After his conversation with Catherine, Han Ming underwent a noticeable change. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say he had found a new purpose in life.

That purpose was to protect his world. Admittedly, this might seem like an overreach, especially after learning that he couldn't cultivate battle aura or magic. However, he wasn't disheartened by this revelation. Catherine observed this change in him as well. She noticed how he had grown quieter, spending more time sitting and thinking rather than making a fuss. This transformation surprised her somewhat.

Every day, Han Ming made it a point to communicate with Wei'er through Catherine. He wasn't sure if a full day had passed since there was no way to distinguish day from night in their confinement. He relied on his intuition and the frequency of the meal deliveries to gauge time.

He knew that even though each conversation was brief, it was crucial for Wei'er. Those who hadn't experienced such isolation couldn't understand how a few simple words could keep someone going.

Han Ming was no longer worried about his situation. He was certain that their captors wouldn't keep them imprisoned indefinitely without reason. They would eventually release him, though their motives remained unclear.

During this period, Han Ming tried to ask Catherine more questions, but she was less forthcoming than before. Often, she would only give a brief response after he had asked ten questions, which left him somewhat disappointed.

As Han Ming had anticipated, the day of their release finally arrived.

One day, as Han Ming sat quietly waiting, the stone door swung open—this time fully, not just a crack for meal deliveries.

A black-clad figure entered silently and said in a hoarse voice, "Follow me," offering no further explanation.

Even though Han Ming had expected this day to come, he couldn't suppress his excitement. Finally, he would see the light of day again. The dark days of confinement were coming to an end.

Trembling, he stepped out of the cave and onto a wide open area. Looking up at the night sky, his heart raced. He was out! Finally free!

The clearing was gradually filling with people, many emerging from other caves. Some, like Han Ming, gazed silently at the sky. Others sat on the ground, quietly weeping. A few shouted angrily, venting the pent-up frustration and despair they had carried for so long.

Han Ming's first priority was to find Wei'er.

"Han Ming!" a voice called out.

He turned sharply and saw Wei'er hurrying toward him. Han Ming smiled as he looked her over. Her clothes were tattered, some parts severely corroded, looking as though they would tear at the slightest touch. Her face bore a few scratches, though they didn't appear to be recent.

Han Ming opened his arms and embraced Wei'er tightly, gently stroking her hair. His heart ached for her. Such a young girl enduring such hardship—it was truly unfair. He couldn't bear to look at the scratches on her face; each glance brought a fresh pang of guilt. He knew that without him, she might not have made it through.

Though they had known each other for only a short time and exchanged few words, their bond had deepened significantly during their confinement. Han Ming's daily encouragement had strengthened their connection. He knew it wasn't love, but rather a bond forged in adversity—like two fish in a dried-up stream, relying on each other for survival and comfort.

"Gather here," a black-clad figure interrupted, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.

Everyone was filled with fear and confusion, but no one dared to protest, afraid of being thrown back into the caves.

Slowly, the crowd gathered in front of several black-clad figures.

One of them cleared his throat and said, "I'm sure you're all wondering why you've been subjected to this. Let me introduce myself. You may call me Shadow. These are my subordinates; they have no names, only code numbers. First, let me congratulate you on surviving the caves."

The crowd remained silent, all eyes fixed on Shadow, waiting for what would come next.

Shadow continued, "We brought you here because we want you to join our organization, the Dark Hall. I am but a minor figure within it. If you wish to learn more about the organization, there's only one way: grow stronger. Only through strength can you rise in rank within the Dark Hall."

Seeing that no one spoke, Shadow added, "This is Death Valley, far from the Savage City. Initially, there were two hundred of you. Sixty survived, which pleases me. Those of you who made it can be considered exceptional."

Finally, a brave soul spoke up: "Why did you capture us? Now that we've survived, does that mean we're part of your organization?"

Shadow smiled. "This is just one of many outposts. There are countless groups like yours throughout Death Valley. According to our intelligence, a total of two thousand have survived across all groups. A few extras were... dealt with by our comrades."

The crowd stirred uneasily. Han Ming was horrified. These people killed without reason, simply to round off a number. Such a trivial justification for taking lives?

Shadow raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "Out of these two thousand, only twenty will be selected as... let's call them members for now. That means only two out of every hundred will survive. The final twenty will officially join the Dark Hall. Here's how it works: after a small test, each of you will receive a numbered token. Your task is to form groups and hunt down other groups to collect their tokens. Every seven days, you must return here. Advancement is based on the number of tokens you hold. Those without tokens, those who hide, or those who try to escape will be eliminated by our members. This will continue until only twenty remain. If there are more than twenty, we will eliminate the excess based on our judgment. If fewer than twenty survive, congratulations—you all join the Dark Hall."

The crowd was stunned. This was a battle to the death! Only twenty out of two thousand would survive? It was horrifying.

Han Ming silently processed Shadow's words. He gleaned several key points: first, they were being pitted against each other in Death Valley. Second, Shadow mentioned two thousand participants but said only two out of every hundred would survive, implying that the upcoming "small test" would eliminate half of them. Moreover, the rules were brutal. They would form groups to hunt others, but there was no limit to how many tokens one needed to advance. This meant that even within a group, trust would be scarce, as members might turn on each other for tokens.

This was a true death game.

Shadow clapped his hands. "One final warning: do not attempt to escape or hide until the game ends. Our members will be watching. Any such behavior will be considered a violation of the rules, and you will be eliminated. Now, please form two lines."

The crowd shuffled nervously, eventually forming two facing lines under the direction of the black-clad figures.

Each person stood opposite another, but at the end of one line, a lone fat man stood, visibly panicked. He had no idea what was coming, but he sensed something terrible.

A black-clad figure approached the fat man, drew a dagger, and stabbed him in the heart. Two others dragged the body away.

Shadow clapped again to regain everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, you were imprisoned for a year to numb your emotions. Those who emerged were either utterly broken or utterly calm. It seems you all have the basic qualities required of a Dark Hall member—none of you went mad. However, a year of confinement isn't enough. To give you an edge in the upcoming games, we will now conduct a small test."

Han Ming shuddered. The fat man had been killed without a second thought, and Shadow didn't even acknowledge it. These were truly cold-blooded individuals. Han Ming glanced worriedly at Wei'er, determined to protect her no matter what. She met his gaze, and he gave her an encouraging look. Not knowing what was coming, Han Ming made sure to stand in the same line as Wei'er.

Shadow walked to one of the lines and said, "This line is Team One. The other is Team Two. Your task is simple: members of Team One, kill the person standing opposite you in Team Two. That's all."

Han Ming's blood ran cold. He hadn't expected such a test—a one-sided slaughter. And he and Wei'er were unfortunately on the side to be killed. His mind raced for a solution. He couldn't die here, not after surviving the caves.

The entire Team Two shared his fear, their eyes wide with terror. Even Team One members were stunned. None of them had expected to face such a brutal test. Most were around Han Ming's age, the youngest perhaps fifteen or sixteen, the oldest no more than twenty. None had ever killed before. This was beyond cruel.

The black-clad figures handed out short daggers to Team One. Some recipients looked panicked, others gritted their teeth, and a few seemed utterly lost. Han Ming's opponent was a fierce-looking young man, roughly his size but leaner.

As Han Ming desperately searched for a way out, Shadow gave the command: "Begin!"