The reason D infiltrated the forum was because he was desperate to figure out who would ultimately become the winner of the Land of Trials.
After all, the Land of Trials was, in essence, the critical testing ground where the true HIM selected a successor.
For that very reason, D was firmly convinced that whoever was capable of successfully passing this harsh trial must be highly aligned with the true HIM on an ideological level.
Therefore, no matter who ultimately won the honors of the trial, that person was essentially inheriting the mantle and essence of the true HIM.
So even if this winner had never had any grudges or conflicts with D before, D would still show no mercy and decisively wipe them out completely.
Before this, D had already gone through careful analysis and weighing of options. He knew very well that if he wanted to completely erase this winner, the most effective strategy at the moment was to lure them into ending their own life.
Simply put, it meant doing everything possible to uncover the fatal weakness deep within that person's heart, and then using it as leverage to force them to willingly give up their precious life.
It was precisely for this reason that D had no choice but to invest a great deal of energy into thoroughly investigating who the victor of the Land of Trials actually was.
After all, only by clearly knowing who the final winner was could he find a way to explore what that person's fatal flaw truly was.
However, what greatly surprised D was that the individual whom countless players were guessing and asserting to be the winner of the Land of Trials turned out to be exactly the person he most hoped would appear, Xu Yuan.
On one hand, Xu Yuan had repeatedly disrupted his carefully laid plans, and an irreconcilable hatred had already formed between the two of them.
So even if the one who won this grueling trial had not been Xu Yuan, D would still have unhesitatingly eliminated Xu Yuan completely.
On the other hand, among all the contestants competing in the Land of Trials, the one D was most familiar with and understood best was Xu Yuan.
If this victory truly belonged to Xu Yuan, there was no doubt it would save D a great deal of time and effort, because D already knew what Xu Yuan's weakness was.
Thinking this far, D immediately stopped the repair work in his hands. He closed his eyes tightly, as if quietly sensing something.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, and an unmistakable trace of joy flashed through them. "Very good. They've all gathered together. Saves me the trouble of running around everywhere."
———
[Inside the Nether Fortress]
Animals, monsters, villagers, Pillagers, and players had all gathered together. No one spoke, but worry was written all over everyone's faces.
Seeing the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, one of the players couldn't help but speak up.
"When those 'lords' were around, it always felt incredibly oppressive. Now that they're all gone, it feels strangely empty instead… They should have already found ways to protect themselves, right?"
Hearing the player's words, an Pillager beside him let out a long sigh.
"Saku…" He started to speak, then seemed to realize something, paused for a moment, and continued in broken Mandarin.
"They… they'll be fine… like their… village, they… won't be in trouble…"
Hearing the Pillager's words, the witch beside them shook her head and sighed.
"They've helped us so much, saving us again and again. Now that they're in danger, we can't help them at all… We can't even confirm whether they're safe…"
After hearing the witch, everyone let out a sigh and echoed her words.
"Yeah… we don't even know where they are right now…"
"Moo… moo moo… moo moo moo moo…"
"Roar roar… roar roar…"
When the Villager King saw everyone's reactions, his gaze suddenly became unfocused, as if he had fallen into a brief daze.
At this moment, nearly all the factions in this game world had gathered together.
Yet, unexpectedly, the focus of everyone's concern and discussion was not about their own factions or their own affairs.
In this instant, it was as if all faction boundaries had completely vanished, as though they had never existed at all.
People huddled closely together, with no barriers or wariness between them, like one harmonious, warm, and loving big family.
Even though they knew that the Void had already become materialized, and even though they knew they themselves were not absolutely safe, they did not dwell on worries about their own life and death. Instead, their thoughts were filled with concern and anxiety for the people under Xu Yuan's command.
However, these unusually selfless actions did not surprise or confuse the Villager King. On the contrary, deep down, he felt that such a reaction was only natural.
After all, everyone present could deeply feel that those beings respectfully addressed as "lords" had always treated them with complete sincerity, giving them meticulous care and protection.
These "lords" cherished and respected every living being, valuing every single life.
Exchanging hearts for hearts, meeting sincerity with sincerity, perhaps this was exactly what that saying meant.
Precisely because those "lords" treated everyone with genuine sincerity, everyone returned that sincerity in kind.
This scene also ignited hope for the future in the Villager King's heart.
If everyone could survive this hurdle of the Void, then in the future, there should no longer be conflicts between factions.
Everyone who experienced this war would likely take the initiative to preserve peace between factions, slowly creating a new world full of hope.
How could such a world not be worth looking forward to?
Just as the Villager King was lost in thought, a figure suddenly entered his field of vision without any warning.
Looking closely, it turned out to be a man who appeared before everyone like a ghost, floating in midair.
The man wore a long robe as white as snow, a deep blue tie fastened at the collar. On his head was a jet-black top hat, giving him an air of elegance and imposing presence.
Judging by his appearance alone, he was no different from an ordinary player. However, when one met his utterly arrogant, contemptuous gaze, it was not hard to tell that his identity was anything but ordinary.
The man's sudden arrival truly shocked everyone present, and they all involuntarily retreated several steps backward.
Every pair of eyes that looked at the man was filled with vigilance.
Although no one knew this man's true identity, deep down, an ominous feeling had already begun to rise within them.
And the answer that was about to surface filled them with fear. Precisely because of this, they would rather deceive themselves than face the terrifying truth taking shape in their hearts…