However, it was truly peculiar. Evidently, the initial strike had only deducted 1 point from the shadow of Kenley's HP, yet this move, "Flower's Slumber," caused the shadow to lose a staggering 230 HP. This was indeed a most intriguing phenomenon. Given that the Solar Armor had not dissipated, one couldn't help but wonder why such a situation had arisen.

  "Warrior's Roar!" The shadow of Kenley let out a furious bellow, deploying the sole crowd-control dispelling skill at his disposal in the early stages.

  Yet, how could Kenley permit him to break free from the control? The instant the shadow regained consciousness, Kenley promptly unleashed another Blunt Strike.

  "Bang!"

  There was scarcely a 0.1-second interval between the moves, for this was a meticulously planned tactic on Kenley's part. The shadow of Kenley was caught completely off guard and was struck by the Blunt Strike once more, plunging back into a stunned state.

  "Warrior's Roar!" Just like Kenley, owing to the existence of the Honorary Paladin class, the shadow of Kenley also had a secondary cooldown for this skill. He utilized the Warrior's Roar once again to dispel the stun.

  "You've fallen right into my trap!"

  "Flower Dance!" With the execution of the "Flower Dance" move, Kenley directly inflicted the debuff of weakness upon the shadow of Kenley.

  "Oh no! I'm unable to defend against this!" The shadow of Kenley was seized with alarm.

  "Broken Branch!" Kenley would not afford him an opportunity to retaliate. Capitalizing on the shadow's inability to defend, he immediately executed the "Broken Branch" move. The crippling effect induced intense pain within the shadow. Before the shadow of Kenley could react, Kenley followed up with the "Flower Bud" move, once again plunging the shadow into a stunned state.

  "Full Bloom!" The finishing move. Kenley's sword flashed by in an instant, and three fearsome sword lights tore the body of the shadow of Kenley asunder! The continuous HP drain effect following the grievous injury swiftly eliminated the phantom in one seamless sequence of attacks!

  The shadow of Kenley knelt down on one knee, and the phantom's blood gushed forth like a fountain.

  The shadow of Kenley hung his head low, and his voice, resembling the eerie wail of a specter emanating from beneath a secluded spring, hissed, "Do you truly believe you've vanquished me? Far from it, far from it, far from..."

  His figure gradually faded into obscurity and vanished.

  System: "Congratulations to player Kenley for successfully completing the Bronze Body trial mission, 'The Mother Goddess's Test.' Please utilize the Rebirth Voucher to complete the rebirth process."

  Kenley heaved a sigh of relief. To be candid， the words uttered by the shadow of Kenley still reverberated in his ears， leaving him feeling rather disoriented. That nebulous sensation of being caught between reality and illusion had almost caused him to lose his grasp on which was which.

  The Aude Continent was indeed a game of unparalleled allure...

  "The Trial Certificate of the Bronze People." Kenley withdrew it from his inventory, and a beam of divine light suddenly descended, enveloping Kenley in its radiant embrace.

  Abruptly, he raised his head and caught a fleeting glimpse of the shadow of a mysterious woman, as if she were smiling at him.

  System: "A special condition for triggering the Tear of the Mother Goddess has been detected. Would you like to activate it immediately?"

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Kenley was taken aback. The Tear of the Mother Goddess, that diminutive item that had resided in his inventory since the very beginning. Subsequently, he had conducted some research on it, yet apart from a brief description, there was nothing else inscribed about it.

  "Activate." Regardless of what it might be, since it was his reward, it was undoubtedly something that would prove advantageous to him. He might as well activate it first and worry about the details later.

  Kenley retrieved the Tear of the Mother Goddess. In conjunction with the Trial Certificate of the Bronze People, the two merged and transformed into a blindingly intense beam of light.

  Just as it had been when he was in the Golden Forbidden Court, the light was so intense that it rendered his eyes unable to open.

  "Is that Earth?" Through this beam of light, Kenley was astonished to behold his home on Earth, which lay far away!

  However, that blurred apparition flashed by in an instant and soon vanished from sight.

