"Listen up, rookies," the middle-aged man with a cigarette dangling from his lips said sternly, clapping his hands as soon as he saw everyone was awake. "You're unlucky. I can say with absolute certainty that less than ten percent of those who enter the Trial Arena survive."
"But you're also fortunate. If you complete your mission and survive the trial, you'll receive a Points Reward, which will make you stronger."
He pulled a Desert Eagle from his belt. "A weapon like this, banned in the real world, can be bought freely at the Plaza for just ten Points. It's dirt cheap. And that's not all—you can use Points to purchase almost anything you can imagine: superpowers, magic, the bloodlines of extraordinary creatures, and so on."
"Of course, that's only if you survive," the man added, taking a drag of his cigarette before continuing. "My name is Shi Jun, and I'm the captain of this squad. I like to think I'm relatively friendly to newcomers. If you cooperate, I'll do my best to keep you safe and help as many of you as possible reach the end."
"First, I need to get to know you all," Shi Jun said, turning to Elysia, who had been the first to awaken. "What were you doing before you were pulled into the Trial Arena, and what are your special skills? Let's start with you, young lady."
Meanwhile, after glancing at her wrist-mounted device, absorbing the information that had materialized in her mind, and listening to Shi Jun's explanation, the Scholar couldn't help but wear an expression of astonishment.
In all her years, she had encountered countless bizarre Dimensional Rifts, but this one was truly unprecedented.
Only she and Elysia had entered the Rift, yet it was teeming with others, even categorized as "newcomers" and "veterans"?
And this Trial Arena itself was intriguing. By completing tasks, one could gain a guaranteed path to becoming stronger?
Granted, successfully completing those tasks likely wouldn't be easy. But what Dimensional Rift came without danger? Countless adventurers had recklessly charged into Rifts, faced peril, and barely survived, only to emerge empty-handed. Compared to that, the Trial Arena seemed like a bargain.
Elysia was still deeply engrossed in pondering Shi Jun's true nature. What exactly was he? A president? An idol? A god?
At that moment, the Scholar turned to Shi Jun and interrupted, "Are you from the Dragon Nation?"
Her question stemmed from his name and his earlier remark about "firearms classified as contraband in the real world." In White Eagle, guns were readily available, not prohibited at all.
Annoyed by the interruption, Shi Jun's expression darkened slightly, but he still replied, "Dragon Nation? Never heard of it. Besides, it's not your turn yet, little girl."
As one of the world's Five Great Powers, how could anyone be unaware of the Dragon Nation? It was as absurd as someone claiming the moon wasn't Earth's satellite. The Scholar frowned slightly, a chilling realization dawning on her.
She and Elysia might no longer be in their original world. More precisely, the Dimensional Rift had transported them to a "complete" world—like the Otherworld discovered by the Sakura Nation, a vast, self-consistent, and fully realized New World.
In this new world, just as the Scholar's world had its Dimensional Rifts, there was a calamity known as the Trial Arena.
Theoretically, the Trial Arena should only be able to pull people from its own "Trial Arena World." But for some unknown reason, it had suddenly dragged in two members of the "White Eagle Eight" from another world.
The Scholar pressed on, "What's the method for clearing this Trial Arena?"
Shi Jun frowned deeply at her question. A young man in his squad chuckled, "Oh? What's this? Another troublemaker? Captain, should I help you establish some authority?"
It was only then that the Scholar realized these people weren't her subordinates and didn't recognize her. Had she somehow provoked them?
But... so what?
Some people, upon entering a new world, might be overly cautious, treading carefully in everything they do. Even with considerable strength, they might cower repeatedly when faced with the challenge of a mere street thug, utterly stifled by their cowardice.
But the Scholar was different. As one of the White Eagle Eight, she ranked among the world's elite. Naturally, she possessed the mindset of a powerhouse and the pride of a leader.
Those content with mere survival could never reach the ranks of the White Eagle Eight.
Since these men didn't recognize her, she would ensure they did before answering their questions.
Clutching her briefcase, which she kept closed this time, the Scholar quietly stated, "Nanostorm, Third Contingency."
In the next instant, the briefcase's outer shell seemed to dissolve, and silver powder began rapidly cascading down, forming a thin layer of "silver frost" on the ground.
Then, the ground around the Scholar visibly turned white. Within three seconds, a massive plume of silver powder erupted from the ground, surging toward the Stone Army Squad like a sandstorm.
As the Scholar had just explained, these silver particles were actually nanorobots—microscopic machines that, when given the command, could self-replicate using virtually any surrounding resource. This single capability alone was enough to warrant the term "terrifying."
"Ehh?!" Elysia rushed to the Scholar's side and grabbed her wrist. "Don't just kill people on a whim!"
"I have no intention of killing them," the Scholar replied calmly, her gaze fixed on the Stone Army Squad. "This simply makes questioning them easier." The six soldiers were frozen in mid-action, each in a distinct pose:
One was bent over with a leg raised, as if about to sprint. Another had a hand inside his jacket, as if reaching for something. A third stood with his mouth agape, as if trying to speak.
Yet all six were completely motionless, as if turned to stone.
The reason was simple: each of them was coated in a thin layer of nanorobots. Though invisible to the naked eye, these microscopic machines could exert unimaginable force when clustered together.
P.S.: The Scholar's nanotechnology has significant flaws, particularly its energy limitations. The nanorobots deactivate if they are more than two hours away from the briefcase, and they cannot recharge themselves by consuming other materials. In fact, self-replication only accelerates their energy depletion. The only way to recharge them is to return them to the briefcase.