Chapter 474 Metamorphosis, The Strength of a Leader!

The days spent sailing the ocean were mundane and dull.

This feeling was exacerbated by the face that they could not go down into the ocean and were stuck in a confined living environment. Previously, during their ten-day journey on the ocean, all the crew members...o...b..ard that were from the Tundra Shelter had been driven to their absolute limits by the prolonged journey. Over the last two days, there were plenty that lost sleep due to the fact that they had plenty of energy bottled up with nowhere to vent. This was the reason why, after Hope One stopped, these people were so joyful as they went down the s.h.i.+p into the ocean to unleash their pent-up energy. On this journey to the New World, these people thought their depressing days were bound to be repeated again. However, the reality of how things developed exceeded everyone’s expectations. Doomsday Calendar Month 4, Day 1. It was the beginning of the fourth month since humankind had been transported from Earth to the wasteland. Hope One had set sail from the basin area seven days ago. In Room 135 of the living quarters… The clock had just struck seven; Chen Kai’s biological clock woke him up roughly at this time.

In contrast to his first night on the boat, which he spent sleepless, Chen Kai’s quality of sleep last night was exceptional. He hit the sack at eleven o’clock and instantaneously “pa.s.sed” out and slept like a

log.

He had eight hours of sleep.

If there was equipment around to monitor his sleep, he would have been shocked to discover that he managed to obtain more than 4 hours of deep sleep. This incredible duration of deep sleep was miraculous.

After Chen Kai woke up, the others in the room also gradually inched out of their beds

-slowly and gently rubbing their eyes. “Yuan Zi, Pang Fu, you two go and collect our food for us.” “Big Liang, Small Liang, you two go and collect our training topic for today.” “Lu Wei, Ke Ke, you two quickly go and wash up. After you two are done, quickly go up and secure a spot for us. We’ll bring your food along later.” Chen Kai swiftly delegated everyone’s tasks for the day. Surprisingly, the men below did not immediately set off to work. Relaxingly, they remained on their beds with cheerful smiles on their faces. “What’s the matter? Quickly go now or…”

Su Yuan raised his head and spoke, “Brother Kai. Today is the seventh day. Our training is complete. Today we’ll be receiving our awards.”

“Ah?”

It was only when Su Yuan reminded him of this fact that Chen Kai reacted. Chen Kai felt an inexplicable sensation surging through his heart; he felt as if an entire lifetime had pa.s.sed. “Have seven days pa.s.sed? So quickly?” He reminisced about the first day when they had boarded the s.h.i.+p. Everyone was excited and could not wait to see what the training was.

They guessed that everyone would be a.s.sembled on the main deck and would undergo various military-style drills and formation training. It was usually like in the military, whereby they would undergo physical training coupled with lifting heavy weights. This would squeeze out their dormant potential. On the other hand, they might also be given a series of difficult questions to be solved one by one, due to the limitation of Hope One’s size.

Su Mo had previously stated that their a.s.sessments would be proportioned and weighted accordingly. Even though everyone was focused on the a.s.sessments, no one dared to imagine how it would be conducted.

At least not until the day that the a.s.sessments truly began.

The group in the room had been instructed to attach a few wires to their heads. Immediately, their world s.h.i.+fted!

They were stunned as the fifteen-square-meter room abruptly disappeared and was replaced by a snowy mountain that stood towering at an unknown height.

Their feet had sunken into the white snow beneath them, and every step in the snow would leave footprints, accompanied by the puffing sound of the snow being dislodged. Behind them, there were scores of tiny cottages that emanated a cozy light, warming the depths of their hearts.

This miraculous transformation would have merely impressed those who had never experienced this cutting-edge technology. Yet, for these S-cla.s.s talents, this sight shocked and immediately sent them into a frenzy.

