Chapter Sixty-Two: The Trial of Anubis

“Who are you?” I shouted, gripping my staff tightly and ready to fight at any moment. Beside me, Ziyue was equally prepared.

The jackal-headed figure spoke, “There’s no need to be tense. I’m here to welcome you, adventurers from afar. Do you have the confidence to face my trials?”

Ziyue asked, “What trial? Who exactly are you?”

The jackal-headed being replied, “I am called Anubis, the guide and guardian of the dead, the one who rules over and protects the souls of the departed. Adventurers, do you choose to accept my trial or leave? The choice is yours.”

“What should we do?” I asked.

Ziyue said, “How should I know? Decide for yourself. But I’m going to take part—such chances are rare.”

“Alright, I’ll join too.” After we discussed, I turned to Anubis and said, “We’ll take your trial.”

Anubis said, “Good. Precisely ten thousand—let the trial begin.” As soon as he finished, everything went white before my eyes. When my vision cleared, a tall mound appeared before us, and upon it, numerous groups of people had gathered—at a glance, there were easily over a thousand. The atmosphere was tense, but each group kept to themselves, and no conflicts broke out.

I could summon my beast now, so I mounted my Gale Wolf King, and Ziyue rode her crimson eagle. The first thing we saw was a group of players, about twenty or so, all with fair skin—not like Chinese people at all. They saw us but didn’t attack, simply moving onward.

Along the way, we encountered several more groups—players from all over, as if the entire world’s game servers were represented here. They scattered around the hill, beginning to ascend. To reach the summit, one had to climb the Stairway of Ten Thousand Steps—a staircase with ten thousand steps. By the time I reached the top, many players were already entrenched there.

On the summit was a vast platform, before which stood a massive stone gate surrounded by strange carvings whose meanings I couldn’t decipher. Suddenly, a playful voice called out from below, “Weiwei Long, Ziyue!” A female archer in fiery leather armor appeared, followed by seven or eight players of various classes.

I looked over—it was Fire Phoenix. I laughed, “Fire Phoenix, you’re here too?”

She replied, “Yeah, I was doing a quest, but somehow got teleported here. Now so many people have gathered. How did you arrive? And why are you with Ziyue? Could it be—” Fire Phoenix grinned mischievously.

Ziyue said, “Don’t get any ideas. I have no interest in this guy. We just happened to run into each other.”

I asked, “You two know each other?!”

Fire Phoenix laughed, “Of course, Ziyue’s my roommate.”

“So that’s how it is.” I chuckled as well.

Just then, five more people arrived, exuding an intimidating presence. I recognized some of them—among them was Illusive Moon, still clad in armor, wrapped up tight. Another was Lone Sword Aloft, and the other three were strangers: one in black armor with a dark red sword and a violet shield, looking powerful and imposing, though his helmet hid his face; another shrouded in black night gear; and the last, a mage, also with her face covered. Aside from Lone Sword Aloft, I couldn’t see any of their faces.

Lone Sword Aloft glanced at me and said, “Fate brings us together—we meet again.”

I replied, “Indeed. By the way, where did you go last time? Our fight wasn’t finished.”

He said, “Want to settle it now?”

I stepped forward, “A fight it is! Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

The mage stepped forward. Although her face was hidden, her eyes and lips were visible—eyes clear as autumn water, lips red and teeth white—clearly a female player, and a stunning beauty at that.

“Sword Brother, you promised me not to start fights randomly. Have you forgotten?” she said, her voice melodious.

Lone Sword Aloft replied, “Right, I nearly forgot. Ling’er, thank you.” He chuckled.

I asked, “Do you know those people?”

He replied, “No, we just met on the way. There really are a lot of people here—seems like players from every country.” As he spoke, more people arrived, some looking like Arabs, others from various nations. Everyone waited in silence, the number swelling—five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred… Players from all over the world gathered on the hill, each finding their own groups: Koreans, Japanese, Americans, British, Germans, Indians, and more. The Chinese players appeared too, though fewer in number.

The crowd grew, yet no one made a move—it seemed all were present. At that moment, the huge stone doors slowly began to open. Instantly, every eye was fixed on them, weapons clutched tight, hearts pounding. I gripped my staff; under me, the Gale Wolf King bared its fangs.

As the doors opened, purple-black mist wafted out, spreading across the platform. Then came footsteps—out of the darkness emerged Anubis. He spoke, “From among hundreds of millions of adventurers, ten thousand have been chosen. You are fortunate, but also unfortunate. This is my final question: Do you have the resolve to complete my trial? Those who succeed will gain endless wealth; those who fail will know only death and terror.”

A prompt appeared for everyone: “Ding~! Do you accept the hidden quest: Anubis’s Trial?”

There was no reason to refuse, so I immediately accepted. Anubis continued, “It seems you are all prepared. Let the first trial begin—I hope you pass, hehehe…” He laughed.

A scale appeared at the doorway—one side empty, the other holding a feather. Anubis announced, “Come forth, adventurers, and let this scale weigh your hearts. Let me make it clear: this is the Feather of Truth, symbol of the Goddess of Truth. If your heart is heavier than the feather, you will be eliminated, for your heart is false. Who will go first? I eagerly await your performance—and your screams.”

No sooner had Anubis finished than seven or eight bold players stepped forward. One shouted, “I’ll go first, dog-face!”

“Such courage,” Anubis replied. But then, horror struck—these players let out bloodcurdling screams as holes burst open in their chests, and pulsing red objects flew out, their bodies collapsing in grotesque heaps. Some female players screamed in terror, faces draining of color; even some men cried out in fear. I too was shocked.

“What happened? What did he do to them?”

“They didn’t even take damage—just dropped dead. This quest is insane!”

“So terrifying…”

Players murmured anxiously, and some began to waver.

“Damn it, kill that dog-head, loot his gear!” someone suddenly shouted. Instantly, more than a dozen players leapt forward, unleashing their skills upon Anubis. But every attack vanished in midair before reaching him.

Anubis said, “Adventurers are so impatient. Do you think this little strength of yours can defeat me? Don’t delude yourselves. Accept the trial honestly.”

The words had barely left his mouth when those dozen players screamed and fell, their hearts torn from their bodies. At this, everyone present drew in a cold breath.