"Eye of Truth?"

This left eye is called the Eye of Truth?

Jiang Chen looked at Yuna's eye. He felt like he had heard this name before, or at least something similar.

But he couldn't recall it at the moment.

"Yes, but you need to pass the Guardian's Trial first."

Yuna nodded and looked ahead, saying, "That's where I live."

She then walked forward gracefully.

Jiang Chen saw a high slope ahead, with a huge fallen tree covered in thick white snow.

At the base, there was still a tree stump rooted in the soil.

The stump alone was about four or five meters high.

Under Yuna's guidance, they climbed the slope and reached the stump.

At the base of the stump, there was a tree hollow over a meter high.

Yuna walked straight in.

Jiang Chen and the others had to bend over to enter.

But once inside, the space was much more spacious.

"Living here?"

Jiang Chen saw that there was almost nothing inside.

The only visible items were a long wooden plank carved from the tree trunk, which could barely be considered a bed, and a square wooden block that could be identified as a table.

This was far from what Jiang Chen had imagined.

Because Yuna was wearing a long embroidered dress with golden lace, adorned with simple and elegant patterns.

It definitely didn't look like something ordinary.

But this tree hollow was extremely simple.

Then, Jiang Chen noticed a complex magic array carved into the ground beneath his feet.

"It looks like some kind of sacrificial array?"

Jiang Chen observed the patterns and made a rough judgment.

But he wasn't particularly knowledgeable in this area and wasn't entirely sure.

Suddenly!

"Jie jie…"

A sinister laugh echoed, seemingly coming from outside.

"What's going on?"

Qing Ying's face changed slightly.

Tao Xiaoyao's expression turned serious.

Jiang Chen also felt a hint of caution.

"Quiet!"

Yuna shouted, then quickly walked to the innermost part of the tree hollow, leaning against the tree trunk.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

On the tree wall beside her, there were also some strange runes.

These runes were connected to the magic array on the ground, seemingly part of it.

In the center of these runes, there was a thick iron chain extending out.

Yuna grabbed the chain.

Immediately.

The magic array on the ground lit up with a faint glow.

It seemed to start operating.

"What's going on, did I fall into a trap?"

Seeing the faint glow of the array beneath his feet, Jiang Chen was startled.

Could this little girl have lured me here to sacrifice me?

It shouldn't be, the system said I had gained her initial trust.

Jiang Chen was still thinking.

"Ah!"

Yuna's childish voice cried out. She wrapped the chain around herself!

A glow surged from her body.

These pale blue lights, like waves, quickly flowed towards the chain.

It seemed like the chain was absorbing the energy from Yuna's body.

At the same time, the glow of the array became even more intense!

"Is she… sacrificing herself?"

Jiang Chen frowned slightly.

He heard the sinister "jie jie" laugh gradually diminish.

After a dozen seconds, the laugh stopped, and everything fell silent.

Yuna unwrapped the chain and collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Her body was drenched in sweat, and her face turned pale!

The most shocking was her left eye, covered in red.

It was smeared with blood!

Her left cheek was also drenched in crimson blood.

"What on earth is going on?"

Jiang Chen couldn't bear to look at Yuna in this state.

If it were an adult, he wouldn't be so affected.

But this was just a child!

Qing Ying and Tao Xiaoyao were even more shocked, staring at their toes, not daring to look at Yuna.

"It's okay, I have to do this every day."

Yuna's voice was weak, she looked at Jiang Chen, forced a smile, and said slowly, "It's my fault, I've been slacking off since I broke free from the chains, letting those monsters increase."

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and asked, "This chain, was it used to lock you?"

Yuna nodded, "Yes, but I broke free a year ago."

"A year ago…"

Jiang Chen was slightly stunned and asked, "How long were you locked by the chain?"

"217 years."

Yuna said with a matter-of-fact expression, a number that was hard to believe.

For a moment.

Jiang Chen was dumbfounded.

It was hard to believe that this little girl had been around for two hundred years?

"But I volunteered. Since the day Dreamland City was destroyed, I've been taking care of this desolate city alone."

Yuna's childish voice and innocent face looked particularly lonely.

"Why do you do this?"

Jiang Chen was very puzzled.

"That day, Dreamland City was destroyed by the Demon God. My parents died sealing the Demon God. I was recognized by the Eye of Truth, and the power in me was activated to maintain the seal."

"Before they died, my parents cried and told me to guard the seal. I was young then, and they were afraid I'd run around, so they locked me with the chain."

