Shen Liang lay wrecked on the expansive comfort of his cotton bed, his body a mere shell. His mind, however, churned like a storm. He replayed the final moments of the trial in an endless, exhausting loop.
Why did I pass?
The question was a ghost haunting him. The 11th missed shot should have triggered an immediate, irrevocable failure. The system's rules were absolute. Weren't they? A terrifying, hopeful thought surfaced: Had he passed based on the original clear condition, before the Grandmaster's secret adjustment? Was his victory a loophole, an error in the code?
A sigh, heavy with mental fatigue, escaped his lips. No amount of contemplation would unveil the system's secrets. After the trial, he hadn't waited for the cheers or the accolades. He couldn't. The 100% neural synchronization had left his psyche in tatters, his nerves feeling raw and exposed. His heart hammered against his ribs, a wild, frantic rhythm like a horse galloping through thunder.
"Screw all that... sigh." Shen Liang surrendered to the mystery. For now, he needed to assess his tangible gains. He focused, and the system interface shimmered before his eyes.
[Balance: 355,999,615,000 Coins]
The number was astronomical, yet the last-minute purchase for the trial had still stung—300,000 coins, a fortune to any normal Climber.
"Inventory."
The display was bleak.
[Mana Pistol - 4/35]
[Mana Pistol - 35/35]
A single, close-to-breaking gun, and one pristine spare. Everything else—the blood-stained cloths, the makeshift staves—had been consumed by the trial's brutality, fading into digital dust. But at least something remained.
Then, a new prompt appeared, glowing with the authority of a final judgment.
[Compensation for the Guardian Selection's 3rd Trial has been decided by the System.]
[+2000 EXP]
[All Stats +2]
[HP: 170/170]
[MP: 570/570]
A solid, foundational reward. But it was the next line that made his breath hitch.
[Granted 2 random skills.]
Two new icons materialized in his spirit, burning with potential.
[Bullet Time] — Mastery: 1%
Type: Active Skill
Effect: Temporarily heightens the user's perception and reaction speed. A fragment of the legendary God of Marksmanship's power. At higher mastery, some say this skill can slow down #@$!.
[Telekinesis] — Mastery: 1%
Type: Active Skill
Effect: Exert force on objects within a certain range. Mana cost scales with the mass, distance, and precision of the manipulation.
"Ah...! Telekinesis?!"
Shen Liang shot up in bed, the exhaustion momentarily forgotten, replaced by a surge of pure, unadulterated excitement. His mind, once clouded with fatigue, now blazed with a thousand tactical possibilities.
He could manipulate the trajectory of his mana bullets. He could create invisible shields. He could disarm an opponent from across a room. The applications were limitless.
A slow, confident grin spread across his face. The mystery of his victory could wait. He had just been handed the key to a new realm of power.
"I," he whispered to the empty room, his voice filled with newfound ambition, "the sole heir of the Shen Conglomerate, will now truly stand at the top of the chain."