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Everything was perfect. Even the dust that had accumulated over time was perfectly preserved by Yang Qiu. If a normal person saw this scene, they would be scared half to death first, and then run away and immediately call the police.

This kind of realistic scenario is enough. It's mainly for Frank and his group to investigate after the assessment. If they survive the new recruit assessment, they will definitely start looking for similar locations in reality. At that time, the things Yang Qiuduo arranged will greatly increase the credibility.

A mix of truth and falsehood makes it easier for people to believe.

With the venue secured, the remaining issue is the reward. These days, empty promises are no longer popular; you have to give someone something for their work, otherwise who would bother to do it?

Moreover, it would be hard to believe the authenticity of a mysterious organization with a long history if it couldn't produce anything of substance.

Yang Qiu has temporarily divided the rewards into four modules. The first is physical items. Currently, the only item in stock is Kieran's stopwatch. Yang Qiu can borrow the characteristics and abilities of every item that evolved from the script, regardless of distance. However, he can get an extra bonus when he directly possesses the item. So, it is perfectly fine to give these things away when necessary.

The second issue is materials. Currently, there isn't much stock left. The only material is some hair that An usually sheds. After testing, it was found that this hair contains some shadow power. Even if we don't follow Yang Qiu's script, but rather the sorcerer from the Ancient One's side, this is also a material from the mystical side. Apart from this, there's only that group of blue sac fish frolicking in the sea. The variety and quantity are not very good. In the end, it's still a problem of insufficient accumulation.

The third item is consumables, which are currently in zero stock. However, Yang Qiu estimates that he can produce a batch before the assessment begins. As for how to do it, he'll have to rely on Van Helsing.

In Van Helsing's setting, he possessed the crafting methods for some commonly used consumables for hunters. Once the evolution was successful, these methods would become reality. As for the consumables, Yang Qiu planned to use his mental power to simulate them. Relying on the planets born in the mind universe after the script's successful evolution, Yang Qiu was able to simulate the materials in the setting to a limited extent. Unfortunately, these materials were, after all, simulated and could not be used as real materials.

The fourth is knowledge. Knowledge is power, and this applies equally to the mystical side. Whether it's Frank or Natasha, what they want most is the knowledge to enter the mystical side. However, their knowledge base is not rich; they only know what Van Helsing knows. Fortunately, if all else fails, Yang Qiu can go to the Ancient One. She has accumulated a lot of knowledge over hundreds of years, but most of the side effects are too high.

In addition, if the script progresses smoothly, Yang Qiu estimates that some of the knowledge-related issues can be resolved. In Yang Qiu's setting, the three characters in the script had undergone systematic learning before entering the newcomer assessment, and they also had their own mentors and professional backgrounds.

With the rewards mostly set up, it was time to set up the redemption method. Yang Qiu drew inspiration from some novels he had read in his previous life for this aspect.

There are three obstacles in total. The first obstacle is points. You can earn points by completing tasks and capturing monsters. Points are equivalent to the general value in the real world and are recorded in the Ouroboros symbol.

The second layer is profession. When exchanging, users can only exchange for items and knowledge of their current profession and general categories. This avoids the situation where Yang Qiu is unable to obtain the basic common sense for all routes in the early stages.

The third layer is permissions, which can also be seen as levels. Exchangers can only exchange for and browse items and knowledge below their current level, since Yang Qiu hasn't finished compiling the information above yet.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Script Six

After investing a certain amount of mental energy into the Mind Planet of Script Six, Yang Qiu suddenly discovered that his abilities had changed. The separation between scenes and chapters became more and more obvious, and he could now take out each scene separately to check its score.

This segmented format allows Yang Qiu to better identify problems in the script's evolution and pinpoint which环节 (link/stage) went wrong. The change is good, but Yang Qiu is still a little greedy. He wishes there were more script evolution positions this time, instead of a more detailed script. Being able to start only one script at a time still has too much of an impact on the development speed.

Two weeks later, Natasha, who was undergoing combat training at S.H.I.E.L.D., Blade, who was practicing archery in the mountains, and Frank, who was routinely scouting and choosing their next target, all received a message from the Ouroboros symbol.

The newcomer assessment portal is now open. The assessment will take place tomorrow night at 8 PM New York time. The countdown has begun, and a temporary portal will open after the countdown ends.

The three looked down at their right hands, where the long-dormant mark lit up again. As they focused their consciousness into it, a large countdown timer appeared in their minds to prevent misunderstandings caused by different time zones.

Twenty-four hours later, Natasha and Frank had countless weapons hanging and hidden all over their bodies, enough to fight a local war with their top-notch skills.

Blade was slightly better off than them. He wasn't as exaggerated. His main weapons were only a hunting knife and a longbow. Besides his main weapons, he only carried some consumables, such as stun grenades and adrenaline injectors.

Van Helsing had intended to make some potions for Blade, but after spending so much time, he hadn't found any of the ingredients. In the end, he could only make a few special arrows for Blade, which was better than nothing.

