Dodging and weaving, Huo Yunying maneuvered skillfully around Xue Tianba, avoiding deadly strikes and delivering precise counterattacks. It was like a fight scene from a martial arts game, but this battle had none of the balance typically found in games.
Xue Tianba fully exploited his physical advantages, attacking with relentless ferocity and constantly trying to pin Huo Yunying down or grab hold of him. In gaming terms, this type of move is known as a "grapple." Grapples are among the most dangerous moves in any game—once caught, it's usually game over. In Dark Sands, grappling was even deadlier because of the size difference; if Xue Tianba managed to grab Huo, it would be a one-sided beatdown.
Yet, Huo Yunying deftly countered Xue's attacks, exploiting the momentary imbalance after Xue's failed lunges to deliver significant damage. With his "Strike Weakness" skill active, every hit on Xue's vulnerable spots caused clear and painful impact, making the hulking figure grunt in pain.
Gradually, the flow of battle began to shift. As a game that strives for realism, Dark Sands included a stamina system, which Huo Yunying had already noticed. Unlike in regular games, Dark Sands' stamina mechanic closely resembled real life.
Although Xue Tianba was massive, with powerful attacks and high resilience, his size came with a drawback—higher stamina consumption. Initially, he could overwhelm players with his sheer strength, but this wasn't sustainable for long. Huo Yunying had anticipated this, conserving his stamina in the early phase by avoiding direct clashes. As a result, the stamina difference between them became increasingly evident.
Huo Yunying started to gain the upper hand. His fists and feet relentlessly struck Xue's body, especially targeting vulnerable areas without mercy. In the ring, certain moves are forbidden, but here, there were no rules—kicks to the groin, eye jabs, nothing was off-limits.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
After a series of powerful punches, Xue Tianba staggered, visibly off balance. Seizing the moment, Huo Yunying landed a double ear slap, hitting both of Xue's temples, then delivered a heavy kick to Xue's abdomen, sending him reeling backward.
A couple of days earlier, Huo Yunying had already managed to push Xue into this weakened state. Back then, he naively assumed the trial was over. But Xue's next move left him in complete shock.
With a look of fear on his usually fierce face, Xue glanced at Huo, realizing that this seemingly slender opponent was far more skilled than he had anticipated. But fear quickly turned to rage, and Xue's expression grew even more vicious. He stormed over to a nearby weapons rack and grabbed a massive nine-ringed broadsword.
The first time Huo Yunying saw this, his jaw nearly dropped.
"What's going on? Weren't we fighting hand-to-hand? Now he's picking up weapons? Where's the martial honor in that?"
Back then, Huo Yunying hadn't stood a chance, and Xue had sliced him to pieces within a few moves. It was only later that he realized why the "Weapon Mastery" skill was an option in this trial.
But now, after numerous setbacks, he was no longer the same. The moment he kicked Xue back, Huo immediately ran toward the weapons rack himself.
Huo had tried ending the fight in the first phase, hoping to kill Xue before he grabbed a weapon, but Xue's resilience was astonishing. Given their size difference, grappling techniques or joint locks were practically useless. So, Huo decided to arm himself as well.
As a seasoned martial artist, Xue's weapon rack held a variety of weapons, but after many trials, Huo settled on a simple longsword. It was a weapon he was familiar with in real life and, more importantly, the body he inhabited had the strongest muscle memory with the longsword, offering the highest overall combat effectiveness.
Although there's a saying that a longer weapon has an advantage, in the end, it's all about what feels right. After all, he was a rogue; dual axes would've felt out of place.
With both of them armed, the fight resumed.
The second phase was even more perilous. Wielding the nine-ringed broadsword, Xue continued his heavy, wide-swinging style, the rings clanging ominously. A single hit from that blade would be fatal. Huo wielded his longsword with finesse, dodging and maneuvering, waiting for the right moment to strike, relying on technique to prevail.
Amid the clash of blades, their clothes began to tear, and blood occasionally spurted as they landed hits on each other. Xue wielded the broadsword with ferocity, shouting and bellowing to distract Huo, who maintained intense focus, attacking with calculated precision.
Finally, Xue began showing signs of exhaustion; his movements grew slower, his footing less stable. But this didn't mean Huo had won. Xue roared, "Guards! Get in here!"
His shout echoed throughout the compound. Moments later, several henchmen armed with various weapons rushed in.
Though Huo had seen this third phase many times before, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This guy is such a rat."
At the start of the trial, Huo had jumped into the courtyard thinking he was up against a noble-minded thug, someone with martial honor. But now he knew better—that had been an illusion. If he couldn't win, Xue would arm himself; if that failed, he'd call in reinforcements.
This was a fight to the death, after all, so Huo could understand it. He'd tried ignoring the minions in earlier attempts, focusing solely on Xue, but every time, he'd come agonizingly close to killing him, only to fall short.
Now, instead of rushing, Huo took a more measured approach. As a henchman lunged with a spear, Huo sidestepped, grabbed the spear shaft with his left hand, and thrust his sword into the attacker's throat. Another henchman tried to swing down from behind, but as if he had eyes in the back of his head, Huo spun and kicked him away.
Within moments, three or four henchmen had fallen, clutching their throats, while the remaining ones hesitated, intimidated by Huo's prowess. This wasn't his first time here; he'd memorized the order in which these thugs attacked, mapping out an ideal strategy.
In this sense, the Rogue Trial was a bit easier than the Soldier Trial. The Soldier Trial simulated an invasion, with numerous enemies and many variables, so it was harder to predict. The Rogue Trial, with its limited number of guards, had fewer variables and could be memorized.
With a few henchmen down, the rest grew timid, hanging back.
Finally, Huo had a clear path to finish off Xue.
By now, Huo was nearing his limit as well, but he forced himself forward, rushing toward the retreating Xue and stabbing him in the back. Despite multiple wounds and slowing movements, Xue still looked ferocious, a sight that would chill anyone.
But as Huo sidestepped Xue's broadsword one last time, he found an opening and drove his sword through Xue's throat.
He pulled the sword free, and blood sprayed out as Xue's massive frame toppled backward, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.