Chapter 1

Wu Xiaode looked ahead.

Cold sweat trickled down his neck and into his back, sending waves of bone-chilling cold through him, yet he was completely unaware of it.

— A few hundred meters ahead, on a pile of bones, sat a monster.

It was a one-eyed giant.

Its body was enormous; even hunched over on the hill-like pile of bones, it was as tall as a three-story building.

"Ugh, your human flesh and blood are really hard to eat," the giant said, grabbing a skeleton and chewing on it while complaining.

Its eyes were filled with brutality and cruelty, blood splattering from its mouth, and its skin was covered in a layer of dark gray, looking as hard as solid rock.

Had Wu Xiaode ever seen such a hellish scene?

Was this a dream?

He extended his trembling hand and pinched the flesh on his waist hard.

— It wasn't a dream.

Why was he in such a terrifying place?

A voice suddenly came from behind him:

"You three are the last to enter here."

Wu Xiaode turned around sharply.

He saw a little girl, covered in wounds, leaning against the wall, her face bloody, and she didn't seem to have much time left.

She said—

Three people?

Wu Xiaode followed her gaze and looked around.

At some point, two other people had indeed appeared beside him.

One was a man wearing a hood, dressed in a full set of night clothes, gripping a cold, sharp sword, looking around cautiously.

The other was an old man, holding a deep black staff, occasionally emitting a chilling aura.

The masked man, the old man, and himself.

Exactly three people.

"May I ask, why am I here?" the masked man asked cautiously.

The little girl was about to answer but suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and couldn't speak for a moment.

The old man, seeing this, turned to look at the pile of bones and the one-eyed giant a few hundred meters away, frowning. "The one-eyed giant is a monster from mythology... So this is the place."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiaode and the masked man looked at him.

"Sir, do you know where we are?"

The masked man asked cautiously.

The old man nodded. "I know a legend about the 'Death Pit'—"

"When living beings are destined to die, there is a certain probability they will be transported here—where the one-eyed giant resides. Its power is terrifying, and once anyone enters here, they can never leave, only to be eaten by the one-eyed giant."

The old man's face turned pale after speaking.

The masked man's body also trembled, and he whispered, "Are you saying we are already dead?"

"Even if we aren't dead yet, we will be soon—death is our inevitable fate, which is why we are here," the old man said softly.

The masked man looked down at the sword in his hand, lost in thought. "I was exploring a secret ancient ruin, retrieving this sword from the deepest part, and then the entire ruin began to collapse."

The old man turned to Wu Xiaode and asked, "Young man, what were you doing before you were transported here?"

"I was fighting someone," Wu Xiaode said.

"Fighting?" the masked man echoed.

"It's quite strange... It was just a regular fight, but someone hiding in the shadows stabbed me from behind," Wu Xiaode replied honestly.

"That makes sense," the old man looked at the masked man and then at Wu Xiaode, "You were supposed to be killed by the traps in the ruin, and you were supposed to be stabbed to death, while I was in a duel with an enemy today."

The three fell into silence.

Death—

It seemed they were all in situations where death was inevitable, which is why they were transported to this Death Pit.

It sounded so absurd.

The masked man still didn't believe it and turned to the little girl, "Miss, what about you?"

The little girl could speak now and said, "I encountered an assassination in the wilderness."

Wu Xiaode's heart sank as he looked around.

The ground was littered with bodies in uniform armor, all killed, their corpses scattered in the blood.

These people seemed to be the little girl's guards.

Among them were some brave warriors with weapons and some female servants—

Even a chef with a full set of barbecue equipment.

Even a chef...

It seemed these people were not preparing to fight the giant but had been unexpectedly transported here.

It made sense.

One person being in danger and transported here could be a coincidence.

Now, with everyone in different dangerous situations and appearing here, it confirmed the old man's words.

"Right, this is the legendary Death Pit. It seems we have been chosen by fate to die here," the old man sighed.

The masked man's body trembled, he hugged the sword in his arms, and took a step back, saying, "No... It shouldn't be like this. I worked so hard to get this sword."

No one responded.

Wu Xiaode gritted his teeth—

Chosen by fate?

Die here?

I'm just an ordinary person, why should this happen to me?

"No," Wu Xiaode suddenly said.

Everyone looked at him.

"Why are you still alive when everyone around you is dead? Why did the giant spare you?" he asked the little girl.

The little girl smiled bitterly and said, "I'm still alive because the giant wants to keep me fresh and eat me later."

From a distance, the giant seemed to sense the commotion.

It tore a horse in half, stuffing one half into its mouth, chewing and speaking in a deep voice:

"She's right—bodies of those who die in fear quickly rot and sour, and they don't taste good."

"Alive... they might still be afraid, but it's a bit better."

The giant's voice echoed in the cold, silent cave, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Wu Xiaode was stunned.

It was unimaginable, that was the reason.

Beside him, the old man's body began to tremble, and the masked man involuntarily gripped the sword tighter.