“My gosh. Is this simulation technology? It simulates complete images through brain signals?” “I can even feel pain here. How peculiar. This definitely involves a deeper level of neuron activation. Even signals from my feelings and my muscles can be completely transmitted!” “This snow. It’s actually cold. It feels like real snow. Even this warmth… My gos.h.!.+”

“As expected of the Shelter Leader… to possess such cutting edge technology…” Their astonished words and gasps chimed in one after another. Most people would have no clue as to what jargon they were spewing. Nevertheless, it did not stop them understanding and experiencing the essence of this technology. “Simulation, reality, willpower, physical fitness!”

“Target… five thousand meters!” Outside the simulation world, Su Deben was only a robot. However, inside, he was a fearsome and mighty instructor. Su Deben explained his emphasis on the four keywords. At the same time, he pointed out the essence of the first day’s trial. It was simple. Climb the snowy mountain! As long as any of them could reach the 5000-meter mark, they would be awarded exemptions and become S-grade talents immediately. The cottages behind them contained complete sets of snow equipment. They could bring as much equipment as they wanted, provided they could carry it along. At the same time, there was plenty to eat and drink in the cottage. However, they could not carry it out of the cottage or they would be disqualified and would have to redo the trial.

Here in the simulated world, they would not actually die. All sensation of pain had been diminished by 50%. During critical moments, there were also safety measures to protect them and their physical bodies from any untoward incidents of sudden death that may occur due to the realistic simulated world.

Upon hearing these settings, everyone was seemingly riled up into a frenzy of excitement

Half an hour later…

The first person to equip himself properly with all snow equipment had packed up his stuff and started to scale the mountain; the rest promptly followed suit.

The snowy mountain seemed to extend into the skies; no one could tell how tall it was.

Even so, the simulation was created with a remarkable degree of accuracy, even when compared to the real world.

The higher it was, the steeper the slope of the mountain. Every perilous step was wrought with more and more danger. The higher they climbed, the thinner the air got, as oxygen levels dropped. The furious winds would blow louder and harder. If this had not been a simulation, the terrifying trial would result in a casualty rate of over 90%.

Yet, they knew that their death was not real here.

Hence, their spirits soared high as their adrenaline ran high.

However, their spirits could only soar so high until they experienced their first death!

Sometimes, it would be better for all consciousness to be lost in the instance of death.

If they fell from such an alt.i.tude, their bones would be shattered immediately. Blood loss would then follow suit as they would have to endure the final few moments of life. Even though the sensation of pain had been diminished by 50%, enduring it would still be torturous.

There was the sound of wailing first. Then, blood gradually drained out from the body as the brain sent frantic signals of pain. Only after experiencing that did the first person who fell enter the revival phase. There was a flash of light.

The revived person appeared back inside one of the little cottages. This time, however, the excitement written previously on his face had been utterly wiped clean.

In the place of that excitement was now an expression of respect and awe.

A respect for death. A respect for the life that they had blessed with in this simulation.

After the first death, the fourteen hundred villagers began to experience death one after another.

Some fell to their deaths, some stumbled into ice caves and were frozen alive, while others were skewered by falling icicles. There were even a few who fell prey to the wild beasts on the mountain. By the time fifty-eight minutes had pa.s.sed, all fourteen hundred and five villagers had perished.

There were no survivors at all.

Even Li Hu, Qi Qin, and the few others, who often boasted of their strengths, could not escape the grasp of death. During this first attempt, the highest alt.i.tude reached among the villagers was 1482 meters. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. We won’t actually die anyway. I don’t believe that those wolves will get me a second time. I will beat the c.r.a.p out of those hounds!” “Charge! If we are afraid of this simulation, how much more will we cower when we face the real thing!”

“This time, I will walk slower. Even if I were to die, I would rather die frozen on the mountain path!”

If one person were to perish, or ten, or perhaps even a hundred, it would result in

fear.

However, it was a different story if a thousand or even everyone were to perish. Everyone would be emboldened to reach for the skies.

A few of the more courageous ones began to rally the villagers. They looked at the cottages behind them as their minds were now filled with thoughts of becoming S-grade talents and the royal treatment that accompanied it. They gritted their teeth and hastily returned to the cottages to replenish their supplies.

