Transmigrating into a dragon clan experimental subject, is that even possible?

The shadows grew in number and moved with increasing speed. Lu Mingfei cursed as he defended, "Are these guys never going to die? God, how long are you going to take?"

"Hold on for another thirty seconds!" Tian's voice was calm and firm, but his movements had clearly quickened.

Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth, slashed his knife through another shadow, and muttered, "Thirty seconds? These guys won't give me even half a second to rest!"

Just then, an even larger shadow surged out from the crack, its form almost filling the entire space above the altar, its eyes glowing crimson, as if looking down upon the tiny challenger. It opened its enormous mouth and let out a deafening roar.

"This is... the big boss?" Lu Mingfei's eyes widened as he suppressed his fear and gripped his short knife tightly.

Tian looked up at the enormous shadow and said coldly, "Keep holding it off. The crystal decryption is in its final stage."

Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth and charged forward, his short sword aimed directly at the shadow's chest. His attacks weren't particularly fierce, but each strike hit its target precisely, slowing down the giant shadow's movements. At the same time, the blue light of the rune gun grew even brighter, and Tian's calm voice rang out: "Done!"

The blue crystal suddenly shattered, causing the entire altar to collapse. The surrounding shadows let out a mournful howl, turning into specks of light and dissipating into the air. The giant shadow also gradually disintegrated, its crimson light dimming in its eyes until it finally vanished into nothingness.

Lu Mingfei collapsed to the ground, panting heavily: "My God... would you die if you finished earlier?"

Tian put away the rune gun, walked to his side, and said with a rare hint of ease in his voice, "It's over. You've passed this trial."

Lu Mingfei glared at him, shook his head and smiled wryly: "It's over? There are still ten trials waiting for us..."

The heavens did not answer, but simply looked up into the distance. The walls of the maze began to crumble, and a new path vaguely appeared ahead. The next stage of the trial awaited them.

The walls of the labyrinth collapsed completely, shattered crystals raining down, shrouding the altar ruins in an eerie blue glow. The path ahead gradually became clear, leading into a deep darkness. The four reunited, exhausted, yet their eyes gleaming with determination.

"The second trial is finally over." Caesar shrugged, waving his rune sword to shake off the residual energy. "But if the next trial is just as troublesome, we might have to consider giving them a raise."

Lu Mingfei was sitting on the ground catching his breath. He looked up and glared at Caesar: "You're still in the mood for jokes? I was the one who almost died in there!"

"So you succeeded, didn't you?" Caesar smiled and reached out to help him up. "Isn't this how every life-or-death trial goes? This time you acted much more like a warrior than before."

"Warrior my foot!" Lu Mingfei rolled his eyes, steadied himself, and looked up at the sky. "What about the next trial? We can't just keep forcing our way through like this, can we?"

The rune spear in Tian's hand emitted a faint glow. He carefully examined the data and said in a low voice, "The next trial is called 'Loyalty and Betrayal.' The will of Nidhogg will test our trust and loyalty through this trial, but according to records, this trial is often the beginning of a team's split."

Chu Zihang stood to the side, the Dragon Cutter hovering silently in his hand. His gaze was steady as he said in a cold voice, "We cannot predict the form of the trial, but one thing is clear—we cannot allow anyone to betray us. If the team collapses, all the trials will be in vain."

"Loyalty and betrayal?" Lu Mingfei frowned, a sense of unease rising in his heart. "That sounds dangerous. What if the trial is specifically designed to sow discord between us?"

“Stay calm, trust each other.” Tian turned to look at him, his eyes filled with determination. “No matter how the trial is manipulated, we must remember one thing: Nidhogg’s will cannot create real betrayal; it can only exploit our weaknesses to create illusions.”

"Alright, I'll try not to be the first one to break down." Lu Mingfei sighed and gripped the short knife tightly.

As if sensing their resolve, the road ahead slowly opened to both sides, revealing a gray wasteland. Countless collapsed statues stood in the wasteland, each face blurred, posture distorted, as if silently screaming. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere permeated the air, as if every breath was filled with pain.