—Whether it was an illusion or something else, Wu Xiaode felt the sword was shaking, as if trying to break free from the masked man's grip.

A cold aura emanated from the giant, spreading silently in all directions, causing a thick layer of frost to form on the walls and the ground.

The giant's immense and terrifying aura was overwhelming, making it impossible to resist.

Wu Xiaode felt a wave of panic just from one glance, almost losing his balance.

—This was a situation no human could handle.

It was incomprehensible.

Why was he in such a terrifying place?

Was there no way out?

Wu Xiaode's heart was filled with despair, but then he saw something.

A thick black book appeared in the air, facing him, and a line of cold, crystalline, frosty text appeared:

"In this land of spirits and heroes, your soul resonates with this place, activating deep potential and awakening a special ability: the Book of the Undead."

"The Book of the Undead immediately begins to release power, offering you selectable quests."

"Current selectable quests: 2."

"Please choose one of the quests to execute and receive the corresponding reward."

Wu Xiaode felt a glimmer of hope and quickly looked down.

"Quest 1: Obedient Lamb."

"Quest Description: The one-eyed giant is an extremely powerful being. Even with the rare ability of the Book of the Undead, you cannot defeat it in a hurry, so you are doomed."

"The one-eyed giant desires a perfect meal, and as a lamb to be slaughtered, please strip off your clothes to make the giant happy."

"Quest Reward: Being eaten by the giant."

Wu Xiaode quickly read through it and couldn't help but curse.

Who would choose this quest?

Who would?

—Was this crazy ability really awakened by him?

He continued to look down and saw another quest:

"Quest 2: Lamb to be Slaughtered."

"Quest Description: You must ensure the little girl stays alive, even if only temporarily."

"Quest Reward: This is your only chance to survive. The book cannot guarantee that this will work, but there is a faint, elusive hope."

Wu Xiaode's heart raced as he looked at the masked man and the old man.

Both were staring at the one-eyed giant, their expressions wary, but they didn't see the black book in the air.

As for the little girl, she was spitting blood.

She was dying and didn't look at the frosty text in the air at all.

Could it be...

Only he could see this book?

"Gentlemen," the masked man tightened his grip on the sword and said, "This place is extremely ominous. I will go first."

The masked man lightly leaped and soared toward the corner of the wall.

Flying!

Wu Xiaode's heart raced.

—The masked man could fly!

That wasn't all. The old man waved his staff and shouted, "Go! Go! Go!"

A several-meter-long firebird appeared under the old man's feet, carrying him to chase after the masked man.

Wu Xiaode followed their direction and saw a man-sized hole in the corner of the wall.

So that's it!

With the giant's massive body, it couldn't pass through this hole, which is why they were escaping toward it!

"They are very strong, maybe they have a chance to escape!" the little girl muttered.

She suddenly threw something to Wu Xiaode.

Wu Xiaode caught it and saw it was a thin, scale-like armor.

The armor emitted a strange power fluctuation, repelling everything around it slightly.

"It can protect you from being instantly killed. Go, with someone covering you, you might survive!" the little girl said, looking at Wu Xiaode with hope.

"Why me?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Save who you can, go!" the little girl said.

Wu Xiaode was touched.

—Unfortunately, the little girl's face was covered in dried blood, and he couldn't see what she looked like.

He didn't know who she was.

But no matter what, as the little girl said, he now had this treasure-like armor.

Since there were powerful people like the masked man and the mage running ahead, why not follow them?

Let's go.

Let's go!

Wu Xiaode gritted his teeth, put on the scale armor, and picked up a spear from the body of a guard.

The spear was heavy, hard to lift, and dragging it would slow him down.

—This spear must weigh at least 300 pounds.

Could anyone use this spear?

He thought if he could rush into the hole, at least he would have a weapon for defense, but now it seemed he couldn't.

He put down the spear and picked up a short knife—

No!

This knife was also heavy!

—It would slow him down!

Wu Xiaode gave up on picking up weapons.

By the time he hesitated, the masked man had flown to the corner and was about to enter the hole, with the old man riding the firebird right behind him.

Suddenly, the giant on the pile of bones lifted its head, baring its sharp, fanged teeth, and sneered:

"Professionals? Your flesh must be very chewy."

Wu Xiaode didn't see what happened clearly.

He only saw the giant's steel-like hand grab through the air—

In the next moment.

The masked man was tightly held in its hand, thrown into its mouth, and chewed forcefully.

"Really hard to eat!"

The giant shook its head and reached out with its other hand, grabbing casually.

The firebird was instantly extinguished, and the old man was caught. The giant sniffed him and said in a disappointed tone:

"The fear in your heart is too great, your flesh is sour."

It slapped the old man away, crashing him into a hard stone wall several hundred meters away.

The old man spat out a mouthful of blood, waved his staff, and released a light shield—

The giant's single eye suddenly widened, staring directly at the old man.

An incredible scene unfolded!

A deep red beam shot out from the giant's single eye, piercing through the light shield and hitting the old man.

