The portal behind him shimmered shut, leaving Feng Jian alone on Floor 29's new terrain.He expected thunder and lightning like the storm bird's arena—but instead, he stepped into a nightmare painted red.
A village lay ahead, its timber cottages engulfed in flame. The sky itself seemed to bleed, crimson smoke curling toward the heavens. Screams echoed faintly through the crackle of fire.
Then came the shrill alert in his Asura System:
[FIRST WAVE OBJECTIVE]Save the burning village within 15 minutes.Penalty: –100 ADP per fallen villager.
For the first time in the gauntlet, Feng froze—not from fear, but from calculation. This was no simple extermination. Every second mattered. Every mistake meant blood.
Academy Stands – Commentary
The crowd erupted as the system prompt appeared. Instructors leaned forward from the academy's high seats.
"He's breezed through every beast and boss," Instructor Kael muttered, eyes sharp. "But killing monsters is one thing. Saving lives? Let's see what he does when blades aren't enough."
Another instructor, Yori, folded her arms. "This will test whether he's only a weapon… or something more."
Maria and her team had just finished their own floor and stood at their podium. She caught the broadcasted flames flicker in Feng's trial. Lisa's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.Behind Maria, Rose whispered:
"Do you know him? You trained with him, didn't you?"
Maria's eyes narrowed, though her voice was calm."Something like that. Watch carefully—this is where he shows who he really is."
Floor 29: First Wave – Herding the Innocent
The village was chaos. Thatched roofs collapsed into embers, smoke choking the narrow alleys. Villagers ran aimlessly, children screaming as parents pulled them through the firestorm.
Feng crouched low, his shadow senses sweeping the area. Monsters in the smoke… thirteen goblins. Fire Qi. Ambush patterns. But the priority isn't them—it's the people.
He stepped forward, blades still sheathed.
Every movement became a command. His Silent Steps rippled like a signal, his presence urging the villagers toward the central square. He used shadows deliberately—not to strike, but to redirect their panic. One moment he was behind a fleeing child, guiding them away from collapsing beams. The next, he appeared at the edge of the fire, pointing the villagers toward open space before vanishing again.
A roof gave way with a thunderous crash. Feng blurred, arms wrapping around two villagers, dragging them free before the flames consumed them.
Focus. Herd them. Think like a shepherd, not a predator.
By the time the last villager stumbled into the central square, coughing but alive, Feng checked the tally:
–400 ADP. Four dead.
His jaw tightened. "Not good enough."
The goblins emerged then, torchlight flashing in the smoke. Their shrieks filled the alleys.
Feng whispered to himself, "Time to cut the fire at its source."
He let them advance, funneling them into a narrow lane where smoke swirled thickest.
From the blackened doorway, his dagger struck—Poison Fang piercing a throat in silence.A torch swung at him; Guard Fang flicked it back, jamming flame into another goblin's chest.Two merged shadows flickered, and Feng vanished within them, reappearing between ambushers—daggers flashing, bodies collapsing before they could scream.
By the fourth minute, silence returned. Thirteen corpses smoldered at his feet.
Floor 29: Second Wave – Hunters of the Forest
Another alert pulsed across his vision:
[SECOND WAVE OBJECTIVE]Identify and kill 13 hidden scouts within 20 minutes.Penalty: –150 ADP per 3 minutes without a kill.
The environment shifted—flames behind him, a dense forest ahead. The undergrowth was thick, every tree a potential ambush.
Feng exhaled slowly. "From saving sheep to hunting wolves. Fine."
Blue-black Qi rippled across his body as he activated Aura Skin, shadows crawling up his form like armor. His senses sharpened, the forest's Qi currents painting outlines in the darkness.
Tomb of the Shadow Serpent.
At once, every shadow within four hundred meters linked together. Living forms glowed faintly, standing out against the weave of dark.
"Got you."
The first scout lunged from the roots of an oak, blade raised. Feng surfaced from shadow beneath him, severing his throat before he could shout. Another camouflaged goblin readied a dart—Poison Fang flew from Feng's hand, pinning him to a tree before the dart even left his grip.
Minute after minute, the hunters closed in. For each trap they set, Feng answered with silence and precision—appearing within shadows, blades flicking before their victims even knew they were discovered.
The forest became a graveyard. By the twentieth minute, the last goblin collapsed, ichor soaking the earth.
Penalty and rewards flickered across his vision. His balance sheet was ugly—losses stacked against gains—but Feng barely glanced at it. His focus was elsewhere:
On the villagers he had saved. On the silence of the forest after bloodshed.
Academy Stands – Reactions
The crowd erupted. Students leaned over the railings, chattering wildly.
"Incredible! He's not just killing—he's adapting.""Four villagers lost… but hundreds saved.""And he still cleared the scouts under time!"
The instructors' eyes gleamed with something colder.
Kael murmured, "Fast adaptability. He turned from assassin to protector without hesitation. That's rare."Yori added, "And dangerous. A killer with conscience makes a leader. The academy won't ignore this."
Maria's gaze lingered on the feed. For just a moment, her expression softened. So… that's how you fight when it's not about yourself, Feng Jian.
Cumulative ADP Update
Previous: 3,507
First Wave: –400
Second Wave: –600 penalty + 260 earned
Total: 3,627
Maria's team remained first overall—but Feng was rising like a storm from below, his performance rewriting expectations with every step.
And ahead loomed Floor 30: the trial that would etch his name into history.
End of Chapter 19