The four walked along the stone path, each step echoing with a deep, resonant sound. Suddenly, the surrounding scenery began to distort, and the statues seemed to come alive, slowly turning their heads to look at them.

“This place is anything but friendly.” Caesar gripped his rune sword, his gaze sweeping over the restless statues. “What if these things suddenly jump up?”

“I’m more worried about these shadows than the statues,” Lu Mingfei said in a low voice. He noticed that his own shadow had become unusually thick, as if it was gradually slipping away from him and intertwining with the other shadows.

"The shadows are moving; it's a sign of the trial." The Heavenly General raised the rune spear to his chest, scanning his surroundings. "Be careful; the trial might begin in the most unexpected place."

Just then, Chu Zihang suddenly drew his Dragon Cutter sword, its flaming blade pointing straight ahead. He said coldly, "It's here."

From the depths of the gray wilderness, a tall figure slowly emerged. He wore a tattered cloak, held a long, black sword in his hand, and his face was hidden in shadow, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. Behind him followed countless blurry figures, each emanating a faint crimson glow.

"Welcome, challengers." The man's deep voice echoed in the air, carrying an undeniable pressure. "Do you possess enough loyalty to face each other's tests? Or have you already harbored suspicions about one another, awaiting the opportunity to betray?"

“We’re not interested in your nonsense.” Caesar stepped forward, his rune sword pointing at the man. “Let’s get started and see what tricks you can pull.”

The man chuckled softly and brandished his longsword. The surrounding shadows instantly transformed into black chains, separating the four. Lu Mingfei was swallowed by darkness, his vision completely blurred.

"Lu Mingfei." The deep voice rang out again, seemingly coming from all directions. "Do you believe they will stand up for you in times of crisis? Or do you already know that they are merely using you as a pawn?"

Lu Mingfei shuddered, gripped his short knife tightly, and roared, "Don't try to sow discord between me! No matter what they think, I know at least we're a team!"

"A team?" The voice carried a hint of disdainful laughter. "If they have to choose to sacrifice someone to complete the trial, are you sure you won't be the one abandoned?"

In the darkness, Lu Mingfei's breathing became rapid. He gritted his teeth, trying to calm himself down: "Enough! This trial is just trying to make me doubt them, but I won't fall for it! Even if I'm abandoned, I won't doubt my teammates first!"

The low laughter gradually faded, and the surrounding darkness slowly receded. Lu Mingfei saw the wilderness again and found the others standing in the same spot, each with a different expression.

"Is everything alright?" Caesar asked, his tone more serious than usual. "The trial just now... was quite interesting."

Chu Zihang coldly withdrew the Dragon Slayer: "The trial isn't over yet, let's continue."

Tian was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "The shadow's movements have just begun; the core is still ahead."

The four continued forward, each harboring complex emotions. Every step felt like treading on hidden minefields, and the struggle between loyalty and betrayal was gradually pushing them to their limits.

The four continued along the stone path through the wilderness. The air grew increasingly heavy, and each step felt like walking on an invisible rope, a single misstep threatening to plunge them into the abyss. The surrounding statues gradually came to life, as if they might break free from their pedestals at any moment.

"This place is getting weirder and weirder," Lu Mingfei muttered to himself, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily. His palms were sweaty, and his hand holding the dagger was even trembling slightly.

Caesar walked ahead, his rune sword trailing a faint spark as it dragged on the ground. He glanced back at Lu Mingfei, a smug smile playing on his lips: "What are you afraid of? We're here for you, no matter what. Even if something jumps out, you just need to scream."

"Don't tease me." Lu Mingfei rolled his eyes, but inwardly he felt that Caesar's tone made him feel a little more at ease.

Tian's gaze remained fixed on the rune gun's screen, his voice calm and deep: "Watch your step. The energy fluctuations here are very unstable; the next trial could begin at any time."