering directly into the areas with the most coveted treasures. Those who followed had to face the dangers of the area and compete with others in the test to claim anything of value.
Those who failed the test were usually those who lost their allies and realized they couldn’t complete the journey. If they tried, they’d simply die. So, they returned to the entrance and hid, waiting for the test to end so they could leave.
If they were lucky enough to survive, they’d report these situations, confirming that the first group always reaped the greatest rewards and passed the test more easily.
Still, Alm and Bruno scoffed at these tales. To them, it was obvious that the first group consisted of the most powerful participants. Even if they didn’t claim the best treasures, they could easily steal them from others. Killing was highly profitable, after all. Why would such strong mutants leave empty-handed?
In truth, that seemed to be the very intention of the test: gather many in one enclosed space to search for resources, and then have the most powerful take everything and leave as the victors.
"Only power reigns supreme. The strongest always suppress others and profit the most," Alm murmured through the array. "Once we’re in, we’ll be the biggest bandits around."
"Hehehe, enemies everywhere coming after us. Killing for treasures is one of our greatest skills..." Ruri replied enthusiastically, then quickly corrected herself: "...I mean, we’ll honorably claim the treasures and defeat the villains!"
Alm and Bruno snorted. Deep down, they knew the real villains were them, but they chose not to comment.
In the end, every mutant was doing their best to reach the entrances and be among the first groups to enter.
The draconic beast army marched for another hour before arriving at a region that could only be described as an immensely chaotic battlefield.
Various types of mutant races, clans, and armies had gathered there. Despite the dozens of continents in this world, they hadn’t even explored 10% of the place. The general population here was countless, with beings from numerous different universes, including mutant races unrecognizable to them.
They were still far from the location where the channel would appear. Ahead, a disorganized battlefield stretched out, with most combatants merely launching probing attacks to claim territories.
The armies were trying to secure positions as close to the entrance as possible. When facing overwhelmingly stronger opponents, the weaker ones would abandon their territories and seek another spot, avoiding losses and injuries before the test began.
Amid the many factions vying for an advanced position, the arrival of the draconic beasts went unnoticed.
The closer they got, with many armies surrounding the entrance, the probing attacks became fiercer, occasionally leading to fatalities. As a result, corpses littered the field, soaking the ground with fresh blood.
"Vile, filthy woman, disappear! A loser like you should die in the test! How dare you come back alive and sacrifice another army?! These poor beasts don’t deserve this!"
As the draconic beasts advanced, they spotted an army, and a cry of warning echoed ahead. It came from a group of demonic beasts, though draconic beasts were among them as well.
They all clenched their fists furiously. All those draconic beasts in the midst of the enemy army had rejected joining Hibria in the past after learning that she had lost before and was now gathering others who weren’t all that strong.
In every race, there are good and bad people, and the same was true for the draconic beasts. The ones here were the evil ones who didn’t care about anything other than power. They even allied themselves with the demonic beasts, and clearly killed and plundered a lot to be as strong as possible for this test.
*Peng!*
An arrow suddenly shot through the head of the one who had shouted. Hidden among the ranks, a round figure beside a small dragoness took advantage of their stealth to land a precise, deadly blow.
"Bullseye!" Ruri declared, in a dry tone, standing beside the ’golem’ holding a simple bow.
"Flirting with death!"
Immediately, the entire enemy army charged furiously toward the newcomers. Although the dead man was just an ordinary soldier, they were confident in their numbers, which were double, and in the power of the draconic beasts. All of them had excited smiles, eager to devour them.
A beastly figure in humanoid form appeared and gestured for everyone to stop when they were close. It was a man wielding a white-bladed sword made of pure Yang. He stared at the golem holding the bow and roared:
"I am Firzium! Kid, tell me your name!"
He announced firmly, making it clear that he wasn’t a fool. Recognizing the skill in the arrow and the mental power, he considered his opponent worthy. Only the draconic beasts were naive enough to underestimate these two.
Ruri smiled and moved gracefully in front of him. Then she dusted off a bit of dirt from the round figure’s clothes, puffed out her chest, and declared confidently:
"He goes by Denil, but to his friends, he is simply the Divine Master above heaven and earth! When Master appears, the earth trembles, and the heavens roar. When he leaves, ghosts weep and gods mourn!"
She spoke loudly and nobly, staring at Firzium. Then, she sighed and waved dismissively:
"Kid, it’s not good to be so arrogant at such a young age. Of course, being arrogant isn’t a mistake, but surpassing the Divine Master in arrogance is impossible, because the peak of arrogance is precisely the Divine Master. He is beyond heaven and earth, after all. Just look at what happened now... one casual move from him and nothing can survive..."
"YOU! Kill them!" the man shouted, whose name no one would bother remembering again.
Immediately, the surrounding armies turned their attention to the draconic beasts. However, the leader of that army barely had time to react before seeing a black spear and then being sent directly to the river of reincarnation.
