Wang Hao stood on the shore, water drying from his skin, the sun a cruel torch overhead casting his jaded shadow on the sand. He contemplated humanity's greatest achievement: their indomitable will to survive. In an era dominated by gods and Yao creatures, it was this very willpower that had propelled humanity forward, forcing even the mightiest beings to retreat. The myriad races had vanished into the shadows of history, not merely out of fear of some greater threat, but in awe of humanity's relentless determination. Mankind's desperation, their rage against the heavens, had become a force that reshaped the very fabric of the three realms.
His gaze fell upon the red-haired youth, noticing his broken and dislocated left thumb. Though impressed by the boy's determination, Wang Hao knew he needed to find a way to ensure the youth quit the trials. However, the resolve displayed was currently too much to handle, and Wang Hao needed to bide his time for the perfect moment to strike.
The white-robed woman staggered across the sandy shore, while Fang Tian appeared unshaken but wary, keeping his eyes fixed on Wang Hao as soon as he made it ashore.
As they drew closer, the red-haired teenager, voice barely audible after having his stomach filled with blood and water, spat, "You... you left me there! You attacked me without provocation."
Wang Hao remained silent, knowing that if he hadn't acted first, the youth would have struck him down. He recalled the events in Gate Fourteen. From the clues he had gathered, the other rooms were not empty but held either unconscious or dead contenders inside them. The only two people in Gate Fourteen were him and this red-haired youth. That meant, during the delay of his own room opening, the red-haired youth had acted on his plan to gain an advantage in this test.
The red-haired troublemaker had likely attacked other members, either catching them unprepared or tricking them by acting innocent.
The white-haired woman shifted her attention toward the larger woman, the overseer of these trials. She was dressed in robes that barely contained her immense frame, yet her eyes were sharp and gleaming.
"Congratulations on your timely arrival," the overseer began, but was interrupted.
"Pardon me, Senior," the redhead interjected, "As the first to arrive, do we receive any advantages over the other participants?"
The sound of a slap resounded across the beach. The redhead found himself lying upside down in the sand, either unconscious or worse.
"How dare you interrupt me!" the overseer bellowed. "These are my lands and my rules. Since you're so eager for a reward, let me explain my rules as your so-called reward."
The remaining participants, including Wang Hao, nodded attentively.
"Rule one: Speak only when spoken to. Rule two: Respect me at all times. Rule three: Address me as the most beautiful woman in this realm. Rule four: You will not resist any training or punishment I administer. You will learn and adapt. Is that understood?"
"Understood, most beautiful woman in this realm," Wang Hao replied promptly. The others followed suit.
The overseer then demanded their names.
"Mu Mein. Greetings, great beauty," the white-robed woman said.
"Fang Tian. Great beauty," the muscular man managed.
Before the overseer could comment on Fang Tian's brief response, Wang Hao interjected, "He is not fluent in the Central Lands tongue, so his speech patterns differ from the norm, great beauty."
"Oh? You two are acquainted? If he fails to abide by the rules, you'll share in his punishment," the overseer warned Wang Hao.
Turning to Wang Hao, she asked, "And you, first arrival? What's your name?"
"Wang Hao. I pay my respects to the supreme beauty under the heavens," he replied, hoping to curry favor after his earlier misstep.
"Wang, is it? I'll be watching you closely. For now, you're on watch duty. Keep an eye out for newcomers. If they can't swim, save them. This task applies to all of you. We can't afford to lose fresh blood, can we?"
Finally, she turned to the red-haired youth, lifting him by his foot. "And you? What's your name?"
"I... it's... Lin Fu," he barely whispered before losing consciousness again