Zhao Haiping dared not think about what was in that filthy bag, let alone have the courage to open it and take a look. He could only quietly push it away whenever the other soldiers tried to hand it to him. He would rather stay thirsty and hungry!
The waiting was truly torturous, but luckily Zhao Haiping found that the flow of time in this trial was somehow specially adjusted. In what felt like just a few minutes, he had experienced a complete sunrise and sunset, from day to night and then back to day again. His fatigue and hunger only grew stronger.
Now Zhao Haiping understood why there was an "Endure Hunger" skill in the beginning—it was obviously for this stage! But since he hadn't picked it, his physical strength was deteriorating significantly.
After waiting a while longer, Zhao Haiping licked his dry, cracked lips and looked out at the Northern Di (Nomadic) soldiers outside the city. He wanted to shout, "When on earth are you going to attack? Act like humans!"
But the sight only infuriated him further. Those Northern Di soldiers had set up large cauldrons outside and were cooking meat, singing, and dancing around them! The soldiers on the city wall glared down at the enemy; though they were all pale with hunger, each still gripped their weapons firmly, showing no sign of weakness.
Finally, the Northern Di soldiers outside began their assault again! But compared to last time, the difficulty had escalated. On the one hand, the city's defense mechanisms were now in disrepair, so they couldn't cause as much initial damage with fire oil and arrows as before. On the other hand, the defending soldiers were severely drained after being cut off from food and water.
But now there was no choice; Zhao Haiping could only grit his teeth and prepare to fight. He stuck to his previous strategy, avoiding direct confrontations whenever possible and gradually retreating.
In the beginning, things went fairly smoothly. Though the city's defenders seemed on the brink of collapse, they still managed to summon terrifying resilience in this desperate situation. Moreover, as if aging had sharpened their skills, both Zhao Haiping and the other soldiers were more technically proficient than before. Zhao Haiping could feel it clearly; despite his lack of strength, his improved technique allowed him to compensate.
"Indeed, there is always a way out! I knew this game wouldn't just give me a hopeless scenario. There must be some kind of turnaround."
However, his joy was short-lived. More Northern Di soldiers swarmed the wall, surrounding the city's general. A desperate soldier shouted, "Protect General Geng!"
But Zhao Haiping looked and thought, "How on earth am I supposed to get there? There were at least dozens of soldiers around the general, and there were only a handful of defenders able to break free. Are we each supposed to take on ten?"
Gritting his teeth, he tried a few times, but in his current state, fighting even two enemies simultaneously was his limit. It was impossible to approach without courting death. Ultimately, as the general let out an indignant roar and fell to the enemy's blades, the city's defenses crumbled. The remaining soldiers were quickly overwhelmed, with Zhao Haiping and the others meeting a bloody end.
Respawn.
Returning to the start of the trial, Zhao Haiping was pleasantly surprised to find that he could now choose to begin from the second stage rather than repeating the first.
Without hesitation, he picked the "Endure Hunger" skill and restarted the second phase of the trial. But despite this change, he was met with countless deaths. Each time he respawned, Zhao Haiping fell into deeper thought.
"Something's still not right. Even with 'Endure Hunger,' it's not enough to clear this stage. Although hunger was less of a problem, I now lacked combat skills. If I just try to survive, it's doable, but as the battle progresses, the enemy will overwhelm the general, leading to inevitable defeat. Once the general falls, the soldiers quickly scatter, and I can't possibly hold the line alone. It feels like there's some game mechanic I haven't figured out. Continuing like this, no matter how many times I die, I won't succeed."
After countless deaths, Zhao Haiping realized that brute force alone was insufficient to clear this level. Even with a good skill, it could only offset one specific weakness, while others remained that would lead to failure.
Based on the trials so far, the assassin trial required successfully assassinating Emperor Yan, while the soldier trial demanded holding this fortress. Both objectives seemed nearly impossible.
"Logically, this is a game. There must be a way to clear it. Like many difficult games, the first encounter is challenging because you don't understand the mechanics. But once you do, the solution usually becomes more straightforward."
He reflected, concluding that *The Order* must have its mechanics. If he could find the solution, the challenge, while tough, should be achievable.
As he pondered, he felt a strange sensation. The world around him blurred, and fog swirled around him.
Moments later, Zhao Haiping awoke in reality.
"Without even realizing it, it's already morning?" He looked at the clock—6:00 AM. Despite fighting in the game from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, he felt as refreshed as if he'd slept a full night.