Chapter 130: Public Execution

Over the next day or two, Lin Huang gradually acclimated to life in this rookie training camp, which resembled a prison in many ways.

Here, all communication and internet signals were completely blocked. There was no way to contact the outside world, nor receive any information from it.

The entire small outpost was under constant surveillance, with not a single blind spot. Whether using the restroom, bathing, or sleeping, Lin Huang and the others were monitored 24 hours a day, with no privacy whatsoever.

Every morning between 8:00 and 8:30 was breakfast time, followed by one hour of free activity.

From 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., an eight-hour period was allocated for entering the Trial Tower to hunt monsters.

Dinner was from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., then another hour of free activity.

From 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., there was another three-hour window to enter the Trial Tower for monster hunting.

After 10:00 p.m., it was time to rest.

Time flew by, and two days passed quickly.

After breakfast, during free time, a ringtone similar to a cellphone suddenly sounded from the loudspeaker. After about half a minute, the music stopped, replaced by a man's voice.

“Everyone, assemble at the execution ground within ten minutes!”

Lin Huang was puzzled. “What’s going on?”

“Today is the day of public executions,” Xiao Mo whispered. “Everyone must attend and watch.”

“You mean the bottom three in the points ranking will be executed?” Lin Huang knew the rule but had never witnessed an execution before. “They’ll really be publicly put to death in front of so many people?!”

Lin Huang had long read the camp’s rules. This rookie training camp used a points ranking system.

In the Trial Tower, killing monsters earned points.

A first-stage Black Iron monster was worth 1 point, second stage 2 points, third stage 4 points.

Bronze-level monsters were worth 10, 20, and 40 points for first to third stages respectively.

Silver-level monsters granted 100, 200, and 400 points.

Gold-level monsters gave 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 points respectively.

Points could be exchanged for supplies, including combat skills, life techniques, equipment, food, and more.

Every day, rankings were updated and sent to everyone’s Empress Heart Rings via the local network.

It was said that those who ranked in the top three for 100 consecutive days, or who broke through to the Gold realm, would become reserve members of the Purple Crow.

Conversely, anyone who ranked in the bottom three for ten cumulative days would face public execution.

“Public executions keep everyone vigilant,” Xiao Mo explained. Seeing others swiftly leave, he urged, “Let’s go quickly. Being late will mean punishment.”

The two followed the crowd toward another building in the outpost—an enormous circular arena.

Aside from a central open space about the size of a football field, the arena was surrounded by rows upon rows of chairs, seemingly able to hold tens of thousands.

Lin Huang and Xiao Mo quickly found seats. The vast arena was nearly full. Lin Huang realized there were far more people in this rookie camp than he had imagined.

“So many people…”

“Our camp isn’t even the biggest,” Xiao Mo said quickly upon hearing Lin Huang’s surprise. “In the Seventh District, there are thirteen training camps. Ours ranks eleventh in size.”

“Thirteen camps?!” Lin Huang had thought this was the only one in the Seventh District. Clearly, he had underestimated the Purple Crow organization.

“Shh…” Xiao Mo suddenly gestured for silence and lowered his voice. “The execution is about to start. No talking.”

Lin Huang nodded and fell silent, watching as people began entering the arena below.

The previously noisy crowd fell completely silent, everyone aware of the rules.

At the entrance, three young men in green uniforms were pushed forward, their faces ashen and grim.

Behind them, three executioners dressed in black followed.

The three green-uniformed youths slowly approached the center of the arena. A man in a black uniform and sunglasses came forward carrying a sealed box.

“What’s going on?” Lin Huang whispered.

“They’re drawing lots to choose their method of death,” Xiao Mo explained softly.

Lin Huang fell silent again, eyes fixed on the scene below.

The three young men nervously reached into the sealed box one by one to pull out wooden tiles.

“State your name, points ranking, and chosen method of death,” the man with sunglasses said, setting down the box and pulling out a palm-sized sound shell device, which he handed to the first youth.

The shell opened, extending a thin antenna toward the youth’s mouth—a receiver.

The young man trembled as he stammered out, “I… I am Han… Han Yang… accumulated points… ranking… last place… method of death… beheading…”

He wept as he spoke, clearly overwhelmed by fear.

