Jade walked slowly through the hallway of the house.
After leaving his room, his mind was still full of questions. Ever since the system spoke to him and revealed that his survival chance in the trial was only twenty percent, he had not been able to relax.
The number kept echoing inside his mind.
Twenty percent.
That meant that out of five people, only one might survive.
The more Jade thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
Even though he had trained intensely these past few days, he still felt that it was not enough. His body had improved, yes, but the system trial was not something ordinary training could easily prepare someone for.
Jade needed more information.
He needed to understand what kind of danger he would face.
That was why he decided to ask his parents.
As Jade reached the living room, he was about to call out to them.
But the moment he stepped closer, he suddenly froze.
His eyes widened slightly.
In the living room, Rylan and Seraphine were clearly in the middle of a very intimate moment.
They were making love right there in the living room.
Jade immediately turned his head away.
His face turned red in embarrassment.
He had not expected to walk into something like this.
For a moment, he thought about quietly leaving the room and pretending he had never seen anything.
But he also remembered why he had come here.
The questions in his mind were too important to ignore.
So instead of leaving, Jade cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem!"
The sound echoed clearly through the living room.
It was an obvious and intentional cough.
Rylan and Seraphine immediately stopped.
Both of them turned toward the direction of the sound.
Their eyes landed on Jade.
For a brief moment, the room became extremely awkward.
Then Rylan quickly composed himself.
He stood upright and tried to act as if nothing unusual had happened.
Seraphine also adjusted her posture and regained her usual calm and elegant expression.
Within a few seconds, they both looked perfectly mature again.
Rylan crossed his arms slightly and looked at his son.
"Son," he said calmly.
"What are you doing here?"
Then he added,
"I thought you were supposed to be practicing."
Jade frowned slightly.
He was still slightly annoyed by what he had just walked in on.
"But that doesn't give you the right to romance in the living room," Jade said.
His voice carried a hint of anger.
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Seraphine's eyes immediately narrowed.
Her expression turned cold.
"Are you lecturing us?" she asked sharply.
Her voice carried clear authority.
"Your parents?"
Jade instantly realized he had spoken too harshly.
He lowered his head slightly.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly.
"I didn't mean it that way, Mom… Dad."
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I just came to ask about the system trial."
Even Jade himself did not understand why he had reacted so strongly earlier.
Perhaps it was stress.
Or fear.
Ever since hearing about the twenty percent survival chance, he had been feeling restless.
Seraphine studied him carefully for a moment.
Then something surprising happened.
Her angry expression disappeared almost instantly.
It changed into a calm and gentle one.
The change was so fast it almost seemed unnatural.
"Oh, honey," Seraphine said softly.
"What would you like to know about the system trial?"
Jade blinked slightly.
The sudden change caught him off guard.
Even Rylan seemed a little surprised.
He looked at Jade thoughtfully.
Jade's earlier reaction clearly looked like a mood swing.
But Rylan knew that this was not unusual for teenagers.
Especially when they were dealing with stress or fear.
So he decided not to make a big issue out of it.
Rylan relaxed his posture slightly.
"So," he said calmly.
"What exactly do you want to know about the system trial?"
Jade looked between his parents before answering.
"I just want to know what it will look like."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Or what I should expect."
The question hung in the air.
Rylan thought about it for a moment.
Then he began explaining.
"The system trial can be many different things," he said slowly.
"Sometimes it is extremely difficult."
"Sometimes it is surprisingly simple."
Jade listened carefully.
Rylan continued.
"For example, my first trial was actually quite simple."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Simple?"
Rylan nodded.
"Yes."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"In fact, it was during my first trial that I met your mother."
Seraphine rolled her eyes slightly.
Before Rylan could continue his story, she interrupted him.
"One thing is certain," Seraphine said firmly.
"You will definitely encounter creatures."
Jade frowned slightly.
"Creatures?"
Seraphine nodded.
"They are the most common enemies in beginner trials."
Her expression became serious.
"Even if you cannot defeat them…"
She paused briefly before finishing.
"You must at least learn how to protect yourself."
Jade thought about what she said.
It sounded very similar to the holographic training game he had tried earlier.
Running.
Dodging.
Surviving.
Maybe that simulation was closer to the real trial than he had realized.
Seraphine was about to continue speaking.
But suddenly her phone began ringing.
The sound interrupted the conversation.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed slightly.
"It's urgent," she said.
Then she looked back at Jade.
"We'll continue this conversation later."
Without waiting for a response, Seraphine quickly walked away while answering the phone.
Soon she disappeared down the hallway.
Now only Rylan and Jade remained in the living room.
The room became quiet again.
Rylan leaned slightly against the couch and looked at his son thoughtfully.
"So," he said slowly.
"You're worried about the trial."
It wasn't really a question.
Jade didn't answer immediately.
But the silence itself confirmed it.
Rylan crossed his arms.
"You should be worried," he said honestly.
"The system trial isn't a game."
Jade looked at him seriously.
Rylan continued.
"Many people fail their trials."
"Some even die."
Jade's chest tightened slightly.
But Rylan's expression softened a little.
"However," he continued calmly.
"You're my son."
Jade looked up.
"And you've already survived my training," Rylan said with a faint smile.
"That alone proves you're tougher than most people."
Jade wasn't sure whether to feel proud or terrified by that statement.
After all, Rylan's training had nearly killed him.
Still, hearing his father say that gave him a little confidence.
Rylan stood up slowly.
"If you want to survive the system trial," he said.
"There are three things you must remember."
Jade focused carefully.
"First," Rylan said.
"Never underestimate your enemies."
"Second, always observe your surroundings."
"And third…"
He looked directly at Jade.
"Survive."
Jade frowned slightly.
"That's it?"
Rylan nodded.
"That's the most important rule."
He placed a firm hand on Jade's shoulder.
"You don't have to win."
"You don't have to be the strongest."
"You just have to survive."
Jade slowly nodded.
For the first time since hearing about the trial, he felt a little calmer.
But deep inside his mind, the system's cold calculation still remained.
20 percent survival probability.
The trial was coming.
And Jade knew one thing for certain.
His life was about to change forever.