The closer it was to the start of the trial, the more Lu Yu could feel the huge attraction of the puppet kingdom of Selkalo. Contestants from different countries and races crowded into Gelan, a city-state that could only be regarded as a second-tier city.
Contestants with different accents can be seen everywhere on the streets, and the area near the pub and puppet house often gives Lu Yu a sense of déjà vu as he visits popular tourist attractions on a holiday.
The relationship between Selkalo and neighboring countries is not good. One of the reasons is their strong attraction to talents, and the national influence becomes more and more obvious as the number of reformers increases.
The trial that is held every five years can be called the ladder to heaven. In the past six trials, 40% have been promoted from foreign countries, and many of them have given up their identity as original beings and become reformers and then climbed to the sky in one step. No one can resist being puppeted by the Supreme. The temptation of transformation by the master's own hands or blessing.
Compared with the past thirty years, the minimum requirement for registration in this competition is the fifth level, which is the highest in history. Warriors must individually pass the strength test and meet the standards before they can participate. The existence of this threshold has successfully screened out most people.
On the last night before the competition, compared to those who were too nervous to sleep, Lu Yu and Herola were exceptions. They were still enjoying delicious food and drinking fruit wine in the tavern.
This period of getting along made the trio of coal balls have a good impression of this piggy bank. Sierra even kept her as a pet. Whenever they wandered around, she would always encourage Lu Yu to go near the snack stalls, and then deliberately pretend to be Thinking about the problem, watching Herola fight with the devil in her heart while guarding her wallet, and finally boldly spending her own money to treat... This process is like feeding.
"Has the weapon been maintained?" Lu Yu asked.
Herola took out the long bow wrapped in cloth, and Lu Yu's eyes were instantly attracted by a bunch of arrow clusters revealed together.
Herola quickly covered herself up. She hurriedly looked around and found that there were only three or two people chatting in the deserted tavern, and no one was looking at her. She was relieved.
Lu Yu exclaimed: "Forbidden Demon Arrow Cluster, your piggy bank is actually bursting with gold coins."
"The trial will begin tomorrow. I am not a reformer. The only thing I can rely on is my own strength and weapons. Of course I have to spend some money on them."
"Why not add some enchantments to the armor as well?"
"Enchanted items can easily reveal my whereabouts. This will only hinder me when I need to take a preemptive strike."
A round, gray-brown bead rolled in front of Lu Yu, making a crisp sound when it came into contact with the dinner plate.
"This is?"
After setting up a small soundproof array, Herola said, "This is where the money I saved is."
Lu Yu stared at the piggy bank with no money in it, wondering why she did this.
"Although you can withdraw at any time during the trial, according to the rules, after announcing your withdrawal, you must go to the nearest puppet guard to be completely out of the battle. Unless you get special props in the trial location, even if you want to leave the battle , others insist on chasing you, but you still cannot escape death."
"In the trials over the years, there have been assassins whose main purpose is not to advance, but to help others block competitors in the trial venue. There is no guarantee that this year there will not be such a guy targeting me, or maybe I will Unlucky, something unexpected happened before I even did anything..."
Herola sighed: "I am the most unlucky person. I have never dealt with 'good luck' since I was a child. There is a certain amount of luck involved in the trial, so I'd better make some arrangements in advance."
"If anything happens to me, open the bead and the money will be yours."
"why me?"
"I have no friends or relatives. I live alone. Even if I die, no one will be sad for me. But even a guy like me wants to leave something in this world. If one day you think of it when you spend money, 'Ouch, it seems that there is a piggy bank with nothing to draw out, and all the gold coins that have been stored for a long time are given to me'..." Herola smiled, "Look, doesn't this make someone remember me?"
"Where are your companions?"
"Come on, everyone is gathered together for the bounty. If I die, they will probably only be sentimental for a while. If I spend all the money on them, they may just sigh, 'That stupid elf actually hid so much. Money is so stingy."
"Wouldn't I be like that?"