Lin Huang noted that this youth’s combat power was only Black Iron second stage, indeed one of the weakest in the camp. His last-place ranking wasn’t surprising.

After the youth finished, the man with sunglasses took back the sound shell, nodded to the nearby executioner, and stepped back.

The executioner’s golden ring transformed into a battle blade. Grabbing the youth by the collar, he roughly forced him to his knees.

With a swift slash through the air, the head flew off instantly. A spray of blood gushed forth, splattering the ground.

Lin Huang frowned involuntarily. He had killed before, but this was the first time witnessing an execution from such a perspective. It felt brutal and inhumane.

After the first body fell, the man with sunglasses showed no hesitation, stepping into the bloodstained pool in his black leather boots and expressionlessly presenting the sound shell to the second youth.

“My name is Lu Shen. Ten-day cumulative ranking second to last. Method of death: shooting,” the second youth said with a deathly pale face.

The man nodded to the executioner again.

The executioner’s golden ring transformed into a pistol, pressing the barrel against Lu Shen’s left temple. Without emotion, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The youth’s head exploded instantly, the shot obliterating his skull.

Lin Huang finally witnessed the sheer power of gold-level weaponry.

The man with sunglasses moved on to the third youth, handing over the sound shell.

“My name is Zou He. Ten-day cumulative ranking third to last. Method of death: slow slicing…” The moment the third youth spoke, a ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.

Many whispered among themselves, as this method had not been drawn in a long time.

The man with sunglasses looked momentarily startled. Hearing the noise, he furrowed his brows.

“Quiet!” came a sharp command through the sound shell.

Silence returned swiftly.

Seeing order restored, the man stepped back and nodded to an executioner.

The executioner pressed a hand to Zou He’s neck, sealing his movement. Stripping all his clothes, they bound him tightly with metal cords and hoisted him on a metal frame like a slaughtered pig.

Two short blades appeared in the executioner’s hands. Expressionless, he began his cruel display of knife techniques.

His skill was indeed precise, slicing chunks of flesh from Zou He’s body. With no clothes to hide them, every wound was clearly visible to the audience.

Zou He screamed in agony, his harrowing cries amplified through the sound shell.

Lin Huang had heard of slow slicing before but never imagined the process was so bloody and brutal.

Zou He’s screams lasted over three hours, until thousands of pieces of flesh had been carved off and he finally died.

This image seared itself deeply into the minds of everyone present.

Many cast fearful, wary glances at the executioner.

Even after returning to his cell, Lin Huang could still hear the echoes of Zou He’s screams in his ears.

“Now I see—the Purple Crow organization is truly a cult…” Lin Huang muttered, witnessing the most gruesome and savage scene of the rookie training camp.

Back in the room, Xiao Mo remained silent and withdrawn, barely speaking all evening.

Lin Huang quickly noticed his unusual demeanor. “Xiao Mo, what’s wrong? Were you scared at the execution ground?”

“I’ll die after ten days too…” Xiao Mo finally replied after a long silence.

“What do you mean?” Lin Huang found his words strange.

“I’m in the next batch scheduled for execution.” Xiao Mo gave no further explanation.

Lin Huang realized what he meant. Xiao Mo’s points ranking had always been near the bottom. He was only Black Iron third stage, with limited combat strength.

Checking the points leaderboard, Lin Huang saw that after removing the three executed, Xiao Mo now ranked last.

“Don’t worry, there are still ten days left. We’ll find a way,” Lin Huang tried to comfort him. “Try to spend more time in the Trial Tower these days.”

Since each room in the Trial Tower was limited to one person at a time, and all monster kills had to be done solo, Lin Huang could do little to help directly.

“By the way, how close are you to filling your Life Energy?” Lin Huang suddenly asked.

“It’s already full, but I dare not advance. Once I reach the Bronze realm, I won’t be able to enter Black Iron level trials anymore, and my points gain will slow even further…”

Xiao Mo was trapped in a vicious cycle. Staying Black Iron allowed him to kill Black Iron monsters and earn points, but their points were far fewer than Bronze-level monsters. If he advanced, his strength would be insufficient to kill Bronze monsters, and points accumulation would slow even more.

Lin Huang truly had no solution for his predicament.