  Kenley's body began to float gently. He felt as though he were immersed in the divine light, much like soaking in a warm spring.

  It was a sensation of warmth, comfort, and tranquility, as if an invisible hand were tenderly caressing every pore of his body.

  Could it be the Mother Goddess?

  Kenley was uncertain. This feeling of languid comfort filled him with an overwhelming sense of well-being, as if he were on the verge of succumbing to sleep. Indeed, it was like the peaceful slumber of an infant, so enticing and alluring.

  Was it all over?

  Kenley descended slowly from the air. When he opened his eyes once more, a golden radiance flashed in his eyes and then subsided.

  【Kenley】

  【Level: 30 (Bronze People)】

  【Class: (Main) Warrior?Honorary Paladin】

  【Race: Human】

  【HP: 1324/1324】

  【MP: 1116/1116】

  【Rp: 100/100】

  【Tear Slot: 0/27】

  His HP and MP had increased by a factor of 1.5. Simultaneously, the Rage Slot had been unlocked, enabling him to augment his warrior's offensive skills with rage.

  Moreover, new skills for the Bronze Warrior had been unlocked. Kenley promptly utilized all the experience points he had amassed over the past month and more, catapulting his level to 40 in one fell swoop.

  As expected, the experience gained from slaying monsters in missions of the same rank was indeed meager. Despite having saved up for a month, he had only managed to increase his level by 10. Evidently, the higher one progressed, the more arduous it became to level up.

  A Compilation of the Warrior's New Skills: 【Chain Slash】【Six-Light Continuous Slash】【Painful Pursuit】【Rapid Trample】【Muscle Pulse】【Blood Blade】.

  In addition to these, the Bronze Body had also unlocked a new function for the warrior: 【Sharp Blade】. This function primarily enabled the warrior to continuously vanquish monsters of diverse races during battles, thereby accumulating Sharp Blade Points. As the Sharp Blade Points increased and reached a certain threshold, the special attack against that particular race could be unlocked: enhanced damage and unique skills.

  Furthermore, the skills of the Honorary Paladin had also been unlocked. Kenley now possessed skills such as 【Blade of the Holy War】【Banner of the Holy Light】【Divine Charge】, among others. Given the multitude of skills, they will not be listed exhaustively here but will be introduced one by one during subsequent usage.

  What concerned Kenley the most was the Solar Armor that the phantom had employed earlier. Upon examining its attributes, he was astonished to discover an additional entry: The Hidden Attribute of the Bronze People. The damage of the initial strike is forcibly set to 1.

  No wonder the phantom had been able to withstand his attack. It transpired that the Solar Armor possessed such a function.

  Yet, in the game, he did not recall the Solar Armor of the Paladin having such a function. Why had it changed here? Could it be related to what the phantom had alluded to, that this place was both a game and reality? Had the skills undergone a transformation?

  What puzzled Kenley the most was the nature of this Tear Slot. Could it be related to the Tear of the Mother Goddess? 0 out of 27? It seemed to correspond exactly to the number of Silver Labyrinths. Was there some hidden significance behind it?

  Well, he would delve into this matter at a later time. For now, he should focus on exiting the labyrinth.

  ------

  Finally, he emerged.

  The sky, shrouded in a blanket of overcast clouds, seemed on the verge of unleashing a downpour at any moment. The once sunlit expanse of the heavens was now veiled in a grayish hue.

  The first to emerge was none other than himself.

  However, after a brief interval, Kenley witnessed figures materializing one after another.

  Guinevere? Kenley was not taken aback. Given her prowess, it was not surprising that she had successfully passed the final test. Following her was the Priest Orphen, then Fess, and subsequently the Cleric Tek.

  Where was Tia? A sense of unease gripped Kenley's heart.

  Just as a foreboding sense of impending danger began to creep over Kenley, a flash of light illuminated the area, and Tia emerged.

  "Master!" Tia flung herself into Kenley's embrace. Kenley let out a profound sigh of relief.

  Yet, as time ticked by, some individuals began to furrow their brows.

  "Where is Anya?"