Chapter 7 — Beyond the Milky Way: The Miner Who Became a God of War

The second round of the Grand Trial was announced as "The Abyss of Life and Death" - a direct battle between randomly drawn pairs of contestants, taking place right on the surface of the arena suspended above the meteorite crater. The rules of the competition have only one thing: pushing the opponent out of the competition circle, or causing the opponent to lose the ability to fight, is victory. There are no regulations on the level of damage allowed.

Lam Vũ stood in the waiting area, his heart beating rapidly when he heard his name being announced along with his opponent's. He glanced at the electronic bulletin board and saw his opponent's name: Địch Vũ Khang, the second son of a famous military family, ranked high on the list of potential championship candidates.

"Be careful," Tinh Nhược whispered as he passed by the area where she stood observing the crowd. "The Địch Vũ Khang family is famous for its brutal, uncompromising fighting style. He once sent three previous opponents to the hospital." Lam Vũ nodded and entered the arena amid the cheers of the audience. Địch Vũ Khang was already standing on the opposite side, his muscular body in a specially improved competition armor, his eyes looking at Lam Vũ full of contempt.

"A low-class miner dares to step in here," he sneered, his voice echoing throughout the arena through the speaker system mounted on his armor. “I will show you the difference between true noble blood and an ordinary elementary Spirit Bone.”

The whistle sounded, signaling the start of the match. Địch Vũ Khang rushed forward immediately, throwing a powerful punch that was enhanced by a booster attached to the competition armor. Lam Vũ narrowly dodged, feeling the wind from the punch sweep close to his face, strong enough to shatter a rock if it hit.

The battle was intense, Địch Vũ Khang continuously attacked with powerful moves, taking advantage of muscle strength and modern assistive devices. Lam Vũ, relying on the avoidance techniques Tinh Nhược taught, tried to preserve his strength and waited for the opportunity to counterattack. But gradually, the gap in strength between the two began to become apparent - Lam Vũ was pushed back closer to the edge of the competition circle, only a few steps away from the edge.

"There's no way to run, miner," Địch Vũ Khang laughed loudly, throwing a final punch aimed straight at Lam Vũ's chest, enough to push him out of the competition round, falling straight into the abyss if there was no safety net.

In that moment of life and death, when the punch was only a few inches away, Lam Vũ's mind suddenly flashed the image of his mother, the image of Bốc Vấn Sơn with intricate scars, the image of Tà Huy Village that had been massacred that he had never seen with his own eyes. A fierce anger and determination flared up in his chest, and the familiar warmth ran down his spine again, this time stronger than ever.

Time seems to slow down. Lam Vũ clearly saw every movement of the incoming punch, and with a reflex speed far beyond human limits, he leaned to dodge, and at the same time launched a counterattack at Địch Vũ Khang's arm. The sound of bones cracking rang out, Địch Vũ Khang screamed in pain, his right arm drooped motionless, the assistive device on the armor emitted flickering electric sparks.

The crowd of spectators was silent for a moment, then exploded into fierce cheers. On the giant magnified screen hanging in the middle of the arena, the image of Lam Vũ's counterattack was slowly replayed, clearly showing a faint blue energy surrounding his fist in the moment of impact — the unmistakable signature of the rising Power of the War God.

"No way," the commentator's voice rang out, filled with surprise and panic. "That's... that's the War God energy sign! But this candidate is only confirmed to be a beginner level Spirit Bone!"

Địch Vũ Khang, despite the pain, still tried to stand up with his other hand, his eyes full of anger and disbelief. "You... who are you? An elementary Spirit Bone cannot have true War God energy!"

Lam Vũ stood there, panting, looking down at his fist, feeling the warmth gradually disappear but the afterglow still spread throughout his body. He didn't answer, because he didn't fully understand what had just happened.

The arena referee, a high-ranking Saint Guard wearing white armor with gold trim, quickly stepped in to intervene, declaring Lam Vũ victorious because his opponent had lost the ability to fight. But the referee's eyes, when looking at Lam Vũ, could not hide his vigilance and deep curiosity.

Leaving the arena amid the cheers and whispers of the crowd, Lam Vũ was quickly pulled by Tinh Nhược into a hidden hallway, her face filled with an unprecedented seriousness.

“You just revealed too much,” she said, her voice urgent. "That energy signature, every surveillance system in the arena has recorded it. The Holy See will definitely pay attention to you now."

"I can't control it," Lam Vũ replied, his voice still shaking from the aftershocks of the battle. "It only... emerges when you face extreme danger."

Tinh Nhược looked at him for a long time, her eyes were no longer the usual cold calculating eyes, but contained a seriousness mixed with real surprise. "Do you know what that energy signature means? It's not the manifestation of a normal Spirit Bone, even the highest level. It's the sign of the true God of War bloodline — something the Holy See has always claimed exists only in legends."

Lam Vũ remained silent, not knowing how much to reveal about his true origin. But Tinh Nhược's eyes, now looking at him with a rare sincere concern, made him feel that maybe it was time to trust her more.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said slowly. "But not here. We need a safer place." Tinh Nhược nodded, her eyes flashed with an indescribable light - maybe hope, maybe an important piece that fit into the mysterious picture she had been pursuing for a long time. "Tonight, after curfew, I know a place no one will notice in the contestant resting area. We'll talk there."

Meanwhile, at the highest noble stage of the Abyss Arena, the Elder who had watched Lam Vũ's jump in the previous round now stood in front of a private communication screen, his face tense as he prepared to send an emergency report. He watched the slow-motion recording of Lam Vũ's counterattack over and over again, paying special attention to the faint blue energy surrounding his fist.

"Your Highness," he said through the comm screen, his voice mixed with respect and concern, "there is a candidate at this year's Great Trials who exhibits unusual energy signatures that do not match any of the Spirit Bone patterns in our data system. I think you need to take a look at this recording immediately."

On the other end, a low, majestic voice rang out, showing no emotion at all. "Send all the data here. I will personally review it."

That brief conversation, though Lam Vũ did not know it, put him in the sights of the most powerful person in the entire galaxy - an attention for which he would have to pay dearly in the upcoming rounds.

Returning to the contestant rest area, Lam Vũ sat alone in a small dark compartment, his hands still shaking slightly from the aftershocks of the match. He remembered the feeling of time slowing down in the moment of life and death, the feeling of his body suddenly becoming faster and stronger — a feeling that was both exciting and terrifying, as if there was another person hidden inside him, just waiting for the opportunity to fully emerge.

He thought about what Bốc Vấn Sơn once said: the power of War God cannot be summoned at will, it only arises in extreme moments. But if he could learn to control it, learn to summon it at will instead of relying solely on survival instincts, perhaps he would have enough strength to not only survive the Great Trial, but also be strong enough to face the terrible truth behind the Tà Huy Village massacre.

That night, when the arena lights were turned off and the crowd's cheers had subsided, Lam Vũ stood looking out the window of the contestants' resting area, gazing toward the dark abyss surrounding the Abyss Arena. He knew clearly that from the very moment that energy flared up in front of thousands of spectators and countless sophisticated surveillance systems of the Holy See, his life had officially entered a completely new phase, a path with no turning back.