Don't mention cheats, even without them, there's no standing aloof from the Civilization Trial.
"Thank you!"
Yang Jun had been on edge since he witnessed the monster, but in this moment, his tension finally eased somewhat.
Shen Hao's strength and ability were there for all to see.
With such a powerful Chosen One assisting, the situation was bound to improve significantly.
However, after he hurriedly left, although the soldiers also breathed a sigh of relief, they remained vigilant towards each other.
Only Mrs. Shen stood steadfast behind, took a deep breath, and asked, "Little Hao, what on earth is going on?"
"Mom, let Qiuyue explain it to you." Shen Hao looked towards Qiuyue, who had also rushed over.
The girl, with eyes red, threw herself into Mrs. Shen's arms.
At the moment, the only comfort for Shen Hao was that his family was safe and sound.
Watching Qiuyue begin to explain, Shen Hao opened his Chosen One panel.
Right after those three monsters died, his panel had undergone new changes.
Three messages popped up.
[Trial Points earned: 332]
[Triggered drop: Gauss Rifle A-23 (White, Level 1)]
[Point Mall now opened.]
"Killing monsters gives points? And there are drops?" Shen Hao looked thoughtfully at the content displayed on his panel, "No, it should be that fighting against the Trial yields rewards."
The cheat provided him no detailed information on this aspect.
It simply stated that the Chosen One could obtain rewards during the fight against the Trial to enhance oneself and the strength of civilization as a whole.
After all, since it's called a "Trial," not an "Apocalypse," there had to be a measure.
Theoretically, the Civilization Trial surely offers a glimmer of hope.
It's just a matter of whether the entire civilization can seize it.
Shen Hao thought for a moment, decided not to take out the Gauss Rifle for a look, and opened the Point Mall instead.
An array of products appeared, far exceeding his expectations in quantity.
And they went beyond his imagination in scope.
It even made him gasp internally.
From items with a Cultivation style like "Fiery Fire Talisman" and "Qi Refining Pill," to those seemingly born of technology like "Electromagnetic Hand Cannon" and "Powerful Boxing Gloves," and even "Magic Potion," at first glance, it was all beyond the limits of imagination.
Even though all the visible products were only "White Level 1," and many were greyed out, suggesting certain purchase restrictions, this Point Mall still made Shen Hao deeply aware of the Civilization Trial's prowess and wonder, probably beyond expectation.
It was a colossal crisis and equally, a tremendous opportunity.
At least, Shen Hao could no longer imagine what the future of Human Civilization would look like if it managed to survive and triumph in Trial after Trial!
Moreover, it seemed there was only one path for all civilizations—defeat the Trials, strengthen themselves.
While Shen Hao was meticulously surveying the Point Mall, in certain areas, the news brought by Yang Jun had already caused a huge sensation!
Monsters silently replaced some among them!
No one knew the means of replacement, but they had memories and could carry out near-perfect camouflage!
"This is a crisis that could eradicate our whole world, our entire civilization!"
"Lock down the information, we must contain the news!"
"How many have been replaced by now?"
"We must root out all the monsters! Not a single one can be left!"
"This is war, a life-and-death struggle!"
"What exactly is the method of replacement? Where do the monsters come from? How many are there? How fast are they spreading? And, is there any correlation between the appearance of these monsters and the Chosen Ones? We must find out these answers as soon as possible!"
"Most importantly, we need to find a way to identify them on a large scale!"
"..."
Anyone aware of this news could sense the immense crisis, as some had said, it was a moment of survival or extinction.
Even if only one percent of the entire civilization had been replaced, that would still amount to seventy million people!
Enough to launch a war more brutal than the previous two world wars combined!
One misstep, and the downfall of civilization, the end of the world, was imminent.
Under such tremendous pressure, Shen Hao, who was the first to discover the monsters and had some ability to discern them, suddenly became the focus of all the informed parties.
The efficiency of the response was undoubtedly astonishing.
Shen Hao had prepared to wait a day or two, but just two hours later, Yang Jun came looking for him.
"The higher-ups are still in an emergency meeting, but we've agreed on some points concerning our locality and decided to establish a special task force, starting from this school, this city, to investigate all intelligence regarding the monsters as thoroughly as possible," Yang Jun said, looking somewhat haggard but with a sharp glint in his eyes, filled with a soldier's unique combat spirit.
Clearly, this veteran special forces operative, after the initial panic of having his world turned upside down, had quickly found his familiar stride.
Identify the enemy, eliminate the enemy, protect the people—it was that simple!
"A special task force?" Shen Hao nodded.
In the current situation, intelligence was of utmost importance.
Having found a breakthrough here, ripping open the true disguise of the monsters after a month, starting from this point was indeed the best choice.
"Mr. Shen," Yang Jun's tone and expression suddenly became solemn as he addressed Shen Hao, "I now officially invite you on behalf of the nation to become the leader of this special task force. Please accept the invitation."
"Me, the leader?" Shen Hao was taken aback.
This was no small matter; even though he had agreed to help, to the system, he was still an outsider.
And the authority of the leader of this special task force was bound to be significant!
"Currently, you are the only one with the ability to identify the monsters, and your strength is formidable, that's one reason. Second, we have reviewed your academic and work history, and your capabilities are already outstanding; third, this is your alma mater and hometown, the higher-ups believe you have enough responsibility to fully address the crisis," Yang Jun spoke very politely, "In short, this invitation comes from careful deliberation and unanimous decision from above, it's not a hasty choice."
"..." Shen Hao fell silent.
He wasn't dazzled by the invitation; he was well aware that with power came responsibility, and it could well be a test and trial for him.
But from the moment he got the cheat, the burden of responsibility was inescapable.
Yet, even though he had made his decision, Shen Hao did not respond immediately.