What followed was a massacre, lasting only a few minutes. Meanwhile, Bruno happily took the sword from the dead man, which had a power very similar to his scythe.
"The Unmatched Divine Master is here! If you don’t want to die, disappear! Otherwise, please line up for an orderly death! He will be merciful and let only his loyal allies send you to the heavens one by one. Thank you for your cooperation!"
Ruri announced loudly. Originally, Alm and Bruno kept serious expressions on their faces, but Ruri’s antics and lack of filter made Bruno squirm internally, trying to suppress his laughter.
Of course, she did this on purpose. They would move directly to the desired location, and along the way, attract a few fish. By defeating them, they would make it clear to everyone that they couldn’t be treated lightly. This would make most people keep their distance, avoiding unnecessary problems and buying them time, reducing pointless deaths.
"Kill!"
And sure enough, one army after another roared and charged, delivering their deadliest blows.
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Without hesitation, the draconic beasts drew their weapons and unleashed their power. Even surrounded by many enemies attacking at the same time, they were like dragons facing chickens, annihilating anything in their way with ease.
Alm and Bruno didn’t forget to collect all the recently dead bodies as they moved.
Everyone watching swallowed nervously. The sight was terrifying; after eliminating a dozen armies, the people around quickly fled, leaving them alone. As a result, the draconic beasts advanced through the crowd like a hot knife through butter. Roaring, their fighting spirits were completely ignited.
They continued advancing until they encountered a stronger army closer to the desired location. This group, however, was truly more powerful and offered some resistance.
In the midst of the battle, when the enemies thought they were in control of the situation, the draconic beasts’ weapons and armor suddenly changed.
Each of their combat strategies and fighting styles also shifted unexpectedly, catching the enemies off guard. Minutes later, a crushing victory was achieved.
"Surprise elements and sudden changes always work, especially against those who think they are superior," Ruri declared to the army after the victory. "Remember what happened here: never underestimate an opponent or think you have everything under control, no matter how much stronger you are. A true powerful person never reveals all of their potential immediately, saving it for the right moment, ensuring 100% effectiveness."
Even with limited intelligence, the soldiers deeply absorbed this lesson after witnessing what had occurred.
After taking the territory of that army, they quickly advanced. Then they spotted a group of figures that seemed to be made of stone, surrounded by a scarlet aura.
"Mutant golems?" Ruri pointed out.
Hibria became serious upon seeing them and said to Alm and Bruno with gravity:
"They are blood golems. They may look similar to you, but they’re extremely powerful and bloodthirsty. They get stronger by absorbing blood, and their earth defenses are exceptional. It’s not a good idea to antagonize them, or we’ll lose a lot of energy. How about we bypass this obstacle?"
There was no way to conquer that territory without direct confrontation. If they tried to fight, regardless of whether they won or not, the outcome would be catastrophic: they would lose at least half of their energy dealing with the natural defenses of the territory, and that was a conservative estimate.
"Don’t worry, leave this to me. They’re my relatives, I’ll talk to them and give them a hug. I’m sure they’ll welcome me with open arms," Bruno declared, walking alone toward the blood golems, without even looking back.
Nayr and Hibria panicked. ’Is he crazy?!’ they thought, desperately looking to Ruri for a reaction. To their surprise, she just held back the urge to laugh and calmed them down:
"The charm of the Divine Master above the heavens and earth is immense and incomparable. You must simply listen to his words and obey, never doubt."
She spoke with a sarcastic tone, but there was some truth in her words. Despite the exaggeration, Ruri truly believed it.
The two sighed and watched as Bruno reached the enemy territory. The blood golems immediately reacted, becoming tense and pointing their cold weapons at him. One of them, with an authoritative tone, ordered him to stop. Although they all appeared to be golems, there shouldn’t have been any bloodline connection between them, like there was with the draconic beasts.
Bruno, however, remained silent. Without saying a word, he threw something toward the golems. The one who caught the object had his expression completely transformed and ran into the camp.
Shortly after, seven powerful blood golems emerged.
When these seven appeared, the draconic beasts were stunned. Each of them was at the same level as Hibria, and although Nayr might be potentially stronger, facing the seven together would be an extremely complex task if a fight broke out.
But...
It only took a few seconds for the seven to kneel before the round golem. Soon after, all the other blood golems hurried over, kneeling in reverence, their expressions emotional, nearly shedding tears as they looked at the round figure that was staring at them.
"I told you, didn’t I? Charm, power... doesn’t matter, he has it all. For him, everything is simple," Ruri commented, puffing her chest before letting out a soft laugh.
After that, the round golem turned around and waved to the draconic beasts. When they approached, to everyone’s surprise, the blood golem camp opened up, welcoming them with open arms.
"Ruri, organize them. From now on, they’re part of our army and will fight by our side," Bruno declared casually.
Ruri nodded in agreement, while Nayr and Hibria remained silent, completely stunned by the scene.