LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 197: Chapter 197: The Trial Game
Chapter 197: The Trial Game
"Roar! Roar! Roar!!!"
Just as Xiao Yu split the enormous skeleton in two with his sword, the shadowy figures that had been jumping one after another into the black hole suddenly froze. One by one, they knelt before Xiao Yu, as if welcoming the return of their king.
"System, can you come out and explain what's going on here?"
Seeing this bizarre scene, Xiao Yu immediately directed his question to the system.
The system's voice sounded somewhat resigned:
"The Underworld is a new plane I created by borrowing the power of the King of the Underworld. It was discarded when I fused it with the Douluo Star's rules. However, I didn't expect that after the evolution of your martial spirit, it would resonate with you and draw you into this place by accident."
"Then what's going on now? Why did that giant skeleton suddenly attack me, and why are these shadowy figures kneeling after I defeated it?"
"This Underworld is based on the Underworld from Saint Seiya, though it differs from the one you know. That giant skeleton was originally the gatekeeper boss of the Yomi-no-Hirasaka checkpoint. After the Underworld detached from the Douluo Plane and became an independent realm, it effectively became the ruler of the Yomi-no-Hirasaka. Sensing the King of the Underworld's power on you, it mistook you for the plane's original master returning to reclaim control. To protect its position, it naturally attacked you. As for those shadowy figures, they are subordinates no matter who rules. Since you defeated the giant skeleton, they have simply acknowledged you as their master."
Understanding this, Xiao Yu chuckled. So, it's like this: the long-time boss suddenly realizes the real boss is back and doesn't want to return to being a lowly subordinate. Of course, it tried to take me down. As for the shadows, they just care about who's in charge. After I took out the skeleton, they switched loyalties without hesitation.
Having figured it out, Xiao Yu brought up the question he had been about to ask before being interrupted by the skeleton's appearance:
"Since the Underworld is now an independent plane, does it mean it's no longer affected by the rules of Douluo Star?"
"Correct," the system confirmed.
Xiao Yu's eyes lit up. If I bring Saga, Shaka, and the others into the Underworld, free from Douluo Star's planar suppression, they could break through the hundredth level without restriction. The same logic applies to the other Nine-Star Hall powerhouses. On Douluo Star, every level-up involves fighting against the world's rules, which slows their progress. But in the Underworld, without this restraint, their cultivation would skyrocket.
"Don't get too excited just yet!"
The system immediately doused Xiao Yu's enthusiasm as if sensing his thoughts.
"While the Underworld doesn't have the breakthrough restrictions of Douluo Star, it has its own set of rules. Saga, Shaka, and the other Saints summoned by the system share the same essence as the Underworld. The moment they enter, their power will be assimilated into it."
The system's icy words left Xiao Yu utterly deflated. Unwilling to give up, he asked, "Is there no way around this?"
"There is!"
The system's response instantly rekindled Xiao Yu's hope.
"Rules, once established, can be modified. If you become the master of the Underworld plane, altering the rules would be as simple as issuing a command."
"Hold on a second!"
Xiao Yu suddenly felt suspicious. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "You're not about to tell me that to become the plane's master, I need to defeat all the checkpoint bosses of the eight great prisons and the four circles of the Underworld, are you?"
"Correct!"
The system's answer was exactly as Xiao Yu had guessed.
"Figures. You designed this as a trial game from the start, didn't you?"
Xiao Yu sighed, feeling speechless. After a moment, he asked, "Can you at least give me an overview of the checkpoints in the Underworld?"
"Of course!"
The System activated, projecting a map directly into Xiao Yu's mind.
The layout of the Underworld closely resembled the one Xiao Yu had seen in Saint Seiya during his past life, with only minor differences. The main distinction lay in the entrance. In Saint Seiya, the Underworld was accessed via Hades' castle on the surface, whereas here, the entrance was through the Yomi-no-Hirasaka.
Beyond this entrance, the path was identical to what Xiao Yu remembered. The Gates of Hell served as the gateway to the Underworld. Past the gates was the Sanzu River, a boundary separating the living world from the dead. After crossing the Sanzu River, one entered the Eight Prisons.
The Eight Prisons were as follows:
The First Prison: The Court of Judgment for the Dead.
The Second Prison: Where those guilty of greed endured a relentless storm of cold, heavy rain.
The Third Prison: Misers and squanderers were doomed to eternally push massive boulders.
The Fourth Prison: A dark swamp where the wrathful and the discontented perpetually drowned one another.
The Fifth Prison: Sinners suffered the torment of fire within tombs.
The Sixth Prison: Comprised of three vast valleys.
The Seventh Prison: Divided into ten trenches.
The Eighth Prison (Final Prison): An infinitely vast icy hell that entombed those who committed the gravest sin—rebelling against the gods.
In the original Saint Seiya storyline, countless Saints perished in this icy hell, including Gold Saints Mu, Aiolia, and Milo, as well as Seiya and Ikki, who were cast into it by Specters to await death.
Beyond the Eight Prisons lay the Four Circles. In the original plot, the first three circles were guarded by the Underworld's three judges—Rhadamanthys, Aiacos, and Minos—while the final circle, Judecca, was where the physical body of Hades resided.
However, the system had clearly modified the bosses guarding these checkpoints. Unfortunately, it did not disclose any information about the new bosses, leaving Xiao Yu to discover them himself.
Based on Xiao Yu's experience with countless trial-type games in his past life, the difficulty of each checkpoint would only escalate. Judging from the skeleton guarding Yomi-no-Hirasaka, which possessed combat strength approaching that of a Soul Douluo, it was reasonable to assume that the bosses of the Four Circles might even have the power of Super Douluos.
Mastering the Underworld and becoming its Plane Lord would clearly be no simple feat.
This would be an arduous, long-term task. However, it also represented a rare opportunity for Xiao Yu to sharpen his skills through battles against the undead creatures guarding the checkpoints.
"System, the summoned entities can't enter the Underworld for now. What about the Soul Masters native to Douluo Continent?"
As a seasoned strategist, Xiao Yu naturally wanted to maximize the value of this endeavor. If the challenges became overwhelming, he wasn't above calling for reinforcements.
"They can!"
The system's affirmative response came with an additional explanation:
"Soul Masters native to Douluo Star can enter the Underworld as long as they are within the host's Underworld Domain. When the domain establishes a link with the Underworld, the host can freely choose who to bring along. To return to Douluo Star, one only needs to use their will to communicate with the domain.
"However, please note: this back-and-forth travel is restricted to the Yomi-no-Hirasaka. Once the host crosses the Gates of Hell, returning to Douluo Star will only be possible after conquering the entire Underworld."
(End of Chapter)
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