"Since then, I've been alternating between sleep and wakefulness, providing energy to the array year after year."

Yuna seemed to have regained some strength. As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her eye and face.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen's throat tightened, and he couldn't speak.

After a few seconds, he pointed to the array on the ground and asked, "Is this the array sealing the Demon God?"

"This is a sacrificial array, providing energy to the Demon God's seal. The array sealing the Demon God is further below."

Yuna slowly stood up and said with some guilt, "But because I slacked off, often going out to play this year, I didn't provide energy to the array continuously, allowing the Demon God's aura to increase."

Then, Yuna turned to Jiang Chen, smiling, "Luckily, I met you, big brother. I think you're a good person. Can you help me eliminate those monsters affected by the Demon God's aura?"

"Are they the ones making that laughing sound?"

Jiang Chen pondered. If so, the task location was nearby.

"Yes, this is your Guardian's Trial."

Yuna nodded, muttering, "Anyway, now I decide what the Guardian's Trial is."

"No problem!"

Jiang Chen nodded immediately.

"Those who complete the Guardian's Trial can receive the Guardian's Medal, one of the highest honors in Dreamland City!"

Yuna's face beamed with a smile.

【You have accepted the task: Guardian's Trial of Dreamland City!】

【Task details: Behind the Dreamland Tree, many deceased citizens of Dreamland City have turned into undead monsters due to the Demon God's aura. Please eliminate these corrupted undead! (0/50)】

【Task reward: Guardian's Medal.】

"This must be the Dreamland Tree…"

Jiang Chen murmured, then said, "I'll go complete the trial now!"

Saying this, Jiang Chen quickly left the tree hollow.

Qing Ying and Tao Xiaoyao followed him out.

They circled to the back of the giant tree stump.

Ahead was a downhill slope.

At the bottom, there was a deep trench.

It was also covered in white snow.

Jiang Chen immediately went down.

In no time, he reached the trench.

Chirp chirp chirp!

The sound of snow being disturbed echoed around.

Then.

Rotten black arms emerged from the snow.

"Jie jie…"

One by one, tattered, zombie-like decayed monsters crawled out of the snow, emitting sinister laughs.

【Corrupted Undead: LV19】

【Decaying Power: Targets hit will have their attack power and spell power reduced by 20% for 5 seconds, non-stackable.】

"Level 19 mobs, with less than 10,000 health. This 20% spell power reduction doesn't matter to me."

Jiang Chen's gaze was calm as he waited for the monsters to crawl out.

Soon, more and more monsters filled the trench.

"Brother Mortal World, I'll help you pull the aggro!"

Tao Xiaoyao's voice rang out. She stood on the slope, quickly summoning a Big Yellow Dog and a Gray Bear.

She directed the summoned beasts to lure the distant mobs towards the center.

After a dozen seconds.

A group of mobs surrounded Jiang Chen.

He let them attack him.

-182

-191

-177

…

Damage numbers continuously appeared above Jiang Chen's head.

His phantom clone was hit, reducing his spell power by 20%, and his health dropped to 50%.

Meanwhile, his mana was depleting.

More and more mobs gathered.

"Almost there…"

Jiang Chen glanced at the number of mobs around him.

At the same time, a dazzling hexagram magic array appeared.

The entire group of mobs was enveloped by the array's light.

-1780!

Each mob had a damage number floating above them.

Instantly, their health dropped by over 20%!

"No double damage, but it only takes 5 seconds!"

Jiang Chen stood still, watching the mobs' health rapidly decrease.

After 5 seconds.

All the mobs fell.

【Current task: Eliminate corrupted undead (50/50), completed!】

"Done!"

Jiang Chen smiled slightly, quickly climbing the snow slope to the back of the giant tree stump.

Then, he circled to the front of the stump.

He entered the tree hollow.

"Wow, that was fast!"

Seeing Jiang Chen, Yuna's face lit up with joy, "Congratulations on completing the trial. Here is your reward!"

She handed Jiang Chen a round medal.

【You have received the Guardian's Medal!】

Before Jiang Chen could examine it, Yuna's voice rang out again.

"Big brother, I have one final task for you. If you complete it, I'll give you the Eye of Truth!"

Jiang Chen was slightly stunned and asked, "What task?"

Yuna: "Kill someone for me!"

Jiang Chen: "Who?"

"My brother, the Lord of Dreams!"

Yuna said slowly.