Herola shook her head: "You are different. To be honest, I have been working alone as a mercenary for so long, and my ability to judge people is better than many people. You are willing to take the initiative to compensate Keno and Selisa for their losses, and you are still If they have offended you, such behavior is rare."
"During this period of time together, I always feel that you are like a mist. Some of the words you inadvertently said and the insights related to knowledge are far beyond my imagination. That is a realm that I cannot touch... I don't know you Where do you come from, and why do you want to see the relics of the 'Healer', but I always feel that you may be the person I can only look up to. If it hadn't been for the accident that happened in the forest that day, we would never have crossed paths."
"I didn't expect that you are still a pessimist. Shouldn't pessimists enjoy themselves in time? Why are you saving money?"
"If I'm lucky enough to pass the Geglan City-State Trial, I'll tell you. If I'm unlucky again, just take the address and the answer will be in my treasure pile."
Herola smiled brightly, then stopped talking and ate happily at the food on the table.
At dawn, groups of dolls on the streets of Geglan City walked in uniform steps towards the outside of the city. Along with them, there were also people wearing blue-purple robes with two doll arms embroidered on them. Puppeteer.
The location of the trial was loudly announced by the puppet master patrolling the city. It was a mountain forest located on the southwest side of Gelan. Across the rolling mountains, one could see the endless flaming sand.
When he arrived near the trial site, Lu Yu had already seen a large number of contestants scattered around the trial site that was still shrouded in barriers. Several giant puppet squids were floating in the sky, and their protruding eyeballs were scanning indifferently. People like ants below.
As many referees from the Puppet Masters Association communicated through the puppet squid, "After the hourglass has drained out, the trial venue has been sealed again, and now... the official entrance!"
The moment the barrier disappeared, like locusts crossing the border, swarms of contestants subconsciously speeded up, rushing into the vast mountains daringly to compete with each other.
Lu Yu and Herola walked together. She was still performing her duty as a guide: "Something's not right. This time, the theme was not announced before entering the venue."
There were also many people who discovered the same problem as Herola. They did not rush to be the first, but looked at the hourglass projection cast by the squid's eyes, and slowly entered the trial venue with the line stuck, with their backs against the slow enchantment barrier. , watching vigilantly the contestants in the same area as him.
There was no theme, so no one acted rashly for fear of causing complications, and there was an eerie calm in the trial venue.
Lu Yu observed the area chosen as the trial site and found that almost all the monsters moving here were puppets. The jellyfish and goshawks floating in the sky seemed to be the eyes of the puppet masters, observing the area that had been destroyed. Blocked area.
"A conservative estimate is that there are five thousand people in the Gegelan Proving Ground." Relying on her hunting skills honed over many years, Herola was observing and sorting out the information she had just witnessed.
Lu Yu was not interested in the number of participants. He did not think anyone could affect his promotion unless Sarah and Kalden were resurrected.
"Contestants, listen carefully."
"Contestants, listen carefully."
"The theme of the seventh streamer trial is announced."
"The theme of the seventh streamer trial is announced."
Through the ubiquitous puppets, the puppeteer referee announces.
"The theme of this streamer trial is 'Wheel of Destiny'."
The never-before-seen theme made every contestant who entered the room raise their head in confusion, and the same confused look also appeared on the faces of contestants in other areas.
"The fate that no one knows will dominate this trial, and your path forward is a fog. Now, the turntable is turning, and today's project is..."
Lu Yu guessed something, and he and Herola looked at each other.
"The turntable has stopped, Project: Enemies of the Forest."
"The puppets are in place, ready to go berserk."
"Contestants who fail to enter the 'Puppet Messenger' shelter area before dawn tomorrow will be eliminated."
After the puppet master's referee made the announcement, chilling screams could be heard in the forest, one after another.
Combined with the "enemies of the forest" mentioned in the announcement, Lu Yu speculated: "It should be a tide of beasts."
"The group of people rushing at the front aren't they..."
"They should be racing against time. It's best to pray that they don't run into the awakening doll, otherwise..." Lu Yu shook his head.
I originally thought that jumping the gun would give me an advantage, but now it seems that I may die.
