The moment Aiden stepped inside the hall, the gatekeepers straightened like soldiers greeting a general. Every one of them stood sharp, respectful, and eager to serve—as if he had strolled into a luxury resort instead of a Trial Temple. He initiated the solo advancement without a single snag. A glowing selection panel unfolded before him: 'Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Inferno, Abyss.' Aiden reached toward the final choice and pressed "Abyss." Light surged beneath him, bright enough to paint the whole hall white, and his figure blinked out of sight. ... Meanwhile, at Spawnpoint 6666. "Gatekeeper! I'm here for the Abyss-level tier advancement trial!" A deep voice boomed through the Trial Temple.A towering man with sculpted gold armor and broad shoulders approached the silver-armored gatekeeper who ran the Level 10 advancement trial. Confidence rolled off him like heat from a furnace. His ID shone brightly overhead: NightTiger. "You're applying for an Abyss-level tier advancement trial?" The gatekeeper gave him a quick scan, impressed by the equipment. "You're one of the outsiders?" "That's right," NightTiger replied without hesitation. The gatekeeper rested his hand on his spear. "In that case, I trust you know what kind of challenge you're stepping into?" "I'm well aware." NightTiger grinned like someone who enjoyed flirting with danger. "If I die trying, at least I went for something worth bragging about." "Impressive." A spark of respect flickered in the gatekeeper's eyes. "If that's how you stand, I won't lecture you. Will your teammates be joining?" "There aren't any. I'm going alone," NightTiger answered. The man radiated the kind of self-belief you could balance a house on. "Got it." The gatekeeper raised a hand, and a trial menu popped in front of NightTiger. He inhaled once, reached out, and selected Abyss. White light engulfed him, and he vanished. "These outsiders... they're something else," the silver-armored gatekeeper muttered. "Imagine if this one actually clears it." Times really had changed. In the old days, even Nightmare trials were treated like disasters waiting to happen, something only the strongest dared to attempt. Now players lined up to take a swing at Abyss, and half of them wanted to go in solo. "No kidding." Another gatekeeper sighed and shook his head. News of someone beating the Abyss trial had already hit every hall. Now that one person had pulled it off, everyone was rooting for NightTiger to charge out next. Just then, footsteps echoed. More figures arrived."You all here for trial entry?" the silver-armored gatekeeper asked. "No trials yet. Just watching," the leader replied with a relaxed wave. "We want to check the atmosphere first." The gatekeeper let them pass without fuss. The newcomers claimed a spot on the stone floor as casually as if they were in a game lobby. Any regular player stepping into the hall right then would have yelled, "No freaking way!" Each person in that group was sitting at Level 10, and every ID was one the gaming world knew by heart. These were players who shaped metas and shattered leaderboards. The two at the front stood in the same league as NightTiger himself—StormHalo and ZeroFlux—icons players spoke of as living legends. Abyss-level tier advancement trials were already on their agenda, yet unlike NightTiger, they approached the challenge with far more restraint. No one underestimated Doomsday after learning it toyed with real life.Since NightTiger volunteered as the crash test dummy, they didn't mind hanging back to see how it unfolded. StormHalo stretched with a lazy groan. "You think NightTiger pulls this off? Doomsday plays like the developers hate our guts—a totally different league compared to every other MMO." ZeroFlux considered her words. "Honestly... odds look bad." "Oh?" StormHalo tilted his head. "Didn't you always hype him up? Where'd your faith go?" ZeroFlux simply shook her head. StormHalo chuckled softly. "You're getting spooked by the hype. Doomsday's brutal and messes with real life, sure, but Nighthale cleared Abyss. NightTiger never lags in any game. He always catches up. If he can't make it through, the rest of us might as well pack it in." "Maybe." ZeroFlux left it at that. StormHalo picked up the hint and didn't push. The group fell silent, waiting for the results to roll in. ...Meanwhile, NightTiger materialized inside the trial. The maps for advancement trials shifted each time. His arena wasn't a forest like Aiden's. This one was an open desert under a merciless sun, with no hiding place in sight. A massive beast lumbered across the dunes. It was a Desert Ravager Bear, an eerie creature ranked at Level 10.