Global Necromantic Specialist

A massive tower's shadow loomed over the sky, its structure piercing through the clouds like a spear aimed at the heavens.

"It's God Shata!"

David whispered in awe.

Marsh was equally stunned. Ever since he had entered Xiajing Academy, he had never seen the legendary God Shata. He never expected it to appear so suddenly.

A brilliant ray of light shot out from the spire, enveloping Qianlong Academy in its glow. Within moments, the students were teleported away to their trial site.

The process took over ten seconds, a duration that hinted at the trial location being far from Xiajing Academy.

The sound of crashing waves reached their ears.

Marsh immediately recognized the sound—having lived in Xihai City for so long, he was all too familiar with the rhythmic pulse of the ocean. There was no mistaking it. Their trial site was near the sea.

As their feet touched the ground, their vision adjusted to the glaring sunlight.

For a brief moment, Marsh felt as though he had returned to Xihai City's coastline.

Beside him, David looked pale, clutching Marsh's arm tightly. Her lips pursed as she grumbled in displeasure, "Ugh… Long-distance teleportation always makes me dizzy."

Jeny chuckled. "You'll get used to it after a few times. It was the same for me at first."

She turned to Marsh in surprise. Unlike the others, he showed no discomfort whatsoever.

"Could it be that he has used teleportation arrays often?" she mused. The thought made her reassess her previous underestimation of him.

Marsh, meanwhile, focused on his surroundings.

They were on an island.

Behind them lay a coastline where gentle waves lapped against the shore.

A shimmering light curtain enclosed the island, forming an almost impenetrable barrier.

Through the translucent curtain, they could see the shadows of countless monsters roaming within.

A glowing stone hovered before each of them.

"It's a mission stone," Jeny explained. Having participated in multiple trials before, she instinctively reached for her task.

Marsh followed suit, placing his hand on the stone. The moment he made contact, the trial's details flooded into his mind.

Their current location was Mermaid Island, a land teeming with vicious sea monsters.

At the heart of the island lay a dungeon—the Mermaid Tears dungeon.

Their trial mission was clear:

1. Fight through the island's horde of monsters and reach the dungeon.

2. Enter the dungeon and defeat its final boss.

3. Retrieve the Mermaid Tears, a rare and valuable reward.

However, there were three key conditions:

First, the average team level had to be 20, not just an individual level. This rule forced teams to balance their members strategically. Because knights typically had higher levels, teams often included lower-leveled players to maintain the required average.

Marsh now understood why Ling Zhen resented him—he had taken the spot meant for Ling Zhen's younger brother.

Second, Mermaid Tears would only drop in Nightmare Difficulty dungeons. A weak team wouldn't stand a chance.

Third, only the top three teams would obtain Mermaid Tears.

Marsh narrowed his eyes. "Why is this such a closely guarded secret? It's just a dungeon… Unless there's something special about the Mermaid Tears?"

Jeny let out a deep breath. "I wasn't expecting this trial to be related to Mermaid Island."

She had experienced many trials before and knew more than most.

"The Mermaid Dungeon only drops three Mermaid Tears each year," she explained. "They're used to craft a very special type of equipment, something incredibly valuable."

Her voice lowered slightly as she added, "Mermaid Island isn't part of the Shenxia Empire's territory."

Marsh's eyes sharpened.

"This means that other countries send their warriors here every year. We're not just competing against our academy or countrymen—we'll be up against foreign professionals as well."

Jeny continued, "Qianlong Academy has sent ten teams. We're Team No. 2. Our competition includes not only students from Qianlong Academy but also elite warriors from other nations."

David frowned. "So… what happens if we encounter them? Are we allowed to kill them?"

Her gaze flickered toward Marsh. After all, he had already taken lives before.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Jeny shook her head. "Usually, no. Past conflicts have mostly involved blocking access to the dungeon rather than outright killing. But that doesn't mean it's never happened before."

Everyone sighed in relief, though they remained wary.

Jeny's tone darkened. "Still, we cannot let our guard down. There have been cases where people were killed."

She clapped her hands. "Alright, let's get moving. Duan Gao, buff us up!"

Kevin nodded and activated his skills.

A radiant halo spread over the team, enhancing their abilities.

Strength Enhancement! Agility Enhancement! Defense Boost! Mana Empowerment!

Marsh felt the effects immediately. His four core attributes—Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Spirit—each increased by 30%.

Mage abilities were also boosted by 20%, and the buffs would last an hour.

The Prophet class was indeed powerful, especially in Nightmare Difficulty dungeons. Their buffs could multiply a team's effectiveness.

However, compared to Marsh's god-tier talent, the boost felt minimal.

A thought crossed his mind. "What if I applied these buffs to my Skeleton Warrior?"

Summoning his minion, Marsh watched as a skeleton warrior materialized beside him.

A sudden chill spread through the air.

The temperature dropped, and an eerie wind howled.

The others instinctively stepped back.

The skeleton's soulless blue flames flickered in its eye sockets, and the sound of metal scraping against bone sent shivers down their spines.

Kevin's hands trembled mid-cast, and Morkel yelped, darting behind Jeny.

Ling Zhen's face twisted in disgust. "An Undead Summoner?"

Jeny was just as shocked. "Marsh, is that your summon?"

Marsh turned to Kevin. "Try buffing it."

Kevin hesitated before casting the buffs.

However, the moment the status effects landed on the skeleton, they vanished instantly.

Kevin frowned. "It's not working… The buffs won't stick!"

He tried multiple times, but the result remained the same.

Marsh wasn't surprised. "It must be because of my talent. My abilities probably override lower-tier buffs."

Ling Zhen scoffed. "Tch. Useless, then."

Marsh's eyes turned cold.

This wasn't the first time Ling Zhen had provoked him.

The skeleton warrior suddenly locked eyes with Ling Zhen, its soulfire flickering ominously.

The air grew still.

Ling Zhen staggered backward, his fingers twitching as fire flared up around his staff.

Jeny stepped in immediately, raising her hands in a calming gesture. "Save it for the dungeon. Trial first, fights later."

Marsh held his gaze on Ling Zhen for a moment longer before turning away.

Ling Zhen exhaled shakily, trying to mask his fear. When the skeleton had looked at him, he had felt something—an overwhelming sense of danger.

A loud horn suddenly blared across the sky.

The trial had begun.

Jeny's voice rang out. "Move out! Enter the island!"

The team stepped forward, passing through the shimmering light curtain that marked the entrance to Mermaid Island.

As they crossed the threshold, they vanished into the unknown.

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