The chamber remained silent.
The body of the elite creature lay motionless at the center, its hardened frame already beginning to fade into faint particles of light. The oppressive atmosphere that had filled the space during the trial slowly dissipated, replaced by a stillness that felt almost unreal.
Lin Ye stood where he was, his breathing steady again.
Behind him, Su Qing finally let her shoulders relax. The tension that had held her body tight throughout the trial began to fade, though her hands still trembled slightly.
"We… survived…" she said softly.
Lin Ye did not respond.
His attention was fixed on the center of the chamber.
The light gathering there was becoming clearer.
More defined.
This was the reward phase.
A faint glow condensed into several distinct shapes, hovering just above the ground. Unlike the previous drops, these carried a stronger presence. Even without touching them, Lin Ye could tell they were different.
Better.
The system voice echoed again.
[Evaluation Complete]
[Performance Rating: Excellent]
[Reward Distribution in Progress]
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Excellent."
That meant he had exceeded the baseline requirements of the trial.
Which meant better rewards.
The light split into three parts.
Two floated toward Lin Ye.
One drifted toward Su Qing.
Su Qing blinked in surprise as the object stopped in front of her.
"For me?"
Lin Ye glanced at her briefly.
"Yes. Everyone who participates gets something."
She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it.
Meanwhile, Lin Ye focused on his own rewards.
The first item settled into his hand.
A crystal.
But unlike the earlier ones, this one was darker, denser, and carried a faint pulsing energy.
The information appeared instantly.
[Intermediate Strength Crystal][Effect: Permanently increases Strength by +3][Restriction: Usable below Level 10]
Lin Ye's expression remained calm, but his grip tightened slightly.
"Three points."
This was already beyond normal early-game rewards.
Without hesitation, he used it.
The crystal dissolved into a stream of energy that flowed into his body.
The effect was immediate.
His muscles tightened.
His bones felt heavier, more solid.
A deeper strength settled into him, far more noticeable than the basic crystals before.
He clenched his fist.
The difference was clear.
Not just an increase.
A shift.
His physical power had crossed into another level.
He opened his status.
[Name: Lin Ye][Level: 2]
[EXP: 90 / 200]
Strength: 16Agility: 14Vitality: 11Spirit: 14Endurance: 11
His strength had jumped significantly.
That alone would change how he fought.
Lin Ye closed the interface and looked at the second reward.
A book.
But unlike the earlier skill book, this one was marked with faint silver lines across its cover. It felt heavier in his hand, as if it contained something more complex.
The moment he touched it, the information appeared.
[Skill Book: Combat Instinct (Rare)]
[Passive Skill]
[Effect: Enhances reaction speed, combat awareness, and prediction during battle]
[Description: A skill that sharpens the user's ability to read movement and respond instinctively]
[Would you like to learn this skill?]
Lin Ye's eyes narrowed slightly.
A rare passive skill.
In the early stage, this was far more valuable than most active abilities.
Without hesitation, he chose to learn it.
"Yes."
The book dissolved into light and entered his body.
This time, the sensation was different.
It was not a surge of power.
It was subtle.
Like something inside his mind had been refined.
His perception sharpened further.
But more importantly, his understanding of movement changed.
Angles.
Timing.
Distance.
All of it became clearer.
Lin Ye exhaled slowly.
"Good."
This would make every future fight easier.
Safer.
More efficient.
Meanwhile, Su Qing stared at the item in her hands.
It was a small crystal.
Faintly glowing.
"I… got this," she said, unsure.
Lin Ye glanced at it.
"Use it."
She hesitated.
Then nodded and activated it.
The crystal dissolved.
Her body stiffened slightly as the energy spread through her.
Her breathing changed.
Stabilized.
She looked down at her hands, surprised.
"I feel… stronger…"
Lin Ye nodded.
"That's normal."
Su Qing looked at him again.
There was something different now.
Not just fear.
Not just confusion.
She had experienced the system directly.
And she had survived.
That alone changed her.
The system voice echoed once more.
[Trial Rewards Distributed]
[Returning to original location]
The chamber began to fade.
The stone walls dissolved into light.
The air shifted.
Then.
They were back.
The library returned around them.
The scattered books.
The overturned chairs.
The faint smell of blood.
Everything as it had been before.
For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed.
But both of them knew that was not true.
Su Qing looked around, still trying to process everything.
"That… really happened…"
Lin Ye stepped forward slightly, testing his footing.
The world felt the same.
But he was not.
His strength had increased.
His perception had improved.
And most importantly, he had gained something rare.
A passive skill.
That alone placed him far ahead of most players.
He opened his status one more time.
[Name: Lin Ye][Level: 2]
[EXP: 90 / 200]
Strength: 16Agility: 14Vitality: 11Spirit: 14Endurance: 11
Skills:
Accelerated Strike Basic Perception Combat Instinct (Rare)
Lin Ye closed the interface.
"This is enough for now."
But not enough overall.
Not yet.
He turned his head slightly, listening.
The library was no longer as quiet as before.
Distant sounds echoed from below.
Movement.
More zombies.
And possibly.
Other survivors.
Lin Ye looked toward the stairwell.
"Time to move."
Su Qing straightened slightly.
"Where are we going?"
Lin Ye answered without hesitation.
"Out."
"The campus won't stay stable much longer."
She nodded.
This time, she did not question him.
She simply followed.
Because now she understood something clearly.
Lin Ye was not just surviving.
He was ahead.
And staying near him…
Might be the only reason she survived at all.