The moment the countdown ended, An's figure darted through the shadows three times, bringing the three participants across space directly to the front of the haunted house. The whole process took less than a second. After doing all this, An stuck out its tongue and collapsed next to Yang Qiu, exhausted.

To simulate the effect of a portal, Ann needed to be fast but couldn't leave the shadow passage to rest. This workload was practically torture for a cat, but thankfully, she finally succeeded.

Yang Qiu rubbed An's head to comfort him, then turned her attention to the haunted house, and the script officially began to unfold!

Script Six (Large-Scale/Team): The Ouroboros's Test

Main cast: Natasha (a top S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a former Soviet agent, who, after modification, training, and enhancement, possesses top-tier human physical abilities and combat skills.)

Frank (former S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 10 agent, former Marine Corps member, with overall combat capabilities at the highest level for an average human).

Blade (a half-vampire, a disciple of monster hunter Van Helsing, and a hunter apprentice.)

Genomi (Rank: Official Knight, born into a declining noble family, he successfully transcended the rank of Knight Servant to become an official professional by relying on the breathing technique passed down from his ancestors and his own talent. He hopes to pass the Ouroboros test to obtain a method for further advancement and rebuild his family's glory.)

Fina (Rank: Mage Apprentice, born into an ordinary family, she gained the favor of her current teacher due to her talent in mental power and thus embarked on the path of a mage. Currently, she is unable to advance to a formal mage due to a lack of funds and hopes to obtain resources through the Ouroboros to repay the debt she owes to her teacher and for future development funds.)

Vernon (Rank: Druid Apprentice, orphan, adopted by an orphanage sponsored by Ouroboros, currently hoping to join the Ouroboros organization to repay a debt of gratitude.)

……

Nausea…dizziness…

This was Frank's first reaction after he came to his senses. He felt as if he had just been squeezed into a ball, stuffed into a pipe, and then pulled out.

After calming himself down, Frank looked around and, after making eye contact with several people, he realized that he wasn't the first to recover. If the recovery time was related to his physical condition, then he had to be careful.

“Why hasn’t this person recovered yet…” Fina walked over to Natasha and poked her arm.

Armbar chokehold!

After being touched, Natasha's body reacted and moved, her two strong thighs clamping around Fina's neck as if to throw her to the ground.

Natasha's sudden action caught everyone around her off guard. Fortunately, after completing most of the movement, Natasha regained her composure, released her legs in mid-air, and landed safely on the ground after a somersault.

With a thud, Fina fell directly to the ground due to Natasha's influence.

"Cough cough cough... cough cough cough!"

Fina's face turned red, and she covered her neck with her hand. She had been short of oxygen during that sudden movement.

"What are you doing?!" Genomi frowned at Natasha. He would refuse to cooperate with Natasha if she attacked his own teammate without a reasonable explanation.

Natasha glanced at Genomi, who was in full armor, and Fina, who was wearing a light blue robe, and realized that she had come to participate in the Ouroboros's newcomer assessment.

"I'm sorry, little sister, I overreacted a bit. I apologize," Natasha said as she helped Fina up from the ground.

Fina glanced at Natasha with a hint of fear, took two steps back, and kept her hands on her neck.

Vernon stepped forward, his hand shimmering with a pale green light as he swept it across Fina's neck, instantly reducing the swelling that Natasha had caused to swell.

“Thank you,” Fina nodded to Vernon.

Natasha's eyes flickered; she wanted to ask what the pale green light was, but she knew she hadn't made a good first impression on these people, so she ultimately remained silent and stood aside.

"Now that everyone has settled in, let's have a brief self-introduction, since we'll be doing tasks together later anyway."

As he spoke, Genomi's eyes swept over the five people around him. "I'll go first."

"My name is Genomi, I am a full-rank knight, and I am skilled with one-handed swords and round shields. This is my second time participating in the assessment."

Fina stepped forward and gave a mage's salute. "Just call me Fina. I'm just a mage apprentice. I don't have any special skills. I only know some general spells. This is my first time taking the assessment."

Vernon spoke immediately after Fina, "Vernon, a druid apprentice, specializing in healing spells, is taking the exam for the first time."

Blade followed suit, saying, "Just call me Blade. I'm a hunter apprentice, skilled in archery, and this is my first time taking the exam."

Frank adjusted his goggles. "Frank, a former Marine, specializes in special operations and solo assaults. This is his first time participating in the assessment."

“Natasha, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, is skilled in intelligence gathering and information analysis; this is also her first time.” Natasha paused for a moment before speaking the truth.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Time Reversal

"Are you two non-professionals?" Genomi asked Natasha and Frank after introducing himself.

Natasha nodded. "If you're talking about professions like mages or knights, then yes, I'm not a professional. Does that mean non-professionals can't participate in the assessment?"