Half an hour later, all the villagers began their second charge.

Ironically, the villagers perished quicker the second time than on their first attempt. After thirty minutes, 70% of the villagers had resp.a.w.ned back where they had begun.

“Use your brains. To climb a snowy mountain, what you need isn’t brute force or courage.”

“I want to see your brains, your willpower, and your physical strength all working in tandem with each other. Not some foolish attempt at brute-forcing it!” “Chen Kai. Earlier, when you faced the wolves, you could have evaded and backed yourself up against the ice. That way, you wouldn’t have exposed your back to your enemies…”

“Xiong Jin. Climbing isn’t about a momentary burst of speed. It is more about your stamina and endurance.”

Su Deben’s first appearance came at the right time.

He pointed out the facts and, with a few words, he managed to pinpoint most of their mistakes.

Moreover, his guidance revitalized their flagging morale. Half an hour later, the ma.s.s of villagers embarked on their third attempt.

This time, the record was 1860 meters.

The fourth time, 2109 meters…

The fifth time, 2455 meters…

The sixth time, 2541 meters…

From there on, it became more and more difficult to break the record. Each new record only increased the figure by a significantly smaller increment.

As the number of attempts grew, the trauma of dying grew too, as it haunted their minds. The acc.u.mulated sense of pain and fear rooted themselves within their psyches.

On their eighth attempt…

Compared to their record during the seventh attempt, which was 2560 meters, the record now plunged to 2103 meters. There was a storm brewing on the mountain this time. No one resisted it as they were scattered by the wind; they were blown off the cliffs and perished.

This storm utterly wrecked their spirits.

“Five thousand meters. How is that possible? Who could ever accomplish this? This is not even a test created for humans!”

“I keep on dying. Even though the pain has been reduced by 50%, my bones have been shattered for the fifth time. It hurts like h.e.l.l!”

“My guts have been dug out. Those wolves even tore me apart while I was still conscious.”

“It’s impossible… It’s impossible for anyone to climb that high!”

Their doubts began to erupt in succession from the little cottages. They were utterly squashed by the suffering they experienced in this trial. They were survivors that could endure more hards.h.i.+ps than the others in the wastelands, yet this trial broke them, and they could not help but…

Complain…

Riot…

Protest…

The commotion in front of the cottage began to fiercely escalate. Su Deben, who stood in front of everyone, slowly shook his head at the sight of the unfolding situation. The next second, as Su Deben waved, a figure emerged in front of the villagers. “Shelter…Shelter Leader. Why are you here?”

“Shelter Leader, do you want to join us too?”

“This trial is not for humans. They made this for the beings up there!”

Listening to the growing dissatisfaction of the crowd, Su Mo did not explain. Rather, he smiled wryly at them.

All eyes were on him as he made his way through the crowd. He entered a cottage, stocked up on supplies, and outfitted himself with the climbing equipment.

Like a lone wolf…

Su Mo headed towards the snowy mountain without looking back at the crowd watching him from behind.

In front of the villagers, a 200-inch live broadcast screen popped out, displaying Su Mo’s live position and his current status.

Although the screen that had popped out could not completely display the data of his vitals, in this virtual simulation, everyone had similar physical fitness attributes.

It was because of this exact reason that Su Mo’s next feat would stun everyone.

At five hundred meters, Su Mo encountered a pack of wolves. Thinking on his feet, Su Mo utilized the landscape to his advantage and slaughtered the wolves. He obtained two flasks of warm wolf blood, fur, leather, and meat.

At thirteen hundred meters, there was a storm brewing. Su Mo survived by planting his feet firmly into the ground. He then covered himself with the wolf fur he obtained earlier.

At two thousand meters, there was a cliff. Here, Su Mo spent twenty minutes carefully scaling the cliff. As everyone watched, Su Mo once again miraculously triumphed over the cliff.

