Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

The pre-selection phase was supposed to start in two days.

At least, that's what the schedule said.

But now that the temple was full, every participant locked into their respective hallways and rooms, the trial had already begun.

Alex leaned against the bloodstained wall, arms crossed, taking in the situation.

"So… does that mean the official trial starts in two days?"

"Probably," Alphox answered.

His voice was calm, steady, but there was an edge to it, one Alex had started noticing more and more that they were here.

"If that wasn't the case, they would've left the temple open for more participants. My guess? They decided they didn't need anyone else and started early."

"Would've been nice to have a bit more time."

What surprised him wasn't just the sudden start of the trial, but Alphox himself.

The Primordial Shadow Dragon had been silent before, offering cryptic advice here and there, never directly interfering.

But now? He was constantly giving input, offering guidance, answering questions before Alex even asked them.

And it wasn't just tactical advice, he actually seemed invested.

That was new.

"Guess I'll be done with this mess soon, then," Alex muttered, stretching.

His first battle in the trial had gone even smoother than expected.

The so-called "elites" in his room, some as high as level 1,400, had barely been a warm-up.

He hadn't even lost a single [Destiny Point], despite using [Destiny Shift] once since he recovered them.

With his newly upgraded [Armor of Pure Hatred], taking damage was nearly impossible unless his opponent was an absolute monster.

Even those who attempted surprise attacks had been swatted down like insects.

'They really underestimated me.'

Not that he was complaining.

Minutes passed. Then—

A mechanical voice echoed through the room.

[All 500 Survivors Have Been Chosen.]

[You May Rest for Now. The Second Stage Will Begin Tomorrow.]

Alex exhaled, staring at the ceiling.

So that was it, huh? The first stage of the pre-selection phase was over.

If the announcement was accurate, then every hallway had completed their slaughter.

Out of the original 50,000 participants, only 5,000 remained.

That means the real threats are left now.

The ones who survived wouldn't just be strong, they'd be ruthless.

The initial room fights were a joke compared to what came next.

This was the Dragon Trial. No mercy, no long-term alliances, no second chances.

As he sat down on one of the few beds that wasn't drenched in blood, a thought crept into his mind.

"By the way… why did you tell me to go to the fifth hallway?"

Alphox had specifically told him to pick this one.

Was there some hidden condition? A secret reward? A shortcut to victory?

The dragon's voice was calm but firm, "Because it was the weakest hallway."

Alex frowned, "The weakest?"

"I saw several powerhouses enter the other hallways," Alphox explained. "You would've had to fight them immediately if you picked another one. That wouldn't have been ideal."

"Oh."

It made sense. A logical move.

But even so, Alex couldn't help but chuckle.

"I have a [God's Blessing], you know."

Even if someone ambushed him, he could just reverse time with [Destiny Shift].

If they somehow managed to kill him? He could undo his own death.

He wasn't worried.

For now, though, the trial had paused. The doors were locked. He was exhausted.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax for the first time in hours.

And yet—

"No," Alphox's voice came again, sharper this time. "You're not safe yet."

Alex's brows furrowed. "What?"

"The doors will unlock soon."

Alex sat up immediately, "They just said the second stage starts tomorrow."

"They lied."

A cold, sinking feeling settled in his chest.

"The real massacre starts tonight."

Alex's eyes darkened.

Alphox continued, voice grave.

"Only 100 people per hallway can move on to the next stage. That means 400 more need to die before morning."

So that's how it is.

They weren't just testing raw strength. They were testing survival.

Alex let out a slow breath.

He wasn't tired to begin with, as the aura and blood of a god flowed through him, but even then.

The tension in the hallway grew thick as time passed.

Alex sat in silence, senses sharp, waiting.

His mind replayed Alphox's words.

Four hundred more need to die.

That meant only one thing.

The survivors of the first round weren't really survivors.

They were just temporary placeholders.

Now, they had to kill again to secure their spots.

It was an endurance test. A war of attrition.

And judging from the faint sounds echoing through the walls from the other rooms, low whispers, shifting footsteps, the distant clinking of weapons, some people had already figured it out.

A brutal free-for-all was about to begin.

"How many of them will be dumb enough to attack me?"

Alex glanced at his armor, his staff and his sharpened claws.

Most of the remaining participants were likely high-level individuals that had been trained to kill and pass this trial.

But that didn't mean they were intelligent.

Fear and desperation made people reckless.

And reckless enemies?

Easy kills.

Then, without warning—

Click.

The sound of locks disengaging.

The rooms were built in a strong enough material so that the doors couldn't be forcefully broken, but if the locks were disengaged...

Five seconds later—

SLAM!

The door burst open.

Alex barely had time to react before a blur of motion shot toward him.

A dagger flashed in the dim light, aimed straight for his throat.

Slash!

It hit Alex straight on.

[Weakness hit, instant death.]

"My victory," the assassin, wearing a cloak that hid his entire body, smiled.

But...

Dying from an attack too fast to dodge? No problem for Alex.

Destiny Shift.

[You undid the attack.]

Time rewound since he had selected the attack, thus reviving him and also sending back the assassin behind the door.

"What the?" the assassin was confused, but noticing his dagger in hand, he simply got ready to do what he did again.

Yet this time, before the attack even began, Alex was already moving.

The assassin's blade never reached him.

Instead, Alex twisted around and drove his knee straight into the attacker's gut.

The man choked out a pained gasp, staggering back.

Alex didn't hesitate.

His hand shot forward with [Bleeding Claws] activated.

Blood sprayed as his claws tore through flesh.

[Critical Hit! Fatal Injury.]

The assassin fell without a sound.

One down.

The sound of footsteps filled the hallway.

More figures emerged.

Some were locked in their own battles, others hesitated, watching.

Alex took a slow step forward.

"Partner," Alphox spoke, "I need to tell you one more thing about this trial."

"Go ahead."

"The number of humans who make it past the pre-selection phase is extremely low."

Alex entered the hallway. He immediately felt dozens of eyes lock onto him.

"It's not just because they get filtered out early."

A shift in the air. Muscles tensing.

"It's also because…"

They moved.

All at once.

"They get killed before they can even leave their hallways."

[Current Alive in Hallway #5: 478/500]

[Will stop only once 100 remain.]

"Kill the human!"

"We were asked by the dragons to make sure that no human gets past this point, sorry not sorry kid."

"We need to get rid of him quick, don't anger the Primordial Dragons!"

Alex smiled as he saw a horde of people from different races dash toward him, the only human.