Chapter 19 — Beyond the Milky Way: The Miner Who Became a God of War

One day before the sixth round, Lam Vũ received an official message from the organizers of the Great Trial Luyen, sent directly to the contestants' resting area in the name of a "special announcement". He opened the message in high alert, and what appeared on the screen made his heart stop beating.

It was a short video recording, showing Tinh Nhược imprisoned in an isolated room, her hands and feet tied to a metal chair. Her face, although tired, still shone with unyielding resilience. Accompanying the video recording is a written message, signed by a representative of the Quang Nguyên Council of Elders: "If contestant HT-2290 wants this person to be safe, please compete in the final round according to the rules, without any unusual actions. Any resistance will lead to serious consequences for the prisoner in custody."

Lam Vũ stood dumbfounded, his trembling hand tightly grasping the message display device. This is exactly what Bốc Vấn Sơn feared — the Holy See is using Tinh Nhược as a hostage to control him, forcing him to follow their rules.

"They want me to play like a puppet in their hands," he said, his voice filled with indignation as he showed Bốc Vấn Sơn the recording. "But if you resist, they will harm Tinh Nhược."

Bốc Vấn Sơn watched the recording, his face darkened. "This is an elaborate trap. They knew I wouldn't be able to leave her alone, so they used my own emotions as a weapon to control me."

"So what should I do?" Lam Vũ asked, his voice full of helplessness.

"I still have to compete," Bốc Vấn Sơn said after a moment of contemplation. "But you need to play wisely, without revealing any intentions that could make them suspect you are planning a resistance. In the meantime, I will do my best to find the exact location where Tinh Nhược is being held and find a way to contact any allies who can help."

"You can't just sit still and wait for the final round results while she's in detention," Lam Vũ said, his voice determined. "I need a more specific plan." Bốc Vấn Sơn was silent for a moment, then sighed heavily. "I don't have the perfect answer for you right now, Lam Vũ. All I can do is continue to gather information and hope we can find an opportunity before it becomes too late."

The next day, the sixth round of "Ultimate Confrontation" officially took place. Lam Vũ entered the arena in a heavy mood, his eyes scanning the crowd of spectators, trying to find any signs of where Tinh Nhược might be being held, but to no avail.

His opponent in this round is a strong female contestant named Cảnh Nhược Vi, who comes from a prestigious military family and is considered one of the most potential championship candidates this season. The match was tense, but this time, instead of trying to hide his strength like in previous rounds, Lam Vũ fought with an unprecedented cold fierceness, pouring all the pain and anger over Tinh Nhược's arrest into each attack.

The Power of the War God flared up stronger within him than ever before, no longer in brief bursts in the moments of life and death, but as a steady stream of energy that he was starting to be able to control better thanks to what he had trained over the past several weeks. He overwhelmingly defeated Cảnh Nhược Vi, leaving the entire audience in silent amazement at that extraordinary display of strength.

"Contestant HT-2290 won, officially entered the top eight best contestants, qualified to enter the Grand Trial finals!" The commentator's voice rang out excitedly through the speaker system.

Leaving the arena amid the cheers of the crowd, Lam Vũ did not feel any joy of victory, only a cold determination smoldering in his chest. He was one step closer to the final round, closer to the opportunity to reach the Holy See's power center, and closer to the opportunity to rescue Tinh Nhược.

That evening, Bốc Vấn Sơn came with important news. "I've come across a clue," he said, his voice mixed with excitement and caution. "It seems that Tinh Nhược is being held in an isolated area near the central main hall of the Abyss Arena, which is often used as a place to hold special audiences for the best contestants after the final round."

"That means I can get closer to her if I make it to the final round," Lam Vũ said, a glimmer of hope.

"That's right," Bốc Vấn Sơn confirmed. "But you need to prepare yourself, because this is most likely a carefully staged trap to lure you right where the Holy See wants you to appear, under their strictest supervision."

"I clearly know it's a trap," Lam Vũ replied, his voice strangely calm, different from the usual panic of a twenty-three year old boy facing a huge system of power. "But sometimes, walking into a known trap is better than letting it stalk you in a place you can't foresee. At least if you know what they want, you can prepare to turn that same trap into your opportunity."

Bốc Vấn Sơn looked at him, a mixture of surprise and pride flashed across his wrinkled face. "You're much more thoughtful than the impulsive boy who recklessly asked me to teach him martial arts just a few weeks ago. Perhaps what you've been through, even though it's painful, has trained you to become someone who can truly confront Kha Bạch Vân."

"I have no other choice but to grow up faster," Lam Vũ replied, his voice low and thoughtful. "Every day that passes, your mother gets a little weaker, Tinh Nhược endures a little more in that cold cell. You no longer have time to be an impulsive boy, even though you still have a lot to learn on the road ahead." Lam Vũ nodded, feeling more clearly than ever that the upcoming final would not simply be a competition, but a life-or-death gamble where every piece, every clue they had collected over the past several weeks would have to be used at the right time, in the right place, if he did not want to pay the price with the lives of the people he loved most.

"Have you contacted Vệ Thục Trinh about your mother's situation?" Lam Vũ asked, his mind now had to divide his worries between the two most important women in his life.

"I just received the news this morning," Bốc Vấn Sơn replied, his voice somewhat relieved. "Thanks to the dose of Aurora Crystal you won in the previous round, your mother's condition has stabilized a bit, although she is still very weak. Vệ Thục Trinh said she can last about three or four more weeks before needing a full dose of treatment."

"So we don't have much time left," Lam Vũ said, doing a quick calculation in his head. "How long will the final round take place?"

"According to the official announcement schedule, exactly ten days from now," Bốc Vấn Sơn replied, his voice thoughtful and calculating. "Just enough for us to thoroughly prepare all options, but short enough to not give us much room for error, or any second chances if something unforeseen happens." Lam Vũ nodded, feeling pressure from all sides — her mother's life was counting down, Tinh Nhược was imprisoned waiting to be rescued, and a huge system of power was waiting to crush anyone who dared to challenge it. But instead of letting that pressure engulf him, he felt it gradually transform into a new source of mental strength, sharper and more steadfast than ever.

"Ten days," he repeated, his voice firm and unwavering. "Enough for you to prepare everything you need, enough for you to practice more control over your powers, and enough for me to find the last clues we're missing. I won't let any of them — mother, Tinh Nhược, or myself — wait another day in vain." In the following days, Bốc Vấn Sơn continued to scout for information about the security structure surrounding Tinh Nhược's detention area, while Lam Vũ devoted all his remaining training time to perfecting his ability to control the power of the War God, preparing for the most important battle of his life, a battle that he knew would decide not only his own fate, but that of everyone he loved, and perhaps, of an entire order that had dominated this galaxy for many generations. through lies and fear.