Let the trainees undergo assessment while simultaneously receiving training, learning new knowledge, and becoming versatile talents—this is the true purpose behind the Security Directorate’s creation of this strange world.

“I surrender!”

A panicked shout suddenly reached his ears.

Ethan Brooks's heart tightened, and he immediately rushed out of the stone cave. A giant eyeball flashed out from a stalactite cave and quickly disappeared into the distance.

It was exactly the same monster he had seen at the edge of the forest.

A trail of scattered bloodstains appeared on the ground.

Ethan Brooks cautiously entered that stalactite cave and saw a trainee lying face down on the ground, a new bloody hole in his back, with fresh blood gushing out.

Ethan Brooks's heart was in turmoil. George Hill had clearly told them that as long as they said the three words “I surrender,” the danger would be lifted and the trainee would be automatically returned to the original world. But he had just clearly heard the trainee’s cry—so why had he died so miserably here?

Could it be that George Hill had deceived them?

A cold bead of sweat seeped from Ethan Brooks's forehead.

But why would George Hill want to deceive them? Could it be that the entire assessment was nothing but a terrifying conspiracy?

Including himself, had all the trainees already become prey to be hunted down?

At the same time, a bead of cold sweat also trickled down from George Hill's temple, dripping onto the computer keyboard under his hands.

“How could this happen? Has the system really malfunctioned?”

Staring at the blurry surveillance screen, George Hill's expression was grave.

Julia appeared silently behind him.

“Has the call to Global Electronic Games Group gone through?”

George Hill asked without turning his head.

Julia nodded. “Their president, Alexander, said he would immediately send the best technical maintenance experts here. They should arrive in about ten hours.”

“Ten hours? When they sold this system to the Security Directorate, didn’t they promise to be on call at any time?”

George Hill grunted discontentedly, frowned and pondered for a few minutes, then said, “Do you think there could be any other possibilities?”

“What do you mean?”

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in each other’s eyes.

“Could it be that someone has secretly sabotaged the system?”

Julia's cherry lips trembled slightly. “That should be impossible.”

“To sabotage the system would require astonishing technological knowledge, plus spiritual powers like sorcery based on mental force, and in addition, an exceptional familiarity with our system.”

“Apart from you, it seems only I possess such qualifications here.”

“You are the niece of Director Harold, so of course you are above suspicion.”

George Hill was silent for a long time, then suddenly said sternly, “Give me the background information of all the trainees. I want to review it again.”

The trainee’s corpse gradually stiffened. The drip-drip of water falling from the stalactite seemed to have turned into a terrifying sound of death.

Ethan Brooks silently stared at the microeconomics knowledge on the big screen, unable to unravel the doubts in his heart.

Either the Security Directorate was deliberately trying to kill off all of them with superpowers, or the Security Directorate had already lost control of this virtual world—one of the two must be true. Yet, no matter which answer it was, the trainees had all been forced beneath a giant sword suspended by a hair, their lives hanging by a thread.

Lost in thought, Ethan Brooks walked toward another stalactite cave.

No matter what, learning a bit more new knowledge would give him a bit more capital for survival.

At this moment, Ethan Brooks was like a sponge, constantly absorbing water from the ocean of knowledge. Yet, with all his intelligence and talent, faced with the dazzling, boundless knowledge of astronomy, geography, art, economics, and more, he still felt dizzy and overwhelmed, barely able to remember even half of it.

These stalactite caves were simply a history of human civilization’s development—comprehensive and unfathomable. Even if he spent his entire life, he could never master all this knowledge.

But in this vast ocean of civilization, was there truly a farther shore to surpass?

Ethan Brooks pondered silently as he walked toward the last stalactite cave.

As soon as his left foot stepped into the entrance, a bewitching, enchanting woman’s laughter faintly drifted over.

A world of beautiful women, vivid and alluring, appeared before his eyes.

Stalactite tables, chairs, and beds shimmered with flowing light, and more than a dozen breathtaking women smiled charmingly, their beautiful eyes glancing flirtatiously. Some lay, some sat, some stood—some wore luxurious evening gowns revealing dazzling cleavage, some wore sexy bikinis swaying their voluptuous hips, and others were draped only in a thin layer of white gauze, their full, alluring bodies faintly visible.

On a stone chair in the corner of the cave, a handsome and elegant man was busy with his hands, the beauty in his arms letting out waves of enchanting moans.

“Lance?”

Ethan Brooks cried out in surprise.

“So it’s you.”

Lance gave Ethan Brooks a slight smile. Though he was surrounded by warmth and fragrance, his neat suit was in disarray, his chest half bare, yet his expression was surprisingly calm.

A waft of intoxicating fragrance greeted him as a beauty in a low-cut evening gown threw herself into Ethan Brooks's arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and slowly caressing him.

A soul-stirring, intoxicating sensation instantly spread through his whole body.