Chapter 13: Trial Grounds — Departure The moment the system broadcast rang out— "All units, prepare to depart." —the entire E3 class erupted.
"We're really going out to train?! For real?!"
"Are we finally doing a real dungeon?"
Chaotic footsteps and excited chatter filled the hallway. Students moved in pairs or small groups, backpacks slung over their shoulders, following the instructors to assemble.
At the front, Instructor Zhong Lan walked ahead in silence, fingers flying across her terminal with practiced ease.
Their destination: the school's beginner-level trial field— Ashfield.
This was their very first official system-based combat simulation.
Ashfield was located beneath the campus, deep within a memory-module zone. The landscape mimicked a burned forest and shattered ruins, complete with low-tier simulated enemies and minor system interference.
"This map name sounds terrifying…" Su Xu muttered as she tied her hair up. "Why couldn't it be something cute like Flower Garden?"
"Because once you're done here, you'll never see flowers again," Xie Ping grinned as he passed. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"Hmph. I wouldn't count on that," Su Xu snorted.
Once everyone had gathered, the system automatically divided the students into groups of five.
Nie Shi. Lin Kui. Xie Ping. Su Xu. Lu Jingxing.
One squad.
The moment the lineup appeared, the class rippled with low chuckles.
"This is gonna be good."
"Cold porcupine, blind gun guy, silent beauty, and the two chaos gremlins… That's a stew waiting to boil."
The entrance to Ashfield loomed ahead—a towering memory gate. Though it looked like stone, it shimmered faintly with a metallic sheen.
When the team stood before it, Zhong Lan finally spoke.
"Once inside, the system will begin a basic memory simulation. Your objective: retrieve five memory nodes. "
"Enemy simulation modules are now active. Difficulty will adapt to your synchronization and teamwork."
"Remember—this is still a training-level trial field , but the system is already starting to respond to your weapons."
She glanced at Nie Shi. Then at Lin Kui. And added one final line: "Don't let your armaments resonate with memories that don't belong to you." Nie Shi flinched slightly.
That sentence… didn't feel like it was meant for everyone. Entry: Initiated. What greeted them was a forest devoured by fire—charred trees, crumbling walls, rusted devices, and translucent "memory fractures" shimmering in the air.
The system's voice echoed: [Trial Initiated]
[Current Objective: Seize Memory Nodes — Phase One]
[Full-Zone Synchronization Tracking Engaged] "Let's go!" Xie Ping shouted, raising his armament, Little Boom .
"So loud…" Lu Jingxing frowned, but summoned his own weapon—a twin-bladed short dagger crackling with electricity, radiating intensity.
Lin Kui's Water Mirror hovered silently at her side, pulsing with faint light like it was recalibrating itself.
Nie Shi touched Void . It remained silent—cold, familiar, and heavy.
Their first enemies appeared: three basic "Simulated Chasers." Blurred movements, lightning-fast.
"I got this!" Xie Ping charged first.
His attacks were wild but effective. Little Boom flashed three times, driving back two enemies. But one flanked him from behind.
Su Xu, standing nearby, instinctively raised her hand—sending a blast of fire right into the incoming threat.
Xie Ping turned, stunned. "You hit the one behind me?"
"I hit the enemy," Su Xu huffed.
He grinned. "Aww… were you worried about me?"
"Drop dead."
Lu Jingxing finished the last one alone, leaving only scorch marks and smoke.
When a teammate stumbled down a slope nearby, Lu didn't look back—but flicked his weapon out, blocking the fall with a sudden barrier.
"…So annoying."
Meanwhile, Lin Kui and Nie Shi stayed back on high ground, providing support.
Suddenly, Water Mirror pulsed. Lin frowned.
"…It shook."
"Because of those enemies?" Nie Shi asked.
"No. It wasn't me who triggered it."
Nie Shi fell silent. Void , in his hands—
also shifted. Just a bit.
Like it was… watching something. Watching what? Far off in the forest, a boy in a school uniform stood at the edge of a ruined platform, observing the team.
Meng Yao's gaze was calm. His fingers danced across his terminal.
"Node data stable. Sync wave within norms."
He opened another tab. Target: Void / Water Mirror / Thunder Fang / Boom Blaster / Flame Arc He tapped a line of code. "Minor tweak… complete." Then he looked up—
and smiled.
At the same moment, far in the system's backend, an invisible log updated: [Perception Interference: Activated]
[Pathway Parameters: ±0.2%] And in Ashfield— the wind changed direction.