The first stage of the "Troll Nest" dungeon was just an appetizer—anyone with adequate damage output could pass it.
The second stage tested one's perception and judgment.
If your perception was weak, it meant that once this newbie was thrown out into the wild or onto various leveling maps, they'd be completely lost, utterly defeated.
But the third stage was the real main course.
The first two stages had already drained a lot of the newbie's mana and even their stamina.
Upon reaching the third stage, you would face a relentless onslaught of three waves, each from a different troll tribe.
"This stage challenges survival pressure, damage output, and sustained combat capability. It's no small test."
"Basically, this is where people start dropping out of the dungeon."
"That's right."
"From previous newbie competitions, it's clear that this stage gives newcomers the most trouble."
This was the consensus among all the instructors.
Of course...
Some newbies from prestigious families had prior knowledge of the dungeon's content.
After all, the competition's test dungeons had rotated through three different scenarios these past years.
They couldn't alter any part of the dungeon, but some did gain an unfair advantage by knowing the layout ahead of time.
However, this didn't really matter.
In the newbie competition, there were no restrictions on equipment, weapons, or medicine use; having prior intel was no big deal in the eyes of the instructors.
That said, seeing Yun Chen, a newcomer from a small place, still leading in the first position, earned many of the teachers' silent praise.
"Quick-witted, brave and resourceful..."
This was Dean Ye Anfu's impression of Yun Chen.
The boy was exceptionally calm.
Even now, nothing on his sharply defined face betrayed hesitation or deep thought—not a single frown.
Now, entering the third stage, the young man showed quick adaptability and intelligence.
"That's..."
"An Onmyoji's curse: Soul Confusion?"
After the blazing white light at the start of the third stage faded, they finally saw what the much-watched Unclassed Drifter had done.
He'd gone mad!
The Troll Chieftain of the Rotten Moss Tribe was utterly trapped by the curse, completely bewildered in mind, now seeing his own tribesmen as humans and ruthlessly slaughtering them.
"Damn..."
"This is an unprecedented outcome!"
"The third stage boss and hordes of trolls were just so easily broken through at the very start?"
Who would have guessed the boss Troll Chieftain and the vast number of trolls would be so effortlessly overcome?
It was a result no one had ever anticipated.
Watching the crazed Troll Chieftain, completely unaware he was being deceived, the instructors couldn't help but be amazed.
They knew the Onmyoji skill was a gift from Jiangnan University to this top-ranked newbie.
But...
"Something's off..."
"Even with the Onmyoji skill, how could he so easily confuse and manipulate a boss's mind?"
That was hard to believe.
Even if Soul Confusion had been upgraded to B-rank and forcibly cast, it shouldn't humiliate a magic-resistant boss so thoroughly.
"Looks like the Troll Chieftain's mental state had already been shaken earlier..."
"See those stunned Troll Hunters? The combination of the boy's Light Burst and what seems to be a Sonic Boom creates a mental shock effect."
"That's the real prerequisite for the curse to take hold."
Dean Ye Anfu from the War Academy explained.
"I see."
"Gotta say, this newbie in first place really has some skills—and good luck."
The maddened Troll Chieftain even triggered Bloodthirst, filling his mind with murderous intent, making it impossible to regain reason.
The boss was slaughtering his own tribesmen on one side.
Meanwhile, Yun Chen was using his staff to cast Fireball, clearing the field.
Combined, this led to a massive kill count within the Rotten Moss Tribe in a short time.
"This guy really calculated the boss to death..."
"Damn, this kid's heart is so dark!"
What made the instructors speechless was that, perhaps knowing the curse's effect would soon fade, the young man, after slaughtering a group of trolls, already made hand gestures to cast another Onmyoji skill.
Shikigami: Earthbound Spirit.
What's more, he cunningly placed the entire spell just one meter behind the Troll Chieftain.
When the furious chieftain turned back to confront Yun Chen, he'd almost certainly ignore the trap right in front of him.
"No way..."
"Damn, he actually triggered it. This newbie's tactics are really impressive, and he even interrupted the skill..."
Some teachers smiled wryly.
Just as the script predicted, the Unclassed Drifter, as if directed by a hidden director, had the pre-set Earthbound Spirit easily interrupt the chieftain's charging skill.
The Troll Chieftain looked exactly like an actor following the director's plan.
Then...
The deans and instructors witnessed one brilliant trick after another from the drifter.
"So fast!"
"This kid's agility must be really high."
"Wait... he just drew a dagger! That's the Assassin skill 'Backstab'."
Backstab not only provides displacement but also allowed the boy to swiftly circle behind the chieftain.
Though the troll chief was about to break free from the Earthbound Spirit's grasp, at that moment the drifter's dagger, imbued with 'Bone-Piercing Rot,' stabbed through his back.
This perfectly re-established the control chain.
The Troll Chieftain was controlled again!
After that...
The drifter switched weapon form to a longsword with bleeding effects, glowing with a sinister red light.
With the chieftain unable to struggle, he was brutally decapitated.
"Beautiful!"
"Well done!"
The whole sequence flowed like clouds and water, seamless with no wasted moves.
Quick actions, precise tactics.
In an instant, a boss was killed.
The teachers, mostly level 50 or above, watched with great satisfaction.
Some even couldn't help but applaud.
"His resume did say 'Combat All-Rounder,' and he really does have skills."
"If he sed to a top-tier dagger, he might even save some time."
Some teachers clapped again.
"Well done..."
Even the Dean of the Weapon Academy, the so-called Ice Queen Xia Qingcheng, rarely praised anyone.
Just as she hoped, Yun Chen truly showed perfect command of all weapons in this stage.
Whether staff, dagger, or longsword, his mastery was exquisite.
And he hadn't even used the war spear yet!
No matter what, this young man was firmly on her radar.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。