Though Xue Tianba had fallen, Huo Yunying didn't let his guard down, keeping his grip on the sword firm and ready. After all, he'd been burned by this trial before.
Previously, he'd finally managed to bring Xue down in hand-to-hand combat, only for Xue to pick up a weapon and enter phase two. Then, during close-quarters blade combat, when Huo was on the verge of victory, Xue had shouted for reinforcements. What if he had a fourth phase or came back from the dead?
If that happened, Huo would have no choice but to track down the game's designer and have a long talk.
Luckily, none of these nightmares came to pass. Dark Sands was a historical game, not a fantasy one, so there was no setting for resurrection or demonic transformations.
With Xue's body on the ground, the trial's completion screen appeared.
[Rogue Trial: Justice for the People]
[Complete!]
[Completion Rating: After this trial, you should have a clearer understanding of the balance between "Upholding the Law with Force" and "Justice for the People."]
[Rogue class unlocked!]
[Rogue-exclusive skill "Unrestrained Hero": Your agility is enhanced, giving you a better chance to break through enemy lines or escape when surrounded.]
[Note: This exclusive skill will automatically activate when you select this class. The skill can be enhanced as you progress, and it can be combined with other skills for maximum effectiveness.]
Huo Yunying finally let out a sigh of relief.
He'd finally beaten it!
A few days ago, he'd felt just a step away from victory, only to find that step stretching out endlessly. He'd lost count of how many times he'd been killed by Xue, nearly becoming numb to it.
He glanced at the "Completion Rating" section, which provided some insight into the game's design philosophy. Dark Sands consistently referred to each trial as "simple," but this trial had been anything but that.
Historically, the concept of a rogue was closer to "defying the law with force." Many famous rogues weren't particularly virtuous; some could even be described as gangsters. However, Dark Sands seemed to endorse a "justice for the people" approach to the rogue profession.
He'd also been curious about his new class skill, "Unrestrained Hero." It seemed like a mobility buff, useful for breaking through enemy lines or escaping.
"Looks like the rogue class is distinct from the assassin," he mused. "An assassin sneaks in with a meticulous plan, often with no escape route once the job's done. The rogue, however, charges in head-on, dealing justice and then walking out."
Having finally settled on his preferred class, Huo was ready to exit the game. As he did, his screen faded to white, and he knew his time in the virtual world was over for now.
"Glad I made it in time," he thought, satisfied, as he logged out.
Back in reality, Chu Ge also woke up. Checking his phone, he found a message from the game developers, along with his trial completion video.
[Congratulations! As the first player to complete the Scholar Trial, your account has been officially verified on the website with the "Pro Player" tag. Would you like to share your video on the site to help others learn and improve?]
Without hesitation, Chu Ge clicked "Yes." Like Zhao Haiping, he was an active, hardcore player and wouldn't miss a chance to make his mark.
Opening the Dark Sands website, he saw that things had changed since his last visit. All four trial videos were now available, which meant each one had been beaten. The top players for Warrior, Scholar, and Rogue had shared their identities, while the Assassin player had chosen to remain anonymous, uploading only the video.
The site had also added a forum and video-sharing features. According to the announcement, any player who completed a trial could now edit their own videos to share online, though the player-editing tools were more basic compared to the cinematic quality of the official videos.
Even so, this was big news for players! Chu Ge scrolled through the forum, seeing that it was already abuzz with excitement.
"I cleared the Warrior Trial too! It's amazing! I take back anything bad I said about Dark Sands. It was just me being bad at it!"
"Cleared it here as well! The sense of accomplishment is unmatched!"
"Looks like the other three trials also have videos now? These top players are unreal, figuring out such complex mechanics."
"Time to catch up on the other trials' videos. I'll try to clear one tonight too!"
"There must be nearly 80 people who've cleared the Warrior Trial now. Once there's a video, a whole wave of players follows. Bet the other trials will see the same by tomorrow."
"The Assassin player is insane! Their performance was Oscar-worthy! I wonder what they do in real life—must be a professional actor or something."
"Maybe even a stunt actor?"
"The golden skills look amazing, especially if you're already strong. Unfortunately, I've never seen one…"
"Chu Ge cleared the Scholar Trial first! Absolute legend!"
"That ending left me speechless. I thought everything in the trial was based on real records, but the encounters with Wang Chong and Emperor Wei had no historical basis. The arguments they made were so twisted; I almost believed them!"
"Yeah, Wang's 'save the officials first' logic and Emperor Wei's 'Yangtze-Yellow River' analogy were top-notch sophistry. Glad Chu was so well-prepared and shut them down on the spot!"
"Watching him confront those corrupt officials and the emperor was so satisfying!"
"That part in the prison where he was scraping the wounds on his leg—so intense! Even though it wasn't a combat trial, the Scholar Trial was hardcore in its own way."
"And the Rogue Trial is just as brutal. I gave up after getting beaten up at the start, but now I see there are three stages to it! Xue Tianba pulling out weapons and calling for reinforcements? No honor!"
"But he still got taken down. I bet Huo Yunying's a real-life martial artist."
"Yeah, he actually posted on the forums before—he's skilled in real life."
The forum buzzed with new discussions. With videos from all four trials available, the community's enthusiasm was at an all-time high. Players discussed everything from gameplay strategies to historical references and the different trials' intricate designs.
For Chu Ge, the forum discussions were still somewhat scattered. During his Scholar Trial, he'd started forming a theory about Dark Sands and its deeper themes. Now that he'd seen the Assassin and Rogue trial videos, his theory seemed even more plausible.
It was time to make a video sharing his insights on the Scholar Trial, along with a broader analysis of Dark Sands and what made it so unique.
Without wasting a moment, he downloaded the videos from the Dark Sands website and began editing his own.