{"id":3252,"date":"2026-05-10T01:35:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T01:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/global-examination-13\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T01:35:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T01:35:16","slug":"global-examination-13","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/chapter\/global-examination-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Examination 13"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 13: The Rest Stop

You know? In some exam sites, you can still find traces left behind by previous candidates.

The road down the mountain was long, and everyone walked in unusual silence.

Half of it was because they were terrified by Baldy turning into Hunter A.

The other half was because they were freezing.

The group staggered along for half an hour, supporting and carrying one another, before the monotonous scenery finally changed. At the end of the pine forest, the view suddenly opened up into a mountain road. Beside it stood a slanted boundary stone.

One side read:

Foot of Jiming Mountain

The other side read:

100 Meters Ahead

The name \u201cJiming Mountain\u201d naturally reminded everyone of the dead rooster hanging in the hunter\u2019s cabin. It was obviously the mountain they had just descended from.

But \u201c100 meters ahead\u201d referred to the road directly in front of them\u2026

And ahead was nothing but snowy fog.

\u201cWhat\u2019s a-a-a hundred meters ahead? Did the b-b-bottom half get buried in the snow?\u201d Yu Wen\u2019s lips trembled so hard from the cold that he sounded like he had a stutter.

He kept both hands stuffed in his pockets and used his shoe to scrape snow off the marker.

Everyone asked, \u201cWhat does it say?\u201d

Yu Wen shrank back and shuffled over, shivering violently. \u201cThe g-g-ground\u2019s frozen solid. I c-can\u2019t scrape it off.\u201d

The boundary stone still showed only half the sentence: \u201c100 meters ahead.\u201d Aside from being slightly clearer, nothing had changed.

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me it\u2019s another\u2026\u201d Zhou Jin\u2019s face was pale as a ghost from the cold as he muttered quietly.

\u201cN-no way,\u201d Yu Wen stammered. \u201cWe j-just survived one exam. If another one starts i-immediately, isn\u2019t that basically forcing people to d-die?\u201d

Everyone fell silent, their footsteps slowing hesitantly.

\u201cNot enough people dead already?\u201d Qi Yang tossed out coldly as he walked ahead.

His voice was perfectly suited for wind and snow. One sentence from him could freeze people to the bone.

Everyone shivered and exchanged looks before hurriedly following after him.

\u2026

With Qi Yang leading the way, nobody could really slow down.

Before long, outlines of buildings emerged through the snowy fog ahead.

The shadow of the hunter\u2019s cabin still lingered in their minds, so seeing buildings didn\u2019t bring much joy at first.

But they quickly realized there wasn\u2019t just one building.

After climbing a gentle slope, they discovered several scattered houses standing ahead.

Calling it a town would\u2019ve been a huge exaggeration. It looked more like a forgotten mountain tourist spot, with a few sparse households near the entrance trying to make money from travelers. The kind of place that probably received only a handful of visitors each year and seemed permanently on the verge of closing down.

The nearest building had a lit sign hanging outside.

Red words on a white background read:

Lodging \u2022 Heating \u2022 Food

The priorities were very clear.

And overwhelmingly attractive.

Everyone immediately stopped walking.

\u201cHow about we stay here for the night?\u201d Old Yu asked cautiously.

He had assumed Qi Yang would reject the idea with a cold glare, since there was no way to tell whether this place was safe.

Instead, his nephew entered faster than anyone else.

\u2026

Qi Yang had already been starving for a long time.

While trekking through the snow, his greatest regret had been submitting the exam too early.

If he had delayed by even a few more minutes, 922\u2019s beef would have finished cooking.

It was all because that ridiculously eye-catching Proctor 001 had ruined his meal.

Thinking about Qin Jiu\u2019s face\u2026

Qi Yang touched his earring, his mood worsening immediately.

So when the inn receptionist looked up, what he saw was Qi Yang\u2019s cold funeral-procession expression.

