Critical Return System: I Am Pampering Beautiful Maidens

In a forest, between the trees, a small figure ran without stopping. His face was exhausted, and beads of sweat dripped continuously. Behind him, several guards dressed in black pursued him, holding spears and whips.

"Damn it!"

Li An heard the loud sounds of the chase getting closer and gritted his teeth, cursing the sirens for making such a cruel test.

"What's the point of this crap? Testing my heart?"

He tried to understand but reached no conclusion, which only made him more irritated. With no other choice, he forced his legs to their limit, running faster and faster in a random direction, having no idea where he was going.

"GET HIM!"

The guards' shouts echoed closer and closer. No matter how much he tried to increase his speed—he was still just a skinny child, while the guards were well-trained adults.

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Li An pushed his adrenaline to the maximum, breaking branches and knocking down trees along the way to hinder his pursuers. This continued until he saw a glimmer of hope: a small burrow, the size of a rabbit hole.

"This is dangerous, but the odds aren't in my favor..."

Without hesitation, he threw himself into the burrow, crawling like a worm through the narrow tunnel.

Outside, the guards arrived.

"Shit! Can anyone go down?" one of them muttered nervously. "If Prince Zhou finds out we let a fish escape, we're screwed!"

Everyone shuddered, and the next moment, they turned to the weakest among them.

"Go in!"

The short guard, who looked about fifteen, gritted his teeth but didn't dare to disobey. He approached the hole and stuck his head inside, trying to force his way through.

CRACK!

"AAAAAHHH!"

A scream of pain echoed through the forest. His head got stuck between the tunnel walls, crushed by the pressure.

The other guards showed no mercy—instead of helping him, they shoved his body forcefully, trying to push him through the narrow hole.

CRACK! CRACK!

The sounds of breaking bones filled the air.

"Damn it! What a useless fool!" one of the guards snorted, frustrated. "The prince spared him, and he can't even do something this simple?"

Turning to the others, he ordered:

"Find smaller children!"

Inside the tunnel...

Li An, hidden in the darkness, heard the guard's agonizing screams. The next moment, a strong scent of blood invaded his nostrils.

"This... Is this really a test? Or is it real?"

Doubt filled his mind. He forced himself to stay calm.

"No... this isn't real. It's an illusion."

But then... what was he supposed to do? Stay here forever? What was the purpose of this trial?

He tried to think. First, he had appeared in a slave caravan. Then, the slaves were massacred, and he had managed to escape with a key.

"Do I have to save the slaves? Is this a test of the heart? A test of my courage?"

This time, he wouldn't act impulsively. The previous experience was a harsh lesson that cost him three hours of progress.

"But who would think of that? Everyone must assume a test of the heart is something sentimental..."

He forced himself to focus and opened his mouth, retrieving the key hidden between his teeth. He pressed it with his tongue and held it firmly between his jaws.

Even with his hands shackled, he had a good sense of touch—a remnant of his transformed spiritual consciousness. When he changed his origin.

Trusting his instincts, he lowered his head and fitted the key into the invisible lock of the shackle.

CLICK!

Moving it with the strength of his teeth, he felt a dry snap.

SNAP! CLANG!

The shackles broke, and his hands were free.

An indescribable sensation coursed through his body.

Li An touched his face. His skin was rough, full of scars. As he rubbed his fingers together, he realized he was covered in accumulated dirt.

He took a deep breath.

Without saying a word, he started crawling through the tunnel, following the faint light at the end of the passage. The smell of blood grew stronger.

When he finally reached the end, he came across a mutilated body.

The victim's eyes were still open—and upon seeing him, tears rolled down his face.

"I'm sorry, Brother Jin..."

The dying man's voice was weak and trembling.

"I don't regret it... What's wrong with wanting to survive? But... who would have thought I'd die in the end, chasing one of my former companions? Karma really never fails..."

Li An's eyes widened, his blood boiling.

"Bastard!" He clenched his fists, feeling a murderous instinct grow in his heart.

"Kill the traitor!"

He picked up one of the bones from the ground, moving forward to crush the traitor's head.

"Die!!!"

But at the last moment, he stopped.

'Damn it! I am Li An! What does this damn grudge have to do with me?'

He bit his tongue, regaining his senses.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the dying man.

"Answer one question." His voice was cold. "If you want a good death, tell me—why did you betray us?"

The man coughed up blood but smiled.

"You've changed... If it were before, you would have killed me without thinking." He let out a weak chuckle. "But... since I'm going to die... I don't see any harm in answering..."

He coughed again before whispering:

"Prince Zhou promised... immortality."

Li An frowned, trying to understand what the hell he meant by immortality. But the next words answered that question.

"He would reward me... with a piece of Sister Song's flesh..."

Disgusting.

Li An felt like vomiting.

"These bastards eat human flesh...?"

Hatred grew inside him. He didn't know if he was being influenced by the test or if he truly despised it.

"Is Sister Song dead?"

"No..." The traitor spat more blood. "She locked herself in the tower. But the Prince captured everyone from the Song Chamber of Commerce and marked them as sinners."

After these words, he closed his eyes.

A strange smile appeared on his face.

He had no regrets.

'In this world of darkness, where the shadows rule, what's wrong with wanting more?'

Li An remained silent.

He didn't react to what he had heard.

"This test is cruel..." he sighed. "I never thought a low-level secret realm could be this dangerous..."

Picking up the bones from the ground, he stood up and left the pit. He had passed the first test.

"You passed the first test. The purpose of this trial is to test your heart and see how far you would go to survive. In the second test, you will continue from where you left off...

But now... a tracker has been placed on your body.

Almost-martial artists will appear. Good luck."