Chapter Seventy: Earth · Beast Tide (XII)

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"As you all know, this assessment will last for a year, and you're also aware that this world is teeming with all kinds of monsters, hunting which can earn you points. But this world is not as simple as it seems—I have discovered a secret," Pix began, as images flickered onto the screen suspended in the air.

"The appearance of these monsters isn't a mere coincidence. This world was once visited by outsiders, who left behind countless relics of their civilizations. In prehistoric times, the native life forms here relied on the technology from these ruins to forge a mighty civilization, but ultimately, that civilization was destroyed by its own power. Most ruins have been damaged, and civilization had to start anew. Only recently did the natives of this world discover remnants of technology from that previous era, which triggered the current monster catastrophe."

As Pix spoke, the video displayed close-up images—evidence he had uncovered, revealing the hidden truth of this world.

'So that's how it is. This world isn't just a simple assessment or survival world—it's actually a mission world! But the missions here don't reveal themselves; we have to seek them out and complete them on our own.' Sun Meng's eyes flashed with understanding.

"So why are you telling us this? Did you find some of that technology?" someone in the crowd shouted, the others clearly growing excited. While the monsters didn't seem like much to them, these were just a minuscule fraction of the primitive relics left behind by earlier civilizations. If one could find the original relic technologies, it would certainly propel their civilization to new heights! After all, the civilizations participating here are either those who have hit a bottleneck in progress or those who foresee one looming ahead.

"Everyone, please quiet down!" Pix called loudly. "Although we don’t know who created this game, it undoubtedly offers us a chance—a chance for our civilizations to reach greater heights. We are all comrades on this path, so it’s only natural that we help one another, advance together, and witness the marvels of higher civilizations. That’s why I’m holding this exchange. Here and now, I’ll reveal the technological trees of fifteen civilization systems, ranging from stage one to mid-stage two!"

With that, the virtual screen in mid-air transformed, splitting into fifteen separate projections, each displaying a technological tree—a beacon illuminating the path for fifteen civilizations to reach mid-stage two!

A chorus of astonishment and excitement rose from the crowd. Many could see parallels between these trees and their own civilization's developmental paths. If they could obtain detailed technology, they could avoid countless detours and reach mid-stage two much faster, perhaps even break through to late stage two!

"Do you think he's recruiting cannon fodder?" Sun Meng conversed silently with Earth's representative.

"That's more than likely, but he’s left a slim margin for survival. Even if a civilization, under the influence of these tech trees, barely reaches late stage two, the result will be extreme developmental imbalance!" A red message flashed by.

Sun Meng nodded; he, too, saw the pattern. An extremely unbalanced civilization isn’t incapable of breakthroughs, but in the face of future challenges, it will either march toward self-destruction or be forced to form mutually dependent alliances with others.

Wait a minute!

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They must know something—did they discover it in those ruins? But after all this time and all the ground I've covered in the past three months hunting monsters, I haven’t found a single trace of any such ruins! Though I came across some old buildings from previous civilizations, none of them contained any advanced technology—I can vouch for that!

"I can't be certain how they know all this. Perhaps they are simply more unique," the red message appeared after a dozen seconds, indicating even he was unsure about what advantage Pix's civilization had acquired.

Sun Meng took a deep breath. He once thought that by knowing the general background of these mission worlds, he could use this "foresight" to give Earth's civilization a decisive edge. But now, he realized he had overestimated his advantage; Earth was just one of the stronger civilizations among many!

Clenching his fists, Sun Meng resolved to work even harder and more carefully. The rewards he’d reaped in previous mission and trial worlds had left him complacent—otherwise, he would never have failed to grasp the true nature of this world!

"If you want access to this detailed technology, it's simple—exchange your points or your civilization's technology! Additionally, we're organizing a relic exploration mission. Participants can choose a complete technological tree as their reward, half of which will be paid upfront. We’ll sign an alliance pact, and you'll receive the rest after the exploration. Anyone interested, come this way!"

A trail of light illuminated a path, like a sliver of hope in the darkness, compelling people to step forward almost involuntarily.

But anyone who could become a contestant here—regardless of their current strength—surely had a civilization backing them that would see through such tricks. Still, this was not a conspiracy, but an open trap—plain for all to see.

Contestants began to consult with their civilizations, weighing not only whether the rewards justified the risks, but also whether Pix’s civilization harbored deeper schemes.

As for life and death, so long as their points held out, these contestants couldn’t die during the assessment!

The first person moved, crossing the illuminated path into another room. Then seven or eight others followed quickly.

Sun Meng gave Kekelaru's hand a gentle tug, and together they joined the third wave of people entering the other room.

"I knew you'd come," Mu Xingye greeted Sun Meng with a friendly smile as he entered, then turned to Kekelaru: "Contestant Kekelaru of the Tulan civilization—your people combine energy technology with array-based magic. It's a promising developmental path."

"Seems you know a lot about those around me, Brother Mu," Sun Meng replied. The other party's information was thorough—either they had long prepared, or their technology was overwhelmingly advanced. Most likely, it was both.

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"Haha, since we're to be future allies, it's only natural to get to know each other well. If you wish, Brother Sun, I wouldn't mind adding her civilization to our alliance pact. After all, her civilization's sense of aesthetics and values are quite similar to ours. While that's not a necessary criterion for allies, a bit of mutual appreciation never hurts, does it?"

"So! You two met before! You knew about this all along!" Kekelaru glanced at Sun Meng, then at Mu Xingye. Suddenly, she felt a bit distant from Sun Meng and unconsciously edged closer, floating up a few centimeters so her head rested at his chest.

"Weren't you absent at the time? And besides, the challenges ahead are more complex than they seem," Sun Meng replied, turning to Mu Xingye. "Are you really not going to tell them some of the real situation?"

"Just watch—you'll see. Everything we say is true, and these are all clues we've uncovered through our explorations," Mu Xingye replied with a mysterious smile. By now, Pix had begun introducing their destination.

"It's a ruin in a shallow sea. Nearby are three late-stage tier-two monsters, thirty mid-stage tier-two monsters, and over three hundred early-stage tier-two and lower monsters. Our attack plan is as follows..."

As the screen displayed what looked like a thorough assault plan, Sun Meng almost believed Pix was acting in good faith—if he hadn't already known this was a trap.

But, as always, it was an open trap.

"You didn't mention there are tier-three monsters here, or is it—" Sun Meng recalled a clause from his previous agreement with Mu Xingye.

"You should know that mid-stage tier-two monsters possess intelligence on par with ordinary humans. Late-stage tier-two monsters are even smarter. It's not hard to accept that a tier-three monster might hide its strength, especially since none of our civilizations has reached tier three," Mu Xingye said with a smile, meeting Sun Meng's gaze.

"Pleasure working together?"

"Pleasure working together!" Sun Meng replied.

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