282: None of the characters in Chapter 282 are reliable.

The starry sky was brilliant, silently revolving.

A smile remained on Hill's flawless face.

"You possess the privilege of 'choice'."

The rage about to erupt from Chen You stirred a ripple of... bewilderment.

Choice?

What choice?

What had he just gone through?

A game of Golden Flower where the rules were set by others and the cards depended entirely on fate. In the end, he had lost everything down to his underwear, only gaining a broken stone that let him "grease his soles" and run away.

And now you're telling me I fucking have the right to choose?

The volcano in Chen You's eyes gradually extinguished, replaced by a dead silence akin to a black hole.

Hill maintained her smile, seemingly waiting patiently for his question.

"So..." Chen You finally spoke, "You mean that trial just now was my own choice?"

"Of course not," Hill replied quickly.

She straightened up slightly as the starlight behind her wove into a massive digital network.

"The content library for the Heavenly Mandate Trial is as vast as the sea. When a normal Adventurer enters, the system randomly matches them with one."

"The 'Asking Heaven Cards' you experienced earlier was just one of them."

"And you, as a respected supreme member," Hill's voice carried a hint of appropriate pride, "your privilege lies in being able to bypass the 'random' step."

With a gentle wave of her hand, countless points of light converged in the starry sky before them, forming a massive, semi-transparent list.

Dense text scrolled downward like a waterfall.

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · God's Chessboard】

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Demon God's Chant】

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Ninefold Heart Refinement】

...

Every name exuded an aura that was both epically grand and incredibly deceptive.

"Before entering the trial, you can designate any item from the complete content library as your trial content."

Hill's voice was ethereal and enticing. "This is the privilege of 'choice'."

The air fell into a deathly silence once again.

Chen You looked at the still-scrolling list, then at Hill with her perfect smile. An unprecedented sense of exhaustion washed over him.

He suddenly didn't know whether to be angry at himself or at Hill.

He felt like someone who had painstakingly climbed ninety-nine flights of stairs and was about to die of exhaustion, only to find an elevator right next to him.

"You..." Chen You opened his mouth, a thousand words converging into a single question from his soul.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Those words were practically squeezed out from between his teeth.

The curve of the smile on Hill's face finally shifted slightly. A hint of genuine confusion flashed in those star-like eyes.

"But, you didn't ask."

"..."

Chen You, KO'd.

He had completely lost his temper.

It was true; he hadn't asked.

He had rushed in to demand accountability, never even considering that this trial might have something like a VIP exclusive channel.

He was still too honest, subconsciously choosing to struggle on his own.

Ultimately, it was his own lack of awareness.

If a problem could be solved with money, why was he still risking his life?

"Heh." Chen You laughed self-mockingly, the murderous aura around him draining away completely in an instant.

He rubbed the space between his brows, feeling more tired than if he had ground dungeons for three days straight.

"Fine, I get it." He waved a hand.

In the future, whenever there was a new feature, he'd have to come to the Supreme Tower immediately to see if there was a back door.

"Tell me, how much does this 'customized service' cost?"

"It is Hill's honor to serve you." Hill performed another perfect curtsy. "The Heavenly Mandate Trial customization service costs 1,000 Gold Coins per use."

"A thousand?!" Chen You frowned slightly, though he didn't act too surprised.

"Money isn't the issue, but you have to let me know if it's worth it."

"Respected supreme member," Hill's tone remained gentle.

"For one thousand Gold Coins, we eliminate all uncertainty for you, ensuring you can enter the trial best suited for yourself and push for the rewards you desire most."

"From the perspective of time and opportunity costs, this is undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice."

Chen You gave a snort of laughter, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"What I mean is, can I customize a trial where I can just pass while lying down?"

In the depths of the starry sky, Hill seemed to have heard some kind of joke.

In her softest tone, she spoke the coldest words.

"Respected member, the core of the Heavenly Mandate Trial lies in the word 'trial.' It is designed to test an Adventurer's character, wisdom, and courage."

Her gaze was clear, reflecting Chen You's gradually stiffening face.

"Something you can pass while lying down isn't called a trial; it's called a welfare giveaway."

The implication was: You're dreaming.

Chen You's chest tightened. Bullshit character, wisdom, and courage!

If he hadn't just gone through a rigged gambling match, he might have believed her!

Forget it, forget it.

Getting angry at an AI wasn't worth it.

"Fine, I understand." Chen You waved his hand with the air of a wealthy client. "Bring up the list, I'll choose for myself."

With an elegant wave of Hill's hand, the semi-transparent, waterfall-like scrolling list appeared before them again.

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · God's Chessboard】: Play chess against an Ancient God of Wisdom. One wrong move leads to eternal damnation.

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Demon God's Chant】: Hold onto your true heart for one hour amidst the Demon God's seductive music. If your mental defenses break, your soul will fall.

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Ninefold Heart Refinement】: Go through nine layers of mortal illusions to see through love, hatred, obsession, and resentment...

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Hundred Reincarnations】: Randomly cast into a hundred lives to experience birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Chen You's eyelids twitched as he read.

Good grief, every single name reeked of a trap that said "don't even think about coming out once you're in."

Testing wisdom, testing character, playing with reincarnation experiences.

He was an honest man who just wanted to grind mobs and level up. How could he have the time to play these fancy games with the system?

He quickly scrolled down the list, ignoring all the options that looked profound and mysterious, and locked his gaze on a name with a completely different style.

【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Body of a Hundred Battles】

The description was exceptionally concise: Defeat one hundred waves of enemies in the trial grounds.

"This one." Chen You pointed at that line of text, decisive.

This was the field he was familiar with.

No heart-pounding gambles, no philosophy, just fighting!

No matter what monsters or ghosts they were, it was just a hundred waves. With his current attack power, wouldn't it be over in minutes?

"Are you sure?" Hill's gaze fell on that option, her tone carrying a faint hint of suggestion.

"【Body of a Hundred Battles】 is a pure combat test. The process might be quite... tedious."

"Tedious? I like tedious." Chen You's lips curled. "Compared to being played like a fool by a dealer, I'd rather be bored until the end of time."

He glanced at Hill pointedly.

Hill nodded in understanding. "As you wish. Customizing 【Heavenly Mandate Trial · Body of a Hundred Battles】 requires a 1,000 Gold Coin service fee. Do you confirm the payment?"

"Confirm."

【System Notification: You have spent 1,000 Gold Coins.】

【System Notification: Your 【Heavenly Mandate Sigil (Divine Gold)】 has been consumed.】

【System Notification: You have obtained 【Heavenly Mandate Sigil (Divine Gold) · Customized Version (Body of a Hundred Battles)】.】

Chen You looked into his bag. One of his original Divine Gold-grade Heavenly Mandate Sigils was gone, replaced by a Heavenly Mandate Sigil with an extra gear mark.

"I wish you a smooth trial." Hill bowed again.

Chen You glanced at Hill. "It better be smooth."

Without much hesitation, he chose to use it directly.

【System Notification: You are about to enter the Divine Gold-grade Heavenly Mandate Trial — Body of a Hundred Battles. Confirm?】

"Confirm!"

Buzz—

The surrounding space distorted and folded once more.

After the shifting light and shadows, Chen You looked around.

He couldn't help but curse inwardly.