Receptionist: \u201c\u2026\u201d

The receptionist was a skinny young man who looked like a monkey. After staring silently for two seconds, he suddenly turned around and shouted inside:

\u201cBoss! We\u2019ve got people!\u201d

\u201cWhy are you yelling like someone died? If people came in, can\u2019t you greet them yourself?\u201d a woman\u2019s voice snapped back. Even through the doorway, her tone sounded fierce and sharp.

\u201cI was afraid they\u2019d run away if I greeted them.\u201d The receptionist glanced at Qi Yang awkwardly.

\u201cIn a hellhole like this, where exactly are they supposed to run?\u201d The door at the end of the first-floor hallway opened, and a short-haired woman walked out carrying a cleaver.

The receptionist jumped in fright.

Even Qi Yang paused for a moment.

\u201cBoss, what are you doing with that?\u201d

\u201cOh, nothing.\u201d The short-haired woman replied casually. \u201cDidn\u2019t feel like eating cafeteria food today, so I got some vegetables and meat from across the street to cook myself.\u201d

She lowered the cleaver and smiled at Qi Yang.

\u201cWell, hello there, handsome! Just finished an exam? Xiao Hu, register them.\u201d

With the boss backing him up, the receptionist\u2014Xiao Hu\u2014finally turned to Qi Yang and said, \u201cCould you tell me your names? I need to check how many days you\u2019ll be staying.\u201d

Old Yu and the others entered while rubbing their hands for warmth. The moment they heard those words, their expressions changed.

\u201cJust finished an exam? How do you know we\u2026\u201d

The boss raised an eyebrow and smiled like some mountain spirit. \u201cThat\u2019s a strange thing to ask. Why don\u2019t you read the sign?\u201d

She banged the wall loudly with the back of her cleaver.

Xiao Hu quickly stepped aside, revealing the entire wall behind him.

Written on it were four large characters:

Candidate Rest Stop

Candidate Rest Stop????

Everyone\u2019s expressions worsened instantly.

Zhou Jin muttered, \u201cI thought\u2026\u201d

The boss looked completely unsurprised. \u201cYou thought you were close to entering the city, right? Totally normal. First time entering a rest stop? Everyone reacts like this.\u201d

Old Yu asked, \u201cAlso, what do you mean by checking how many days we\u2019re staying? Don\u2019t we decide that ourselves?\u201d

The boss laughed even harder. \u201cDream on.\u201d

Old Yu: \u201c\u2026\u201d

\u201cAlright, enough joking,\u201d the boss said. \u201cHow many rest days you get after each exam is determined by regulations. You don\u2019t stay however long you want. Stop blocking the entrance and report your names already.\u201d

The tattooed man immediately got annoyed and revealed his street-thug nature.

\u201cFuck this. Who the hell would stay in some obvious death trap? You idiots can stay if you want. I\u2019m leaving!\u201d

Unexpectedly, the boss was even more aggressive than he was.

She slammed her cleaver into the front desk with a loud thunk, making Xiao Hu leap three feet into the air.

\u201cGo ahead. If you don\u2019t leave, you\u2019re my grandson,\u201d she snapped while pointing outside.

Tattooed Man: \u201c\u2026\u201d

His eyes bulged furiously. He zipped his collar all the way up, bit the zipper tab between his teeth, and stormed out.

\u2026

The lodging registration somehow turned into a scene straight out of the underworld.

Everyone else stared at the cleaver on the front desk, uncertain whether to stay or leave.

Only Qi Yang calmly reported his name without changing expression.

Xiao Hu typed rapidly on the keyboard.

\u201cFound it. Your group gets seven days of rest this time. Starting now\u2014\u201d

He glanced at the wall clock.

\u201c\u2014from 3:12 PM today. Seven days later at exactly 3:12 PM, you\u2019ll automatically check out. Here\u2019s your room card.\u201d

Qi Yang took the keycard.

The front displayed the room number.

Qi Yang was assigned Room 404.

The boss leaned over for a glance and added, \u201cOh right, we don\u2019t avoid unlucky numbers here. So if you get assigned rooms like 404 or 414\u2026 well, that\u2019s fate. Don\u2019t overthink it. After all, avoiding rooms with the number four doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t die in the exams, right?\u201d

That single sentence managed to comfort everyone into turning green.