“No, not really.” Genomi hesitated for a moment. “The regulations don’t explicitly address this issue, but the difficulty of each Ouroboros test is never low. It’s not like there’s no danger to your life just because you’re a newcomer. So, people usually only sign up after they’ve crossed the threshold.”

“If you’re worried about us holding you back, I don’t think I’ll do that at least.” Natasha glanced at Frank, who was standing beside her. “If it really comes to that, and you abandon me, I will have no complaints.”

“Me too,” Frank added.

“I didn’t mean that…” Genomi didn’t know what to say for a moment. Because the mystical side is separated from reality, most cultivators are not good at dealing with people, especially someone like him who has been cultivating with his head covered since childhood.

“Alright, since I’m the only one who has participated in the assessment before, I’ll take the position of commander first. Does anyone have any objections?” Genomi looked at the others.

After waiting a few seconds and seeing no objections, Genomi placed his left hand on the mark on his right hand. "Then, everyone, let's head to the official assessment time."

After Genomi spoke, everyone heard the ticking of a clock, and the entire scene began to rewind rapidly. Before long, the time in the environment rewound to a past dusk.

As time progressed, some of the information set by Yang Qiu was directly transmitted into the minds of the participants in the assessment.

Investigators have discovered unusual activity in the abandoned haunted house, and the disappearances of many people ultimately point to this haunted house. Your mission is to investigate further and resolve this unusual event…

Whoosh~ A cold wind blew past the door of the haunted house, which was wide open, like the gaping maw of a monster.

"Spellcaster, apply buffs. Note that the target of this mission may be a ghost or a demon."

After receiving the brief message, Genomi quickly got into the zone and began issuing commands.

At this moment, Fina also demonstrated her professionalism. After taking out a small packet of powder as a casting material, she quickly cast a Yin-attribute energy protection on herself and her teammates. The yellow magical light effect flashed across them, bringing them a warm feeling.

(Yin Attribute Energy Protection: Reduces damage from Yin attribute energy to the target and alerts the target when Yin attribute energy approaches.)

Vernon, not to be outdone, held a seed in his right hand and silently chanted an incantation: "Aura of Thorns! Blessing of Nature!"

(Thorns Aura: When a target takes physical damage, a portion of the damage is returned to the attacker.)

(Nature's Blessing: Increases the target's resistance to all energies except nature's, and provides a continuous, minor self-healing effect.)

Genomi pulled his mask down and walked at the front of the group, keeping a close eye on his surroundings.

"Wait, aren't you going to check if there are any traps or anything like that at the entrance?" Natasha reminded them. She noticed that these people all seemed to be quite capable, but they didn't seem to have much experience.

Genomi paused for a moment, then said, "Fina, you take over the probe. Be sure to keep a safe distance."

Fina nodded, walked behind Genomi, and pointed her right palm at the entrance of the haunted house, using the Eye of Insight (Universal).

“Three independent energy reaction points. Judging from the patterns, one resembles a teleportation array, one resembles a binding spell, and I cannot identify the other.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a burst of crimson light suddenly exploded, shattering Fina's Eye of Insight and other abilities. She instinctively took a step back, casting a spell shield on herself as she did so.

Genomi held his sword horizontally in front of his round shield, blinking rapidly to quickly recover from his blindness. He had just vaguely sensed something rushing out of the haunted house entrance, most likely an enemy.

The sound of something cutting through the air reached Genomi's ears. He maintained his defensive stance and deliberately raised the round shield in his hand towards the direction from which the sound came.

Bang! After a gunshot, Genomi heard a thud as someone fell to the ground; it seemed the guy who attacked him had been taken care of by his teammates.

A few seconds later, after Genomi regained his sight, he found four skinless corpses on the ground around him.

Looking at the muscles exposed to the air, Genomi felt a little uncomfortable, but more than that, he felt ashamed. He was still a formal knight, so how come his reaction was not as fast as his teammates who were of lower rank?

Fina and Vernon were equally ashamed. The first reaction of both spellcasters when faced with danger was to cast shield spells on themselves, completely forgetting that they had teammates.

On the contrary, Natasha and Frank, the non-professionals who were seen as a potential hindrance, performed brilliantly in the first wave of attacks. One of the corpses on the ground had a hole in its head, and the other had a small knife stuck in its throat. It was clear that Natasha and Frank had done it.

The arrows stuck in the foreheads of the remaining two corpses also indicated that it was Blade's doing; the three legitimate professionals had made absolutely no contribution this time.

Yang Qiu, who had been observing from the sidelines, was not surprised. In the setting, none of these three people had much combat experience, otherwise they wouldn't have been grouped with non-professionals.

"Fina! Investigate other locations to see if we can get in!" Genomi shouted.

Frank breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Genomi would simply abandon the command and leave it to him and Natasha, which would be troublesome. Without any information or understanding of the relevant abilities, it would be a miracle if they could command.

“No other traps were found nearby, but I can’t see through the walls, so I can’t determine what’s inside,” Fina replied quickly, suppressing her slight sense of superiority.