The old man didn't even have time to scream as his entire body disintegrated, turning into a pool of fresh red blood that slowly dried on the wall.

He was dead.

—Like a mosquito that had been squashed.

The giant grunted, chewing loudly, and turned its single eye toward Wu Xiaode.

Everything happened in a few short moments.

The masked man and the old man had just reached the hole in the corner, and Wu Xiaode had just given up on picking up weapons.

It all started and ended in an instant.

Wu Xiaode stared at the pool of blood on the stone wall.

—Why even run?

It seemed there was no way out.

Wu Xiaode gritted his teeth and picked up the curved knife from the ground—

He didn't know what it meant, but no matter what, in the last moments of his life, he wouldn't be a coward!

He took a deep breath and raised the curved knife.

—So heavy!

The curved knife was held awkwardly above his head, wobbling due to the lack of strength.

—How could he fight?

There was no way to fight!

Wu Xiaode thought in a daze.

He met the giant's gaze—

The giant's single, ugly, cold, and merciless eye showed a clear look of mockery.

The giant snorted disdainfully and muttered:

"For countless years, your lowly species has rarely dared to fight me. Even if they do, they can't withstand a single move, let alone hit me. You are like dust, insignificant and laughable."

No one had ever hit it.

Wu Xiaode listened quietly, feeling an overwhelming sense of despair.

The giant reached out and flicked Wu Xiaode through the air.

Wu Xiaode hadn't reacted yet when the scale armor suddenly emitted a layer of light, enveloping him completely.

Bang!

A dull sound.

Wu Xiaode was thrown back, rolling several times, crashing into the wall, and dazed, unable to get up.

The light shield wavered.

The entire scale armor made a "crack" sound, developing a network of cracks, and finally shattered and fell to the ground.

The magical scale armor was completely destroyed.

The giant said with disinterest, "That interesting armor... but what use is it? Its owner is almost dead, and so will you."

Wu Xiaode's body swayed, and he finally leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.

Thanks to the little girl's armor, he had survived.

He had almost died just now!

The giant seemed to lose interest and no longer looked at him, instead opening its mouth full of sharp fangs—

Puff!

A shadow was spat out, flying out and hitting the wall, then landing with a crisp sound.

Silence.

Wu Xiaode stared at the blood-stained long sword, completely stunned.

This was the sword the masked man had been holding tightly.

So—

The flying masked man had been swallowed by the giant.

I—

Is this my fate too?

Why do I have to face this?

Wu Xiaode was in a daze.

Behind him, the little girl whispered quickly:

"Run—this giant seems to be full, and its desire to attack has decreased a lot. You are just an ordinary person, and it doesn't care about your flesh—"

"Take this chance to escape!"

Wu Xiaode looked around and saw a pool of blood at the entrance of the hole in the corner. It was dark inside, and he didn't know where it led.

Yes, this hole is small, the giant can't pass through!

"Together!"

Wu Xiaode put down the short knife and hurried to help the little girl.

No matter what, her armor had saved his life, and he had to repay her!

"Don't worry about me, my injuries are too severe, my bones are broken, I can't survive," the little girl said through the pain.

Wu Xiaode looked at her twisted legs, feeling something stir in his chest, a growing emotion.

His gaze returned to the frosty text in the air:

"Quest 2: Lamb to be Slaughtered."

Is there really a chance to survive?

Even the quest itself said the hope was very slim.

Wu Xiaode looked at the hole again.

The ground trembled slightly.

The giant slowly climbed down from the pile of bones, heading this way.

Run—

The only option now is to run!

Wu Xiaode looked at the little girl again, wanting to say something.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

The giant didn't bother with him, just walking step by step, saying:

"Mice are not worth eating—there are too many mice for me."

"But a sprout with special power fluctuations can be the main course of this meal."

Its single eye fell on the little girl.

Finally.

When it stood in front of the little girl, Wu Xiaode had already reached the entrance of the hole.

He could leave!

The little girl withdrew her gaze and looked at the giant.

There was no doubt, she was about to be eaten.

The little girl couldn't hold back her emotions and began to sob softly.

The giant looked at the little girl and said in a deep voice, "As a high-quality ingredient, you have the right to say a last word."

The little girl looked at the entrance of the hole.

Wu Xiaode had entered the hole and stood in its shadow.

—The hole led down a steep slope, with no end in sight. Just a jump down, and he could leave this terrifying place.

But for some reason, Wu Xiaode didn't leave.

He stood in the darkness, staring at the frosty text:

"Quest 2: Lamb to be Slaughtered."

He had appeared here for no reason and had somehow obtained this Book of the Undead.

Thinking about it—

Even the masked man and the mage couldn't survive!

Could the hole be safe?

No, there was no way to confirm that.

So—

Should he trust the prompt from the Book of the Undead, or run wildly in this completely unknown and terrifying place?

Wu Xiaode clenched his teeth, looking at the little girl in the corner.

Their eyes met.

The little