Chapter 31: The Second Trial of Hell

Dachun entered the warehouse, where the portal reappeared in the center.

Full of anticipation, he stepped through and found himself back in that celestial, golden palace, enveloped in ethereal clouds. Maria, dressed in white with her garments draped suggestively, drifted toward him once more.

Dachun bowed immediately. "Greetings, Lady Maria."

Maria sighed with emotion. "To think your true self could accomplish such a sensational feat while your soul was so weak. As a newcomer, you are truly remarkable. I feel it is time to continue your training. Are you prepared for the second trial?"

She even knows about the excellence I displayed on the surface! But this feeling of being monitored from both ends is truly indescribable.

Dachun forced himself to stay composed. "I can't wait! But may I bring two servants with me?"

Maria nodded. "I never refuse a brave soul willing to undergo trials, but bringing servants means the difficulty will increase. Are you prepared to accept that?"

The higher the waves, the more valuable the fish!

"I accept!"

Maria seemed satisfied. "Your request is granted. Go find the Overseer; she will take you to the second level."

Dachun wanted to confirm one thing. "Is the Overseer a manifestation of your own self?"

Maria giggled. "You noticed? Do you have designs on her?"

Dachun desperately wanted to say no—and in reality, he didn't—but considering the demonic values of this place, he had no choice but to concede.

"Though it may be overreaching, the Overseer's strength and charm have captivated me."

Maria asked with a smile, "I look just like her, and I am far more passionate. Does I not captivate you?"

No matter the demonic values, Dachun dared not be too brazen. "In my eyes, you are a god-like existence, far beyond my reach. But the Overseer... she feels within my grasp."

Maria laughed and waved her hand. "Then you should strive even harder. Desire is the source of motivation. Go."

Damn, is it actually possible?

That single wave of her hand demonstrated god-like power, and Dachun was blown straight back into the warehouse.

The Overseer was already waiting at the door. "Let's go!"

Isn't this a bit too rushed? Dachun looked at the warehouse full of hoes and tools and asked, "Can I bring some extra tools as backups?"

The Overseer replied coldly, "No."

Dachun had no choice but to follow her out. But remembering that she was someone he could "have designs on," he tried to make small talk to build rapport. "Is this meant to test my ability to face sudden, unprepared situations?"

The Overseer's tone finally lost some of its chill, even showing a hint of amusement. "That requirement can be arranged. Consider it done!"

Damn it! Did my big mouth just increase the difficulty again?

Dachun panicked. "What is the mission objective for the second level?"

The Overseer couldn't help but laugh. "It depends on my mood!"

Oh, hell no! She actually laughed, but it was definitely malicious! That's right, this is a demon world; tormenting others is the source of joy!

Dachun didn't dare speak further, but he had at least confirmed one vital piece of information: the trial truly had no specific objective. This random mode meant there was no set strategy, and even elite teams couldn't replicate a linear path. That was, at least, a good thing.

Upon reaching the mine, the Overseer pointed to the teleportation array. "Get on!"

Dachun immediately signaled his two little companions. "Come on!"

The two little ones stepped forward, trembling with a mix of excitement and fear.

The Overseer flicked her whip, and the teleportation array began to glow and activate—impressive. She didn't even need magic stones; she was charging it on the spot.

With a flash of light, the scene shifted.

—System Notification: Warning! You have entered the 2nd level of the Abyss Trial. You must give your all to pass.

Before the teleportation light had even faded, and before he could clearly see his surroundings, Dachun heard a deafening roar and saw a flash of red light above his head!

The two little ones shrieked, "Run!"

What the—!?

Dachun started running immediately—the next moment, a massive explosion rocked the ground behind him like a cannon shell. The shockwave sent him flying. "Health -91!"

—System Notification: Regrettably, your two servants have been mortally wounded by the falling magma stone and have entered a soul-fire state.

Dachun looked over in horror and saw two small, red, glowing orbs drifting nearby! Is this the state of a dead demon? Dead, but not gone, so they must be resurrectable, right?

He looked at the environment: it was clearly an underground volcano, rumbling and billowing thick smoke. The volcano was constantly erupting magma rocks, and he was at the foot of the mountain where rivers and lakes of magma crisscrossed. The surrounding land was scorched and desolate, with no signs of living creatures.

Damn! To die right at the start? I don't believe for a second that this was a coincidence—so, she really did arrange a "sudden event" for me!

He quickly ate two mushrooms to restore his health. It was fortunate he had high health, otherwise, he would have been insta-killed just like his companions! He looked at the impact site of the explosion and saw no corresponding teleportation array—so it wasn't a fixed teleportation, but a random one after the difficulty increase? That meant there must be a teleportation array somewhere in this area, and in normal difficulty, that's where one would have appeared.

His task was simple: explore the mines, map the area, or find that teleportation array, which should be a safe zone.

Dachun picked up the two hoes dropped by his companions. While keeping an eye on the falling rocks from the mountain, he began to hoe the ground, but found only rock and scorched earth—no minerals. There weren't even any plants like mushrooms.

Ahead lay a river of magma, blocking his path. Dachun had to skirt along the bank.

Another flying rock whistled toward him. Dachun scrambled to dodge—seeing the rock land in the magma river, he fled the bank in terror, narrowly avoiding the splashing magma.

Dachun felt his skin crawl. He had the distinct feeling that these flying rocks were malicious, as if they were specifically targeting him! If this was also arranged, her power was far too overwhelming.

Dachun cautiously circled a large area, only to realize he was trapped on an island surrounded by magma!

Damn, this isn't just increasing the difficulty; this is a death trap!

Is he supposed to wait for the volcano to stop erupting and the magma river to dry up? What if it erupts forever?

Or should he try to swim through the magma? That's impossible for a human, and for a demon... but this low-level character is neither human nor a full demon, right? If he gets burned to a crisp and can't recover, he's finished!

Or is there a stupid way: find the narrowest point and hoe dirt to fill it in? It would take a long time, but it would give him time to see if the volcano stops erupting, wouldn't it?

Wait! Dachun suddenly remembered the large rock that had killed his two companions. With his carrying capacity of 300, it wasn't impossible to push the rock into the river. It would be a perfect way to test the depth, and the rocks ejected from the volcano might even contain minerals!

Damn! He had been so focused on finding a path that he hadn't thought to hoe the rocks to check for ore. What a blind spot! He turned back immediately.

Upon returning, he saw a large mass of flames swirling around the rock in the distance!

Dachun was shocked. Is that a monster? Did it emerge from the river?

As he approached, a red light exploded before his eyes—Warning! You have been discovered by the hidden boss, the Magma Lizard.

Damn it, stuck on an island and I encounter a boss! Did I offend the Overseer? Is she trying to kill me by cranking the difficulty to the max?