Without looking up, Qi Yang flipped the card over.

The first line on the back read:

Candidate Rest Stop

Manager: Chu Yue

Below that was a table-form admission card:

Name: Qi Yang

Candidate Number: 860451-10062231-000A

Completed Subject: Physics

Total Score: 19

Chu Yue finally looked genuinely surprised.

\u201cYou got nineteen points in a single subject? Doesn\u2019t look like it at all!\u201d

Qi Yang raised his eyes coldly.

Chu Yue waved a hand. \u201cOh, no offense. I\u2019m complimenting you! You\u2019ve got a face made for causing disasters. Your name suits you perfectly!\u201d

Qi Yang: \u201c\u2026\u201d

Before he could respond, she burst out laughing and disappeared back into the room with her cleaver.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Hu obediently recited what sounded like a prepared script:

\u201cThere\u2019s hot water and proper heating. For newcomers, don\u2019t rush to warm your hands, shower, or crawl into bed right away. Later, I\u2019ll bring over a bucket of snow and alcohol for you to rub onto your exposed arms and legs before going inside.\u201d

\u201cBreakfast is served at 7 AM, lunch at 11 AM, and dinner at 5 PM sharp. The dining hall is on the first floor, around that corner.\u201d

\u201cEach meal lasts two hours. That means food service stops exactly at 9 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM. The cook has a worse temper than heaven itself, so watch the time carefully. Late arrivals won\u2019t be served.\u201d

After listening, Qi Yang nodded once and asked:

\u201cIs there food now?\u201d

Xiao Hu: \u201c…Late arrivals won\u2019t be served.\u201d

Qi Yang looked at him.

He looked at Qi Yang.

Two seconds later, Xiao Hu turned around and shouted:

\u201cBoss! The guest wants food!\u201d

\u2026

Boss Chu claimed she was a shallow person who judged by appearances.

Fortunately, this group of candidates had Qi Yang.

Not long afterward, everyone finally warmed up and sat together in the dining hall, eating dumplings handmade by Chu Yue herself.

Yu Wen loudly claimed he had no appetite while stuffing himself with an outrageous amount of food.

With hot food in their stomachs, everyone\u2019s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a little.

People became sleepy, leaning against one another in dazed silence.

Chu Yue suddenly said, \u201cYour group is pretty interesting.\u201d

Qi Yang looked at her.

Despite the snowstorm outside, Chu Yue held a glass of ice-cold beer. She took a sip before explaining:

\u201cThe group that checked in yesterday morning only had three people left, I think. See them?\u201d

She pointed upward toward the ceiling.

\u201cOther than meal times, they never leave their rooms. Sometimes they don\u2019t even come out for meals. They only take a couple bites before they\u2019re full. Then they either stare blankly or cry.\u201d

\u201cThree people? What exam did they take? How many entered originally?\u201d Yu Wen asked.

\u201cThe same as you,\u201d Chu Yue replied matter-of-factly. \u201cLately, every group staying here took the same exam.\u201d

Yu Wen froze. \u201c…The same one? Hunter A\u2019s exam? And only three survived?\u201d

Chu Yue said, \u201cThree is a little low, but most groups only have five or six left anyway. That\u2019s the normal survival rate.\u201d

\u201cHow many groups have you hosted?\u201d Yu Wen rubbed the goosebumps on his arms as he remembered Baldy turning into Hunter A. \u201cWouldn\u2019t that mean there are tons of Hunter As?\u201d

\u201cOf course not,\u201d Chu Yue replied. \u201cWhen I say the same exam, I mean the same examination site. Your group can only enter after the previous group finishes and leaves.\u201d

She lowered her voice mysteriously.

\u201cYou know? In some examination sites, you can still find traces left behind by previous candidates. Last time, I heard someone found a finger bone. Someone else found a ring.\u201d

\u201cYou guys should try looking sometime.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3252","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3252"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3253,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3252\/revisions\/3253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}