She had barely taken a few steps into the labyrinth entrance.
Suddenly, it went dark behind Yun Ruoxi.
She whipped around, only to find that the way back had been completely sealed off by frantically growing alloy walls.
So in order to keep them from retreating, they simply cut off the way out as well.
Yun Ruoxi withdrew her gaze and continued forward.
Before long, the first crossroad appeared before her.
Every path looked identical, stretching into infinity, with no end in sight.
After a brief moment of thought, she chose to turn right into one of the paths.
Honestly, the choice didn’t matter at all; it was simply to make her seem like everyone else.
The entire second stage assessment was malicious from the very beginning.
No matter which direction they chose, the final destination had already been set by the War Camp.
They could never escape the control of the War Camp—every seemingly free choice was manipulated.
That is the true meaning of the Despair Maze.
After turning right, it wasn’t long before Yun Ruoxi suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dense steel needles swept past her like a rainstorm, merging into the opposite wall like raindrops melting into a lake.
Yun Ruoxi lifted her right foot; beneath it, the alloy floor had sunk inward by a small notch from some unknown mechanism.
“The first trap…”
She put on a suitably startled expression—for the sake of those surveillance-maniac instructors like Behemoth.
She soon encountered several more mechanisms, but most were detected early and evaded thanks to her keen senses.
Leaping over the sunken spot in the passage, she glanced back at the rolling giant steel ball, letting out a light breath.
These traps, not to mention for her—even for most cadets, they weren’t really that difficult.
As long as one was careful enough, they could avoid them.
Of course, the real purpose of these traps wasn’t to test the cadets, but to drain their physical strength and stamina, leveling their abilities to match those of the opponent they were about to face.
***
In the final Life-and-Death Battle of the annual assessment, the War Camp didn’t want a one-sided slaughter.
Instead, they wanted both sides dragged into a quagmire, forced to tear each other apart in the most brutal, savage, direct, and violent way possible.
Previously, the War Camp had taught the cadets powerful martial techniques.
But now, the War Camp wanted them to forget all that and return to their most primal instincts.
This maneuver seemed like left and right brains at war, reckless at first glance—but beneath it lay the War Camp’s true secret—the secret to awakening Star Energy Bloodlines in anyone.
“There are way too many traps on this route…” Yun Ruoxi lightly leapt over a sudden spike, breathing a little heavier.
“If it followed the original plot, and I was still facing that crazy roommate, there shouldn’t be this many mechanisms.”
In the later months, the War Camp no longer changed dorm assignments frequently. Not only because the numbers had stabilized, but also to allow roommates to build deep bonds with one another.
And then, in the Life-and-Death Battle, force them to fall into agony—slaughtering each other in despair.
That’s why Yun Ruoxi described the annual assessment as hell.
Only the most malicious minds could come up with such a method.
But no matter.
Roommates had close numbers, and their strengths were roughly equivalent.
Even if traps were needed to weaken them, it shouldn’t be to this extent.
“Could it be because I forcibly triggered my bloodline power in the first stage assessment, showing signs of awakening?”
Yun Ruoxi had no doubt that the War Camp had been watching her all along.
And until now—
Aside from the plot changes she’d made, the War Camp had followed the script strictly, with no major deviations.
So, it was probably because of this.
“What a pain, that crazy woman isn’t weak at all.”
Yun Ruoxi grumbled inwardly.
Just then, she suddenly raised her arm shield.
Bang!
A massive crossbow bolt shot from the end of the passage, slamming hard into her round shield on the right arm.
The powerful impact forced her back several steps, and her whole right arm went numb and tingled with pain.
“It shouldn’t be much farther.”
Yun Ruoxi wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She had already been in the labyrinth for three hours. In order to dodge the ever-present traps, she had to stay focused at all times, burning both energy and stamina at a tremendous rate.
Even Lin Zhen, over on the camera feed, had long since reached the destination and was waiting for his opponent.
No matter what, it was time for her to arrive, too.
With that thought, Yun Ruoxi pressed forward.
Soon, just as she expected, a spacious chamber appeared at the end of the labyrinth corridor.
Her pace quickened, and as she passed through the end of the corridor, stepping into the site of the Life-and-Death Battle—
Clang! Several iron rods shot from the ground, pinning her in place before she could react.
“What…”
Yun Ruoxi’s face filled with astonishment.
According to the original plot, there weren’t supposed to be any more traps at the end.
But what was happening now?!
Before she could finish speaking, thick gray-black mist surged out from cracks in the floor.
The moment she inhaled it, Yun Ruoxi grew dizzy and quickly held her breath.
But the gas seemed alive, forcefully burrowing into her pores.
A wave of weakness washed over her limbs and bones.
“Ugh…” Yun Ruoxi’s legs buckled and she knelt to the ground, breathing in ragged, rasping gasps.
But more than her weakening body, her heart grew heavier and heavier.
She felt uneasy—a strong, oppressive unease!
The War Camp had actually changed the rules to weaken her, even setting a trap at the destination!
This could only mean that the enemy she was about to face was definitely not that crazy woman!
Given her strength, there was no need to weaken her like this.
Only a very weak cadet—one so weak that Yun Ruoxi could defeat them easily—would be worth the War Camp’s trouble.
And that cadet had to share a deep bond with her, enough to push out that crazy roommate and become her enemy.
A cadet who was both weak and closely connected to her…
Yun Ruoxi could think of only one person!
This is bad!
Her eyelids began to tremble as she fought off the weakness and drowsiness.
And just then—
In her blurry vision, a hazy figure suddenly appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Under the influence of the gray mist, Yun Ruoxi’s usually sharp senses had been completely nullified.
She couldn’t see the figure’s features, couldn’t hear their footsteps or breathing, not even the scent from their body.
Not until the figure stepped fully from the corridor into the destination, illuminated entirely by the gentle spotlight.
Golden-blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, a clean and tidy cadet uniform, a slender figure, a resolute face.
Aili. It really was her!
Yun Ruoxi’s breath caught, and forcing her weak, aching body to stand, she staggered up in disbelief.
Across from her, Aili saw the blue-haired girl rise, and her wariness melted into joy.
Which was then replaced by confusion and bewilderment.
Finally, she seemed to understand something, and every emotion on her face shifted to unmasked panic and fear.
Clang!
The spear slipped from her hands, stabbing into the ground.
Her emerald eyes filled with mist, and though she covered her mouth, she couldn’t stop the tears.
“Sis…sister.” Her soft, tearful call sounded just like before.
Clink!
Yun Ruoxi’s dagger dropped to the floor as well.
She wept like rain, her whole body shaking.
“Yes, it’s me. Your enemy is me!”
She answered softly, her tear-choked reply no different from before.
A source-less light cast gentle rays, stretching their shadows long and longer, meeting and intertwining at the far end, as if embracing.
Because Lin Zhen’s opponent hadn’t arrived yet, at some point the camera feed had switched to this scene, capturing everything.
And the bullet comments instantly exploded.