At three thousand meters, there was another pack of wolves with even greater numbers than before. Even so, Su Mo annihilated the pack of wolves with his combat skills.

At three thousand five hundred meters, the temperature dipped.

However, Su Mo found a cave and ate his rations. Not only was his energy replenished, but his body temperature also did not drop significantly. At four thousand meters, Su Mo’s stamina was still at its peak. He was unstoppable as he climbed the mountain with ease.

For the last thousand meters, in front of everyone, Su Mo displayed a perfect combination of wisdom and courage. It was only at the five thousand meter markafter the number in red turned green-did everyone recover from their trance-like state. “Shelter Leader…He’s too strong…” “This is not…Ugh, this is the difference between us and him.” “I concede. This time I have to concede that he’s strong!”

“Perhaps we are too weak and these are all just our excuses. This simulation was an opportunity for us to learn, not for us to tactlessly charge forward…” “Back in the cottage, I saw the hunting guides and the climbing skill guides, but I was too impatient to climb to the top…so I did not have the heart to study them.”

“Ugh…”

The gasps of amazement and whispers of regrets filled the air.

The defeated spirits of the grumbling crowd had been restored. Su Deben nodded to himself and prepared to signal for Su Mo to begin his descent.

However, the next second, like the rest of the villagers who were below him, Su Deben’s smile froze.

Upon reaching five thousand meters, Su Mo did not give up. Instead, he relentlessly began his…

Charge to the top! At this alt.i.tude, Su Mo had to stop after every ten or so steps; he needed to relieve the pressure in his heart and lungs.

On the cliff, every time Su Mo extended his arm, he had to concentrate and summon all of his strength to successfully drive the ice pick into the wall.

However, Su Mo was like a warrior.

Fourteen hundred pairs of eyes were glued onto him as he relentlessly climbed without stopping

Six thousand meters.

Seven thousand meters.

Eight thousand meters.

Nine thousand meters.

Before anyone could realize, the alt.i.tude of the snowy mountain had already surpa.s.sed the highest mountain on Earth-Mount Everest.

Su Mo’s dogged steps eventually led him to the summit at an alt.i.tude of ten thousand meters. Throughout his climb, the villagers were awestruck and stupefied at his feat. He knelt on one knee at the summit; his eyes closed as he smiled.

He had successfully reached here without suffering any wounds at all.

Su Mo…

Died from exhaustion!

“What a beast. His willpower. I… I could never compare!”

Su Mo reappeared back in front of the cottage with a smile on his face. Seeing this, Su Deben, with a bitter taste in his mouth, momentarily forgot what he was about to say.

Before he could speak, all fourteen hundred and five villagers…went crazy! Learn, climb, die, repeat. They were unrelenting. Six hours had pa.s.sed in the real world, but thirty-six hours had pa.s.sed in the simulated world, after which the trial was finally concluded.

The villager with the most deaths had 92 deaths in total.

The villager that had climbed the highest had reached an alt.i.tude of 4689 meters.

The average alt.i.tude reached by all villagers was 4018 meters.

It was as expected. No one could reach the 5000-meter mark.

However, the average alt.i.tude reached by the villagers exceeded Su Deben’s expectations; Su Deben had predicted their average alt.i.tude to be 2600 meters based on his previous experience.

“Doubled! These…these common people have a stronger sense of willpower than the finest of my soldiers!” Initially, Su Deben was gratified. His gratification then transformed into astonishment. Finally, he was enlightened as his heart now experienced a medley of emotions.

Finally, he understood!

Initially, he could not comprehend how someone could die for the sixtieth time, look at Su Mo’s ten thousand meters record, grit their teeth, and continue their charge to the

top.

It was only at the end that he understood.

This was the power of a leader.

Hope Village. The entire village was undergoing a metamorphosis, and it was an agonizing process. However, they made it through thanks to the leaders.h.i.+p of their leader.

They were like b.u.t.terflies hidden within a coc.o.o.n.

Now they only had to wait for the right time to break free!